9 March 2023
They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away but for Intensive Care Nurse Emily Shipway being the proud owner of 12,000 apple trees has opened the door to far healthier horizons.
ANMF (SA Branch) member Emily and her husband Chris, an After-Hours Clinical Nurse Lead, run a pick-your-own apple orchard/tourism business – having purchased a sprawling nine-hectare farm in the picturesque Adelaide Hills town of Lenswood in 2019.
And this apple-picking season they’re offering free entry to nurses.
“The tourism side of our venture has ticked a big box for us because we’ve created something that makes people happy. You feel like you get that reward that you went into nursing for, by just seeing people being happy,’’ Emily says.
“We’ve created an environment where they’re just with their family and they’re doing those important things which is essentially what you’re trying to save people for in a hospital.’’
Both Emily and Chris continue to work in health care, with Emily saying the apple farm has helped them become better nurses.
“Because we’re watching something grow, not just apples, but we are growing our own business, we are working for ourselves,’’ she says.
“It’s helped us become happier people and better parents to our kids. I’m probably actually better at work too.
“I want the business to be the primary income, for both of us, but I still have it in me that I could not ‘not’ be a nurse.’’
Now in a show of solidarity with their “hard-working colleagues” Emily and Chris are offering nurses free entry to their apple farm -
@Lenswood Pick Your Own – from 9am to 3pm, Wednesdays to Fridays, during apple-picking season which runs from now until the end of May.
The farm, complete with cafe and outdoor amusements, is also open from 9am to 4pm on weekends and public holidays at normal rates.
All nurses need to do is rock up to the farm at 122 Harris Rd, Lenswood, on the weekdays and show their relevant ID.
“It’s our way of saying we actually appreciate you and we actually get what you’re going through,’’ Emily says.
“Have a good day out with your family on us because we are part of you.’’
For more info visit
atlenswood.com.au