| 3 The reality of Kiwi farming, muck & all Royalburn Station Sunflower crop 2024. Richard Loader Royalburn Station embraces 485 hectares of sheep and beef farmland on the Crown Range, just above Arrowtown and for the last seven years has been owned and operated by Carlos Bagrie and Nadia Lim, with the support of a passionate team. Over the last two years, Royalburn’s diverse farming operations have been showcased on Nadia’s Farm, a TV3 show that portrays the reality of Kiwi farming, with wide appeal to rural and urban audiences. For its endeavours championing the rural sector, Royalburn Station was named a Finalist in the 2024 B+LNZ FMG Rural Champion Award. “We were nominated by our General Manager Michelle Wallis,” says Carlos. “Michelle has been part of our journey right from the beginning. The nomination was really about the positive impact that Nadia’s Farm has had on the wider agricultural community.” Carlos acknowledges that he and Nadia were initially very reluctant to do the show and worried that it could be misconstrued or taken in a direction they didn’t want it to head. “We worked very closely with Warner Bros to ensure Nadia’s Farm reflected a high level of authenticity to showcase to an urban audience what actually does happen on a farm. Neither of us wanted to create a show just for entertainment purposes, it needed to be genuine and informative. I’m a fifth generation farmer and I didn’t want to hide from any particular story - it was important to show what real farming actually looks like, because MEAT & WOOL » Royalburn Station while the rural community watch it, we’re predominantly talking to an inner city audience.” In retrospect the show resonated very well with both urban and rural audiences, which was very heartwarming because it demonstrated that people in the city actually care where their food comes from and how it is grown. “The people in the rural sector were also very supportive and encouraging of us doing the show. The feedback from the farming community has really been quite overwhelming.” True to Carlos and Nadia’s wishes, the show also portrayed the trials and tribulations of farming and didn’t shy away from showing failure, and the couple’s learning through the journey. As for being named a Finalist, Carlos says there was some pretty exceptional company in the room at the awards ceremony. “There are so many people in the agricultural sector doing amazing things, and it was hugely humbling to have been given any accolade, let alone named a Finalist in the awards. The Awards ceremony is a celebration of agriculture and the people doing things in the sheep and beef industry. There’s so much misinformation and misunderstanding around what agriculture looks like and I have seen a lot in my overseas journeys with the Nuffield Scholarship. Right now, I just think that it’s so crucial that we take the time to look at all the great things that are going on. I was born into rural New Zealand; I love the land and the rural community, and it was just a privilege and humbling experience for Royalburn to be a finalist in the B+LNZ awards, and one of the highlights of 2024.” Call 03 208 3004 | www.mainlandminerals.com Every farm is remarkably unique. Starting with soil tests and assessments of the physical and biological aspects of your farm, we then recommend either combination of both) to ensure that your soils and pastures get exactly what they need. experience that tells us exactly how to maximise pasture, crop performance and animal health. We really do consider the bigger picture, because it’s about more than just fertiliser … it’s about the future of both your family and your land. FINE PARTICLE GRANULAR Bet Toge ter ther Proud to partner with Royalburn Station
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