John is a pioneer of Waipara in the Hurunui District about one hour north of Christchurch.
While he downplays his impact, it was his determination and innovation from the 1960s onwards that helped cement the district as a grape-growing region.
John, like his father, knew that water was the key to unlocking the potential of the district’s arid soils.
When he finally bought the family farm from his father in 1968, the first thing he wanted to do was get the water flowing and grow different crops.
John has lived all his life in Waipara. His first brush with irrigation was crawling along tunnels his father dug on their farm to divert the Weka Creek as he prepared to install what would be the region’s first irrigation system.
‘‘It was 1945 and my father almost had the system ready to go when a huge snowstorm hit, followed by flooding, and it washed away all the headworks.
‘‘He gave up after that,’’ says John.
When John took over, just like his father, he could also see the potential to diversify away from sheep and arable farming. In 1972, John set about digging a water storage dam beside the family homestead.
‘‘I dug the dam and put a pump in the creek, then I jumped on the tractor and dug a furrow about 2km to the dam,’’ he says.
As the water flowed so did diversified farming John stood back and watched his handiwork as the water flowed.
One of his first forays was into growing tomatoes, encouraged by Lincoln Horticulture guru Bob Crowder at the time. He also grew successful trial plots of sudax, sorgum, maize and broad beans.
He proudly recalls yielding 33 tonnes of tomatoes off just two acres of land. However, the closure of local processing facilities ended that chapter.
Not one to be deterred, John turned his attention to viticulture. Inspired by a trip to Australia, he began planting grapes in Waipara, a region traditionally dominated by wool and lamb farming.
‘‘I could see the similarities between the wine region of Mildura and Waipara, but there were certainly a few raised eyebrows at the time,’’ says John.
Initially, his grapes were just another farming crop established during what John says was almost non-existent farming income heavily impacted by the political direction of ‘Rogernomics’.
‘‘When we started planting grapes everyone expected the whole lot to fall over,’’ he says.
But by 1982 the Glenmark Irrigation Scheme was established and John’s grape-growing endeavours expanded.
By 1986, he had established Glenmark Winery in an old hay barn. Over 21 years, John’s wines won an impressive 51 awards.
‘‘Some locals thought I was mad,’’ he says.
‘‘There had been some experimentation in the 1960s but nothing had really taken off. But with proper irrigation, we had the foundation for a thriving industry.’’
John’s influence on Waipara extends beyond farming. He has played a key role in the community, participating in local amateur theatre and charity work, and even helping to build the local hall and school swimming pool.
He was also the local chairman of Federated Farmers and stood for Parliament in 1972 and 1987 and several times from 1990 onwards.
‘‘For me, it’s always been about community and that community spirit. That’s what places like Waipara are founded on,’’ says John.
The Waipara district now produces award-winning grapes famed for their Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Chardonnay. What was John’s family farm is now surrounded by vineyards from Omihi to just north of Amberley.
John’s early years of establishing and managing irrigation on the family farm were not without challenges. John explains that the labour-intensive systems that were prone to breakages were nothing like the precision machines of irrigation today.
He vividly remembers working with side rolls, which often succumbed to the elements. ‘‘They were hard work and very wind prone. You’d end up with broken pipes and they weren’t at all efficient,’’ he says.
Over the years, John has witnessed a massive shift in the irrigation industry. Living on a 42-hectare block that he subdivided from the original family farm, he reflects on how much easier farming would have been if the precision irrigation technology available today had existed back when he was actively farming.
He believes the advancements have not only made irrigation less labour-intensive but have also improved the quality of crop production.
‘‘The new irrigators are a thing of beauty and so accurate with delivering water in the right place at the right time. I wish they were around when I was young,’’ says John.
He is acutely aware of the growing sustainability challenges facing our primary sector and the increasing need for efficient water management. Always thinking outside the box, John believes he has a solution to ensure a secure and sustainable water supply for the Waipara region
He has taken modelling of Lake Sumner incorporating the catchment of the south branch of the Hurunui which feeds the district’s tributaries. He believes with some innovative engineering it could be used as a storage lake for irrigation, but his plans and hopes have yet to gain traction.
‘‘I think new ideas are the key. You have to keep trying new things, keep being innovative, population growth and global warming will demand it. That’s how our industry will continue grow and hopefully, thrive.’’
John hopes the recognition he’s received from the Trailblazer Awards will spark and inspire a few other young people with ambition.
‘‘For anyone with some ideas that might raise a few eyebrows, I hope it might make them think; well, he’s done it, maybe I can too.’’
