Day 2

 

After a much-needed night of sleep in real beds, we woke up and hit the road in Auckland. Before leaving the city, the bus stopped for some breakfast at a gas station, and we got to try some New Zealand snacks. When we continued out of Auckland, we got a glimpse of the breathtaking New Zealand countryside for the first time. Taking in the rolling hills, native plant species, and various farms from the road set the tone for a wonderful day. First, we visited Balle Bros which is in Pukekohe. With a rich history rooted in family tradition, the company is a standout in both scale and sustainability.

Maurice Balle, one of the seven Balle brothers, is a proud representative of the business. Together, the family manages an impressive 7,000 acres dedicated to growing vegetables — with a particular focus on potatoes and onions. In fact, Balle Bros holds the title of the largest potato producer in New Zealand. While onions are planted on the shortest day of the year to ensure optimal growth, potatoes are planted over a 10-month period, requiring precise timing and planning. 

Pallets filled with onions at Balle Bros processing plant

Sustainability is also a key part of Balle Bros. Approximately 15% of the harvested crops — those that don’t meet retail standards — are not wasted. Instead, they’re sent to local dairy farms, supporting the circular economy and reducing landfill waste. The land farmed by Balle Bros is starkly different than home with 30 inches of topsoil, and about 30% organic matter. Their region receives 55 inches of rain annually, so minimal irrigation is utilized. To combat erosion and maintain soil health, ryegrass is strategically planted in trenches across the farmland. Pest pathogen control is a major problem for this operation. Blight is a significant example as they spray every ten days to control it. Chemical costs are one of their biggest inputs and because of their climate they do not find it feasible to implement any type of organic production.

Pallet filled with freshly harvested potatoes at Balle Bros

We got a tour of their packaging facility where they package onions every day of the year, and other vegetables seasonally. Approximately 60% of their potatoes get processed into fries or other items. Export markets are a huge part of the family farm as over 60% of their onion crop is exported. Export markets are not only a priority for this operation but are essential to all aspects of agriculture in New Zealand. New Zealand produces enough food for over 40 million people but only just over 5 million people call it home.

Fresh harvest sweet potatoes

Field outside Balle Bros to be planted soon 

Freshly packaged carrots that Balle Bros shared with our group

Group picture at Balle Bros

Once we left Balle Bros., we headed back onto the bus to continue driving towards Hamilton. Our lunch stop was located on Hamilton Lake, where we got to enjoy the beautiful weather and scenery. There were many native and non-native birds in and around the lake, including some originally from Australia and the straggler Canada geese.

Group picture at Gallagher

Our next stop for the day was at Gallagher in Hamilton. Darren Smith walked us through every part of their production center. We saw everything from where they make their own electric cable, plastic components, circuit boards, electric collars and their warehouse. Along the way, Darren shared that Gallagher is the only foreign company cleared to work on U.S. federal building security systems.

This site produces 85% of their products and employs over 900 people. They are a very people-driven company that does not focus on increasing automation in their own production lines and would rather hire Kiwis. Sustainability is a concern here just as it is in the states. While Gallagher is striving to improve their sustainable footprint, some aspects that directly drive product quality can’t be easily compromised. They strive to improve their sustainability through switching from plastic bags to carboard packaging and recycling some of their own product, when able. This will ultimately decrease their ecological footprint and will continue to lead the industry to follow as they are the first of their competitors to do so.

We wrapped up the night by stopping at The Base mall for some shopping and dinner. This gave us the chance to unwind and check out some New Zealand stores and food. After a quick stop at Woolworth’s to pick up groceries, we headed to the hotel to rest up for the next day. More to come tomorrow!

Blog post today written by Bruce, Ava, and Beth.