The Pomewest promotion and display at the 2024 Donnybrook Apple Festival

We hope you all had a happy Easter! Last Saturday, Pomewest sponsored the Donnybrook Apple Festival to mark the beginning of the 2024 apple and pear season. We provided local varieties of apples and pears for visitors to sample and take home.

This year, a record-breaking 10,000 people attended the event, resulting in a 25% increase in visits to the Pomewest stall compared to previous years, creating an exciting vibe of interest. Visitors to the stand were impressed and delighted with the freshness and quality of the fruit, which was exceptional. Thank you to all the growers who contributed. The attendees enjoyed learning about the achievements and current challenges for the industry and the significance of backing local growers. Moreover, they could sample novel types of fruits they might not have tasted or known about before deciding which ones fit their flavour preferences.

We also organised a colouring-in station, and apple slinkies for the kids!

We are grateful to Terry and Basil Martella from Santa Rita Orchards for their kind contribution of time, assistance behind the counter, and offering fruit samples and Modi Apples to engage with customers. We also thank Sam Licciardello, Orchard 1Sixty, for storing, coordinating, and delivering the fruit to set up the display. We appreciate the professionalism of Noelene Swain from Fresh Finesse in managing the event. Lastly, we would like to thank the Pomewest team - Nardia, Susie, Evelyn, and new member Jen, for their outstanding effort and for giving up their Easter Saturday to be involved. Lastly, we are grateful to the other growers who took the time to visit us and say hello.

We wish to advise that any leftover proceeds after deducting event costs and returning unused fruit will be rolled over to fund future industry promotions.