Cultivating Community and Crops: Our Visit to Bay Tropics

Our team at Vector Group Charitable Trust is always inspired by people willing to get their hands dirty and forge a new path. When the chance came to visit Bay Tropics — an innovative orchard in Ōropi — we jumped at it. The day brought plant swaps, inspiring conversation, and a deep dive into sustainable horticulture, plus a very busy flock of free-ranging feathered helpers.

Bay Tropics is a story of passion and learning. Owners Rebekah (Beks) Vlaanderen and Graeme (Hoppy) Hopcroft bought their nine-hectare property with little farming background. For Beks, it was a leap from IT into horticulture — a move she has never regretted. Their journey is not a fairy tale: commercial growing is hard, including the devastating impact of passionfruit wilt, which has wiped out many local orchards.

Instead of giving up, Beks has helped trial new wilt-resistant rootstocks. They have diversified into tamarillos, bananas, and chillies alongside passionfruit — proactive resilience at the heart of what makes Bay Tropics inspiring. They do not only accept problems; they seek solutions.

A fowl-proof approach to farming

That mindset shows in every part of farm management — especially sustainability. Our visit revealed a planned food forest, a striking passionfruit setup, and native bush and wetlands the couple have planted with care. What really stood out was their unique, effective use of poultry.

On the half-hectare orchard, Muscovy and Pekin ducks, chickens, and a few guinea fowl work free-range. Beks and Hoppy introduced them for natural pest control — slugs and snails, fertiliser, and weed management without synthetic sprays.

They started with about ten Muscovy ducks, ten Pekin ducks, and six guinea fowl. At first they avoided chickens, worried about digging and soil damage. Over time they added more ducks (which multiplied, as ducks do) and carefully integrated chickens through rotational grazing: a temporary fence gives birds access to one passionfruit row at a time; every few days the fence and coop move. That limits damage while still using chickens for pest and weed control.

Daily life now includes collecting eggs, coop care when needed, refilling water, and feeding twice a day — extra work, but tangible rewards.

The verdict on poultry for pest control? Overwhelmingly positive. Muscovy ducks are excellent slug and snail hunters; flock fertilisation supports soil health; rotational grazing lets them use chickens for weeds without the worst side effects.

The visit was more than a plant exchange — a reminder that innovation, respect for nature, and creative problem-solving can transform a business and a lifestyle. Beks and Hoppy are not only growing fruit; they are modelling resilient horticulture for our community — aligned with the kind of kai resilience and local growing we champion through Grow Te Puke and Troppo.

Follow their journey at baytropics.nz — and see what happens when passion for plants meets a dedicated flock.

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