The Astralgus Farm, Gisborne
HISTORY
We commenced farming at Gisborne in 2004, and we remain optimistic about Australian agribusiness.
You can read about the History and Future Plans for The Astralgus Lowline Stud here.
But circumstances are continually changing, and we also have to continue to change.
Having successfully negotiated several health problems, as well as the challenges caused by several years of severe drought and then COVID,
we are now implementing Project Switch as part of a diversification strategy.
Going forward, at Gisborne we shall now be undertaking two farming streams:
1. Commercial Lowline breeding; and
2. Hazelnuts.
An Olive Grove was planted in 2024, but it was decimated by the current rabbit plague. Despite all our efforts and hundreds of hours of protective work, we have finally admitted defeat this year and removed the grove.
We plantied the initial 225 hazelnut trees in a new grove in 2025, and we are planting 200 additional hazelnut trees
in 2 other new groves in 2026 and 2027
We have grown hazels on the Gisborne farm between 2004 and 2010,
so we are confident that we shall be able to grow them successfully again.
We are using maximum protection against both the rabbits and kangaroos.