For many growers in the ailing Murray River Riverland, SA, a combination of leasing extra water and rising input costs has left a hefty dent in their budgets.

But nectarine and pistachio grower Martin Simpfendorfer says wise spending habits have enabled his family to survive in the industry for so long.

"It's by working within our means to the degree of maintaining the plantings we have," he said.

"I think the fact that we are very careful with how we spend our money and our faith and trust in God is what has got us through until now."

Martin's father established the Simpfendorfer's Pike River property, near Paringa in the Riverland, in the early 1950s.

Like many horticulture blocks at the time, the property was originally planted as a 'fruit salad' block - made up of a mix of fruit trees, including peaches, oranges and apricots, as well as pistachio trees.

Peas were the main cash crop, as were tomato, beetroot and potato plantings, until the family's fruit trees came into production.

"The peas were quite a big business at the time.

"They went to Melbourne and Sydney, but frost finished them off sometimes at the wrong time," Martin said.

Although the family now grows just nectarines and a small block of pistachios, over the years it has tried new plantings - but only for as long as these plantings were profitable.