About Us
The Big Strawberry and Scenic Drive Strawberry Farm is owned and operated by Michael and Lorraine Hayes and their son Darren. It is situated along Torgannah Road in Koonoomoo, which is about 6 km from Tocumwal. The business was first started in 1984 on 4 hectares, with only 1 acre being used for strawberries. The business now consists of 9 hectares with 7-8 acres being used for strawberries. There are a variety of berries being grown on the farm. The majority being grown is strawberries, but others such as raspberries, boysenberries and blackberries are also being grown.
Picking usually starts around mid to late October through to February. Quality strawberries and Jam Strawberries are picked at this time. Picking involves picking the ripe strawberries off the bush and then they are sent to the processing area where they are to be processed. Any strawberries that are not ripe are left on the bush and picked later after they ripen.
Processing Strawberries involves taking the picked strawberries and packing them. This involves sorting through the strawberries, and putting them into either punnets (which are usually seen in shops), or plates (which contain larger strawberries and are usually bought by restaurants).
