YOUR INDUSTRY
Launching the interns programme at Wairoa facility The Limery are (rear left to right) intern supervisors Leah Puncheon and Julia Howard and Limery co-founder Dianne Downey, and (front) interns Samson Tangiora (left) and Ethan Fortune
Limery tapping into ‘gold mine’ of local youth
YOUNG GROWERS
Five years ago a couple set up The Limery in Wairoa to establish a value-added business in a town that has seen its share of economic hard knocks. By Kristine Walsh Now Dianne Downey and Paul Hyslop have gone a step further, founding an intern programme that over the course of the year, will see a dozen young people experience every aspect of their operation. And if they happen to get a couple of apprentices out of it themselves, then all the better. “You don't come to a town like Wairoa without contributing something to the community,” Dianne says. “Jobs and training are always important, so this is our contribution.” Located near the mouth of the Wairoa River, just a couple of minutes from town, The Limery is fully-integrated with its Kopu Road Orchard of 4,000 lime trees complemented by a packhouse and on-site juicing facility with a juicing machine, chillers and freezers, and labelling facilities.
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The ORCHARDIST : FEBRUARY 2021
Between them and their partner growers they sell both whole fruit and high-quality lime and lemon juice products, which means there is a lot for young players to learn. With a 2021 schedule of four intakes of three interns – all aged 16 to 24 and each doing three months on site – the Te Rau Haumako programme takes them through all aspects of the business from the orchard and packhouse to the juicing room, labelling, sales and marketing.
Te Rau Haumako = “To bring great numbers of people together, to be at one with the land and plants, leading to sustainable prosperity for all.”
