Country Calendar Comes to Forest Lodge Orchard: Behind the Scenes of Cherry Chaos

So, we had the absolute pleasure of welcoming Country Calendar to Forest Lodge Orchard recently. You know, Country Calendar—the New Zealand institution that makes farmers look like rock stars and rural life seem like the ideal place for anyone who wants to escape the horrors of modern living (we’re looking at you, Auckland traffic). Naturally, we leapt at the chance to show off our lovely cherry orchard and humble attempts to save the planet—one solar panel at a time.

Saving the World, One Cherry (and Kilowatt) at a Time

Sustainability is what we’re all about here at Forest Lodge Orchard. As we like to say, we’re as keen on renewable energy as we are on a good cherry harvest. So when the Country Calendar crew rocked up, we made sure to flex our solar-powered muscles. With a 160 kW solar system in place, we’ve been quietly sticking it to the non-renewable man, powering the orchard and giving our carbon footprint a size 10 boot. We even managed to explain it all on camera without accidentally sounding like a PowerPoint presentation. Win-win.

Cherries: The Divas of the Fruit World

Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper visit without showcasing our stars—the cherries. The crew captured the orchard in full bloom—all of our trees stretching out under the Central Otago sun. It all looks effortless on camera, but let’s just say behind the scenes, there’s a whole lot of science and sweating involved in keeping these Electric cherry trees happy.

Farming: The Glamour You Didn’t Know You Needed

Farming’s easy, right? You plant a few trees, maybe toss in some water, and next thing you know, you’ve got a thriving orchard. Yeah, no. As we explained to Country Calendar—while trying to sound knowledgeable and not at all like we’d just Googled it—there’s a bit more to it. Weather’s a real joker here in Central Otago, so we’ve had to get creative. Our irrigation system, our solar panels we covered everything and let’s not even start on the battle with the elements. But hey, when the cherries are as good as ours, you roll with the punches.

It Takes a Village... and a TV Crew

One of the things we were keen to show was that Forest Lodge isn’t just about cherries and solar panels (though, let’s be honest, those are pretty great). It’s also about the community we’re building—whether that’s working with local partners or inviting people to share in the orchard’s beauty. We like to think we’re the unofficial ambassadors for anyone wanting to combine farming with saving the planet, all while having a laugh along the way.

So there you have it—a day in the life of Forest Lodge Orchard, you can watch the full epsiode here, thanks to the Country Calendar crew.