4 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Bernard Stachurski NZ farmers ‘still the best in the world’ The Stachurski farm near Inglewood is home to 280 cows of which 65% are purebred pedigree Ayrshires with the rest Friesians and a smattering of Shorthorns. Richard Loader With all that the Labour Government has thrown at farmers over the last ve years, fourth generation Taranaki farmer Bernard Stachurski nds himself increasingly asking what drives him to farm the land that has been in his family for a hundred years. The answer of course, is the same for many farmers no matter what they farm. They love their stock and they love their land – it’s their home. “I don’t look at it as a job, it’s our livelihood and it’s just what we do, and you get on with it,” says Bernard. “You do it because you enjoy it. Although money is important, money is not the main driving reason why you farm. “Farmers are not the sort off people who do it because of the glamour of farming, because there is no glamour in our game. At the moment, we’re most probably regarded as the scum of the country – for want of a better word – working our guts out and polluting the countryside. “If only people knew the true facts. In the big scale of things, New Zealand farmers are still the best in the world and a long way ahead of many other countries – and that’s because of what our forefathers did for us.” The Stachurski farm is nestled in the farming district of Waitui, just east of Inglewood. Part of the farm has been in the family since 1922 when great-grandfather Joseph Stachurski bought it. Encompassing 123 hectares of rolling farm land inclusive of native bush and creeks, the farm is home to 280 cows of which 65% are purebred pedigree Ayrshires with the rest Friesians and a smattering of Shorthorns. Seven years ago Bernard and his wife Robyn bought the family farm. At that time the couple also owned a neighbouring block of land and milked a total of 500 cows under a high input system to maximise production, because that was what the experts advised them to do. “We worked ourselves to the ground, but we weren’t going forward. Everyone was getting rich except us. So, we decided it wasn’t working, took the staff out of the situation, sold the bottom piece of land, reduced the herd numbers accordingly, and became a low input farm. Now Robbie and I are doing it as a team – and there’s no one else to blame but us if things go wrong – except I can’t blame Robbie too much as I get told off!” The Stachurski’s have four children – Charlotte (Charlie) 17, Grace 16, Joe 15 and Sam 13. Keen on farming, Charlotte is heading to university next year to do a degree in Ag. Science. Bernard reckons the lifestyle afforded to children growing up in the wide-open spaces is another big bene t of farming.“They have a country life, they have learned responsibility, learned life cycles and know how life works beyond the electronic devices. “They have the opportunity to make their own fun, make a tree house, make a cart and wreck themselves down the hill, and they know what it’s like to play in the mud, when they’re not supposed to.” “Farmers are not the sort off people who do it because of the glamour of farming, because there is no glamour in our game.” CLAASHarvest Centreare proud tosupport BurnardStachurski Proud to partner with Bernard Stachurski Hay & Silage Baling | Round & Square Bales | Maize & Pit Silage Hedge Mulching | All Cultivating Work | Effluent Spreading 067568066 | www.morattiagri.co.nz
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