Peter Reynolds: The Pukekohe grower who helped shape modern horticulture
When Peter Reynolds arrived at his table at the 2026 New Zealand Horticulture Conference gala dinner, he was surprised to find himself seated with government and industry leaders who were unusually quiet.
He soon found out why when he was announced as the recipient of the Horticulture Bledisloe Cup.
“They were worried they’d give the game away,” Reynolds laughed.
The sector’s highest honour, the cup recognises outstanding and meritorious contributions to the horticulture industry.
Reynolds’ long career in farming and growing has spanned potato, onion and pumpkin production, as well as cattle and sheep farming, and kiwifruit production.
He has been a staunch advocate for growers, technical innovation and best practice, supporting numerous research projects across the 15 blocks around Pukekohe and Tuakau that made up the multigenerational family business.
He has also championed environmental stewardship, showing how shelter belts, riparian planting systems, advanced soil control mechanisms, along with cropping and grazing land rotation systems go hand in hand with commercial success.
Reynolds has also had a role in uniting diverse grower groups, leading to the establishment of Potatoes New Zealand and Onions New Zealand.
At 72 – after what he describes as “70 years farming and the two years before that thinking about it” – he is easing into retirement on a 20ha block where he is fencing off wetlands, undertaking extensive native planting and farming cattle.
“Blown away” to receive the cup, he said he saw it as an honour for his extended family and the wider Pukekohe community.
The Reynolds family has deep roots in the district, with his father’s forebears arriving from Ireland in 1865 and his mother’s in 1911.
Reynolds said his family leased and bought little plots of land, running small-scale dairy farms and growing potatoes and grain.
“In their pockets they bought barberry seeds for hedging,” he said.
“They grew plants and sold them all over the North Island.”
“This was very useful after the war, when there was no metal for fencing.”
He said farmers used barberry hedges for shelter, to control animals, and to keep them out of waterways.
“They also brought acorns with them to grow oak trees.
“A lot of the oak trees around the area were planted by my family, including at the Pukekohe Racetrack.”
Reynolds’ father, Tom, began farming with his father and uncle before five years overseas during World War II, returning in 1946 and marrying Maureen Flynn in 1949.
“During the war Dad was an armourer, repairing equipment, guns and cannons in makeshift workshops in the back of Army trucks,” Reynolds said.
“Following the war, he came back and got stuck into farming.”
Reynolds said there were no tractors in the area at the time, so they used horses instead.
“As tractors came along, Dad started modifying equipment to use behind the tractors along with other farmers and engineers.”
He said this type of collaboration could still be seen today.
“Through the years, very good engineering businesses have developed in Pukekohe building world-class field and packhouse equipment, and a lot of that grew out of people building what they needed for their own farms and sharing ideas.
“Whatever worked on your farm might work on another, and the next year there might be a good idea from another farm that would work on yours.”
“I’ve always found farmers share that way.
“You can walk on to any farm in the world, and you are mates right away, sharing ideas.”
Tom and Maureen had seven boys, then three girls.
Through the 1950s and 1960s, they farmed sheep and grew onions.
Tom developed an early-harvesting onion which the Reynolds still grow, ready for harvesting just as stocks of the Pukekohe Long Keeper variety run out.
All of the brothers wanted to farm and started while still at school, leasing some land and growing potatoes and onions.
In the 1970s, the business expanded by purchasing and leasing more land, moving into beef and growing potatoes, onions, pumpkins and kiwifruit.
The family business has undertaken much of the transport and packing of produce.
“Our produce has taken many honours at the Pukekohe Show,” Reynolds said.
“The show is very dear to our hearts. We have always been proud of the success of our potatoes and onions over several generations.
“Also, some of our ancestors used to have their fruit in the show; we still grow enough onions to enter.”
From the outset of his career, Reynolds attended research and field days and hosted trials, before stepping into sector leadership with grower groups.
“We’ve been very aligned with research,” he said.
“Researchers would come here and know we would look after their trials.”
Before becoming a regular at grower meetings, Reynolds was usually found on the rugby field.
“Our parents encouraged us to get involved with grower groups, but when we were younger, we were too busy playing rugby,” he said.
“In 1982, I started going to Pukekohe Vegetable Growers meetings and was soon being sent to conferences as a delegate.”
He said he’d attended many conferences and grower meetings over the years, where he enjoyed meeting other growers from around the country.
“This has led to lifelong friendships with other growers and industry personnel throughout New Zealand and overseas.”
With most of the Reynolds brothers now retired, the family have sold two farms and leased others, and are now selling their packhouse equipment and some farm equipment.
“All the next generation have worked in the business, with none of them deciding to make it a career,” Reynolds said.
“We’re happy with that. We were given that choice as young people.
“There was no compulsion to stay farming; we just all wanted to.
“People leasing our land really appreciate it because our farms have good, well-structured soils, and we have developed the farms to very high standards and installed modern, automated irrigation systems and other infrastructure.”
Looking ahead, Reynolds said promoting understanding of the cost of producing healthy food would be a major challenge for horticulture.
“Increasing compliance costs being imposed by councils and Government are a hindrance to business, and I’ve made many submissions to Government and councils over the years pushing back against unworkable regulations,” he said.
Reynolds said the industry also needed to support young people wanting to pursue careers in horticulture.
“I’ve done a fair bit of mentoring, and we give young fellas leasing our land a hand and lend them equipment – because that’s how we got going – our uncles used to lend us their tractors at weekends; those opportunities are so important.
“I see the opportunities for the sector in the technological developments coming over the next 10 years – particularly drones, not just for spraying, but for a whole range of other work too.”
When Reynolds returned to his table at the dinner, there was plenty of conversation with his fellow diners, including Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Potatoes New Zealand chief executive Kate Trufitt, and Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Kate Scott and chairwoman Bernadine Guilleux.
The congratulations haven’t stopped since, with many people contacting him and sharing memories of the business.
He thanked Horticulture New Zealand for the recognition.
“It was totally unexpected, as was being made a life member of Potatoes New Zealand last year – I am blown away; it’s been a real highlight.”
He also thanked his parents.
“Another highlight of my life is being a child of Tom and Maureen.
“It’s been a very good life being one of the Reynolds.
“It’s in our DNA to enjoy what we do, look out for others, and that is how we have lived our lives.”