22 | Wheat award win a ‘pat on the back’ Hindsbank Farming’s Basset family took out the Biscuit Wheat award at the 2022 United Wheat Growers competition. Richard Loader The Basset family’s passion for growing high quality crops was rewarded when it won the Biscuit Wheat award at the 2022 United Wheat Growers competition. Nominated by PGG Wrightson, Murray Basset says he believes the nomination reflects a consistent and top-quality product that has been provided to the grain company for many years. He says the nomination and award was particularly meaningful, given last year’s difficult growing season, which impacted on all growers. “To have won the award is a pat on the back for what we do,” says Murray. “It recognises the experience that has been gained over time. I’ve been farming twenty-five years. I love what I do and always try to improve each year’s result, which always depends on the weather. I just love seeing a good product go out the gate. “No two years are the same, there’s always a challenge out there. Time will tell if winning the award has any effect on the business — I’m hoping so. After winning the award, I had a phone call early the next morning from another wheat broker congratulating us on our win. I was quite chuffed about that.” Even though Murray grew up on an intergenerational mixed cropping farm in Rakaia that his brother now farms, he was a late starter to farming in his own right. “Dad always said try something else, so I went banking for eighteen years ending, up as Rural Business Manager, before making the decision to go farming so I could put my own stamp on it.” Located in the small locality of Eiffelton, on the banks of the Hinds River in Mid-Canterbury, the Bassetts farm off 300 hectares, including 60 hectares of neighbouring land. “Our focus has always been on cropping, though that has changed a bit in recent years to lamb fattening, to add to our income stream. This year we fattened 4000 lambs, which we buy store early autumn. Our big cropping areas are feed and milling wheat. Over the last few years there has been an emphasis on feed, but we’re just starting to swing back to milling.” Growing ryegrass for seed is another large component in the farm’s portfolio. Seeds are also grown for fodder radish, Asian radish, linseed, Chinese kale and Chinese cabbage. Hemp, carrots and beets have also featured in the past. Family plays a very large part in the farming operation, with Murray’s wife Lynette looking after the diverse array of administration work, and also providing a willing hand in the paddocks as required. The couple’s daughter Cait lives in Christchurch, but travels home regularly to help out. “My son, Mat, is very much involved in the busiARABLE » Hindsbank Farming ness. He’s in his late twenties now and is the next generation. He’s been through Lincoln, and had a couple of short overseas stints before coming home to the family farm about seven years ago, and he’s very passionate about it. It’s fantastic to have Mat working alongside me – he gives the old boy a bit of a hurray along at times, and keeps you interested.” The role that farming plays in the communities in which it inhabits is increasingly topical and Murray reflects that the service town of Ashburton would be totally different if it wasn’t for the significant number of farms in the region. “Mid Canterbury has such a diverse range of farming operations, and they all tend to complement each other. So many businesses feed off farming. You have local engineers, irrigation companies, agricultural contractors, hire companies, supply stores, machinery and vehicle companies and any number of retailers. “When I was in the bank there was a saying that for every dollar the farmer spends it gets spent seven times through the community. Nothing has changed, and we tend to lose sight of that. The farming sector is taken for granted.” Supporting Hindsbank and other Canterbury farms for over 30 years • Bulk cartage • Blower trucks • Flat decks • Grain vac B U L K C A R T AG E S PE C I AL I S T S Owner John Robertson and driver Karl Booth at Hindsbank Farm 0800 876 862 admin@trouncetransport.co.nz
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