CHERRY HILL COOLSTORES &
TASMANIAN SEED POTATOES
Pictured: Seed Line installation as of 21st March 2025. (L to R) Andrew, the Dobmac and Tong crew, Conor and Kurt in front of the sizer (the sizer makes up 20% of the whole line).
APRIL 2025
In our April newsletter, Edition 42, we are happy to report our seed line machinery is here at last!
We also share with you our Cherry Hill season report and part 3 of Adventures of Amos. Read
on for these stories and more…
IN THIS ISSUE
SEASON REPORT
Pictured left to right: Lynette Nankervis, Wayne Maxwell, Andrew Vandenberg, Justin Johnson, Iris Bacosa, Conor O’Doherty, Dominy O’Doherty, Andrew Langmaid, Kurt Norris and Pam Langmaid.
We’ve had an exceptional start to an early season (not quite as early as last year) with our first intake of seed arriving in late-February. Due to very dry conditions, most growers have had to pre-water to assist with their harvesting. We were pleased to get the seed out without too much hassle. We’re tracking ahead of schedule expecting 6,000 tonnes of seed in cool storage by end of March. Our staff have been amazing, as always, working through our bulk unloading.
McCain Foods are a quarter-way through their harvesting and Simplot are not too far away from starting.
Simplot has successfully resumed a line of 500-600 tonnes trial of baby carrots – this has given the equipment a good run after a lengthy maintenance period.
We’ve washed 1,700 tonnes of carrots at end of February and have more washing planned from April onwards.
Driscoll’s canes have started to arrive for short-term storage, with everything running smoothly so far.
Our new cutting line arrived in mid-March and we’re well into the installation, testing and commissioning of this impressive new equipment – all the way from the UK.
Cutting is scheduled to commence in mid to late April. If anyone has any special requests, please contact Kurt Norris on 0439 977 541.
TASMANIAN SEED POTATOES
“Seed harvest has started and will be in full swing by April. Hard to comment on yields as not enough has been finished but looks like average or slightly better. There doesn’t seem to be any issues at this stage. All crops were desiccated by end of March.”
Andrew Vandenberg
MAINTENANCE REPORT
Simplot shut down for one month enabling us to complete their maintenance and equipment servicing, and we were thrilled to complete all jobs on time for them.
The carrot line is up and running, and we’ve been busy setting up the impressive new cutting line machinery and all the associated installation and testing required
Please call Justin on 0498 780 553 if you require any maintenance or metal fabrication.
Justin Johnson
WAYNE’S WORLD
“Off to a slow start as potatoes weren’t quite ready due to some rain. It’s picking up now and most growers will have started with seed digging well so far. Size and condition of seed is reasonably good. We’ve had 6,000 tonnes of seed in since the end of February in 6 coolrooms.
The unloading of the new cutting line machinery is going well and we hope it to be a good harvest season in general for everyone involved.”
Wayne Maxwell
Pictured above: Installation of the new seed line machinery.
NEW SEED MACHINERY
It’s here at last, all the way from Tong Engineering in Spilsby, England and Milestone, USA. In mid-March, technicians from Tong Engineering, were here to install and assist in the set up of some parts for the new cutting line equipment. Dobmac Agricultural Machinery in conjunction with JACS Engineering then began the mammoth task of setting up, testing and commissioning all aspects of the new cutting line. The new cutting line machinery will be raring to go, ready for our season to start in April.
Data from the new cutting line will be seasonally available in our new PWA app, with reports also now available for you – no app required, and can be used on an Android or Apple phone, Mac or PC computer, with reports downloadable and printable. Contact Iris if you’d like to be set up to view your reports.
A SLICE OF LIFE AT CHERRY HILL
|
Pictured above left: Tina truly let her hair down at our Christmas party, she’s our official Dancing Queen now and accepting dance lessons for anyone interested. JACS Engineering joined our Christmas party for the third time (above right).
Pictured above left: Kurt, a knight in shining armour, made an emergency run to Pam’s car with a jerrycan. Above right: Andrew Langmaid was thrilled with the new office team member Benji, who’s official title is “Assistant Manager of Pawsonnel.”
ADVENTURES OF AMOS – PART THREE
|
THE FIRST LANGMAID IN TASMANIA
Pictured: Amos Langmaid
This article was re-written from original story and research by Marion (Langmaid) Brown.
Amos (Langmead) was the great, great grandfather of Andrew Langmaid. Here is the third part to his story, where he settles on land around Railton and constructs his first Limekiln.
During the 1850’s the Tasmanian Government designed the Unsettled Lands Bill to encourage settlers to develop the less productive areas of the colony by providing a grant of between 50 and 600 acres, depending on the means of the applicant. Money or farm property was granted to the value of one pound for every acre taken up.
By 1860, Amos had selected 50 acres on a small hill on the east side of a wide valley at Dulverton, about 2-3 kilometres north of the present township of Railton. A grant for this land was received in the name of his son Arthur William Langmaid, the sale dated 11 July 1861.
The ground selected by Amos was about one day’s walk from Tarleton, and there were no steep slopes to cross as the track kept to the valley. The ground chosen was not flat, but limestone rock was clearly exposed on the side of the hill. Sixty acres of undulating farming land on the other side of the valley, to the west of the original block, was acquired in the name of his second son, Alfred Tarleton Langmaid, and a further 120 acres of flatter land in the head of the valley in the name of his third son, Amos Langmaid Junior. Under the ground of all these blocks was a significant limestone deposit. Since the 1820’s many early explorers had traversed this ground without staking a claim to it.
In 1860, Amos, with help from his two young sons, commenced the construction of his first limekiln on the property of Arthur William. The slope of the land on the side of a hill assisted in the construction of the access to the kiln. The slope also helped in the draining of the quarry pit. The limestone rock was crushed with a hammer using hand labour, and so the quantities of lime produced were only modest. Arthur William was trained by his father to become a Lime Burner.
TO BE CONTINUED next issue in part four of Amos’s story, with Amos in and out of prison while his children struggled to look after family assets.
POTATOES TASMANIA INC.
Potatoes Tasmania will soon harvest our seed handling trial at Forthside. Thanks to growers who have visited and shared their input, and to Cherry Hill Coolstores, Tasmanian Seed Potatoes, and McCain Foods for their support. So far, the trial has provided valuable insights, and we look forward to sharing the results soon.
We’re attending the TAPG Ag Innovation Expo on Wednesday, 16 April, at Hagley Farm School – feel free to stop by.
With some already underway, we wish everyone the best with harvest.
For more information about Potatoes Tasmania, please contact Bonnie Kenner at 0488 789 012.
STAFF PROFILE: KEL LANGMAID |
Kel Langmaid first began working for Cherry Hill at the age of eight, when cherries were still grown and he helped fold boxes. Now, Kel’s day starts at 7am on site, working between all coolstores on a forklift for all teams – potatoes, carrots and canes.
Kel has lived in the Latrobe area all his life and in his spare time, enjoys card and board games, including ‘Twilight Imperium’ which is quite a lengthy effort.
Pictured: Kel Langmaid
Pictured: Wayne is very busy making sure everything is in place for the Easter break.
TESTIMONIAL… Fantastic to work with
“We’ve been using Cherry Hill for their seed potato services for over 10 years. Their communication is outstanding and they are fantastic to work with, which is why we keep coming back.”
Adam Becher, Ellenton Pastoral
View more of our testimonials here.
CHERRY HILL COOLSTORES SEED GUARANTEE
Our Seed Management Services. Cherry Hill Coolstores will guarantee our services on Seed Growers seed. If you buy someone else’s certified seed, which is presented to Cherry Hill in good condition, and it breaks down, we will replace our cutting and services at no charge.
This guarantee specifically refers to seed piece breakdown (i.e. rot), and refers to seed which is delivered directly to Cherry Hill Coolstores from the seed paddock for chemical application, coolstoring and cutting. In order for this guarantee to be valid, the Buyer must make claims within 24-hours of the seed leaving Cherry Hill Coolstores and 
before planting.
In order for this guarantee to be valid, the buyer must make claims with 24 hours of the seed leaving Cherry Hill and before planting.
View more about our guarantee here.
MISSED A PREVIOUS NEWSLETTER?
Read past editions of our newsletter here.
GALLERY ADDITIONS
Visit our online gallery here.