YOUR INDUSTRY
Nearly 30 years after taking over the management of the Harper Vineyards orchard, Bruce Van Dorp has been recognised as a “fantastic grower” who is always willing to pass on his wealth of knowledge
A grower with a heart of gold As a kid, Bruce Van Dorp watched with interest the flurry of activity taking place over the road from his semi-rural family home in Gisborne. By Kristine Walsh Just opposite – on the river side of Riverside Road – horticulture pioneer Jack Thorpe was planting some of the region's first commercial kiwifruit vines, and building a packhouse to boot. “It was fascinating to see all this activity in the neighbourhood,” Bruce says. “So I stuck my nose in and at the age of 12 had got my first job, making kiwifruit boxes in the packhouse.” Bruce's new boss was the trust Jack had formed with son Bill and other family members, and those early beginnings proved to be the start of a decades-long relationship. 26
The ORCHARDIST : JULY 2021
Today, 43 years later, Bruce works for Bill and his partners managing their 23-hectare orchard Harper Vineyards where, just out of Gisborne, he oversees production of gold kiwifruit, persimmons and mandarins. His generosity of sharing the knowledge he has gained over those decades this year saw him awarded the Outstanding Contribution award at First Fresh awards event, the Freshies. And it's not the first time: Bruce has received that gong before, along with others related to the quality of his crops.
First Fresh managing director Ian Albers says Bruce not only works tirelessly and performs outstandingly on the orchard, but also goes out of his way to help other growers and is “a fountain of knowledge” for the First Fresh team. “Bruce is an extremely likeable, downto-earth bloke who is well known for having a heart of gold,” Ian says. “Basically, he's a fantastic grower with a wealth of knowledge that he is willing to pass on to those less learned.”
