2019 Electra Kapiti Horowhenua Business Awards – Horowhenua Hall of Fame

Geoff Lewis

Our 2019 Horowhenua Hall of Fame nominee Geoff Lewis grew up on the family dairy farm in the Horowhenua. He had a dream to ride off into the sunset with his horse and his dogs and be a hill country sheep and cattle farmer. But instead he and wife, Liz have ended up growing asparagus for the last 38 years.

Geoff and Liz commenced growing asparagus in 1981 on the Foxton sands moving to their Poroutawhao based operation in 1986. They have been growing, packing, and marketing asparagus to NZ and Japan ever since. Annual sales trips to Japan to visit customers include late nights singing karaoke.

Geoff has always been ready to step up and take a leadership role in community, business and industry affairs. He was Chairman of the Levin Dairy Trading Co which became Allfarms before being sold to Farmlands. Over his working life he has been

• Board Member of Horowhenua and Kapiti Coast Economic Development Agency

• Board Member NZ Vegetable Federation

• 2x stints as Chairman NZ Asparagus Council

• Chairman National Labour Governance Group for 6 years. This is the Govt/Hort Industry Board which sets policy to manage seasonal labour throughout the NZ Hort Industry including 12,000 seasonal workers that come from the Pacific to help harvest NZ’s crops each year. This scheme is regarded by the World Bank as the most ethical labour mobility scheme in the world and our nominee is very proud to have played a leading role in its development

He has a huge passion for the economic wellbeing of the Horowhenua, especially Agriculture and Horticulture. Its proximity to Wellington, and mild climate is ideally suited to growing fresh vegetables and livestock. He had a long-held dream to create an event to showcase the excellence in food production in the Horowhenua. Developing the Horowhenua Taste Trail in 2016 with the leading food producers in the area and seeing the Trail go from dream to reality has been a particular thrill for him.

With Liz as Head of the Science Faculty at Horowhenua College, they both are totally committed to their community. She also sets very high standards and has celebrated many of her students getting into the Otago University Medical School. They believe students from provincial NZ can do great things.

Problems have always been a solution waiting to happen for our nominee, and when the Japanese Govt closed their border to NZ asparagus due to residue problems, as the industry chairman Geoff led the development of an industry assurance program. He then travelled to Japan and with the support of the NZ Embassy presented the Assurance Program to the Japanese Govt and got the border re-opened.

When the Tsunami hit Samoa in 2003, Three of their workers lost their homes and that day he made a promise to rebuild the fales for these families. With the support of the Horowhenua $24,000 was raised and he travelled with a team of builders to Samoa and in 9 days replaced these family’s homes.

Through his involvement with the RSE Seasonal Migrant Labour Scheme he has developed a strong relationship with the Pacific Community both in New Zealand and in Samoa encouraging them to build their own economic base and to create their own solutions to challenges such as housing, education and economic development. Geoff chaired the Pacific Seasonal Labour Conference in 2016 in Apia, enjoying the All Blacks-Samoa Rugby test while he was there. He and Liz regularly travel to Samoa to visit the families and communities they have become very close to.

Developing Technology and Automation have been one of his passions having worked with Plant and Food Research to develop a non-chemical method of killing quarantine pests for fresh asparagus exports to Japan.

High speed vision systems for asparagus grading have been developed with Massey University, with the latest developments being commissioned this spring.

At present he and Tender Tips are working with Waikato University, and the Callaghan Institute developing robotic harvesting for asparagus

He and Liz see their greatest achievement as having 3 amazing sons each of whom are developing their own businesses. Cameron and his wife Catherine are partners in the family business, Brad and his wife Laura have a dairy farm in the south Waikato and Andrew and his wife Saskia are both engineers working for Fonterra and are now branching out starting the Geraldine Distillery Co.

If you visit their Family business you will find him at the packhouse, working on a project, or inspiring a group of visiting Massey business study students, or taking a garden group through the strawberry tunnels. Or maybe loading up his band gear and off with his mates to another gig. One thing is for sure, you won’t find him sitting round with nothing to do.