Liz’s favourite vegetables
When you're a grower, you end up munching on veggies as you work. That's how Liz gets most of her 5+ a day.
“I love our carrots; I always snack on them. The sugar snap peas are right outside my house and I love going out and eating them fresh, they're really sweet. And the broccolini, you can even eat them raw. They're so good.”
The Outstanding NZ Food Producer judges were impressed with Clevedon Herbs & Produces’ strong commitment to sustainability.
When the family grew for supermarkets, they were required to use chemical sprays on their crops to keep them ‘clean’ of bugs and disease. Today, they use preventative organic products.
“We thought, we don’t want to spray these chemicals anymore,” says Liz. “I didn’t want my dad going out in a big spray suit, and we didn’t want it for our health, let alone our customers’ health.”
One organic spray helps to prevent bugs such as aphids getting out of control; another strengthens plant cells, which helps them resist disease.
“Autumn is the worst time of year for diseases. The nights are getting colder, but it’s still hot during the day, and the plants just don’t like it.”
But the biggest challenge is in the middle of summer when the water temperature in the hydroponic drains rises. Green algae grow in the gullies, depleting oxygen levels in the water. A special UV filter system and certified organic hydrogen peroxide stop the build-up.
Loose salad greens are packed in NZmade Econic EcoClear bags, which break down in compost in 10-14 days.
The cardboard boxes are made and printed by East Tamaki company, Boxrite. Locals can drop theirs back, and the Tregidgas will re-use them.
Supporting local companies and using sustainable packaging is an important part of their strategy.
“We don’t want to use plastic,” says Liz. “We don’t want to be responsible for putting harmful things in the ground, and it’s not necessary to have all this packaging when we’re delivering straight to the customer.
“The bags are for the baby spinach and the salads. Sometimes we put a rubber band around the herbs. Everything else is packed loose into the box. We put beetroot, butternut, and carrots at the bottom, and we cushion the tomatoes (in summer) in the middle.” "It's not necessary to have all this packaging when we're delivering straight to the customer."