YOUR INDUSTRY
PIRONGIA MOUNTAIN INFLUENCES WEATHER AND BRANDING Words by Elaine Fisher
Tony Cato’s market garden lies in the hinterland of Mount Pirongia in the Waipa District
Pastoral farming is the norm in the Waipa district, but on a peninsula of land embraced on three sides by a loop in the Waipa River, there is a thriving market garden. It’s not surprising that Pirongia Mountain Vegetables is the only commercial vegetable grower in the area, for the founding Cato family has a history of diversification. Richard and Judy Cato began growing cut flowers commercially in 1986 as part of their sheep and beef cattle farm at Te Kuiti in the King Country. In 1988, the family moved to the Waikato and continued growing and exporting flowers to all parts of the world.
95%
24 NZGROWER : AUGUST 2021
95% OF TONY'S INCOME COMES FROM FARMERS’ MARKETS, WHICH WERE CLOSED DURING COVID-19
In 2001, they began growing garlic and then potatoes, selling their produce under the name Cato's Potatoes and Garlic from a small stall in the driveway of their Kaipaki property, and at Farmers’ Markets in Hamilton and Cambridge. Six years ago, their son Tony, previously a mechanic, engineer and builder, joined the business in a part-time financial role, deciding two years ago to take over 100% of the enterprise. Tony, who lives in Pirongia township, rebranded the business as Pirongia Mountain Vegetables to reflect the range of produce grown, and the importance of 962-metre Mount Pirongia, which lies to the west of the town. “The mountain is pretty important to our image and marketing. It also influences our weather. We get more rainfall here than other parts of the region,” says Tony, who grows a wide range of vegetables on 3ha of leased land close to the small settlement of Pirongia. It was the quality of the volcanic and river silt soils in the area and the climate, which convinced Tony that market gardening was possible, but it took a leap of faith to leave his building career and commit full-time to growing. His faith was sorely tested when New Zealand went into lockdown in March 2020 as a result of Covid-19. Farmers’ Markets, accounting for up to 95% of Tony’s income, were closed.
