Our Story

Basil and Jean Baldwin moved to Orange in 1990 planting their first hazelnut trees a year later at their farm at Forest Reefs (just south of Orange in the Central West of New South Wales). They spent a number of years researching hazelnut varieties and farming practices with the assistance of grants made available through the AgriFutures Australia program.

In 2004, with Carolyn and Dave Stansfield’s move to Orange, Fourjay Farms was officially established. Trees were propagated from suckers in the nursery on Jean and Basil’s property, and a substantial planting program began at Carolyn and Dave’s property.

The 4500 tree commercial orchard was planted over a four-year period along with the installation of an automated irrigation system. It took five years for the trees to start producing nuts. Early harvests were modest, with only a few nuts per tree, so the process didn’t require much equipment.

Today, harvesting is done with vacuum harvesters and mechanical rakes, which sweep the nuts from under the trees. It’s typically a family affair, with kids and friends pitching in.

With the orchard now encompassing 5,000 trees across the two family farms, our harvests have grown from handfuls of nuts to tonnes!

Our hazelnuts have gained a loyal following among local chefs and at the Farmers’ Market. As the orchard has expanded, so has our reputation. We’re proud to produce our own line of premium hazelnut products as well as supply major Australian food processing businesses across the country.