30 | Jacqui and Sofus Hahn need a holiday from their six-month overseas holiday. “It was about yelling ‘yahoo’ when I hopped off the plane,” says Jacqui. “Normally I come home wishing the trip wasn’t over yet but the length of the trip this time and driving four for five hours per day while travelling meant I was glad to be home.” The couple’s trip saw them cover Argentina, Chile, Peru and the United States. They managed to take in a farmers’ expo in Argentina and met up with the New Zealand consulate while there. “They have a lot of grain farming in Argentina so it wasn’t so relevant to our system but it was an interesting experience. It also showed us how far New Zealand has come in terms of the environmental and animal welfare aspects of farming,” she says. Farming in Te Kuiti, Jacqui and Sofus have four dairy farms totalling 590ha milking 1610 cows. They have one contract milker and three managers running these. Their business also includes 300ha of grazing blocks with dairy beef and sheep and a little forestry. Daughter April and husband Troy, who are contract milkers on one dairy unit and plan to go 50:50 next season, looked after their farming business while Jacqui and Sofus were on holiday. Because Troy is also a diesel mechanic that is an added bonus as he can assist with any mechanical issues across all the farms. The farm financials were handled by daughter Emma who lives in Denmark with Jacqui also monitoring this aspect of the business remotely. Technology and the right systems in place made this easy. Just before they headed overseas Jacqui and Sofus added their fourth farm to their business – 90ha milking 240 cows through an 18-aside herringbone shed. They are now ready to jump into improving the infrastructure on the unit including new yards and races as it currently has nowhere to drench stock or do AB. A new effluent pond will be built over summer as the farm currently doesn’t have a proper lined pond so that will be replaced with a larger compliant one. Getting their grazing block up to standard will also be a priority with Jacqui planning to build more fencing herself. “We started an environment plan for our grazing block so I am working on the things we want to do for that such as fencing off risk areas etc,” she says. Another key focus for the Hahns has been succession planning. Their children have attended farm business meeting from childhood and Jacqui stresses the importance of early and open communication in farm succession planning. It’s a real family effort on the farm Troy and April’s cousin Nadia taking a break from mowing. Maize does grow on slopes (grazing block). Karen Phelps RURAL PEOPLE » Sofus and Jacqui Hahn “Many farmers wait until retirement to discuss the future with their families. For successful transitions, it’s crucial to involve children early, helping them grasp the business intricacies and challenges.” The Hahns take this a step further, expecting their children’s serious partners to gain hands-on farm experience. “This ensures they truly understand what farm life entails,” Jacqui explains. She stresses the value of inclusive, long-term planning and credits this approach for their recent extended trip. “It’s vital to bring family members into the fold early on. This applies to key staff too, if you’re considering them for future leadership roles. Because we’ve included everyone in our business journey, they were well prepared to take the reins in our absence. It’s not just about the present; it’s about building a knowledgeable, capable team for the future.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=