TWO months of near constant wet weather has been bad news for crops at OCTEC’S Huntley Berry Farm and it has made the entrance road almost impassable until now.
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Farm manager Tony Belmonte said the road was filled with ruts and potholes and needed fixing last year but the farm did not have the funds.
He said the berry farm is an Australian disability enterprise providing supported employment for 14 people with disabilities and relies on government funding, which did not cover a road upgrade.
As a result he said buses were already unable to use the driveway and would park on the road and if nothing was done the entry would be undrivable for visitors when the farm reopens for the summer berry picking season.
However, on Friday, Boral stepped in to help and donated gravel from its Shadforth Quarry to repair about 600m of roadway, including the car park, and strengthen it against future rain.
“It’s a significant amount of gravel they are donating to improve the farm’s appearance and appearance and surface of the entry to the farm, it’s between $20,000 and $30,000,” Mr Belmonte said.
“It’s going to help the farm quite a lot, it’s a muck at the moment because we’ve had so much rain, our driveway has fallen apart.”
As well as giving people work and giving visitors a chance to pick berries, Huntley Berry Farm also turns its produce into commercially available jams, preserves and premium fruit syrups.
However, along with the driveway being washed away, Mr Belmonte said crops were suffering with leaves turning yellow on winter vegetables and strawberries, although it may turn around if the weather clears.
“If the weather continues, it is predicted half our strawberry plants will die, they are starting to yellow at the moment,” he said.
“Young crops like strawberries they don’t like too much water at the start.”
He said other berries will not be affected by the rain.
Shadforth Quarry manager Sean Murphy said Boral made the decision to support farm with the donation after learning of the work it does to support those living with a disability in the community.
“Not only does the farm provide support for those who need it most, it also offers a wonderful local attraction enjoyed by many of our employees and their families,” Mr Murphy said.
