One proud Pukekohe grower

ONE PROUD

PUKEKOHE GROWER

Words by Glenys Christian

Kylie Faulkner jokes that she’s “easily tricked” – first into joining the family business, Sutherland Produce, and more recently into getting involved with the Pukekohe Vegetable Growers Association (PVGA) of which she’s just become the first woman president.

Four years ago, Kylie went to a PVGA meeting and was immediately co-opted on to the organisation’s executive. “They are a great bunch of people with growers’ interests at heart and that shows in the supportive businesses they work for.”

While this focus was always at the heart of the PVGA, Kylie says its role has changed in recent years due to large changes in environmental policy. Representation is required on many different bodies, ranging from the Waikato Regional Council’s (WRC) Plan Change 1 (PC1) Community Stakeholder Group (CSG) to the Waikato Irrigators’ Group and the region’s Adverse Events Committee. Also, because members also grow vegetables in Auckland Council’s area, PVGA has representatives on Auckland Council’s Rural Advisory Group as well as another more recently set up body looking more specifically at water issues. Kylie said a new association initiative is strengthening engagement with local iwi, with a number of meetings

Kylie Faulkner with a lettuce crop at Sutherland Produce

organised detailing how growers fit with the community and some of the improvements they’re making. Another connection that’s very important to her is grower involvement with local schools and kindergartens through grower visits and supplying the pupils with vegetable seeds so they can have a shot at raising their very own vegetables. “I encourage all growers to do it,” she says. In December last year, the PVGA was involved in the Franklin Foodbowl Festival, which showcased crops grown in the area while raising money for a local charity. At the back of many minds is the issue of urban sprawl, with historic decisions allowing the spread of Auckland city closer and closer to good growing land. “There was poor planning in the past and we hope it doesn’t happen in the future,” Kylie said. The association spent a lot of time submitting on both the National Policy Statement on Highly Productive Soils and the

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government’s freshwater plans, which she says need to be looked at together. It was satisfying that both the Pukekohe and Horowhenua areas were named as having elite soils. “But the devil is in the detail.” See also page 32. Growers are waiting to see the direction behind the statements already made, especially with their difficulties in working across multiple council regulations. But there’s a long process ahead with PC1 only expected to get to the Environment Court by the end of 2021, and a fouryear turnaround period expected for Auckland Council to include the new national standards in its district plan.

We could end up with more stringent conditions than with PC1 – we don’t know,” she says.

“It all depends on how it’s written and how planners interpret it. Environmental outcomes affect our ability to continue in business and some growers are questioning that. I don’t want to be seen as a doomsayer but information is key.” Many growers are already recording what they were doing on their properties but time is a big factor when it comes to compiling this information for farm environment plans. “Food safety is very important and that’s part of the compliance jigsaw puzzle,” she says. “People want an assurance that their food is being produced safely and employees are being looked after.” A new initiative of the PVGA’s to mark its anniversary is one she’s excited about – the scholarship announced at last year’s centenary dinner to encourage young people into some of the many career options in horticulture. “We’re trying to show young people horticultural opportunities, but I don’t know how well we’re getting that across,” Kylie says. “People think it’s all working on the ground and harvesting but they forget we need salespeople, accountants and technical support. It’s a question of how we get that connection by joining the dots.” Applications will be called for in August and the scholarship criteria have been kept loose in order that a wide variety of pathways are covered such as apprenticeships, university study or research projects. “We want it to be available to everyone – that’s an important part of us moving forward.” And what about a fourth generation of growers in her family? “Well, Ruby wants to be a vet and the boys All Blacks or plumbers like their Dad. Who knows, as I never imagined I would be where I am now.”

FIRST UP, A CRISIS

New Pukekohe Vegetable Growers Association (PVGA) president, Kylie Faulkner says her phone “rang and rang and rang” during the first couple of weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown.

“It was challenging and stressful,” she adds. Growers didn’t know how to deal with some of the requirements for personal protective equipment, sanitisers and social distancing. And that was where some Kiwi ingenuity and thinking outside the square came to the fore. In the case of Sutherland Produce they split their business into two teams so if a member of one became ill the other group could take over. “Our people were just amazing,” Kylie says. “They got on and did what they needed to, although that changed on a daily basis. They had a purpose.” All growers worked as hard as they could to supply the volumes of vegetables that were required, even though it was difficult to pick buying patterns. Demand at both Easter and Anzac Day were very different to those during these holidays in previous years. “I’m extremely proud of how growers got stuck in and didn’t complain.” Differing rules about which independent fruit and vege stores could open had an effect on some of them, and at others staff chose not to come to work. For those supplying food service companies the closure of restaurants and takeaway outlets as well as the absence of cruise ships to supply hit them hard. But there were also increased opportunities with companies delivering meal kits having a sudden increase in demand. “People had the time and they exposed themselves to new foods,” she says. “They realised they needed to slow down. It reignited their love of cooking, and I hope we can keep that momentum going.” And it was “awesome” to see some association members getting involved in donating vegetables to Auckland charities.