Episode 42 – Are equity partnerships the key to farm business ownership?

Pathways to farm ownership can be hard to navigate, with young farmers having less access to the capital required to purchase land. Equity partnerships are a viable option that allow farmers to partner with investors to get a foot on the farm ownership ladder. 

In this episode hear from Wairarapa farmers, Simon and Katie Falloon, who are equity managers in an equity partnership; Sarah How, Co-Founder of Landify, on how their platform sets up farmers with interested investors to make farm ownership possible; and MCI’s Sean Stafford, who helped put together the Falloon’s equity partnership, on the key elements of a successful equity partnership.

Guests include:

1. Simon and Katie Falloon, Sheep and Beef Farmers, Wairarapa
2. Sarah How, Co-Founder, Landify
3. Sean Stafford, Advisory Specialist, MCI & Associates

Hosts:

1. Rebecca Greaves, Editor, Country-Wide
2. Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Managing Director, CountryWide Media

Simon and Katie Falloon have worked hard to make their Wairarapa farm a viable equity partnership, and discuss how they managed to build the reputation and networks that made it possible to find investors. They also took out this year’s Keinzley Agvet Wairarapa Sheep & Beef Farm Business of the Year, after only two years on their farm. 

• Click here to read more about Simon and Katie’s story in Country-Wide Spring

Co-founder of Landify, Sarah How, discusses why Landify was developed as a tool to connect farmers and investors to go into equity partnerships. They saw a gap in the market for young motivated farmers to access capital to purchase farm businesses, and decided to set up Landify to meet that need.

• Click here to find out more about Landify

Sean Stafford is an Advisory Specialist with MCI & Associates, and helped put together the Waipuke partnership for Simon and Katie Falloon. He discusses what makes a good equity partnership, how they develop an exit plan at the end of the partnership, and what his advice is to those interested in an equity partnership.

Read the new Spring issue of Country-Wide Magazine here