About us
Growing up Ed dreamed of becoming a strawberry farmer and often joked about it with his friends. He was eventually kicked out of his mother’s vegetable garden as the strawberry patch slowly grew and the garden became almost solely a strawberry patch. Fast forward 20 years that dream become a reality. Ed and Kate Hobson purchased an established hydroponic strawberry farm in November 2021, just outside of West Melton in the Selwyn District of Canterbury.
Hauora Produce specialises in the production of premium hydroponically grown strawberries. We are passionate about producing deliciously sweet strawberries that taste like strawberries, delivered fresh daily for all to enjoy.
Growing
At Hauora Produce, we grow our strawberries using hydroponic systems with coir (coconut fibre) grow bags and fertigation, which delivers just the right balance of water and nutrients directly to the plants. Our tunnel houses, combined with Canterbury’s sunshine, allow us to extend the growing season from October through May, producing fresh, juicy strawberries for longer. For pest control, we take an integrated pest management (IPM) approach, relying on beneficial insects instead of heavy sprays—meaning our berries are largely spray-free. We also use tools such as sticky traps as an environmental way to target and monitor pests. We carefully capture and reuse run-off water, and once the coir bags have done their job, they’re spread onto nearby paddocks as compost to reduce waste and support soil health, while leftover strawberry products are fed to our beloved cows.
Our Philosophy
Hauora is the Māori philosophy of health, it is unique to Aotearoa. Our berry farm in Canterbury' aims to create delicious healthy produce in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. Hauora can be broken down into four key areas, or can be compared to the four walls of our Whare (like in our glass house) where each wall represents a different dimension.
Taha Tinana (physical)
Taha Hinengaro (mental)
Taha Whanau (family)
Taha Wairua (spiritual)
Our aim is to incorporate all four of these dimensions into our business model as when used together we feel that this could be a recipe for success.
