Business Rural North Summer 2021

| 19 planet, progress, profit’, farm pillars RURAL PEOPLE » David & Lindy Nelson flow and also the farm’s carbon footprint. “We have been very proactive in the environmen- tal space and have a sound understanding of how its systems work.” Assisting the couple are a stock manager and a shepherd, while additional staff are brought on to the farm over the summer months, often students from overseas or university who enjoy working on the land during their break. For the past decade Highlander, a composite sheep, have been the breed of choice on Ratahiwi Farm. “They are a highly fertile breed and we are con- sistently getting 150% lambing. We finish 2/3rds of the lambs to 18 kg and we have quite a strong cull programme of our ewes to maintain the best traits from one generation to the next.” The farm has 40ha in production forestry and another 80ha in retired plantings. David says he is very optimistic about sheep and beef farming, as reflected in record commod- ity prices. He struggles with the negativity that abounds the industry and very much supports the farmer levy funded organisations. “I think it’s vital that research into issues such as leadership fatigue within the agricultural sector are engaged with. We need to know what is happening, to prepare the sector to cope with the challenges it is facing and I’m all for representative organisations carrying these responsibilities.” He wants to see a united approach to the sector grappling with all manner of issue to be best pre- pared and is concerned about the splintering off of the farmers’ voice into smaller lobbying groups. “I think there are going to be many farmers, depending on their region, facing financial burdens around water compliance rules and I think it’s tremendously important we have strong, well-gov- erned organisations representing their voice.” Both David and Lindy have committed a good deal of their farming journey to involving them- selves in governance roles within the broader sector. Lindy founded the Agri-Women’s Develop- ment Trust in 2009, driven by a desire to grow the primary sector by promoting the engagement of talented rural women into farming. David is on the committee for the local catch- ment group established two years ago. Lindy also Chairs the Board of Safer Farms NZ, a non-profit ‘Agricultural health and safety Action Group’ established in 2015. Currently it is leading the development of a sector wide Health and Safety Plan for agriculture. ‘Farm Without Harm’ is about farming leaders, supporting farming people to pro- tect each other from preventable harm. It’s a sector wide strategy, and commitment, to drive practical changes that prevent physical and mental harm to our farming whanau. “We are testing the waters of our rivers and they are coming up with really good water quality.” David says the key to New Zealand’s farming success is by adopting an integrated farming ap- proach. Any mono-culture, he says, is dangerous for the sector. “We have excellent land here and our industry needs to promote its use for a wide variety of pur- poses. This safe-guards the sector from the impact of negative demand on one commodity group.” To enable healthy succession, David and Lindy’s children are becoming involved in an advisory group currently being established, to inform thinking and decisions as to future land-uses on the property. “I am going to run out of years before I run out of passion for farming, so it is good at this time to involve the younger generation, who will shape the future of the business.” Ratahiwi Farm, near Alfredton, north Wairarapa. Inset: In-lamb highlander ewe hoggets grazing, with 12.5 hectares of QE native bush retirement area in the background. “I think there are going to be many farmers, depending on their region, facing financial burdens around water compliance rules and I think it’s tremendously important we have strong, well-governed organisations representing their voice.” “adding value to your business” www.ruralaerialcoop.co.nz