CountryLife | August 24, 2018

CountryLife Friday August 24, 2018

CountryLife – 1

AUGUST 2018

Bloomin’ marvellous

Successful lily producers Anne and David Blewden (centre), with operations manager Josh Bull (left) and marketing manager Bobby Grindrod. See story page 2

2 – CountryLife

Lilies with a tale to tell

By Viv Posselt

Twenty-five years ago, Anne and David Blewden stepped out of a classroom and into a venture that has blossomed, quite literally, into a successful secondary career.

They’re the couple behind Lilies by Blewden, an operation tucked down the bottom of Pukerimu Lane. It’s there that they turned a onetime asparagus field into 11,000 square metres of automated greenhouses producing 1.1 million stems a year; and it’s from there that they have garnered respect as one of the country largest producers of premium-grade lilies.

The Blewdens’ journey grew out of a frustration with teaching, yet oddly redirected their innate ability to nurture children into nurturing flowers of a different sort. Now, after a whirlwind two decades of perfecting systems, of expansion, exporting and bedding in their markets, the Blewdens’ focus is on quality and margins.

“There are probably about four other lily growers in New Zealand that are around the same size as us. A lot of growers believe that they must keep getting bigger to remain profitable,” David explained. “We followed that model for years, but now all our energy goes into innovation, research and development. It’s about how we improve our efficiency with what we have; improve our margins in relation to production.”

To that end, they invested heavily in what David calls ‘business intelligence’, installing computer dashboard software that allows them to watch in real time how many flower stems sell per labour unit, tracking their progress minuteby-minute. “It’s important for us because we are price-takers, rather than price-makers.

Having that technical ability lets us see what the market is doing in real time, it allows us to see how our business is flying.”

They then package that up with added value in terms of quality of service, part of which is the application of a product imported from Holland which extends the vase life of cut lilies by up to 50 per cent. Stems are treated after harvesting, and customers are able to purchase the product to add to their vase at home.

It’s all a delicate dance linking nature, science, business and technology. Bulbs are purchased from Holland, then planted, tended and harvested at Blewdens in an operation David describes more as factory than farm. The lilies themselves include Asiatics, Longiflorums, L/As (Longiflorum/Asiatic cross), Orientals, and the relatively new OTs (Oriental/Trumpets), all grown in fully automated greenhouses where heating, ventilation and irrigation is tightly controlled.

Intermittent trips to the Netherlands keep them abreast with new cultivars. Their next visit is June 2019, when they will also attend the annual Dutch lily trade fair. They’re hoping to be able to take with them the prototype of a new development currently under wraps. It’s all part of that innovation they espouse, and they’re saying little else right now beyond the fact it involves a university, Callaghan Innovation and robotics.

The Blewdens stumbled upon this secondary career after an architect friend of David’s, a man whose heart was really in horticulture, squired them around the Pukerimu Lane property on which he was growing asparagus and calla lilies.

At the same time, other friends were growing Asiatic and Oriental lilies. Those connections, combined with the Blewdens’ growing

frustration with their occupation, saw them purchase part of the Pukerimu Lane property.

Once in, they kept the asparagus going for a while, put greenhouses up and mapped out their future - all the while teaching part-time to keep body and soul together.

A quarter of a century later, they now employ six full-timers and one part-timer to help them run what has become a thumping good business

Friday August 24, 2018

Continued from page1 selling lilies. And they’re not stopping there – next up for the Blewdens are peonies … trials, it seems, are already underway.

A limited number of tickets for a behindthe-scenes tour of Lilies by Blewden are being offered as an ‘optional extra’ of the November 18 Garden Festival, a new Cambridge Rotary Club fundraising event. Tickets for those are available via the website www.cgf.nz

Bloomin’ marvellous – a beautiful success story just out of Cambridge.

Come along to our biggest event of the year!

CountryLife – 3

Friday August 24, 2018

Extending a hand of mateship

By Claire Castle

Michele and Roy Connell have stepped up to help struggling Aussie farmers, working with Federated Farmers to set up breaks for the farmers from their drought-stricken farms.

initiative to give the Aussies a break was launched two weeks ago.

“It’s pretty dire straits over there,” Michele said, adding that 61 per cent of New South Wales is currently experiencing drought, with another $1B allocated to drought relief by the state government over there.

It will be three to four weeks until the first travellers come over, and Michele said the offers of help are already rolling in from Kiwi farmers keen to help, with some even offering airfares for their trans-Tasman counterparts. “It’s fantastic really,” Michele said.

All this fits in nicely with Off the

A local couple is stepping up to help Australian farmers in need, working with Federated Farmers and their Aussie counterparts to offer droughtstricken farmers the chance to come over the ditch for a break from their parched farms.

Matangi dairy farmers Michele and Roy Connell started their website, Off the Beaten Track, in 2017 and it is designed to connect lovers of the great outdoors with undiscovered locations and experiences that are privately owned.

They are now using their expertise to provide relief for farmers buckling under the pressure of the ongoing drought in Australia.

“We were inspired while watching an episode of Country Calendar in 2016…the spark of an idea became a reality and now we proudly offer private land adventures and experiences all over New Zealand,” Michele said.

Teaming up with Federated Farmers and their Australian 60-62 Tirau Street Putaruru counterparts, the

Beaten Track, which can connect landowners who can earn money by sharing their piece of paradise, with holidaymakers who want to experience unique New Zealand and enjoy a holiday with a difference.

The pair said they would love for the local rural community to get involved, seeing it as a way for landowners and farmers to extend the hand of mateship over the ditch and make new friends in the process.

Visit offthebeatentrack.co.nz for more information about how you can help an Australian farmer have a break from the brutal drought conditions.

4 – CountryLife

Friday August 24, 2018

CountryLife – 5

Friday August 24, 2018

Healthy rivers plan holdup

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By Stu Kneebone, Waikato Regional Councillor, Waipa/King Country Some readers will be aware of an extension to the Healthy Rivers plan change timeline, so I thought it useful to summarise where we are at, and the reasoning behind the delay. Proposed plan change one (PPC1) was notified for submissions on October 22, 2016, and subsequently received 1023 submissions.

However following concerns raised by Hauraki Iwi that they had not been consultated with appropriately, an area of interest to them was withdrawn, and consultation with Hauraki undertaken.

This resulted in what became known as Variation 1 to PPC1 which was then notified for public submissions, with the submission period closing May 23, 2018, with 61 submissions received. The withdrawn area has subsequently been reinstated, and these two processes (PPC1 and Variation 1) will be bought together and heard as one hearings and

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Stu Kneebone the withdrawl and subsequent re-insertation of variation one means that we will also not meet the statutory two year timeframe by which a local authority is required to give its decision on the provisions and matters raised in submissions following notification of a proposed plan. Therefore council at its meeting on July 26 formally extended the date by which it is required to make a decision on the matters raised in the submissions for PPC1 by 18 months to April 30, 2020. The hearings panel will be aiming for a decision on the plan change

by September 2019, at which point council will be considering their recomendations.

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decisions process. This extra consultation and associated work was the fundamental reason behind time delays, which has led to a number of changes of key compliance dates. Registration of farm details, nitrogen reference points, establishment of farm environment plans and stock exclusion compliance dates have all been extended by approximately 18 months.

A further submission period opened on August 20. This process effectively allows you to support or oppose other people’s submissions, and comment on how other submission points may affect you. Further submissions are open until September 17 - see the WRC website for details.

This process has taken longer than originally anticipated. The number of submissions, and the matters associated with them are in many cases complex.

The hearings panel will need sufficient time to understand the issues, and ensure that the submitters receive a fair hearing. This, combined with

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6 – CountryLife

Friday August 24, 2018

Transportable home wins in Wellington

By Viv Posselt

Hot on the heels of a Waikato category win in July, Lee Turner and his team have been recognised again, this time in the 2018 Wellington/Wairarapa ADNZ/Resene Architectural Design Awards.

Lee and his team at Cambridge’s Turner Road Architecture received a Commended in the Residential Compact New Home up to 150m2 category earlier this month. The kudos came for the “Lyall Bay LongBox”, a stylish 131m2 transportable home tucked into a tight suburban space in the capital.

Judges at the Wellington event described it as an “iconic, relocatable three-bedroomed home with eclectic charm”.

The win marks a company first for one of their transportable models. Last month, one of their on-

site home designs in Cambridge saw them named Waikato regional winner of the Residential New Home over 300m2.

Lee started a secondary company – Elevate – about four years ago, primarily to test the market for high-quality transportable homes that were as far from ordinary as it was possible to be. He wanted to move away from traditional thinking, which had long pegged transportable homes as ‘fairly basic’.

“I wanted to see if the market was ready to pay a higher price for an architecturally-designed transportable home. We built a ShortBox, with three bedrooms and one bathroom, and got a lot of enquiries from that.”

Lee’s wife and the company’s marketing manager, Kristin Turner, said while people were impressed with that first model – which was

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quickly purchased and taken to a site in Hamilton – many wanted something similar but bigger, ideally with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a scullery and a laundry.

“They were looking for family homes, as well as baches and secondary dwellings,” she said.

Lee and his team set about doing more, and now have a range of around 14 models, currently either their Box range, or their Barn range.

The benefits are many, he said. Architectural design advice at the outset, having all the project management done on-site at their Hautapu yard, a ready ability to make changes if required, and having a tried and tested team of tradesmen on tap were just some he cited.

“There are less likely to be surprises by doing it this way, and surprises are often what make people building their own homes say, ‘never again’. And

The transportable LongBox home in Lyall Bay that won yet another accolade for Cambridge’s Turner Road Architecture.

The company offers a wide range of shade sails, including custom-made and ready-made for those who prefer a DIY option.

Awnings are another speciality of Bruce Edwards Upholstery, providing weatherproof protection for both residential and commercial patios, entrance ways and exposed areas.

They can be manual or motorised and feature removable posts, a revel or face fix, reverse handle and a pull stick for hard-to-reach blinds.

Shade sails are also a popular outdoor shade solution, including retractablewave shades that are ideal for people with Clearlite or open frame pergolas.

“By adding a wave shade you can cut down the heat in these pergolas by about 15 percent,” says Bruce. “And in winter you can simply unclip them and put them away.’

because we’ve done it repeatedly, we are able to streamline the consents process.”

Lee and the crew have completed about 17 in all; coming up with new designs is ongoing. Currently underway is a 148m2 big barn model, some 21.5m long, and others they have done involve pods, transported separately and linked together on site.

Lee said he thinks the transportable side could be a game-changer in New Zealand’s housing market – assuming stumbling blocks around mortgages can be worked through.

“We are currently working with one of the major banks. They are very close to offering a full-funding model for transportable buildings – the first major bank to do this,” he said. “We’re hoping to be able to offer this option to our clients within the next few weeks all going well. If so, this will significantly open up the transportable market.”

Options include fixed frame and folding arm awnings which can either be operated by a gearbox with a handle, or automated with the press of a button.

The company also offers a wide range of Shade 7 umbrellas, including cantilever, market and commercial umbrellas.

“The Riviera cantilever is our most popular umbrella,” says Bruce. “Because there is no centre post you can direct the shade wherever you want it without the post getting in the way. It’s also strong and sturdy and can handle winds of up to 60kph.”

E i

Friday August 24, 2018

Fonterra CEO steps down

By Claire Castle

Fonterra announced last week that its chief executive officer (CEO), Theo Spierings, was standing down. In his place, Miles Hurrell has taken over as the interim CEO, with immediate effect.

Prior to that, Miles was the chief operating officer of Farm Source – the unit responsible for working directly with the co-operative’s farmerowners. He has worked for Fonterra since 2000.

Theo Spierings’ resignation and departure follows the July departure of chairman John Wilson, who stepped down citing the need to recover from a serious health scare.

Fonterra’s chairman, John Monaghan, said the board was clear it was not best practice to have both the chairman and CEO step down at the same time, however events have overtaken that decision and time would need to be taken to appoint a new CEO. “I have agreed with the board that we will stop the global CEO search while we

EPA calls for neonicotinoid information The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is calling for information about three specific neonicotinoids – pesticides which can impact bees and other pollinators if not used correctly – to understand how and where they are being used within New Zealand.

The move follows recently updated risk assessments published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in February 2018.

"We believe some of the EFSA findings may be relevant to our New Zealand environment,” said Dr Fiona Thomson-Carter, EPA’s General Manager of Hazardous Substances.

Neonicotinoids have been used in New Zealand for more than 20 years. The EPA sets strict controls around their application.

“To fully understand any potential new risks, it’s important that we gather data from across New Zealand. Our aim is to build a detailed understanding that will help us ensure our

environment and our pollinators remain fully protected,” said Dr Thomson-Carter.

“We are seeking specific evidence, from manufacturers, importers and industry users, on clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam.

“We want to know how they’re being used, the frequency and scale of their use, and the specific mitigation measures that are being adopted on application. We’re keen to work closely with interested parties and stakeholders to gather that information.”

Manufacturers, importers and users have until October 26, 2018 to supply information. Further details can be found on the EPA website.

Beekeepers are also encouraged to complete the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Colony Loss and Survival survey, which is being sent directly to registered beekeepers. The EPA also uses the results of the survey to understand bee health, losses and beekeeping practice.

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review the co-operative’s current portfolio and direction.

“It’s important that we give ourselves the time to take stock of where we are as a co-operative, breathe some fresh air into the business, then determine any changes that are needed,” John said.

John said the board and Mr Spierings had agreed it was the right time for him to step down, and he would be working with Miles to ensure a smooth transition through to September 1.

Theo Spierings earned an $8.323M salary package including bonuses last year, bringing his 6-year earnings to just under $30M, according to

CountryLife – 7

information gleaned from annual reports, making him New Zealand’s highest-paid chief executive.

Calculations showed that Theo Spierings was earning the equivalent of the salary of a New Zealand MP – $160,000 – every week, which last year attracted the ire of New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, who labelled it a “fat cat payout”.

Fonterra defended the remuneration, saying that the CEO had been responsible for a three-year “transformational” strategy which had added $2billion to Fonterra’s balance sheet in 2016 and 2016, a year ahead of target.

Theo Spierings announced in March that he would be stepping down sometime this year.

Miles Hurrell has taken over as Fonterra’s interim CEO, replacing Theo Spierings who has resigned with immediate effect.

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8 – CountryLife

Friday August 24, 2018

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