Prime Minister Christopher Luxon visited LeaderBrand to see their 11-hectare undercover greenhouse and even lent a hand harvesting a crop of spinach.
Luxon walked around LeaderBrand’s Future Farm Facility and checked out the self-sustaining 40-million-litre water dam and one-million-litre treated water tank, before chatting to the team inside the greenhouse.
With a little guidance, the Prime Minister took the company’s new electric harvester for a spin. Billy Stackhouse, LeaderBrand’s Future Farms Manager said that the Prime Minister was a natural.
“The team really appreciated him giving them a helping hand. If he needs a break from running the country, he’s welcome to visit any time and jump on a tractor. The team wouldn’t hesitate to give him a job!”
“We even sent him home with a bag or two of our spinach and wild rocket for dinner,” laughs Stackhouse.
LeaderBrand’s Future Farm Facility was built thanks to the support from the government’s Kānoa Regional Economic Development and Investment Unit, when they loaned the company, $15 million to help fund the ambitious construction.
Gordon McPhail, LeaderBrand’s General Manager says that with the government’s support for regional economies, projects like the greenhouse were possible.
“We would never have been able to build such an ambitious project like this without the government’s support. They challenged us to think about what innovation or technology we could invest in, if we had the funds, that would be good for the region economically and help generate growth and more jobs.
“Our Future Farms Facility enables us to accelerate crop growth all year around in a more sustainable manner. Being able to mitigate weather impacts means we can find more efficient ways to continue to supply New Zealanders with healthy and affordable fresh vegetables.
“We still have a lot to learn about indoor growing and maintaining crops in this new environment, however, we have no doubt that agricultural practices are going to have to adapt to the country’s increasingly variable climate, technology, and environmental demands, and that this type of facility is the future of farming.
“All the team was incredibly proud to walk the Prime Minister through the facility and showcase the growing process. It was great for the team to receive recognition from the Prime Minister for their hard work and dedication,” says Gordon McPhail.
