Mark and Taryn Grieger’s property lies on a picturesque stretch of the Murray River 11km north of Swan Reach. Mark’s family have lived on the property since 1899. Today Mark and Taryn with their three children, Joel, Emma and Karl run Cooinda Dried Fruit with 624 hectares of fruit trees, cropping land, stock and native mallee.

The farm has 400 citrus trees, over 2300 stone fruit trees, and more than 30 fig trees supplying fruit to the city via the markets all year round. Seasonal fruit availability is:

• Apricots: November – January
• Peaches: November – April
• Nectarines and peacherines: November – February
• Plums: November – February
• Citrus (Washington navels, late lane navels, lemons, mandarins): July – November
• Figs: December – April

The handpicked fruit includes: apricots, peaches, pears, nectarines and figs. All fruit is inspected, washed and washed, dried on the property. Sulphur dioxide is used as a preservative. However, there is also a preservative-free line of dried apricots and figs.

“This is one of the best regions in Australia for growing stone fruit”, says Mark.

Mark uses minimal sprays and biological controls to manage pests and disease. He also uses under-tree micro sprinklers minimise water use without disrupting quality. An organic-based fertiliser helps keep the soil fed and the fruit healthy.

Find Cooinda Dried Fruit every second Sunday Mark is outside at the Adelaide Farmers’ Market.