| 15 Around nine hectares of the property is protected under a QEII covenant. RURAL PEOPLE » Benio Downs Around 150 dairy cows arrive each May Karen Phelps For Glen and Laura McPhail taking over at Benio Downs was about more than becoming the next generation on the farm. It was about finding a way to honour what had gone before as well as putting their own stamp on a property that has been part of Glen’s family history for almost 145 years. Located on McPhail Road, the name itself indicating the long history the family has with the land, between Gore and Tapanui, the 250-hectare property was first farmed by Glen’s family in 1882 with ownership following about a decade later. Glen grew up there as the fifth generation but completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science before pursuing a career as an agronomist. Glen and Laura later decided to return, initially leasing it in 2013 with the intention of eventually buying it, a goal they achieved in 2021. For Laura, a self-described city girl, farming came through her relationship with Glen. “For me, having a city brain, it’s been amazing for me to learn the rural life and educate my city friends,” says Laura. “I’m a real voice for my friends as to what’s real and what’s realistic and I love being able to do that.” The farm remains predominantly sheep-based, with about 1900 ewes, but in the past five or six years it has also incorporated dairy grazing. Around 150 dairy cows arrive each May and remain until August the following year providing a more consistent source of income. “We took on dairy grazing to help with cashflow as it has been hard to pay the bills in recent years for a sheep farm,” explains Glen. “The challenge is making sure the additional income does not distract from our core business.” Some of the most visible parts of Glen and Laura’s inheritance are the trees. Glen’s parents Tom and Helen planted extensive shelter belts in the 1990s when such long-term environmental thinking was less common. Around nine hectares of the property is also protected under a QEII covenant and Helen has planted a gully with native vegetation. “Someone said about our farm, ‘This is what riparian planting looks like before it was fashionable’,” says Glen. “My parents did it back in the early 2000s and we are now seeing the benefits of that.” “Helen said when your kids leave home you become a gardener and nurture other stuff,” says Laura. Tom and Helen, now retired to Frankton, remain involved, helping with regeneration planting on the farm and are involved with the Whakatipu Wilding Control Group and have done extensive plantings in the Whakatipu basin with the Whakatipu Reforestation Trust. For Glen and Laura that spirit of stewardship is now part of the legacy they hope to pass on to their children, Kate, eight, and Austin, six. Farm succession was approached with the same long-term thinking. “We have completed this process successfully where everyone is happy and we take pride in that,” says Glen. “The first thing we said was we all have to get on at the end of it. No matter what, that was the most important thing. What is fair isn’t necessarily equal and that’s what we based our process around.” Laura also says the community is an important part of the farm’s success. “Whether it’s a contractor or the meat company, the local rural suppliers all go above and beyond.” PROUD TO SUPPORT BENIO DOWNS Ideas | Advice | Great Accounting PROACTIVE ACCOUNTING YOU REALLY WANT P: 0800 427 739 E: business@harrexgroup.co.nz www.advanceag.co.nz 0800 227 226 Proud to support Benio Downs Independent Market Leaders in Agronomy, Precision Agriculture, Seed, Crop Protection & Equipment Covering Southland and Otago PHONE CRAIG: 027 210 4590 GENERAL EXCAVATING | LANE MAINTENANCE | TIP TRUCKS MUCK SPREADING | DRAINAGE AND SITE WORKS
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