Roslyn and Pat McCarthy, a couple in their sixties and seventies, have found a unique way to embrace their retirement through their burgeoning business, Cumquats Australia. The pair launched their business only three years before Roslyn retired from her successful 30-year career as a high school science educator. Together, they transformed their shared passion for gardening and cooking into a thriving business. They grow cumquats on their property in Toogoolawah, near Esk in south-east Queensland. To increase their productive capacity, they’ve planted 600 calamondin and nagami orange trees.
For the past seven decades, the now-65-year-old Roslyn McCarthy has treasured those childhood memories. She passed nearly every afternoon under a perky citrus tree outside her family’s farmhouse. Nostalgia inspired Sheena to develop an impressive line of cumquat products. These range from marmalade based on her grandma’s recipe, relishes, and syrups to candied cumquats that work as tasty additions to cheese boards, desserts, and roasts, among many other things.
The Cumquat Business
By doing so, Cumquats Australia has been able to swiftly cultivate a niche market for these lesser-known citrus fruits. It’s clear from the start that the couple’s passion for their products is contagious. They enjoy getting out to exhibit their wares at events such as the Sunshine Coast’s ‘Meet the Maker.’
Roslyn expressed her love for cumquats, stating, “I just love cumquats, and you could never buy cumquat products.” She further elaborated on the rarity of such items in stores, saying, “You can’t find them anywhere, so I just thought I’m going to do this.” Their new business serves to strengthen their ties with their community. It’s scratching their itch to be active and engaged in retirement.
Pat McCarthy, 72 and retired accountant, complemented his wife’s enthusiasm with his own. He remarked on the satisfaction that comes from producing something tangible: “What we do is so satisfying because we’re growing something, we’re making something, we’re building something.”
A Different Retirement
The McCarthys have made a deliberate decision to forgo traditional retirement pursuits like golfing or bowling. Rather, they would much rather focus on their products and customers. “This is our swan song and we didn’t want to be overwhelmed,” Roslyn said. She admitted that even if they had the time to engage in recreational pastimes, “we don’t truly experience those joys.”
Pat highlighted the joy they find in connecting with others at markets: “We love it, going to the markets, meeting other producers, talking to people.” That sense of community gained through connected mobility is critical for them, as they age into this new life stage with eagerness.
Though the McCarthys are just beginning their journey through the ag side of their business, they’re constantly thinking about how citrus fruits have been used in the past. As Pat remembered from her sailor days, sweetened citrus vinegar, or ‘shrubs’ were an effective way to fight scurvy on long voyages without refrigeration. That link to history certainly gives more character to their farming story as they play a role in reviving interest in these distinct fruits.
Building a Future
The family have a passion for food and sustainability which led them to start Cumquats Australia. This commitment is representative of a larger trend among retirees that seek to remain plugged in to their careers and interests, and simultaneously make supplementary income. Terry Rawnsley commented on this phenomenon: “I think people want to maintain that connection with work and things they’re passionate about and keep a bit of extra money flowing into the coffers in their later years.”
Roslyn and Pat McCarthy have truly made their dreams come true with Cumquats Australia. They prove that retirement can be an exciting time of creativity and entrepreneurship rather than boredom and resignation. Their inspiring story is a reminder of the rewards of following your dreams and growing a beautiful legacy.
