Raising funds by harvesting Carob Bean Trees.

Cash in on your Carobs! Sell the dried beans from your tree for profit for your organization or for pocket money for the kids.

George (of the two Georges fame) asked if all you growers of carob trees together with clubs whose members know someone with carob trees and would like to raise funds, get busy at harvest time and start gathering the beans for sale. Harvest starts from late January in Geraldton. He told me that there are people in Geraldton who are willing to buy ripe carob beans for processing in the plant they showed off at a recent Mingenew expo.

Here are the details George asked me to pass on to you;

‘Carob Fruit Pod/Harvest’

‘If you could get the kids when on school holidays when they want a bit of pocket money/ a few dollars to support your local sports club/youth club, then why not pick the ripe Carob fruit on the tree in your back yard?

We would be most interested in buying the ripe dark brown Carob pods.

The Carob pods should start dropping just after Christmas and in January.

 You can drop off the fruit at the public weighbridge at Central Metal Recyclers, 190 Gould’s Road, Narngulu, tel: 9923 3698.’

About this amazing tree;

The carob is a slow growing, long living, evergreen tree that is well suited to dry, harsh climates with infertile soil. They can produce for up to a hundred years and the broad leaves offer lots of shade in summer. The fruit is a brownish coloured pod which can grow up to a foot long. Locust bean gum is extracted from the seeds. The pods can be used in chocolate.

They are high in energy and make a good stock feed supplement.

The tree is nitrogen fixing and can improve soil fertility. It could be included in programs for sustainable agriculture. Little or no chemical treatment is needed for its cultivation while its feeding needs are minimal.

They will bear fruit from seven to ten years after planting the seed, but cuttings planted under irrigation can produce in less than three years. The fruit is dark brown when it is ready for picking but not when it is a green colour. Ancient harvesting methods used a bamboo pole to gently bump the fruit off and nets were placed on the ground to catch it.

The pods make up 90% of pulp and the seeds the other 10% so nothing is lost. The product is organic by nature as little man made interference affects the tree or the fruit.

Back in the dark days of world war two, when we were little kids living on ‘Womarden’ about three miles out of Three Springs, we would stay in town each Friday and visit my Aunt’s place for the afternoon. In the back yard I remember this huge Carob tree and the dark brown beans lying all around the base. We never tried to eat the seeds but were told it was OK. The tree was good to climb and hide in!