20 | Hard work, sustainability & seriously good salad Daryn and Lou in garden. Kelly Deeks At Salty River Farm, nestled on 50 acres near Tauhoa, Louise Penny and Daryn Rickwood have found a delicious formula for success: hard work, sustainability, and some seriously good salad. Their dedication was recently recognised with two gold medals at the 2025 Outstanding Food Producer Awards, adding to their growing list of accolades and loyal customers. Louise and Daryn took out gold in the Earth category for their Miners Lettuce and Rocket mix, “a match made in heaven,” as Louise puts it, and their distinctive Mixed Leaf Salad. “The rocket adds a bit of spice, while the Miners lettuce brings this beautiful, sweet mildness,” she says. “Then the judges said our Mixed Leaf Salad was like walking around your own vegetable garden and picking a bit of this and a bit of that. That’s exactly what we aim for, salads that feel real, fresh, and full of character.” Their Mixed Leaf Salad, described as big, sweet, and chunky, breaks from the norm with generously sized leaves and bold flavour. It follows their Baby Leaf Mix with Edible Flowers, which won gold back in 2022. Salty River Farm, which features a market garden, grazing cattle, and a herd of weed- controlling goats, is a regular favourite at the Matakana Village Farmers Market and in local shops. “We sell out all the time,” Louise says. “We don’t have unsold stock, what we grow, we sell. Our customers give us such great feedback which really keeps us going.” This praise helped to drive Louise and Daryn through this season’s tough summer. RURAL PEOPLE » Salty River Farm “We were in drought and ran out of water across the farm,” she says. “So we’re loving the recent rain. It’s been a relief.” Louise and Daryn use a mix of hydroponic and no-dig growing methods, always guided by their core principle of natural inputs only. “We’re constantly learning and always trying new things. We’ve got a few food giants whispering ideas in our ears at the markets. It’s a great environment for innovation.” Louise recalls a recent chat with a New Zealand food writer who lamented the lack of mache (popular in Europe as a salad green) available in New Zealand. “I said, ‘I’ve got a packet of seeds!’ And now I’m giving it a try. We love introducing our customers to new things. It sometimes takes a while, but they come around.” The pair are passionate about changing perceptions around salad. “It shouldn’t just be a bit of iceberg dumped on a plate,” Louise says. “If you’re going to eat salad, it should be something delicious.” Alongside their fresh produce, Salty River Farm sells seedlings to encourage customers to grow their own. “We offer varieties we don’t grow for market ourselves, and Daryn’s always happy to share advice. It’s a different customer base, but it really works.” Whether it’s keeping weeds down with goats, experimenting with salad mixes, or battling through a dry summer, Louise and Daryn have carved out something special at Salty River Farm. “It’s a beautiful place to work,” says Louise. “It’s never boring. We’re outside all day, and we love it.” Providing natural, refreshing, chemical free water HOUSEHOLD AND BULK WATER SUPPLY Ministry of Health approved and regularly tested for household water tanks, pools, commercial use, drilling and more... 09 425 0086 | 027 544 4006 info@artesianwater.net.nz ORDER ONLINE! www.artesianwater.net.nz Artesian & Solway Water offer cutting-edge water tank monitoring solutions, supported by a range of sensors tailored to meet every unique need. We can supply all your hydroponic needs. +64 7 8279393 stocker@xtra.co.nz We specialise in making powder nutrient to suit water supply, crop and season.
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