Organic Gold Dori Kiwifruit

Lake Janis Farm is excited to be one of the first orchards in Australia to be growing this Italian variety of Gold Kiwifruit.

We will also be the only orchard growing Gold Kiwifruit organically in Australia.

After a year of trialling we are now ready to transition a portion of our orchard to organic.

The Dori Gold Kiwifruit was developed in Italy by the University of Bologna and University of Udine.

Under licence, our fruit is sold as the Dori brand.

Dori is a premium golden-fleshed variety, known for its deep yellow colour, naturally sweet flavour and smooth, hairless skin. Gold kiwifruit is a lot sweeter than the green varieties.

It’s also the only gold kiwifruit grown in Australia, with all other golden varieties imported from overseas - making Dori a truly local standout.

We are continuously refining our growing techniques to suit the unique soils and climate of south-west Western Australia.

Gold Kiwifruit is a labour-intensive and highly technical crop, with a full-year growth cycle involving many precise, time-sensitive steps that culminate in a single annual harvest.

Winter Pruning

During winter, the vines shed their leaves and enter dormancy. 
This is when our pruning begins - from the tangle of vines we carefully select and train the new fruiting wood while removing the old, ensuring the vines are ready for the season ahead.

Pollination

Currently, our orchard consists of female vines only. 
We source pollen from male orchards and hand-pollinate each vine using a dusting wand.

Flowering occurs from mid to late October dependent on the weather.

The flowers are viable for only 3-4 days - a critical window in which only successfully pollinated flowers will produce fruit.

Fruit Growing & Thinning

As the fruit develops, we thin out the smallest kiwifruit to help the vines focus their energy on growing large, high-quality fruit.

Ripening

Before harvest, we closely monitor dry matter, flesh colour and BRIX (sugar levels) to ensure perfect ripeness.

The fruit ripens under warm days and cool nights, ideally with a temperature difference of at least 10°c.

Harvest

Harvest typically begins in late March and runs for a few weeks.

The orchard is harvested in full to maintain fruit quality - once ripe, kiwifruit must be picked promptly to avoid over-softening.

In keeping with our organic and regenerative principles, we’ve integrated our sheep into the kiwifruit orchard.

They graze the multi species grass and weeds beneath the vines, which means we don’t need to use chemical herbicides. This natural grazing also reduces the need for mechanical mowing, which in turn helps minimise soil compaction.

As they move through the orchard, the sheep contribute natural manure, enriching the soil with organic nutrients and helping to build long-term soil health.

We only use softer biologically available fertilisers in the orchard, rather than chemical based fertilisers. We have seen a vast improvement in plant & soil health since we have switched to this regime. This should contribute to our goal of producing nutrient dense tasty fruit.

It’s a simple, low-impact system that keeps the orchard ecosystem balanced and thriving - the way nature intended.