Our Story
Our orchard has been in the Reichel family for more than a hundred years, beginning when Wes's grandfather Oswald Reichel traveled from Orepuki, where he was mining gold and platnium, and bought the land in 1919.
Wes's father Vernon Reichel took over the orchard in 1932 and along with his wife Jean and family, continued the family business until 1971 when Wes took on the property before purchasing it outright in 1976 with his wife Pam.
Our family have continued the orcharding tradition ever since.
In the 1990's we leased the neighbouring orchard which we went on to buy in 2015, enabling us to diversify into growing an even more extensive range of vegetables and stonefruit.
Te Mahanga has a wonderful microclimate situated on the banks of the Clutha River. The lie of the surrounding hills provide a natural suntrap which benefit the crops we grow here. It is because of this suntrap providing shelter from the cold southerly wind, that in windy conditions it is the first place the bees will come to forage, giving excellent natural pollination to our many crops.
The alluvial soils laid down by the Clutha River over millions of years create ideal conditions for growing garlic, and so since 2000 we have been taking advantage of this to produce "Wes's Famous Garlic"
We have built up a large clientele of loyal, happy customers largely throughout Otago & Southland and now also to the rest of New Zealand.
We also supply quality wholesale seed garlic throughout the country as far north as Kerikeri in Northland.
We hope you will enjoy Wes's Famous Garlic
From our place to yours.
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