Goldpine
Julians Berry Farm
Julians Berry Farm and Café is more than just a berry farm — it’s a thriving community hub and a testament to Paul and Monica Julian’s dedication to horticulture. Driving into sunny Whakatāne, you would be hard-pressed to miss the iconic 10-hectare farm located just left of the main road.
From famous real-fruit ice cream and several different varieties of berries, to family-friendly attractions and kiwifruit ventures, the Julians have built a landmark that’s rooted in tradition yet thrives on its differences. Paul and Monica Julian, owners of Julians Berry Farm and Café, also manage several hectares of kiwifruit orchards in nearby Awakeri. Both are stalwarts of the horticulture industry, with decades of experience in berry farming. The Julians take a practical approach to their work, relying on the tried-and-true methods of Western farming practices —systems that have served them well during their nearly 25 years of owning Julians Berry Farm and Café.
What truly sets this farm apart, is that it’s not just about the berries (though they’re renowned in Whakatāne). There’s something for everyone — grab a bite to eat at the café, or enjoy a real-fruit ice cream while the kids take their pick of fun from attractions like mini golf, a playground, basketball court, and even a full-sized beach volleyball court.
This diversification has fuelled the exponential growth of Julians Berry Farm. It transformed it from a small property on Shaw Road, originally bought by Paul’s parents in 1975, into a 10-hectare landmark on the main road into town. “My dad and I always talked about what could be if we had a more high-profile site,” Paul said. “This spot here has the main highway into Whakatāne running right along our boundary. We bought our first shed, planted some crops — strawberries, blackberries, boysenberries, the whole range — and opened. It just took off from day one.”
Now, Julians produces around 45,000 tons of berries annually. In the summer, it’s hard to miss the bustling farm. Among the seven hectares of berries and sweetcorn, you’ll find families, tourists, and locals alike picking their fill or enjoying a scoop of real fruit ice cream.
The ice cream, Paul recalls, was an unexpected early success. “One of the famous stories is we bought our first ice cream machine, and three weeks later, we bought a second one. By the end of the season, we had four. Now, we have six,” he said.
The farm offers an impressive line-up of berries; raspberries, blackberries, ranuiberries, boysenberries, blueberries, and of course, sweet strawberries. The farm also sells frozen gooseberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants.
Yet turning the farm into a hotspot for all ages wasn’t the only way the Julians diversified. Eight years ago, they invested in 10 hectares of kiwifruit orchards. “We were quite conscious that we weren’t building any assets outside of the berry farm. That was always something we wanted to do. It took time, but it feels good to have investments beyond Julians Berry Farm. It feels safer for our long-term future,” Paul explained.
Kiwifruit farming introduced the Julians to a very different side of the industry. “It’s a contrast,” Paul said. “The berry industry is like the Wild West — kind of a cowboy industry. There are product groups in New Zealand, but they have very little representation, very little influence with the government, or access to research. Kiwifruit, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. It’s a much bigger, more organised industry. It’s not as cut-throat. It’s more supportive because everyone supplies Zespri. We’re not competing with our neighbours, so we share knowledge and help each other. It’s a good environment. With berries, it’s more individualistic, and we’re all fighting in the same market, which can be tough.”
With decades of experience in the horticulture industry, the Julians have witnessed many changes and fluctuations over the years. Yet the future looks bright, especially for kiwifruit, Paul said. With three kids on various career paths, the plan for Julians Berry Farm and Café’s future is yet to be decided.
“Our children might be looking to transition into the industry, which I think is a really good idea. The future for kiwifruit is very promising. From what we’re hearing, the international demand for gold kiwifruit is very high, and production hasn’t caught up to that demand.”
However, this comes with its own challenges. “One of the big issues for kiwifruit is trade pricing. The price we get for our kiwifruit is fairly static, but the costs are rapidly increasing. Gold kiwi was once considered the most profitable type of farming in the world because the margins were so good. Now, I’d say it’s more in line with other industries,” Paul said.
Despite rising costs, Paul believes these fluctuations will eventually balance out. “This has happened before in horticulture,” he explained. “Costs rise, and then there’s a big change, like a new variety or some new efficiency, that restores profitability. A great example was the Camarosa variety of strawberries. When it first came out, it transformed the industry. It produced bigger fruit and more of it, so one labour unit could pick more per hour. That brought the profitability back.”
Another large part of the success of Julians Berry Farm is the staff , Paul says. “Monica and I have always prided ourselves on how well we’ve managed our relationships with our staff. We feel that our staff are usually our strength; we get good results from them, and we have many staff returning year after year. A lot of people who work here stay connected with the berry farm for a long time in their life,” he said. “That makes us feel really good.”
A challenge — and one echoed by farmers across the country — is the weather. The farms have just come out of two hard years of constant rain, which have resulted in rotten berries, he explained. “Rain keeps customers away and because the shop is our only outlet, without customers it’s really hard to sell our product. Also plant health, with two years of rain, the plants’ roots get saturated in water. Many plants have started to get sick and die, and that’s something that’s happened right across the North Island,” Paul continued. This season has been considerably better however, with the farm selling 35,000 tons of produce so far.
While Paul is focused on growing the berries, Monica handles operations and marketing. She is the “firefighter” who puts out all the fires to make sure everything is running smoothly. When it’s berry season, from October to February, her and Paul are at the farm seven days a week. “Every day I have to work out how I’m going to market everything. I get on Facebook, I do liners on the radio, I have ads in the newspaper, I have signs on the highway. I use a lot of specials to move volumes depending on what we’ve picked a lot of that day,” Monica said.
On their busiest days, the farm and café sees over 4,000 people come through the doors. In peak season, they employ around 70 staff to handle the shop, café and farm operations. The Julians also support over 15 different community organisations within Whakatāne and surrounding areas through the berry farm.
Through decades of hard work, adaptability, and a strong connection to both staff and the community, Julians Berry Farm has grown into more than just a local business — it’s a destination. Whether it’s the fun of picking fresh berries, savouring a real-fruit ice cream, or spending a day with family in the sun, the farm has become a cornerstone of Whakatāne life. Despite the challenges of weather and ever-changing industry demands, Julians Berry Farm remains a vibrant hub of produce, people, and possibilities.
