The Steinhardt family has been growing crops including pumpkin, tomatoes and zucchinis near Bundaberg, Queensland since 1957. In 2002, they established Macadamias Australia and spent the next three years planting 128,000 macadamia trees. Planted in long, straight rows to make pruning more efficient, the trees took seven years to produce their first good commercial crop. Once harvested, the nuts are taken to the shed, de-husked and placed in silos where hot air is forced through in order to dry the nuts. This helps to stabilise the crop and maintain quality. Trevor Steinhardt (pictured) is a company director at the Australian Macadamia Society, and is a proud advocate for the macadamia industry.
