ASHBOLT Farm has been in the ASHBOLT family since 1906, when Robert’s maternal great grandfather Cecil Walker fell in love with its special beauty and set up a family retreat and apple farm there. Read an excerpt from Cecil's diary (part of his extraordinary travels and adventures).
Since 1980, we (Robert and Anne Ashbolt) have been managing our 375 hectare mixed farm which lies in Tasmania’s picturesque Derwent Valley, 50 km upstream from Hobart. Originally farming cattle, sheep, goats, cereal and potato crops, concern for the soil saw us switch our focus from sheep and cropping to a high-value, low-impact sustainable agricultural system of farming. We wanted to cause minimal disturbance to our soils and were fascinated by the opportunity to develop the farm into one based on heritage trees with an historical connection to health. In the late 1990’s we started planting our first olive grove, followed by an elderflower grove. We already had a micro orchard of heritage fruit trees which we now use to produce a range of fruit wines.
To nurture the soil, we use the clear clean water from the Derwent River and hundreds of tonnes of organic compost, seaweed fertilisers and nutrient-rich cover crops which we mulch back into tree rows. Our unfinished goal is to drought-proof the farm, establishing efficient irrigation systems and shelter belts in each paddock and ultimately achieving a vibrant, relatively self-sufficient ecosystem. We believe that the answer to the high quality and multi-medal winning status of our produce lies in the attention to detail and the particular ‘terroir’ (the interrelation between the trees, the terrain, the soil and its climate).
The special colour and unique taste of our oil very much comes from the land and the way we farm it, producing a vastly different technical and physical product than that produced by others. The elderflower has a complex depth of flavours and the freshness and cleanness on the palate which cannot be replicated in any synthetic-based product and draws from the particular varietals, the land and our cool climate.
‘Nurturing the land’ for us is not a cliché, it is a system of very structured and carefully planned farming practices that enrich the soil and enhances the depth of flavour of our products. You can actually taste the difference!
Tasmania and its future
Tasmania is awe-inspiring – she is beautiful, fragile and island-isolated.
Tasmania is fringed by dramatic and stunning coastlines; surrounded by rugged waters; criss-crossed with mountains and crystal-clear rivers; blessed with fertile countryside and sympathetic colonial architecture; and populated by an intimate and friendly people.
Tasmania is also touched by the freshest air and rain in the world. Further, Tasmania is so small - it fosters this wonderful sense that we are holding a special treasure in the palm of our hand, like a pearl, still lustrous in its rugged shell.
But there is cause for concern as the drivers of immediacy and mediocrity (inherent in an economically-driven world) continue to create small, but lasting scars on her streetscapes and countryside.
In the relatively short period we have been farming, (27 years), we have seen huge changes in Tasmania’s rural and built landscape due to constant pressure from suburbanisation and forestry. This has meant the loss of whole rural communities – people, skills and services.
As a community, we have identified our strengths, but we have not had the capacity or drive to find the way to a more sustainable future. The answers are complex, the immediacy of short term ‘easy’ development, against the longer term investment in a more resilient and vibrant future.
It is a huge challenge.
To me, this is the story that is echoed in the development of our farm. We have faced the decision to turn our back on a system of commodity farming that was all about surviving in the now (eating into our long term equity (our health and the health of the soil and the land)); or to dig deeper, to look for real and different solutions, to build something we could hand over to the next generation with pride.
We looked for answers based on things that are important to us – the creation of beauty, the caring for the land, the leaving of a legacy. It has taken well over a decade to make this turn around, and we still have a way to go. But we strongly believe we have found the right path for us. We wish we had found it earlier as there is still much to do.
We fervently hope that Tasmania’s entrepreneurial spirit also shines in a way that won’t tarnish her natural beauty and the potential she has for future generations.
Our Passion. Our produce
Our commitment is to continue to search for ways to improve our picturesque farm and the quality of the food it produces. For us, food is about connections to the land, to the intense, heart-swelling pleasure that growing and creating things provides.
A small warning though: Our products are wonderfully addictive. A vast number of our customers use comments such as “hooked for life” or “addicted to” when they purchase more products.
Our products provide a real ‘foodie’ experience, so superbly different in all respects. Once tasted, it is difficult to find substitutes. We hope we can entice you into sharing our lifetime commitment to this Tasmanian good food experience.
A passion for Olive Oil
We still have a very long way to go in Australia before the general public appreciate the special qualities of premium olive oils. Fine wine producers were in a similar position 20 odd years ago, with many people content to drink cask wine of indifferent quality. Only recently, I marvelled at an in-depth five minute conversation between a coffee lover specifying his favourite brew and a barista in a local café. This would have been inconceivable ten years ago. I see the day when people will pay the same attention to good olive oil, to understanding and demanding high quality oils as an essential and enjoyable component of everyday life. The discovery of the differences a quality olive oil can bring, not only to your health, but to the flavour of food is yet to happen. It is exciting though to watch as one by one, people are ‘converted’. The joy in tasting quality olive oils, for us, is greater than the joy of tasting good wines!
The Ashbolt Brand
As part of increasing the value of what we do on ASHBOLT Farm, and because we are so passionate about the creation of beautiful things, we began to develop a brand for our value-added products. This has evolved over the decade into ‘the ASHBOLT brand’. We wanted something that reflected our rural base, something strong and dynamic and beautiful – it had to be something that we would be proud to give as presents. We wanted the quality of the contents reflected in the packaging.
And so, our family name became the brand name and the flowers of the olives, elders and apples became the uniting graphic on the individual bottles. We are proud of what we have achieved and look forward to all the other things we might one day create/produce under this brand.