Minimoor: Turakina farmers growing thousands of native plants in old milking shed

Kelly Glasgow and her husband Adam have established a new native plant nursery on their Ratana farm and plan to open it to the public this year. Photo / Bevan Conley

Few people would look at a defunct milking shed and visualise a native plant nursery.

But that’s what Turakina farmer Kelly Glasgow did and three years later her vision is a reality with a potting shed and thousands of thriving seedlings at different growth stages.

Glasgow and her husband Adam own a sheep and beef farm and were thinking about ideas for diversification when they came up with the idea of growing native plants.

Initially, they thought about just growing them for their own plantings.

“I called Horizons Regional Council to see if they’d be interested in purchasing plants and they said they would support us,” Glasgow said.

At around the same time, she was told that Bonny Glen Landfill near Turakina was looking to do some planting of its own.

She got in touch, resulting in them overseeing Bonny Glen’s four-year project as well as supplying the plants.

It was enough incentive to get them started and they grew around 40,000 plants in their first season to fill orders and for their own riparian planting.

They have just finished potting up around 90,000 seedlings for this year’s plantings.

Glasgow has established the operation with the support of her husband and now has two part-time workers.

“Kelly McFarlane has worked with me since the beginning of the project, she has a background in horticulture and is a huge asset.”

Another asset is Gladys - the potting machine that takes in empty trays and feeds them out the other end filled with just the right amount of potting soil.

“Gladys is like having another worker,” said Glasgow.

“We filled all the pots by hand the first year and it has made a huge difference to have that part of the process done by machine.”

Three generations of family members have also pitched in to help, with Kelly and Adam’s parents and children lending their their hands to establish the nursery.

The business has been called Minimoor Nursery.

“It was the name of the farm where Adam’s grandmother grew up and she always spoke fondly about it. We thought we’d keep it in the family,” Glasgow said.

Minimoor Nursery on Ratana Rd is a new business growing native seedlings suitable for riparian plantings. Photo / Bevan Conley

The seeds that were planted in June last year are now large enough to survive outside and are being hardened off out in the elements while the younger seedlings are inside the shade house.

“We are growing a lot of riparian varieties that are ideal for planting around waterways,” Glasgow said.

“We are also aiming to supply plants in large numbers for erosion control, and to landowners who want to retire areas of their properties. Native plants help filter sediment and nutrients before they enter waterways and they also help with biodiversity, attracting native birds and insects.”

Glasgow said there are around 40 varieties in the nursery this year including tōtara, hoheria (lacebark), mānuka, kānuka, pittosporum, and several varieties of tussock and grasses ideal for landscaping.

Many plants had been grown from seeds gathered on the farm, as well as from other stands of native bush in the district, she said.

“Plants grow best in the environment they come from, having developed unique characteristics to suit their local environment, so we want to source as many as we can from this area.

“Most of the work we’ll be doing over summer is weeding, pruning, and watering to have the seedlings ready for planting in autumn.”

Whanganui-based Horizons councillor Alan Taylor said the Glasgows should be commended for their efforts.

“Being (native plants), they won’t wind up as slash in our oceans, on our beaches and in our rivers,” Taylor said.

“From my perspective, I think it’s a welcome diversification. There is always room for this kind of thing, provided the market is there for them.”

Taylor said Horizons ran the Sustainable Land Use Initiative, which addressed erosion and riparian planting.

“We (Horizons) have nurseries for poplar and willows but we still contract out because we don’t grow enough ourselves.

“This (Minimoor) just shows what can be done, especially in a day and age when you’ve got more and more regulation coming around livestock farming.”

Glasgow said there were plans for a Minimoor Nursery website to be up and running in 2024.

In the meantime, potential customers can contact the business via email - nursery@minimoor.co.nz

Liz Wylie is a multimedia journalist for the Whanganui Chronicle. She joined the editorial team in 2014 and regularly covers stories from Whanganui and the wider region. She also writes features and profile stories.