The man killed by a falling tree during floods across the South Island was a fifth generation hop farmer and "big character" in both the industry and his region.
Peter Lines was hit by a tree while clearing flood damage in Wai-iti, south-east of Wakefield Saturday morning.
He died at the scene and the incident has been referred to the coroner.
Tasman mayor Tim King told RNZ the death had shocked the community.
"He was a big character, part of a multi-generational farming family and a significant part of the community."
Lines' family had been growing hops for some 170 years and he was proud to be the fifth generation hop grower.
In a video he made for the NZ Hops website, he described how he enjoyed the work and loved the growth of new beers in New Zealand, so much that he branched into brewing.
"We have been growing hops for a long time, then we had the craft beer revolution so a couple of us set up a small brewery."
Emergency minister Mark Mitchell said this afternoon he wanted to acknowledge the region had lost a highly respected member of the community.
"That will be reverberating through the community."
