OUR STORY

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We are a family, with 4 generation living and working on the family farm. We primarily grow celery for the supermarkets around New Zealand. We plant every week, and harvest 6 days a week, all year round. 

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The Franklin Family - Sid Franklin (1st generation) first started growing celery in New Zealand in 1906 in Mt Roskill, Auckland. In 1914, Albert Franklin joined Sid. Following on from that, Sid, Bert, Ernest and Ron Franklin (Graham's father and 2nd generation) joined together to work and run the business. They also grew a variety of other vegetables, and owned and operated a handful of fruit and vegetable shops in Mt Roskill, Three Kings and Queen Street. 

Produce at this stage was transported to and from market by horse and cart (3 hours each way). This exercise took many hours, (including a horse that didn't want to be caught each morning!) Horse and cart was used to transport celery for 15 years. The first truck was brought in the 1920's, and this made business a tad easier. 

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In 1961 after urban sprawl was creeping in, and the family had different ideas about what to do, the cousins went their own ways, and Graham (3rd generation, and son of Ron) and Lucy moved the business out to Waimauku, starting with only a bare paddock and a caravan. With a lot of persistance and hard work, they built a home, packing shed and  acquired surrounding land to expand their growing practice. Alan (4th generation) joined the business at 16 years old, and was shortly joined by his wife - Monique. In 2004, Luke Franklin (5th generation) started working for the business when he was 17, and in 2020, he and wife Jasmine brought the business. Not far behind them, follow their young children, and 6th generation growers - Saskia and Arlo Franklin. 

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Although it can be constant hard work doing what we do, the positives of working together and supporting one another definitely outweigh the hard times. The family has definitely cracked the secret on growing consistent, beautiful celery, and we're proud of what we do. We also love including the kids at work - teaching them about growing, and helping them to develop a healthy work ethic from an early age. 

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We're innovating new ideas across the farm, planting sunflower fields to share with the public and to improve out soils. We're also working hard behind the scenes planning new lines for the business, watch this space.