Pick-Your-Own and farm gate orchard

Local families, day-trippers and tourists, plus passing traffic buying at the farm gate.

Entry or per-kilo pricing for picking, farm gate sales of packed fruit, and extras like homemade preserves where council rules allow.

• Friendly customer service
• Basic tree care
• Simple marketing and social media
• Organising safe visitor access

• Public liability insurance is essential when the public is on your land
• Council approval for visitors, parking and signs, check with your local council
• Food rules if you sell processed items like jam or juice, check council food registration
• Visitor safety on uneven ground, ladders and near sprays or machinery
• Income is short and weather-dependent, so plan for quiet months
• Biosecurity rules on fruit movement, check with your state agriculture department

Startup costs are typically around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on your land arrangement, the trees you have, and what you spend on a farm gate stall, signs, parking and insurance. These are estimates only.

Monthly revenue is typically around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on your location, crop and visitor numbers. Income is short and weather-dependent, so plan for quiet months.

Check public liability insurance, which is essential with the public on your land, and council approval for visitors, parking and signs. If you sell jam or juice, check council food registration, plus biosecurity rules on fruit movement with your state agriculture department.