Brett Squibb, recipient of the APAL Grower of the Year award, has lived his entire life in Spreyton, northern Tasmania, near Devonport. The Squibbs' farm shop attracts both local customers and tourists arriving from the mainland. The farm's history dates back to the early 1940s when Brett's grandfather, Reginald Walter Squibb, purchased land in Spreyton. The business, initially managed by Brett's father and uncle under RW Squibb & Sons, is now operated by Brett and his wife, Linda.
Brett meets regularly with other orchardists in the area to discuss data and management practices. "The Spreyton network is fantastic; we're all the same age and grew up together, and our parents were good friends. We have a coffee and a chat every couple of weeks and go through ideas, what we've been doing and can do better, and share staff and equipment," he said.
© Squibb’s Orchard Shop
The orchard features heritage varieties such as Gravenstein, Cox's Orange Pippin, Crofton, and Cleopatra apples, as well as quinces and pears, alongside commercial varieties including Granny Smith, Gala, Cripps Pink, and club apples. The farm shop, initially a cellar door for wine from a leased vineyard, now focuses on apples, pears, and locally produced goods.
"People say they've never seen fruit like ours in the supermarket, and that's because we are really fortunate in that we can grow a really good red apple," Brett said. "We've got a great little microclimate here in Tassie. The apples are on the tree for a very long time and we don't get extremes of temperature, so they're full of flavour and the colours are predominant."
Brett also organises orchard walks and barbecues for growers and agronomists in northern Tasmania, providing opportunities for knowledge sharing and industry support. He tracks crop development data weekly, comparing current figures to previous years to guide management decisions. "Data takes the guesswork out of it. We go out and measure fruit every week, look back over all the spreadsheets I've got from past years, and if it's not on par with the previous year, we know we have to address something."
Technology plays a central role in his operations, including soil moisture probes, weather station-based pest and disease modelling, and participation in the Productivity, Irrigation, Pests and Soils (PIPS) program. Trials hosted on the property have included chemical thinning, biofumigants, and codling moth control. Brett has also worked with Swan Systems on irrigation planning and recording. "It's taken out the guesswork and produced some of the best fruit we've grown in the past couple of years," he said.
Reflecting on the award, Brett commented: "It's amazing. You generally just go along doing the best you can. An award like this is quite humbling."
For more information:
APAL
Tel: +61 3 9329 3511
Email: [email protected]
www.apal.org.au
