Peter video here
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From page 29 Peter shared his sustainability journey at the conference in conversation with Ella – and also sat on a panel with Steve Mackinlay of Stahmann Webster and Burcu Turkay of OFI . Three sustainability champions , from different sized enterprises , all playing an important role . Peter has been growing almonds at 28th Street in Renmark since 1983 , when he purchased a 90-acre almond orchard from an American grower . He has a long history of active involvement in the Australian almond industry , including time spent as Chairman of the ABA , Chairman of the Almond R & D committee , and the Almond Co board . Peter ’ s sustainability journey began over 20 years ago when he started to experiment with cover crops and integrated pest management . When Peter first started using cover crops , he noticed that he had less issues with Bryobia mite than other almond growers . It was an entomologist who told him that there was a predatory mite that eats Bryobia mite , and also feeds on smaller mites found in cover crops . Armed with this new information , Peter started using a cover crop that wasn ’ t treated with miticides and he hasn ’ t looked back . To this day Peter doesn ’ t use fungicides , or oil sprays and he hasn ’ t touched insecticides in over 15 years . However , Peter ’ s sustainability initiatives don ’ t end there . His 28th Street orchard houses a windbreak comprised of native vegetation . The mix of native trees and shrubs
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In A Nutshell - Summer 2022 Vol 23 Issue 4
To this day , Peter doesn ' t use fungicides , or oil sprays , and he hasn ' t touched insecticides in over 15 years ...
Experimenting with cover crops led Renmark grower Peter Freeman to discover natural pest control systems that have benefited his orchard .
that flower at different times throughout the year were selected to support native bees and reduce pollination reliance on honeybees . The windbreak also saves water by reducing wind and transpiration loss , thus reducing irrigation requirements . An additional , but equally significant , benefit of the native vegetation is that it increases biodiversity . Peter says that the flowering vegetation attracts small honey eaters and other insectivorous birds . He ’ s observed these birds flying across the top of his almond orchard , where they hover looking for insects . Peter believes that the honey eaters are effective at controlling Carob moth and preventing their spread . Despite all his achievements , Peter ’ s sustainability journey is far from over , with whole orchard recycling , mulching prunings , and a solar farm and solar battery for his irrigation pump on the horizon for the Renmark orchard . He ’ d also like to see the Australian almond industry develop certification for sustainable almonds , to provide an incentive for growers and processors using sustainable practices .