The World's First 100% Electric, Zero Fossil Fuel Orchard.

Forest Lodge Orchard is a 6-hectare, high-density cherry orchard in Central Otago, New Zealand that operates without burning fossil fuels. Everything from irrigation, frost fighting, vehicles, and even NZ's first electric tractor are powered through New Zealand's highly renewable grid and our own power generated and stored using our extensive solar and battery array.

Electrification of our farm involved replacing 20 fossil fuel machines with electric versions, leading to significant operational savings and a reduced carbon footprint.

In January 2022, we completed our first harvest, which was sold through Farro Fresh supermarkets in Auckland. Consumers were willing to pay a 15% premium for fresh produce grown with a focus on climate change. In January 2023, our first export shipments to Taiwan were well received for their quality and climate focus. In 2024, we expect to reach 80/100 tonne production as our trees reach maturity and look forward to our first fully profitable year.

Forest Lodge uses nearly 100MWh of power a year to run everything from our electric tractor to electric chainsaws, irrigation, and frost fighting systems. We have a 150kW solar array covering about 80% of our energy use, with the rest sourced from New Zealand's renewable energy grid. We buy power when it's cheap and sell back when it's expensive, aiming to reduce our entire energy bill, including all line charges, levies, GST, and consumption, to $5000 a year, with the goal of achieving a net zero energy bill.

The future of electric farming is promising, with farms having the potential to house solar arrays and batteries, acting as micro power stations with diverse revenue streams.

Upright Fruit Offshoots (UFO) is a high-density growing system where trees are trained on a 2D wire trellis with upright offshoots that produce cherries. This allows us to plant 1650 trees per hectare instead of the traditional 666 per hectare. We can irrigate, train, and maintain our trees using less land, water, and effort, resulting in a 50% to 100% increase in yield per hectare. The UFO system also provides natural rain resistance, leading to quality firm fruit with fewer blemishes and cracks.

At Forest Lodge Orchard, we are proud to be the first electric orchard to achieve the NZ0 Certification. This certification signifies our commitment to eliminating fossil fuel use from our operations, setting a new standard for environmentally responsible farming.

By completely removing fossil fuels, we not only reduce our carbon footprint but also ensure that every cherry we grow reflects our dedication to sustainability.The NZ0 Certification, developed with AsureQuality, highlights the critical difference between offsetting emissions and actively eliminating fossil fuel use. This clear, trustworthy indicator of our environmental commitment rebuilds consumer trust and demonstrates our genuine dedication to sustainable practices.

Asure Quality’s independent audits and regular site visits ensure we meet the stringent standards set by the certification.

NZ0 Certification is available for other growers to adopt fossil fuel-free practices. We often run open days where you can learn about first steps you can take in adopting electric technology on your farm.

We want to show other farmers across the world that choosing to electrify is not only great for the planet but also great for your bottom line.

The future of electric farming is promising, with farms having the potential to house solar arrays and batteries, acting as micro power stations with diverse revenue streams.