For a few weeks each year the orchards around Loxton turn white. It's the start of a story that ends in nuts on supermarket shelves nationwide.
A sea of white
In late winter and early spring, before most of the country has shaken off the cold, the almond orchards of the Riverland erupt into blossom. Whole districts around Loxton turn white and palest pink, the trees humming with bees brought in to pollinate the crop. It's one of the region's loveliest and least-known seasonal sights.
From blossom to harvest
The blossom is only the beginning. Through summer the nuts swell and ripen, until the orchards are shaken mechanically and the harvest gathered in. The Riverland grows a remarkable share of Australia's almonds, much of it processed by the grower-owned Almondco co-operative.
Why it grows here
Like the citrus and the grapes, almonds thrive here because of the river. Irrigation drawn from the Murray turned this dry mallee country into one of the nation's most productive food bowls. Drive the orchard roads at blossom time and you're seeing that transformation in full flower.
