When George and Diana Turney’s home caught fire in the middle of the night, little did they know the tragedy would set them on the path to growing asparagus.
They lost everything in the blaze, but the Taihape community rallied around with goods and funds, which enabled the couple to start afresh and buy land in Northland.
With four children to raise and difficulties farming the land, the family had its ups and downs. Meanwhile, George had always dreamed of returning to the Rangitīkei district.
The Turneys eventually bought a sheep and beef farm in the Kawhātau Valley, over the river from Mangaweka. Out went the livestock and in came asparagus.
That was 25 years ago, and Mangaweka Asparagus now produces up to 250 tonnes of asparagus a season, off 70 hectares.
The Turneys brought in manager Sam Rainey nine years ago, and workers from Vanuatu come every year for the harvest.
When RNZ visits, the morning pick is over and the 60-strong team are in the packhouse, weighing and bundling up the spears, music pumping in the background.
Glen Towbah, in his 11th season, is at the front on quality control.
He weighs the bundles after checking the spears are neatly taped up and of similar size, which ensures the bunch cooks evenly.
“We try to sell the best,” he said.
The quality has to be spot-on, Rainey says, because their crop comes to the market a little later in the season. They go on harvesting later too, feeding those who are still keen for asparagus after the Christmas splurge.
“You’ve got to be producing early or producing late to make any money in this industry,” Rainey says.
His workers can take back home as much as $15,000 after seven months of harvesting asparagus and apples, allowing them to build a well-constructed house, pay school fees and, perhaps in time, set up a small business.
Their remote workplace in the Kawhātau Valley means they’re not tempted to spend too much of their earnings, Towbah said.
Mangaweka Asparagus owners George and Diana Turney. Photo / Sally Round, RNZ
The Turneys say it’s great to have the team back after the tough Covid years, when the men were not allowed in and there weren’t enough hands to harvest.
But this year has been tough too, with lower demand and oversupply because of various growing regions peaking at the same time.
All parts of the farm have been mowed down at some stage this season in order not to flood the market and depress prices further.
“It’s been as bad as I’ve seen it in my nine seasons,” Rainey said.
The industry has promotions under way this year to encourage consumption and good displays in shops.
“We’re throwing the kitchen sink at it.”
“It breaks your heart to see a tractor out there mowing it off,” George Turney said from his kitchen overlooking the paddocks.
He and Diana are, unsurprisingly, avid eaters of asparagus, showing off their simple method of blanching the spears and then dragging them through garlicky butter.
