Meet the Grower

Hello there, my name is Mark Raphael and I took up the former “Glenlyon Nutty Fruit Farm” in June 2024. I moved from Melbourne to Glenlyon into the little house nestled within the glorious garden located on the corner of Spring St and Collins Rd. 

At 65 years young, and after 40 years in the university and research sectors, I thought it was time to chart a new course in my life. Having lived in a small town in the Wimmera for a time in my younger days, I yearned to return to regional Victoria once I retired.  A dear friend introduced me to Glenlyon in 2023 and I quickly grew to love its beautiful natural environment; its birds, its rolling hills, its star-filled night sky and, yes, even its icy winters. When the opportunity came up to inspect the one acre orchard property, tucked away behind its dense windbreak, it was love at first sight, especially when a cheery gang of King Parrots alighted in a tree above my head!

My father Alex had been a nurseryman with the Melbourne City Council under the leadership of Kevin Heinze, host of ABC TV’s “Sow What” gardening show. Dad was a skilled horticulturalist and appeared on Kevin’s programme on a number of occasions. My father loved grafting fruit trees, sometimes producing a tree with five different varieties of apple adorning the small trunk. I could feel his spirit in the orchard, encouraging me to take on the care of this special place.

 

I am now commencing my second summer at the orchard.  The blueberries are loaded and ready to give forth their bounty. Tiny fruit are arrayed on the many fruit trees. I am so looking forward to returning to the Farmers Markets and greeting my neighbours and friends at the Orchard Gate once again.

 

Its been a steep learning curve with nature dealing out her challenging lessons. An incredibly rewarding journey. If you would like to join me on the journey and enjoy the delicious fruits of the orchard, join our mailing list to be notified of when each variety of fruit becomes available by completing the form on our Contact Us page.

 

Looking forward to meeting you as the new season's harvest gets underway!

Cheerio,

Mark