Ray Yates and Linda Stopforth with their retired racing hounds are enjoying the lifestyle in Ōhau.
Ray Yates and Linda Stopforth with their retired racing hounds are enjoying the lifestyle in Ōhau.
Linda Stopforth and partner Ray Yates hang out in Horowhenua most weekends quietly plodding away at their modest lifestyle block.
“Most people build the house and then work on the orchard and gardens.
“We decided to put in the hard yards first,” said Linda, who is involved in organisingnext year’s Tree Cropper Conference, to be held in Ōtaki.
On their modest hectare, on the top of a hill in Ōhau, they have planted scores of fruit trees, from almonds to elderflower, olives, to figs, apricots, to pears, and peaches. They have been collecting heirloom trees for years and decided to make apples a priority.
They already have 22 varieties of apples, including old varieties that came to Aotearoa 150 years or more ago and somehow survived, somewhere in the country.
“We have some cider apples, as well as baking apples. I took a list of what I wanted to Watson’s Garden Centre in Ōtaki and they managed to get most of them.”
A lot of their other heirloom trees come from specialist nurseries, some through mail order, some by them travelling around the country visiting growers and nurseries.
They have a few fruit bananas, chermoyas, avocados, tropical apricots, almonds, hazel, hops and sugarcane.
“Sugar canes are doing okay here, so far.
“When we bought this property there were four trees, three plane trees and a willow. There was no shelter, nor any shade 8.5 years ago.”
Four years ago they made plans for building a house, but since the pandemic the cost of building has gone up by quite a bit, so they stuck with their garage with sleepout.
“We needed a water source, so the garage roof brings water into the water tank and the plumbing is in.”
They still live and work in Wellington, on the south coast, where gardening is a really hard slog.
“It is really harsh on the south coast. Scrubs grow will but there is the southerly and a lot of salt in the air.
“The soil in Horowhenua is so beautiful and the climate so much better, making it much easier to grow things,” said Linda.
Initially, they were looking much further north for a lifestyle property, as far north as the Coromandel, but thanks to a visit to Kath Irvine’s property on Florida Rd, they discovered Horowhenua had so much potential, after searching high and low for near on two years and just driving through.
An heirloom apple, one of 22 varieties Linda and Ray managed to procure.
Ray works in procurement while Linda is a librarian. Both have lived in Wellington for a few decades. Together with their two retired racing greyhounds Dora and Sophie, 10, they are very much enjoying Horowhenua soil, climate and folk.
“Without tree croppers we would not have gotten to know so many locals. Horowhenua is known for market gardening and most lifestyle blocks tend to be small and grow niche crops.
“We joined about six years ago to tap into local knowledge and to see whether what we did was right.
“We love the field trips. They give you ideas, reassure what you are doing is right and there is a lively plant exchange. The conference will bring people here from around the country.”
The conference hosts speakers in the morning, while the afternoons are for field trips.
The veg garden.
Professor Jim Jones (Massey) will talk about biochar and soil carbon and the important role it plays in sustaining soil fertility and hydration.
Nick Ward (MPI) will address the vital importance of agricultural biosecurity to meeting future national food requirements and the ongoing viability of horticultural export trade.
Andrew Tait (NIWA) will talk about some previous projects he’s worked on to identify potential growing suitability for specific crops and tree species, including the potential impact of climate change. A similar methodology might be appropriate for tree crops.
Andy Wiltshire and Eric Cairns will talk on their personal evolving experiences with specialist crops. Andy from Pinoli Pinenuts will detail his fascinating story of long term vision and persistence in establishing a substantial operation involving the culture of stone pines.
Eric will demonstrate the value we can get from oaks planted as a food crop or as a preferred furniture construction material. He will talk about the work he and others in an “oak interest group” are doing to promote the cultivation of oaks in New Zealand.
Hemaima Wiremu will introduce us to Rongoā Māori, traditional Māori healing, with a focus on the long-established use of plant remedies for health and wellbeing. Erick Brenstrum, dinner guest speaker, will regale with weather-related stories. For more information: https://www.treecropsconference.nz/conference-programme/field-trips/.
It is possible for non-members to attend the conference for a surcharge. Conference prizes are: for members $310; for non-members $360. Add to that a booking fee.
