From glorious warm days last week to a sudden drop in temperature heralds the cool entrance of Winter. Coinciding with delicious ripened mandarins and citrus fruit ready for the picking.
Mandaring picking time
will open to the public the
weekend of 4 and 5 June 2022 from
10am to 4pm every weekend until all the fruit has gone.
Similar to previous years, bookings online are essential to ensure your visit as Fords Farm is limited to the number of cars on the property at the one time.
You will need to go the
calendar and complete details and
pay a booking fee per car of $10 (which includes up to 6 people) and you will receive confirmation. You will need to show your confirmation at the farm gate before car entry is allowed.
The cost of paying for what you pick fruit is
$3 per kg where you can put all the different fruit into one bucket except for cumquats which are $10 per kg.
Fords Farm was once again impacted by the recent floods in the Hawkesbury region and it seems like most of Sydney is still recovering from the recent wet season.
As the ground is still sodden wet, I'd recommend wearing old shoes and bringing a change of shoes and even a set of clothes for the little ones.
We wandered through the fruit-laden trees, bright orange dots amongst the dark green foliage and rock escarpment. The hum of laughter and conversations of families busily picking and the feeling the glorious warm sun shining upon us.
On the hunt for Satsuma
The kids scampered weaving in between the trees, buckets in hand on the hunt for the sweetest and largest mandarins they could find. Even though Fords Farm had lost a lot of fruit in the floods we heard the Satsuma right at the back of the property were plentiful, juicy and the sweetest this year so it was a sprint to see who would get there first.
The Satsuma mandarin is a seedless variety that is easy to peel and full of sweet juice. There was an abundance of Imperial mandarins and the kids gave a thumbs up for both varieties. The remnants of the flood can still be seen on the leaves and trunks of the Satsumas but not too much was damage was done.
Tahitian limes, kaffir limes and lemons are available for the picking at the opening weekend. Hickson mandarins, known for their bright orange and easy to peel skins, as well as the Valencia oranges located at the far side of the farm will also be ripe for the picking. There are even early ripened cumquats available to be picked. Not so many imperial mandarins this year, so my advice is to get in early.
The kids had a ball feeding the hungry sheep, my youngest thought it was hilarious when the sheep was eating straight out the brown paper bag.
Feed the sheep
We picked just over my youngest son's weight of 19kg. Not bad going. Typically a full bucket of picked mandarins weighed 5kg of fruit but we did hear of a one family managing to fill a bucket so it was 7kg so it may have a particular juicy mandarins for that weigh in.
Pick your weight in mandarins
Ford's Farm is located near Wiseman's Ferry, an easy hour and fifteen minutes drive northwest from the hustle and bustle of Sydney CBD.
There is a selection of the farm's homemade jams (mandarin and whisky, orange and brandy), honey, and chutneys, home made goodies such as
mandarin almond cake on offer, too. Or have a go at making your own
mandarin marmalade with your bucket loads of mandarins.
How to get there?
Please note to avoid Laughtondale Gully Road as the road is quite narrow and difficult to navigate.
Travel on Old Northern Road all the way into Wisemans Ferry and when you see the township there is a road on your right (Singleton Road). Simply follow the big yellow signs all the way past Watkins Farm to the end of the road to Fords Farm.
Prices for Pick your own.
Prices haven't changed in years, its $3/kg for mandarins, limes, lemons, oranges with the exception of cumquats at $10/kg.
Please note that you will be required to book in advance or be denied entry.
