Golden Bay helped shape the remarkable life of entrepreneur, author and conservationist Peter Butler.
After settling in a remote forest in the bay, Peter launched a series of ventures that eventually led to the creation of natural health companies Forest Herbs Research and HealthPost. He has also produced a feature documentary and written four books.
Now based in Nelson and serving as chair of HealthPost Nature Trust, Peter is focused on improving biodiversity at Wharariki-Farewell Spit. His new memoir, Plant Fiend, chronicles the adventures, successes and failures that have defined his colourful journey.
You’ve always pushed the boundaries - please tell us more.
I’ve always been impatient and intolerant of obstacles. I dislike gates and go the long way around to avoid traffic lights. Went to university at 17 rather than do the final year of high school. This attribute has its downside in that sometimes there is not sufficient care and forethought, and it has got me into trouble more than once, but if you don’t take obstacles seriously it means you can attempt a lot more things. I’ve learnt to be good at apologising. Life is a kind of experiment isn’t it.
You were one of New Zealand’s first certified organic kiwifruit growers. How did that come about?
I worked out that with their hairy skins kiwifruit are well protected from insects and one of the easiest fruit to grow organically, and I could see the demand especially in Europe. Unfortunately, the single desk seller had a cosmetic limit on the number of little white greedy scale you could have per hundred fruit that was almost impossible to meet without chemical sprays, so I eventually pulled out the orchard. My partner at the time said that the family had received more benefit from her vegetable garden than my kiwifruit orchard, which was humbling.
After growing kiwifruit, you grew cannabis and ended up serving a jail term. Greatest learnings from that experience?
The intensity of prison can produce mental cracks that let the light in, just like a zen retreat, but it hardens you too.
You’ve spearheaded two successful natural health businesses. You put their success down to . . .
Being an information junkie with some research skills and a high-risk threshold so that I have early awareness of opportunities and focus on the potential upside rather than downside. I’ve been told I work hard and am tenacious. I like pioneering things. Other people have put more work into building those businesses than I have, bless them.
You’ve had your fair share of knocks over the years. How did plants help you get through?
They are just so relaxing to be around, they are all different types of beautiful. Every day I spend some time just looking at them in a kind of dream state. Every winter I must plant some or shift some to better places. I’ve come to love mulch and compost too.
You’re now helping to improve the biodiversity at Farewell Spit. Legacy project?
I guess so, but it didn’t start out that way. It just seemed obvious that there shouldn’t be feral pigs on Farewell Spit, and it is long and narrow so how hard could it be to get rid of them and keep them out. Then the other predators and imagine what could flourish then. Again, there are fantastic people doing more work on the ground than me.
Best life lesson?
Give it a go. It doesn’t matter if you make a tit of yourself, who really cares. I’m learning to paint at the moment, mostly terrible but very interesting with it.
Peter will be discussing his life, adventures and latest book Plant Fiend: A Memoir alongside publisher Robbie Burton at Tākaka’s Village Theatre on Tuesday, 27 October at 6pm. This is part of the Nelson Arts Festival’s Pukapuka Talks opportunities. Tickets are available at www.nelsonartsfestival.nz/event/plant-fiend.
