| 123 A loyal and growing customer base Based in Greta Valley, the Pankhursts are a good family team, and well known within their region, Richard Loader Like many agricultural contractors around the traps, North Canterbury family operation Pankhurst Contracting is now well and truly amongst the busy season looking after the various and many needs of its loyal and growing farming customer base. “I’m out direct-drilling at the moment,” says Ben Pankhurst, who has been in partnership with parent’s David and Diane for the past fifteen years. “We’re trying to get all our cultivation and spring fodder beat planting done. Almost everything that we do is happening at the moment, and we’re about to start baleage any day now.” The season starts to ramp up during September, but early October is when the team at Pankhurst Contracting gets really busy. “It really depends on the season. Things are looking pretty decent at the moment, but it’s typical North Canterbury, and we could do with a bit of rain. We’re about three weeks without anything meaningful now and a week or two with or without rain will make or break us. North Canterbury is summer dry and we’re at that key time of year where without rain things start to brown off pretty quick.” Based in Greta Valley, the Pankhursts are a good family team, and well known within their region, operating from Amberley through to the Hurunui River, and up to Hawarden — stretching a little further afield on occasion. As always, it’s that personal touch and ‘can-do’ approach that always makes the difference in country life. Sheep and beef farmers make up the lion’s share of customers, but there’s also a number of vineyards in Waipara that the Pankhursts do post driving for during the winter months, and Amberley RURAL SERVICES » Pankhurst Contracting Ltd RSN has a growing number of lifestyle blocks. David and Diane remain actively involved in the business. While Diane continues to look after the books, David keeps his hand in driving the machinery, almost on a full-time basis. The plan is to progressively slow down; easier said than done when you are passionate about what you do. Growing up on farms, and amongst agricultural contracting, Ben reckons he was destined follow the same path. An Agricultural Diploma at Telford in Balclutha was followed with work for another contractor, including work on the farm during the winter months, before Ben returned to the family fold. “It has always been farming for me, but generally more on the machinery side. Growing up on a farm, I really do understand the farming side too. I like being out and about; you get to see a lot of country that only farmers get to see.” The family’s impressive line-up of modern and well-maintained agricultural machinery includes three Case tractors up to 270hp, with a fourth hired during the busy summer season. Two of the tractors run GPS autosteer, making direct drilling between 5% - 10% more accurate, and ultimately saving the client money. A Case Medium Square LBX Bailer sits with a brand new Kuhn combi-baler, complete with scales, moisture metres and able to do film-on-film on the baleage. Direct drills, roller drills, precision planters for fodder beet, multi-discs and power harrows add to the capability of the business. “North Canterbury is summer dry and we’re at that key time of year where without rain things start to brown off pretty quick.” PANKHURST Contracting LTD 35 Greta Road, Greta Valley David 027 433 7004 Ben 027 677 5882 Diane 03 314 3595 E: d.pankhurst.nz@gmail.com A family owned and operated agricultural machinery business, Cochranes have been providing excellent customer service and support to South Island farmers and contractors for over 65 years. Amberley 03 314 9055 Ashburton 03 307 8027 Leeston 03 324 3791 Timaru 03 688 2179
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