Nestled in the shade of red gums and overlooking the Murray River is a 15-hectare farm producing fresh and dried fruit products. We spoke to second-generation farmer Frank Porter about the farm, Murray View Organics, which he runs with his wife Pene.

What brought you to Murray View Organics?
Murray View was established by my Dad in the ’40s. With my feet firmly planted in the soil, the passion for farming evolved through the next generation and I’m happily guiding the third and fourth generation along the fence line of farming ethics. Pene, on the other hand, graduated in Sydney as an occupational therapist, before then enrolling into the academia of rural adversity. Her persona embraced destinies of the challenges of farming life and is buoyed by our four grounded offspring.

What do you grow?
Our 15-hectare certified organic farm nurtures a complementary variety of sultana, sunmuscat-raisins and currant grapes for dried fruit, apricot and plum trees, Australian blood limes and Australian sunrise limes, as well as seasonal veges.

Tell us about your growing methods:
Our organic farming methods are employed to create a healthy biologically active soil. We believe that it is with healthy soil that you can holistically nourish healthy plants, which ultimately nourish us and our customers. We treat water with reverence and allocate it in ways that do not upset the water table.

Over time, appropriate species selection has led to varieties that are suited to our land, and we’ve preserved a number of hands-on practices for pruning, picking and weed control for the purpose of quality management.

We have taken considerable time to re-vegetate and re-introduce native species around the farm to increase farm biodiversity. This has the benefits of pest control, soil creation, salinity management and water retention in the landscape. Addressing the importance in soil value now, but more fundamentally, for the future generations, leaving a legacy that will endure within the soil.

What is December and January like on the farm?
Apricots are picked with diligence, optimum light for colour maturity assessment as a priority before the heat of the day. In mid to late January, we place bundle by bundle of tins under the canopy of the black gem currant vines for hand picking and drying. This pattern will continue with the sultanas and sunmuscat-raisins through the following months, taking us to May.

What’s important about small-scale farming?
We deliver fruit in person whenever possible, keeping contact with the people we supply for a flow of ideas, inspiration and passion. Businesses that have direct relationships with producers are better for the consumer as they are a conduit between the two.

In our infant stage of securing the Murray View organic certification, we stencilled a signature with three inspiring sourdough bakers: John Reid from Redbeard Historical Bakery, Trentham; Murray Beggs from Organic Republic Bakery, Bondi; and Bill Roberts from Bills Organic Bakery in Newcastle. These instinctive, passionate sourdough bakers have mentored and inspired other colleagues with conviction.

We passionately believe in using small local business, locally sourced materials, and a local small packer as this is important to keep country people in their communities.