Scott’s Strawberry Farm founder John William Scott, affectionately known as Bill.
Scott’s Strawberry Farm founder John William Scott, affectionately known as Bill.
If you live in Havelock North, there is every chance you have visited Scott’s Strawberry Farm in Te Aute Rd, just on the outskirts of the village.
Its founder, John William Scott, affectionately known as Bill, died last month.
Scott, a man with an infectious laugh and smile and alove of family and strawberries, will be remembered for his innovation in the berry-growing world.
For 42 years, he cultivated strawberries from the land and was the first grower in Hawke’s Bay to grow strawberries in polythene after gathering information from the University of California, a university well known for its strong horticultural division.
Scott attended Napier Boys’ High as a boarder, leaving at 15 to become a fencer.
He earned enough money to buy land on Joll Rd in Havelock North and grew vegetables to sell.
The aim of that was to save enough money to purchase a dairy farm.
Married to Colleen, his farming direction took a turn when his father-in-law, who was growing a few strawberries in his own vegetable garden, gave Bill a few spare strawberry plants.
Bill planted them in some ground in Joll Rd, and along with his other vegetables, they were a hit.
His mother urged him to continue growing strawberries, so he expanded into land previously owned by his grandparents near Anderson Park in Havelock North.
He then leased land off his brother in Te Aute Rd and eventually purchased his own block of land where Scott’s Strawberry Farm is today, run by his son Billy.
It was 1962 when Scott planted his first commercial crop of strawberries on the land, in bare ground with straw to deter weeds and keep the ground warm.
After learning more about planting in polythene, he designed his own polythene layer for his strawberry beds and around 1979, he commenced planting in double rows, which took his capacity of plants from 50-60,000 plants per hectare to 120,000 plants per hectare.
It is how the beds are still planted today.
Bill Scott and his daughter Pam with strawberries picked for the local market.
Bill also designed bespoke cloches that helped to extend the strawberry season from late September to April.
He took up exporting berries in the 1970s, sending them to Los Angeles and the UK, all done by letters and telex in those days.
During his lifetime, he grew most of his own plants, over the years trialling several types for the ultimate taste.
Being such a diligent worker, you would think he would be too busy for a hobby, but Scott, who had driven on metal roads most of his life, took up rally driving, only retiring from it when he had children.
