FARM SYSTEMS

Three years ago, Jason Rentoul and Chelsea Hudson drew up a farm plan for Wye Hills in Marlborough based around their life goals. Words Joanna Grigg, Photos Jim Tannock.

From heavy lambs for Atkins Ranch, to yearling sire bulls for the dairy market, Michael and Jane Cammock at Kouratahi farm in the Wairarapa focus on added value and knowing where their end product is destined for. Words Rebecca Greaves. Photos Brad Hanson.

Buying a ram team has lots of similarities to picking a winning All Blacks squad, says neXtgen Agri International CEO Dr Mark Ferguson.

Together, the Milltons from Marlborough have weathered earthquakes, drought, succession, and bold shifts in stock policy. All with the watchful eye from Van Tour friend and farm advisor Ed Harrison. Words Joanna Grigg and photos Jim Tannock.

Massey University Professor Anne Ridler and Otago-based Farm Consultant Peter Young urge farmers to take the time to make more considered decisions when culling ewes as it could pay dividends. Words Sandra Taylor.

Leefield Station in Marlborough’s Waihopai Valley is a powerful example of diversification with multiple land uses intertwined and integrated to provide an intergenerational, future-proofed farming business. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.

Perched on dramatic coastal cliffs with sweeping vistas over the Cook Strait and the South Island, Boomrock is the ultimate experience venue, a unique and awe-inspiring place to create lifelong memories. It’s also the legacy of the Eastwick family, who created longevity through diversification. Word Sarah Perriam-Lampp.

Since returning home to his family’s farming operation on Banks Peninsula eight years ago, George Masefield along with his wife Emma, have made some significant changes. The couple, with the support of George’s parents John and Carol, bought a tractor and have not looked back. Sandra Taylor talks to them about the development programme which has transformed their business and enabled them to finish all of their lambs on their dryland hill country and buy in trading stock.
Photos Kelly Shakespeare

High above Otago Peninsula, the extinct volcano Hereweka Harbour Cone looks down on the farming operation of Brendon and Paula Cross, and where the possums used to play. Karen Trebilcock visited. Photos Jan MacKenzie.

Tough times present an opportunity to weigh up your farming business and evaluate your options. Now could be the time to diversify into income streams that don’t rely on the cyclical nature of farm commodities. Words Rebecca Greaves.