| 23 ‘You have to be a jack of all trades’ John’s passion for farming is obvious. Things are going well for farmers in Kaipara with grass growing and lamb and beef attracting record prices according to sheep and beef farmer John Blackwell. As the Northland Regional Councillor for the Kaipara ward John has his finger on the pulse. He is also the Federated Farmers Northland Meat and Fibre Vice president, and is on the Northland Field Days committee. He farms with his wife Lurline in Okahu, Kaipara, near Dargaville. “It has been a good year. It has been one of the best seasons, lots of grass growing and we missed the cyclones. The price of wool has gone up and we are getting record prices for lambs and beef. Farms are selling pretty well which tells you people are optimistic. The cost of living is a worry but it is not affecting farmers quite as much. At the field days lots of tractors and motorbikes were still being sold.’’ The couple’s farm ‘Clear Ridge‘ is a massive operation. John’s parents bought the then 143 ha farm in 1958 and extended it to 204 ha in 1964. As a young farmer networking was how he learnt. His father died in 1978 when he had just left school so it was up to him and his mum to run the family farm. “It was either sink or swim. I learnt through newspapers and field days. Farmers are good at looking over the fence and seeing what is working.” John married Lurline in 1988 and raised their three children Pete, Kevin and Suzane on the family farm. They purchased the 207ha that their son Pete and his wife Sophie now live on. In 2024, they bought a nearby 50ha former dairy farm and in 2025, they purchased an adjoining 143ha block. “I was digging in a bit to stop the properties becoming forestry,” John said. This brought the total footprint to 750 hectares across four farms, of which 710ha is in pasture and 20ha in pines, with one radiata block. RURAL PEOPLE » John Blackwell - Dargaville There are over 800 ewes which son Pete manages and over 1000 cattle. John is very community minded and alongside his roles with the Regional Council and Federated Farmers. He was also the chairman of Northland Federated Farmers for five years. With proposed changes to the regional councils around New Zealand he said it was important the central government listened to solutions taken back to them. “We had a three per cent rate rise last year and this year it will be close to zero.” John’s passion for farming is obvious. Spraying & Mulching 33 Years assisting Northland Farmers PO Box 433 Kaitaia “Proudly supporting John Blackwell Dargaville” · Ground Spreading · Bulk Cartage · Limestone Supply John Dreadon Contracting: Proudly supporting John Blackwell Dargaville Contact John 021 273 2571 jjdreadon@xtra.co.nz Blue Vallance - Paparoa 027 480 1072 Grant Robinson - Whangarei 021 158 8386 Don Wilson - Pukekohe 027 497 5825 09 238 4016 | RD2, Pukekohe 2677 | don@onroadtransport.nz www.onroadtransport.nz North Island Livestock Cartage Emma Bailey “It’s a great way of life, you have to like working outside. It’s good to have a team of dogs to get things done. I’m mechanically minded and being a farmer you have to be a jack of all trades.” Both he and his wife come from a long line of farmers. “Now we have two sons on a farm and our daughter is on the farm at the moment too.”
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