Tony and Joanne Ivicevich

71 years young and still growing!

 

Tony and Joanne were born in 1947. Joanne’s family immigrated to New Zealand in 1953 from Gloucestershire, England.  Tony was educated at Lynfield College, Auckland and Joanne at Auckland Girls Grammar.  From school, Tony began work as a shipping clerk for import merchants Neil Cropper and Co, and later an industrial chemicals sales rep.

Joanne also gained employment at Neil Cropper and Co, as a shorthand typist, this is how they first met and have now been married for 48 years. Their daughter Danica currently lives in Tauranga.

Tony later changed jobs to start selling offset printing machines for an American company.  Tony, with work colleague bought into a small struggling printing business and lasted 8 years.  Working long hours, high pressure took its toll, so in 1979 Tony decided the printing business was not for him and that he should do something with the eight acres in Pomona Road Kumeu purchased six years earlier. The change was inspired by a magazine photo of a smiling grower surrounded by waste-high flowers under a glasshouse roof and clear blue sky

Tony and Jo with the help of Jo’s sister Sue built their first glasshouse from a supposed kitset on the property (1979) followed by a Faber Greenhouse eighteen months later.  In total Tony and Joanne had 1700 square meters of greenhouses.  Tony had no knowledge of growing, he undertook a night course at Unitec and sourced information from MAF and an advisor from Turners and Growers.  MAF was a free service in those days but that stopped soon after. At Unitec he learned the at the time glasshouse tomatoes were considered by MAF like corner dairies – 60% of NZ growers had less than two years’ experience. There were some 1200 tomato growers at that time producing no more than 20 kg/m2!

The first crop was long beans in 1979 following a recommendation (at the time) that it was not the right time to plant tomatoes!  (how times have changed!!)  Joanne remembers the long hours on the lounge floor of their home sorting beans and after picking, walking from the back of the glasshouse to see that beans needed picking again!!

Joanne and Tony remember receiving their first tomato plants, they didn’t even know how deep to plant them and following the kind help of two local tomato grower families planted their first crop of tomatoes in 1980, first growing in soil for two years before moving onto sawdust and then pumice bags. 

There was a great deal of trial and error with the first tomato crop, as technical information, on how and what to grow was not as readily available as it is today.  Tony remembers a visit they had from Auckland Vegetable and Produce Growers’ Society Inc. Secretary Max Wordsworth and wife Olive. Olive’s comment on the first crop was “….what these need is a bloody good drink of water” All that night the tap was left on watering all night. In the morning the soil surface still looked dry but on stepping into the glasshouse he sank up to his calves in mud! Tony was offered some strong wool carpet cord by another grower’s dad to tie his plants up with!  The cord later delaminated and one by one and the plants fell down due to the increased weight.  After restringing the whole house (with proper string) the light wire recommended failed under the weight so there was another round of re-stringing once the wires were replaced!

Tony joined the West Auckland Glasshouse Group [WAGG] that met monthly on [12] members’ properties and learned an incredible amount from some very old hands. Tony and Joanne were invited to the Vegetable Growers’ AGM dine and dance where Tony was immediately elected  onto the Society’s committee thus starting his long involvement with the different industry growing organisations.  This was a great way to interact with other growers, learn and make contacts within the industry.

Over the next 20 or so years Tony and Joanne learnt their trade and became extremely good at growing.  With the advent of Australian imports and supermarkets demanding big single lines of tomatoes, growers started to work together and packhouses like Karaka [now NZ Hothouse], PTO  and Lateral  were established. Tony and Jo were founder members of Lateral Packhouse in West Auckland with members of WAGG and many others.

At the start of the millennium new business opportunities became apparent, Tony, Joanne and two other business partners decided to relocate, build new greenhouses’ and a large pack house at their current location on State Highway 16 between Kumeu and Waimauku.

Tony was part of the team that designed the DFT (Deep Flow Technique) system which is used to grow his tomatoes. I will dedicate a future article to this growing system.

 

Together they built 3 plastic greenhouses, on three separate titles, totalling 2ha of growing area.  Between them the Beekist brand was born (Joanne suggested the name).  They started packing tomatoes for 40 local growers in the area.  As time went on the growers slowly retired, the structure of the pack house business changed with the Beekist Services packing business sold to Turners and Growers combining it to the PTO Packhouse in Otahuhu and the Beekist brand, leased for ten years was finally sold, now owned by Turners and Growers. 

Thirty-eight years on, Tony and Joanne continue to grow in their 4000m2 plastic greenhouse.  They produce large truss tomatoes and pack their own.  Tony and Jo have gone from producing 20kg per m2 of tomatoes in 1980, to 50kg m2 in 2018.  Innovation, a willingness to learn and put in the hard yards has seen Tony and Joanne become one of New Zealand’s best growers.

Tony and Joanne grow large truss marketed via MG Marketing. You might notice the protective covers under the fruit, this is just one example of the extra care and attention that makes these growers stand out.

Tony was part of the Auckland Vegetable and Produce Growers Society that had set up Veg-Gro Supplies Ltd after many years of trading under just the Society’s name, which is now the Horticentre Group, and is still its chairman and Horticentre Trust trustee.  He was chairman of what is now known as Tomatoes NZ for 11 years and a Horticulture NZ Board Member for 9 years after 2 years on the establishment board.  In 2015 Tony was made a Life Member of Hort NZ.  and Life Member of Pukekohe Vegetable Grower’ Association Inc

It was such a joy to chat with Tony and Joanne, I now appreciate how much they have contributed and assisted our industry over the years.  Tony and Joanne’s contribution, to the various boards, has been a huge sacrifice, it took its toll on business, as it meant being away at meetings and conferences for long periods of time.  You cannot achieve all they have without a huge passion for the industry. 

Tony and Joanne are now 71 (you would never know by looking at them). They are thinking of retiring shortly after a massive 38 years growing tomatoes.  The no 8 wire kiwi attitude ‘get stuck in and do it’ is exactly what these two have done.  We are better off for Tony and Joanne Ivicevich becoming tomato growers.  We just need Tony to write a book so we don’t loose all of that valuable knowledge and information. 

Tony and Joanne keep their property immaculate. Their gardens match the care and attention that flows through to the greenhouse. 

Joanne and Tony have always supported their staff.  The day I arrived they were celebrating Angela’s birthday.  She has been employed by them for 17 years.  Joanne made the cake!! It was scrummy.  Don’t tell my wife!!

Just another example of the excellently maintained grounds and greenhouse

The Next Generation

Part 2

Kate Miln (BSC Massey University)

Production Assistant, Gellert Nurseries Ltd

 

Kate Miln was born in Auckland and raised in Pukekohe, South Auckland.  Kate grew up surrounded by Horticulture and now finds herself learning the ropes as an assistant grower (production assistant) for Gellert Nurseries in Karaka, South Auckland. 

Kate (22) attended Buckland Primary and then went to Tuakau College.  When Kate finished college, she decided to attend Massey University in Palmerston North, to do a biological science degree, she did not know it would become a Bachelor of Science in Plant Science until 6 months after her studies began.  Luckily for the horticulture industry, while in her first year at Massey, Kate did a plant biology paper, it was from then she decided to do her degree in plant science.  Kate spent an extra 6 months at University, as her slight change of direction meant she had to complete several more papers to achieve her degree.

When she attended Tuakau College horticulture was not promoted or recognised at the same level as other subjects.  In the New Zealand education system, you could only gain a ‘unit standard’ for doing horticulture studies not ‘Merit’ or ‘Excellence’ grades on offer in other subjects which were more beneficial for gaining entry into University.  Kate now understands that our industry is in need of more horticulture workers but said when she was at college “it was not promoted enough, this may have changed since I was at high school, I hope so at least.” 

During her last year at Massey University Kate started looking for possible job opportunities.   At the career hub at Massey, Kate came across an advertisement for the position of Production Assistant at Gellert Nurseries.  Kate applied for the position, was flown from Palmerston North to Auckland, by Gellert Nurseries owner Steve Gellert, to be interviewed just before the weeks leading up to her final exams.  Kate made an extremely good impression and had the necessary skills to be offered a full-time position.   Only three weeks after completing her degree she started her first day at Gellert Nurseries.  Steve Gellert needs to be congratulated for having the foresight to hire a student straight out of university. 

 

Kate is learning specialty irrigation techniques used for growing young plants.

 

“Massey was a great place to learn the theoretical side of growing”.   Learning about plant physiology, insects, diseases and chemicals were some of the fundamental papers needed to complete here degree. Other papers included: Controlling weeds, soil science papers, postharvest horticulture and basic horticulture papers that covered much of the growing practise and industry information.  The theory learnt at Massey was excellent but the practical side is a totally new challenge.  Learning how to use an environmental computer, deal with staff and the day to day running of a growing operation is very different to what she anticipated.  Having the vast experience of production manager, Steve Hadley, to learn from is a great opportunity for Kate.

 

Kate with one of the eggplant crops she is responsible for.  Kate is in charge of monitoring the EC and PH as well as recording growth rates, checking and monitoring insect pressure and checking root health, amongst other tasks.

 

In her past time Kate loves going to the beach and swimming, she is an avid reader and reads almost anything.  Kate has a bright future in horticulture, she knows there is still a lot to learn and that this will come with time and experience.   

 

Kate is learning about the effects of lights on plants.  These are a recent edition to the nursery and provide guaranteed all year-round assurance plants will be growing under optimum conditions.

 

 

 

 

 

The Next Generation

Part 1 in the ‘next generation of young grower’s’ series.

Peter Schreuder, Assistant Grower Manager.

 

Peter is an ambitious young grower, at the age of 22 he is an assistant grower with one of New Zealand’s largest covered crop growers.  He is currently the assistant capsicum grower at one of New Zealand Gourmets sites in Waiuku.  Peter has achieved so much in a short time, he had a passion for growing which started at a young age.

 

Peter alongside the conveyer which transports the capsicums to the packing area.  Bins, filled with capsicums, are brought from the rows and automatically emptied onto the conveyer belt, which takes them to the packing area a few 100 meters away.  The capsicums are then immediately graded and placed into the onsite cool stores ready for transport to their customers. Below MIT promotional video including Peter and vision of the Ftek capsicum conveyer. 

After a long hot period of weather Peter keeps a close eye on the root system.  Temperatures have soared to over 30 degrees in the last week, but careful management of the rootzone has enabled Peter to maintain excellent root health.

 

Peter was born in Anloo, the Netherlands in 1995.  He moved to New Zealand in 2003 with his family.   He has grown up in a family heavily involved with growing.  As happens, he has followed a career path similar to his father Roelf Schreuder.    At the young age of 15 Peter began on his path working part time during school holidays at New Zealand Gourmets tomato growing operation in Mokai.  He started, like most of us, with de-leafing and picking as his main duties.  Quickly he realised he shared the same passion for growing as his father and decided to make a career in the horticulture industry. 

In January 2014 Peter started working at Gourmet Waiuku Ltd.  That same year he attended MIT and completed his level 4 Certificate in Horticulture.  In 2015 Peter completed his Level 5 Diploma in Horticulture also at MIT.  Peter is currently doing a Bachelor of Applied Management which he will complete in the middle of this year.  The applied management will help Peter understand operation structures of business which he can then apply to any growing operation. 

Understanding his potential, Peter was quickly offered a role as assistant grower at the Waiuku site.   This site is 4.6 ha growing capsicums for export and local customers.  Peter enjoys working with capsicums and especially likes how you can control the plants growth.   He is learning how to control the environment with the Hoogendorn environmental computer.  A DWL system from Cultilene substrates allows Peter to understand the irrigation needs of the plants. 

 

Palermo, is a sweet pointed capsicum with intense flavour grown at New Zealand Gourmet Waiuku.  This is a favourite in my house.

 

One of Peters jobs is to collect data on trials.  In this case a trial of grafted plants, weekly growth rates and production figures are collected to establish the viability of new trials.

 

 

 

Special is one of the main capsicum varieties grown at New Zealand Gourmet and is grown generally for export to Japan, it is extremely popular for intense colour and flavour and size.

 

 

NZ Gourmet Waiuku.  The new addition to the site was 3 hectares built by Apex Greenhouses in 2013.  The previous owners built the remaining Faber greenhouse (now Apex) in 2007 growing Cymbidium Orchids.  The property is heated using coal and Lpg.  A huge damn collecting rain water provides plenty of storage for irrigation.

 

Peter will undertake an overseas working experience, he is currently in discussions with a seed company, which will see him move to Europe for 6 months in 2019.  On his return in 2020 Peter hopes to secure a position as a full-time grower at one of the Gourmet growing facilities. 

Peter has hobbies outside growing and is a talented sportsman.  Tennis is his favourite sport and he competes in the Counties Men’s open grade and Auckland Men’s open two division .   Peter also enjoys working with wood and making anything from bedside tables to shoe racks.  Unfortunately, by virtue of breaking his cheek bone (by his own teammate!!), he no longer plays rugby but still loves to watch the All Blacks. 

Peter is exactly what this industry wants and needs and he is part of the next generation of growers.  His passion, drive and talent will ultimately see him succeed in what is a growth industry.  He has completed the early stage of his education and will soon begin implementing what he has learnt in his career as a covered crop grower.  I am certain this is not the last we will here of Peter Schreuder.

 

 

Peter alongside recently planted chillies supplied from Gellert Nurseries Ltd.  

 

Article written by Stefan Vogrincic Grower2Grower