We celebrated the 60th birthday of our founder Christopher Dawson last week.
Here is a message read by his good friend and long standing colleague Bob:
A message for Christopher on the occasion of his 60th Birthday
I think it would be hard to find someone who has packed so much into 60 years, a passionate and tireless advocate for sustainable living long before it became fashionable.
To be honoured by the Japanese Government for exceptional services in promoting awareness of traditional Japanese organic foods is no mean feat for a lad from rural New Zealand.
Then he was an idealistic traveller full of restless energy and passion to promote organic farming and healthy eating. Now 39 years later – no change there!
Christopher has achieved an extraordinary amount in his life to date and I would say that he is a very rich man. Not in terms of yachts or Swiss bank accounts – the riches and successes I am referring to are in his many tangible contributions to making a real difference to the health of the world, and having a close family and network of real friends and colleagues who share his ideals.
Even while creating a dynamic company and brand of the highest quality, he has done this without compromising his own personal values or integrity along the way, as many business people do. His dedication and unshakeable tenacity in the face of all the storms of life has been superhuman. He has always treated people with kindness, patience and respect, even during the most challenging events that would make a lesser man panic or give up. His guiding maxim has always been: “No blame, no complain.” During this time he has also remained fiercely loyal to those farmers and producers he encouraged to join him in pioneering these foods for the first time in the West.
He has always had a huge dream for the future, and saw his goal to put organic miso soup on the table in every home in every country in the world. When he first founded Clearspring, this seemed indeed like a distant dream with the power of the food business firmly in the hands of the big retailers and producers.
Now with the strong base of a world class brand and profitable business, it is time to take it to the next stage. So, if you all want to climb aboard the rollercoaster ride for the next 20 years, and bring your new generation skills, ideas and passions to enhancing and evolving the Clearspring vision, this is the best gift you can give to Christopher and yourselves! Together let’s make Clearspring a truly global force for healing the planet in the future.
Happy Birthday!
