Brothers Tim and Stef Zeestraten were meant to be tomato men, following in their grandfather’s footsteps by farming tomatoes in the south of the Netherlands.
But as fate would have it, their parents sold the farm and shifted to New Zealand while the kids were still at school, and the crimson fruit was eventually exchanged for the many shades of purple at Wānaka’s Lavender Farm.
“My grandfather started a tomato farm in Holland in glass houses and my parents took over and so I was destined to be a tomato grower for sure,” said eldest brother Tim.
“Then Mum and Dad moved to New Zealand and I was gutted. My vision was that I was going to be the next generation of tomato farmers.”
Now in his early 40s, it’s hard to ever imagine a life without lavender wafting through the air, tourists walking through his gate and of course, that purple Instagram door.
“The whole taking photos and putting it on Instagram is such a bonus … they [tourists] are doing the advertising for us.”
The farm turns 10 in November, and while it’s not what you’d call a traditional Kiwi farm by size or crop/stock numbers, there is no denying it is one of the most recognisable farms in the country to a tourist audience.
Tim was 11 when the family left the growers and farmers zone of De Lier in the Netherlands for Aotearoa, and was working near full-time hours between classes at school.
The family based themselves in Christchurch at the beginning and while he and Stef pursued careers in mechanical engineering and snowboarding respectively, their parents bought Kaikoura’s Lavender Farm, which they operated commercially.
They were on to something, he said.
In 2011 the brothers and Tim’s wife Jessica purchased 12 hectares between Wānaka and Luggate – a location that is renowned for its picture-perfect landscapes, scents and tantalising lavender tea.
Tim never envisaged what was to come of the bare paddock of an old sheep and deer farm – more than 700 visitors a day to the farm during peak season, a larger staff count, and 364 days of trading, with Christmas Day being their only day off.
“It is the volume of humans coming this way, but also, you have to push it, you can’t do a half-arsed business.”
The farm didn’t ask for a door charge initially, but it crept to $2 a head, and now during peak season an entry fee will cost a child $7.50 and an adult $15.
“Locals, internationals who come and visit, they do that whole experience here on site. They like and appreciate that everything they can see here, buy here, is being done on site.”
He puts much of the success down to luck and location.
When the three looked over the district for the right spot to set up, they very nearly settled in the Maungawera Valley, between Lake Hawea and Wānaka. But at the last minute they found the perfect location.
“One of the locals says ‘That bit of land might be fine, see what that’s worth’, and basically that’s how we decided this is a good site. It’s on the highway. It’s good access and not too far from Wānaka.”
A decade on, he admits such a prime spot would be unaffordable for the small start-up that they were.
“If you have got deep pockets or a good backing there is still that option to produce the same business, but it is worth a lot more now. Finding the right bit of land is key.”
The operation produces 200 litres of lavender oil, hand creams, soaps, teas, ice cream, moisturisers, lavender honey, pickles and so on. They didn’t open their doors to the public for the first three years while they worked to get it up to scratch.
There’s now over 25 varieties grown on the farm.
“There’s white, purple, there’s even green lavender, there’s pink lavender, there’s the bluey and then there are different sizes and some produce oil better than others.
“They are special. Especially when they are first coming up after the winter and you get that first new growth all uniform in colour and it is spectacular in a large mass.”
He hasn’t tired of the scent after all these years.
“When we are doing that first run in the distillery it is unbelievably beautiful when that oil comes out and the smell that comes off that is amazing. I love it.”
The work that goes into a farm like this is around the clock.
Tim is often on the tools, Jessica runs the shop, the staff, the business and Stef does everything in between, such as the financial side, layout and design of the farm.
As with many farming set-ups, brotherly love can be displaced at times of stress.
“There’s always things. You can swear your brother to pieces, but you are still family so you are going to have to work it out.
“It can get niggly running a business with family, but we’ve chosen to go for it and there has been some really positive stuff out of that too, because everyone has got a different skill set to bring to the party. If we didn’t have differing opinions it wouldn’t be what it is today.”
While the family could have capitalised on its brand and sold throughout New Zealand, they have chosen to keep purchasing on site and online.
“We sell it only here because the whole model of our business is that you must come see it for yourself, you must come experience the lavender, you must smell it and you must taste it.”
His parents Jan and Corry both live on the farm, and for the record, the Zeestratens still grow good tomatoes.
More: The Farmers Weekly Rural Living series highlights the rich diversity and people of Aotearoa New Zealand’s rural communities, farming families and contributions to the food and fibre sector.
