When the Pacific Highway adjoined their property it was a case of putting a sign out front with the citrus and the public would call-in as they travelled up and down the road.

But that all changed when the highway was moved, so today, its a case of attending markets, selling to wholesalers and retail outlets.

Gaining organic certification for their farm in 2000 was also an important step enabling them to access other markets for their produce and at the same time improve the sustainability of their farming operations.

Where once the district hosted a thriving citrus industry their 1000 tree orchard is the only one still in existence. It is a similar story to the Paterson region in the Hunter Valley that was once a citrus hub. Large scale production in areas west of the range and in Queensland have transformed the industry from a mixed small farming enterprise it once was but despite being the only orchard left the family remains committed to growing the fruit.

Wayne Lambert said there are trees on the farm still powering along that were planted nearly 90 years ago. "We grow lemons, navels, valencias and mandarins and we have had to reinvent ourselves once the highway was moved. We now attend a number of local markets selling citrus, summer vegetables and our organic beef," he said.

Gloucester,Forster, Nabiac and Maitland Growers markets and the Raw Food Hub in Coffs Harbour are now their major outlets. Local fruit and vegetable shops also take product with oranges and pumpkins sold to a organic wholesaler in Sydney.

Like the longevity of their citrus the Dry and Kent pumpkins- the seeds for these varieties have been collected by the family for decades providing a unique and popular product among their customers.

One significant change to the farm was the decision to move out of dairying and into organic beef production. Dairy deregulation was the catalyst for the decision as low milk prices, despite organic certification, made dairying uneconomic. The family now run between 120-140 breeders containing a mixture of traditional British breed bloodlines.

To breed resilient cattle for their coastal conditions the Lamberts were using Senepol genetics with pretty good results. The breed originates from The N'Dama, a native (Bos Taurus) of Senegal, North West Africa that was crossed with the British breed, Red Poll.

"We need cattle less likely to be affected by parasites and the Senepols provided that advantage," said Wayne.

Recently they have introduced Bonsmara genetics. These cattle are the dominant breed in South Africa and described as a tropically adapted Bos taurus breed. The first calves are now on the ground and are looking very promising according to Wayne. They sourced their bulls from the Gromorbeef herd at Mount Seaview.

Cattle are processed at Eversons Food Processor, Frederickton before a butcher in Coffs Harbour prepares the meat for the retail markets.

"When we attend the markets it is good to have a bit of variety on your stall as people can buy some veggies, lemons and even some bones for the dogs," said Wayne.

"The only drawback from organic and coastal citrus production is fact people buy with their eyes. "And a perfect looking organic orange can be a challenge to grow so we have to hope they look past the skin and want to enjoy the flavour and health advantages."