Molewood Orchard: Pick Your Own Apples
A wander through an orchard picking a basket of apples is a wonderful thing! Would you like to try it? Molewood Orchard in Greytown sits on some of the most productive agricultural land in New Zealand. Situated on ancient floodplains at the foot of the mighty Tararua Ranges, Molewood Orchard’s apples and pears are born of the rich alluvial soils of the Wairarapa.
Molewood Orchard in Greytown will be opening its gates to the public for Pick Your Own Apples this harvest season.
The Cooke family is looking forward to welcoming the public to the orchard for the first time, introducing a new generation to the delight of picking fresh, sun-warmed apples off the tree.
9am - 4pm on weekends
18 March - 31 May 2023
17 Mole Street, Greytown, Wairarapa
Open at other times by appointment.
What to bring:
Please bring a bucket, basket or bag for the apples. You’re welcome to bring a picnic lunch as well and make a day of it. Sunscreen and a hat are a good idea too.
So if the idea of spending an hour or two wandering down rows of trees laden with fresh delicious apples appeals, we have got your weekend plans covered!
Some history
Ed and Juliet Cooke bought 11 hectares of land on Mole St in Greytown in 1989, together with local fruit growers Graeme and Helen Gray. Over the following years they planted over 6000 apple and pear trees - and Molewood Orchard was born!
The land had been used for dairy farming by the Farley family for about 100 years, and was bought in part on the basis of it being top-grade horticultural soil.
The Hutt Valley had been the main market-garden area for Wellington city, but over time as more land went into housing the Bureau was tasked with finding the next horticultural land for Wellington City. They selected two areas, Greytown and Otaki, and of the eight classifications of soil identified in Greytown, the two top categories, 3 and 3D, are both contained within the space occupied by Molewood Orchard.
After Graeme and Helen retired from orcharding in the early 2000s, Molewood Orchard was leased to another local orchard, JR's Orchards, and became an export orchard for 20+ years.
In 2022 JR's Orchards gave up the lease, and Ed Cooke returned to managing the orchard assisted by his son Wendell. It is now run as an independent family business - with the whole family pitching in to support the 2023 harvest season.
The Cookes are looking forward to opening the orchard for Pick Your Own apples in the 2023 harvest season.