Fruitshack offers growth or a new life outside the city and a rather romantic backstory

And there's a rather romantic backstory that has its beginnings among the 108-year-old vines.

The Fruitshack Orchard and Vineyard's "old school" methods have won it quality awards and are used to train visitors from around the world who stay in the on-farm hostel.

It's a tradition that's important to Debbie and Michael Ierano. They met at the 20-hectare Leeton property 30 years ago when Debbie was a Californian backpacker and the Ierano family have owned the property since 1955.

The farm's vines and trees are harvested by hand, extending their productive life and minimising damage to the fruit, which Fruitshack supplies to Berri, the local Toorak Winery and a packing house.

The 10.28ha citrus orchard, which grows Valencia, Summer and Winter Navel, Hamlin, Benyenda, Tangelos and Mandarin orange varieties, took out Berri's Grower of the Year Award in 2019.

According to agents, CBRE, the Fruitshack's average annual citrus and orange production yields range from 23 to 25 tonnes a hectare.

The 5.52ha vineyard was established in 1974 for the formation of Toorak Winery and Fruitshack continues to supply it with Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Muscat Gordo Blanco and Trebbiano grapes.

The red wine grape varieties average approximately 20t/ha, the white wine grapes about 27t/ha, and sultanas 5t/ha.

Another 3.69ha of land is suited to further development, with the property less than 10 minutes from the township of Leeton and within an hour of Griffith.

Now both aged 56, Michael and Debbie Ierano are ready to spread their wings.

"We don't have any children to pass the farm on to, so we decided maybe we'd let someone else have a go," Ms Ierano said.

"We're both 55 and just want to try something different before it's too late."

Fruitshack Orchard and Vineyard is underpinned by rich red-brown clay loam soils and has guaranteed water supply through 217 Murrumbidgee Irrigation delivery entitlements.

While the water is not part of the sale, Ms Ierano said the family would make it available to the new owners.

It's fed to the orchard using a low-head flood irrigation system with water running through furrows, which Mr Ierano said proved remarkably efficient.

"We get more water to the root system because it's running directly along the ground," he said.

"I would have to water every 10 days, whereas the drip irrigation guys have to water twice or three times a week during the summer."

Mr Ierano said the gravity-fed system saved power and better protected the plants from the hottest weather.

He was also a fan of manual harvesting and pruning.

"With old-school farming you can grow grapes and vines for much longer," Mr Ierano said

"We've got the sultanas that were planted in 1913 from the first soldier settlement, so they're over 100 years old now.

"But farmers will tell you that machine-harvested, machine-pruned vines have an average life of about 25 years until they deteriorate."

Mr Ierano thought the ideal buyer would be an established farmer keen to expand or someone looking to start a new life in the country.

"This would be a good place to do a tree change to get out of that city life," he said.

"Especially now with COVID, it's not happy days in the cities. Out here we barely felt it unless we had to go to town and put a mask on."

He would also be happy to mentor a new owner inexperienced with commercial fruit growing.

"I would love to guide people because it's a skill that's disappearing," Mr Ierano said.

"The way I do it, spur pruning, is old school and it's nice to share the knowledge that I have."

The Fruitshack's infrastructure includes a four-bedroom brick veneer home with established gardens, accommodation for seasonal labour, two large machinery and sundry storage sheds.

The incoming buyer will have the opportunity to negotiate the purchase of the plant and equipment.

CBRE's Boo Harvey, 0498 990 075, Phil Schell, 0418 809 849 and Angus Bills, 0400 859 634, have been appointed to market the property on behalf of Michael and Debbie Ierano, with expressions of interest invited by November 18.

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