Our Team
Ever since she can remember, Nicky has always wanted “grubby fingernails”. The pull was so great that it drove her out of her cushy 6 figure salaried job (co-leading the Technology Department in London of the leading worldwide PR agency, Edelman) to a muddy bare paddock full of Californian Thistles on the outskirts of Raglan. And she couldn’t be happier!
CROP is a family affair with hubby geologist Johnny doing a lot of the ‘grunt’ work of banging in warratahs, setting up irrigation, erecting wind breaks, putting up greenhouses, making stairs and entertaining Nicky with all sorts of soil and rock discussions. Kids Jack (now 11) and Finn (9) help spot diseases and pests on the flowers, push staples into landscape fabric, plant seedlings and endure many car journeys with all sorts of floral beauties on their laps and squished in around them.
Queen Bee: Founder and Lead Grower
Extremely hardworking, a zest for life and a tad bit of the perfectionist in her mean there is no rest for the wicked here at CROP. But also suffering from extreme FOMO means Nicky strikes a healthy balance! She is an avid lover of Japanese tools and is constantly losing them in the fields of flowers.
Head of Infrastructure, Maintenance and Random Jobs
Johnny is a superhuman with superpowers which no other man can rival. He can literally do anything that is asked of him, always gives anything a go, and is the backbone of CROP. We wouldn’t be here without him. His favourite line is: “I am the best unpaid worker there is.”
Quality Control Lead
Jack’s quiet observations always astound us. He has a natural ability to spot pests or plants that aren’t quite perky enough, often before a problem actually starts. He can also bang in a weed mat staple brilliantly and has been invaluable in erecting our newest toy, the greenhouse.
Seedling Nurturer
Finn, or “Finnkles” as he likes to be called is always up for seedling planting. He calls them his babies, although doesn’t like to get his hands too dirty so we make the holes and he tucks them nicely in there. He is also an impressive bird spotter, conversationalist and random photographic shoot assistant.
Head of Pest Control
and Emotional Wellbeing
With a nose to rival any other dog in the land, Lula can sniff out a possum at any time of day or night and relentlessly barks until we do something about it. She also hits us up often for random tag games, earning her place as Head of Emotional Wellbeing. Lula – or Cholula – is named after the yummiest hot sauce around, a family favourite here.