Lone Star Farms has taken out the Rabobank People Development Award at the Beef and Lamb New Zealand Awards, with Southern Farms General Manager Matt Smith saying the recognition reflects what the operation has built from the ground up.

“Our biggest focus is on trying to empower our staff,” Smith says.

“We’re very big on getting them to have input into this, it’s very much bottom-up rather than top-down sort of thinking.”

The award judges said they had “demonstrated a strong commitment to people development, and the organisation’s vision and purpose were both centred around people.”

Lone Star Farms operates six sheep and beef farms, employing 35 people and running 95,000 stock units.

Smith says the business runs structured learning groups tiered from shepherds through to farm managers, with all staff enrolled in Industry Training Organisation (ITO) courses. Block managers go through leadership development, and more experienced staff work with an external coach on a higher level of leadership thinking.

“We want to understand what good leadership looks like because that is key; if we get that right, then that flows right down through our business.”

Hiring is treated as a team exercise with some farms having existing staff take candidates around the property, before the manager steps in for the final stage.

“The staff will tell the managers if this person is right for our business.”

The farms work to keep people connected across a widely spread operation, bringing all farm staff, partners, and families together for some time in Queenstown. Smith says farms are encouraged to get off-property at least once a year with their teams.

“We are isolated businesses, so you’ve all got to get on, you’ve all got to mix and mingle, and just enjoy people’s company.”

Lone Star Farms is on the market as a going concern, with the owner’s position that the properties are sold together and all staff jobs are protected through the process.

“Tom’s vision is that the properties stay together.

“It’s got to go to the right person that can carry on our legacy and understands our values,” Smith says.

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