Sowing next season's crops

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 27, 6 December 1983, Page 13

Sowing next season's crops

As this year's harvesting season draws to an end market gardeners in the Waimarino have been planting next year's crops. Everywhere paddocks are being tilled, seeds are being sown and seedlings are being plahted. Planting has been under way since late August/early September and will continue for another month or so to ensure a spread of ripening periods throughout the season. The market garden industry is one of the three biggest employers of labour in the Waimarino with between 250-300 people involved for most of the year. And one of its biggest earners too. (The other two major employers are the Winstone Samsung Pulp Mill at Karioi which employs a staff of about 100 on a continuous operation |^pughout the year and Turoa Skifields which employs another 100 or so people for about 6 months of the year). Market gardening was started in the Waimarino just after the turn of the century by several Chinese families who had settled in the area. Four of the present 21 members of the Growers Association are descendants of those original Chinese families which established the industry in and around Ohakune.

At one time there were more than 40 market gardeners in the area but this number has dropped in the last few years as a result of rationalisation — fewer but bigger and better machineryefficient growers producing more vegetables, said Brian Eades, president of the Ohakune Growers Association. The Waimarino supplies most of the North Island about 95% — with its winter vegetables through eleven . twice-weekly markets, including those of Auckland and Wellington. Each week about 25 truckloads — "vegetableliners" — leave Ohakune for city markets laden with carrots (500,000 bags annually), potatoes (250,000 bags), parsnips (70,000 bags), swedes (70,000 bags),

brussel sprouts (50,000 bags), cauliflower (25,000 bags) and cabbage (15,000 bags). From late Janiiary/early February through to December each year this local produce provides most North Island consumers with their fre^h and succulent vegetables. Thanks to Ohakune's soil and climate, the vegetables grow well until the frosts arrive about April,/ May and then they are held in a state of suspended animation in the ground's natural freezer until they are ready to be dug out, washed and sent to the city markets.