Torres Pearls at Escape River, Far North Queensland, Australia

That is pretty amazing! Thank you for telling us.

- Karin
 
That pearl certainly is fit for a queen! Congratulations on growing the beautiful orb and congrats for this being the pearl the queen gets!!! Lovely job!
 
Your fifteen years were worth it, eh? Congratulations on state and imperial recognition! :)
 
Thank you Andrew for posting the link. I didn't post it due to Pearl Guide being an international forum.
As the article says, Bronwyn and I are stoked but we didn't expect others around the world to see it that way.
Thank you all for your comments. It's totally amazing today how an article in a small rural news paper can go around the world. We have received emails from around the world as different people we've known over the years have seen it on the web.
Princess Mary from Denmark, now She's an aussie chick, maybe I've gotta work on Her next.
 
Get to work!!!!! We are so pleased to have you post here. Please post any and all links and show us examples of your harvests! We do not consider a pearl farmer showing his crop to be in any way spammy!!! Post pictures and link to your store under our name. Go to "signature" in the settings link above right and put your website, email phone number, whatever you wish. If you link back to us, we will be thrilled and it may even help drive traffic to your site!!!!!
 
Hello Rusty and welcome! Great to have a fellow pearl farmer on board. It's been a lot of fun conversing with Douglas (of Cortez Pearls) and Dave (of Lagoon Island Pearl Farm) here on the forum. I look forward to talking farming and learning more about your unique operation.
I saw that you have two WWOOFers (www.wwoof.org) on your farm which makes you, I assume, a WWOOF host. We have been hosts since 2003 and have had such overwhelmingly positive experiences with it.
See you around!
 
Gidday All and thanks for your comments.

Caitlin, Bronwyn helped me do the signature thing so maybe it will work, much thanks.

Karin, four miles from the princess eh! How many times do you go through security checks when you go shopping?

Josh it's great to meet you. I was amazed to read your fathers attitude toward high pressure cleaning. Thank him for his wisdom and your willingness to share your practices so openly. We stopped using pressure last year as I think it's basically a high production necessity. We are NOT, High production.
Bronwyn and I hand clean each shell individually which keeps us totally on top of whats happening in the river.
Most people I've come across see the shell cleaning as a bit of drudgery, like it has to be done but wouldn't it be grand it if didn't.
Currently our shell are on longlines so we have to work on the lower tides. As we change over to rafts I think tides will not be an issue. The point on shell cleaning I'm trying to make is, Bronwyn and I go out in the boat and just clean away having a chat and watch around us as an incredible eco system ticks over around us. We are the only people on the river, How awesome is that? Since reading about your Dad's discovery we now collect the refuse from the shell cleaning and bury it on land. Jeremy, take note of how important this pearl-Guide idea you got going is even in relation to farming. I take my hat off to you mate (That's an Australian compliment Jeremy).
The croc's and strong currents make it impossible for us to do as Dave is in Canada, most of the river bottom is mangrove mud. Any baskets of shell fall down, they are history unless instantly retrieved.
The idea of going back to rafts is based on the ability to work on the shell regardless of tides and I agree with your idea's on the fish cleaning them. We will alway's have to clean due to the intensity of nutrients in the river but, having shell on rafts will encourage populations of reef fish which as you say will be of assistance.
Yes we are wwoofer Hosts. We only occassionally have them stay but have totally enjoyed all of our experiences with them so far. As we are so remote it's great to sometimes have the company. They are quite a diverse lot as I'm sure you know.
I think I'm begining to waffle so see you.
 
Karin, four miles from the princess eh! How many times do you go through security checks when you go shopping?

Hi Rusty,

:) Oh no, this is Copenhagen, Denmark. The royal family live in their own mansion right here in the city. There are four of them, originally built for rich nobilities. There is no fence, gates or anything, only guards at the individual entrences. You can drive right across the square in your car any day.

For a while I believe that Crownprince Frederik even biked his kids to day care in a box bike, before they had the twins.

I live in a residential area on the other side of town. I could bike to the royal mansions in 30 min, if I wanted, or just drive by on my way to other places.

- Karin
 
Rusty you were weren't waffling at all. As you said too, we all have Jeremy to thank for this excellent means of communication and community.
As for the high pressure hoses that my dad and I finally managed to get banned from our atoll, they are especially problematic in the context of an atoll as the water never completely goes away. Encouraging your local fish populations to help with your cleaning is, for me, one of the most exciting thing we can do as pearl farmers. To be able to strengthen fish populations across the spectrum of different species is truly an incredible thing. How many industries can you think of that leave their environs richer and more robust? There doesn't exist a more ecological gem than pearls, provided they are produced conscientiously of course.

Karin, thanks for the little window into your world in Denmark. The image of the Crownprince carting his twins to school behind his bike is a priceless one. :)
 
Hello pearl enthusiasts
Here goes folks, Rustys first attempt at downloading a photo.
I checked out your pearl collection Karin and personally favour the vintage akoya's with the SSP enhancer. You show a bit of talent, mate.
Josh, Bron and I went out in the boat removing old line tangles left by the previous owners yesterday. Once the boat was secured we spent at least ten minutes watching all the different varieties of fish that have progressively called the tangle home. Even the excesses of our industry provde sanctuary for the wildlife. We only managed to remove about two thirds of the tangle so they are not evicted yet.
I'll be back soon with a pic I hope.
 
This is an attempt at putting up a pic.
This is our poinsianna tree (locals call it the christmas tree). When it flowers the wet season is about to begin. Most of the year it just stands there as a skeleton, totally denuded.


r-and-b-albums-farm-picture13947-christmas-tree-1024x767.jpg
 
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Oh, no, red x. , and I don't know how to help...
 
Hi Rusty,

Thank you for the kind words. Let me know if you need someone to deliver a pearl to Princess Mary for you :D

I can't remember if you told us, but how do you sell your pearls? As you know we are cheering our small pearl farmers on, and it would be good for the forum to know if we can buy pearls directly from you. I recall a webshop. I guess you would also favour people contacting you directly.

It's really quite perfect. We've got Tahiti Direct (Kamoka), South Sea Direct (Rusty, do your pearls have a name?), and Cortez Direct.

- Karin
 
Hello again
Yes the red X did stike lisa but, My beautiful wife has sorted it. Stay tuned for some day to day pic's of our operation.
Karin our pearl company is Torres Pearls Pty Ltd. For commerce, please contact us through our web page contact as On this site we just wish to enjoy the topic of pearls and how they make people tick. When we sell pearls we like to actually talk to the people, regardless of where they live. We do not sell unless we actually have a yarn on the phone at least once. Yarn, Australian for discussion on the weather, price of groceries, Russian leaders still trying to defy ageing and lack of facilities for kids to play.
Karin I clicked on the word mansion in your last thread and saw the pic's of where the royal family live. Where is the grass for kids to play on?
It's been a long hot day and I lost two years of my life trying to get that pic up. see you.
 
Hello again
Yes the red X did stike lisa but, My beautiful wife has sorted it. Stay tuned for some day to day pic's of our operation.
Karin our pearl company is Torres Pearls Pty Ltd. For commerce, please contact us through our web page contact as On this site we just wish to enjoy the topic of pearls and how they make people tick. When we sell pearls we like to actually talk to the people, regardless of where they live. We do not sell unless we actually have a yarn on the phone at least once. Yarn, Australian for discussion on the weather, price of groceries, Russian leaders still trying to defy ageing and lack of facilities for kids to play.
Karin I clicked on the word mansion in your last thread and saw the pic's of where the royal family live. Where is the grass for kids to play on?
It's been a long hot day and I lost two years of my life trying to get that pic up. see you.

A very commendable attitude, Rusty. I would think your pearls are a bit like children or at least pets - you would want to find good homes for them :)

No royal lawns, I'm afraid :( I think they mostly live in the city during the winter where it is too dreary and dark to play much outside anyway. There are major green areas quite close by too, maybe they go there to play. During the summer, the queen at least, lives in one of the other castles.

- Karin
 
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