The area between metropolitan Auckland and the Waikato plains has long served as a food basket: Māori valued the plentiful natural resources and proximity to trading routes; European settlers cleared the land for agriculture; and market gardeners (many of them of Chinese and Indian descent) saw an opportunity to harness the fertile volcanic soils and provide vegetables to the fast-growing city not far up the road.
With good rainfall, plenty of sunlight and very low likelihood of frost, that legacy of horticultural prowess continues today, with the area providing root vegetables like potatoes, kumara and carrots, brassicas like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, salad greens and lettuces, pumpkins, herbs, and some berry fruits and kiwifruit.
Just as Marlborough has its grapes and Central Otago has its stonefruit, Franklin also has its signature crops: it is the country’s largest producer of onions and the second largest producer of potatoes.
For many of the businesses serving Auckland and the rest of the country’s needs, growing runs in the family: Hira Bhana started in 1958 (the 1,500 acre operation is now run by the founder’s four sons), Masters started in over 70 years ago, Sutherland Produce kicked off back in 1975, Jivan Produce starting over 40 years ago, and several generations have got their hands dirty from the Reynolds and Wilcox families.
The sector has continued to innovate and the region now has one of the country’s largest concentrations of indoor crops, from Curious Croppers’ huge variety of heirloom tomatoes, to Nicholls’ hydroponic lettuces and leafy greens, to New Zealand Gourmet’s capsicums.
While indoor growing does come at a significant capital cost, increasingly severe weather events and the threat of more to come as a result of climate change means these investments are helping to make the area more resilient – and productive.
According to a Deloitte report from 2018, around 90% of the production from the Pukekohe hub, which includes “Paerata and Patumahoe to the North, Aka Aka to the west, Pokeno to the east and borders on Onewhero and Pukekawa to the south”, is channelled to domestic retail and food service.
While the area is relatively small, its mud is mighty: it only makes up around 4% of the country’s total horticultural land, but the report estimated that it generated 26% of New Zealand’s total domestic value of vegetable production.
The best local produce can often be found on the menus of Auckland’s best cafes, bars and destination restaurants. But everything tastes better at the source and many of the area’s hospitality providers proudly serve local fare. Many growers can also be found at popular farmers’ markets in Pukekohe (which started almost 25 years ago), Mercer (which recently took over from Pokeno), and Clevedon (which has become something of a weekend pilgrimage for many food-loving Aucklanders looking for a taste of the country).
With labour shortages affecting the industry, costs continuing to rise and pressure on productive land from housing developments, there are plenty of challenges facing the sector. But there are already positive signs that the next generation of Franklin families will continue to innovate, develop the skills and technological advances they need to remain productive in a more automated era, and ensure the region’s strong agricultural legacy continues.
