In the 17 years that the couple have owned it, the business has grown from being a modest producer of macadamias to a fully-fledged operation that includes about 1000 trees and a serves as a tourist attraction for Port Stephens.

With National Agriculture Day celebrated on November 21, the Examiner is profiling a local producer to celebrate the efforts of those in the industry.

For the Leech couple, the challenges of getting their produce from the field to the shelf are not unlike any other farmer.

“You’ve always got the challenge of the weather,” Scott Leech said.

“We get good years and we get bad years like anyone else.

“Other than that I think the biggest challenge is probably staffing. We moved from Dubbo and I think that the coast is probably a bit harder to get the staffing levels right. We have some great staff but you tend to get dragged back into that part of the business to fill the void.”

Scott and Stacy bought the farm in 2000, moving from the central west to Port Stephens where they have been growing the business and raising their two daughters.

“I was interstate truck driving and Stacy was teaching when I had a friend whose parents were selling the place,” he said.

“I guess I saw it as a good opportunity for a lifestyle change.”

The plantation was first established in 1980 now though, five varieties make up the 1000 macadamia nut trees with the Leech family offering group tours so visitors can learn about all aspects of the process from flowering to harvesting and production.

A cafe offers an array of food options, including meals made with the star ingredient and you can purchase a range of products direct from the supplier.

“When we started the business was very basic, we had some facilities with a hole-in-the wall shed,” he said.

“I guess the thing I’m most proud of is how we’ve grown the business,” Mr Leech said.

“We’ve been here 17 years and it’d be great to say we’ll be here another 17. We value our clientele and the challenges we have can be a bit restrictive in terms of growth. We would love to incorporate coaches to pull more tourists into the area and Medowie but that has its own challenges.

“I think people would sometimes expect to see that growth a bit quicker.”

“We sell at field days and shows like the Royal Easter Show and we have some suppliers as well.

“I love seeing people who have visited us a few times stop and tell us we’re doing a great job.”