Life with carrots still going strong

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 340, 19 June 1990, Page 12

Life with carrots still going strong

Carrot grower Jim Foster was made a life member of the Ohakune Vegetable and Produce Growers' Association recently, but he says he not really sure why.

The association says it's because he's always been a very active and loyal member, has served several times as president, is the most long-serving member and still never misses a meeting. He has also given support and encouragement to a number of other growers when they were starting out in the business. The Fosters started growing carrots here in 1954 and haven't stopped yet. Jim still drives two trips to Auckland each week to take carrots to the markets and says he is definitely not ready to re-

tire, despite having already worked almost a decade past many people's retirement age. "There's always something to do, if a guy can't find something to do there's something wrong with him." Jim has done more than just be here for the association. He concedes that being president for about six years and always being on the committee would have helped the association in their decision. "It was unexpected, you don't go looking for that sort of thing," said Jim.

The Fosters have seen some huge changes in the way gardens operate over the years, but they don't tend to get nostalgic. Jim says mechanization has made the biggest changes, with picking by hand now obsolete and he thinks it's a good thing. "Conditions here arp pretty harsh for pickers - would you get out there and pick carrots by hand in this weather?" They would have had up to 50 hand pickers in the field in the early days. When they started in 1954 ten acres would have been a lot but now some growers plant 100 acres. Also new since 1950's is washing the carrots before they get to market, which means they can be graded and

profile the poor quality ones discarded, though the better product doesn't mean a better price. In the mid 50's Jim says a sack of carrots would have fetched around £3, or $6 and now would still only bring in around $8 on average. Increased yields, beating disease and more efficiency right through the line as w'ell as the mechanization have kept the prices low. Transport is the other big area of change. "It used to take.eight hours to get to Auckland, two hours to unload, and trailers were never thought of." Jim's 1990 truck is three times the power of the 1950's version and has power steering and a lot more comfort. "All the kinks have gone out of the roads - you couldn't get through the old Hiwis north of Taumarunui, or through the old Mangawekas with the rigs you've got today." Unloading then was by men with hand trucks, now it's half an hour with a forklift truck and one driver. The trip takes Jim less than six hours now and the markets are open all night too, which means there's no more queues of trucks lining up at four in the morning waiting to unload. "Now you can go when you like and you can be sure it's going to get onto the market floor when you want it.". He said rail transport for produce is a thing of the past. Wellington became the worst, when produce would get there the same day but from the rail to market was a real headache. Jim says the association needs more support now, especially from some of the younger growers though some of the older ones too. He talks about poor tumout to hear specialist

speakers that the association invites to the j area. Most of the growers get on pretty good socially, says Jim, especially when there's a feed provided, "but you start talking carrots and look out." The growers association is mainly there to handle joint problems such as with transport regulations, packaging, supply of equipment and pallets, and seed supply. But they have also done some good in the promotion area, most notably with the Big Carrot. Jim says that has been great for putting Ohakune on the map for growers. Before the carrot, he says buyers would ask "where's that?" when you mentioned Ohakune or Ruapehu. He says giving away carrots at the ski shows doesn't do any harm either. Fosters Carrots have their own promotion also and have developed their own logo, which is similar to ah Australian pub product label though you couldn't mistake the difference in what's inside! That has been worthwhile, especially with the prepackaging of one and 1.5 kilogram bags for supermarkets. They are one of two growers prepackaging and started about 15 years ago. Jim Foster may be past retirement age but he seems a long way off even semi-retirement. "I can't sit around doing nothing. It's my way of life I suppose, and I've been lucky with my health which goes a long way to staying fit and active."