| 69 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Alex Peirce & Bridgette Smith: Peirce Family Farm Peirce Family using their best skills Karen Phelps A thriving Southland family farming business is the result of four siblings working together to capitalise on their individual skills and strengths. Their parents Richard and Debbie Peirce built their farming business in the Waikaka Valley, just north east of Gore, from scratch by buying, selling and leasing land depending on the market. Today their daughter Bridgette Smith, 32, and son Alex, 30, have taken over the day-to-day operation of 600-cow Gilchrist Road Dairy. Bridgette’s role is running the dairy shed and anything to do with animal health. She also manages the bookwork. Alex takes charge of the dry stock of the self-contained unit. Calving three times a year it’s a big undertaking. He also does the farm tractor work with wife Brinly, along with being responsible for the feed for the wintering barn feeding system - ordering imported feeds and making mixes to maximise the production and reproduction of the herd. Their sister Melissa was a vet tech for 6 years for Vet South and is now trained in pregnancy scanning for cows, which she does for the farm and others, as well as being on hand for any Peirce farm animal health emergencies requiring her input. “Because we calve three time a year it’s really handy to be able to call on Melissa at short notice. She also fills in for me if staff is on leave or when cows are drying off. She’s in her third year of study to be a naturopath so she looks after our health too.” The youngest of the family, Simon, is a lawyer in Dunedin and helps the family out with any legal requirements. “We all have an interest in the farm and it works very well as we all compliment each other,” says Bridgette. “We’re near in age so we’re all really close. We hold a Peirce family AGM each year where we all get together and discuss what’s happening on the farm etc. It keeps everyone informed and we know that as long as the business of the farm is turning around we’re all able to gain from that as long as we all help out where we can.” Richard and Debbie still live on the farm with Richard doing a lot of the breeding side in terms of selecting bulls, talking to the reps etc. He also fills in as needed, looks after dry cows, tidies up the roadside, bits of the paddocks and any maintenance. Debbie runs errands and helps with childcare of Bridgette and husband James’ two girls Lucy, 5 and Sophie, 3 and Alex and Brinly’s six month old son Beau.Bridgette and James also own an automotive workshop in town with seven staff, which keeps them busy. But James still finds time to be the “welder, fixer and maker of anything we need on farm”, says Bridgette. The family continues to grow their business. They purchased a run off last year just up the road where Melissa lives and keeps an eye on the drystock. It’s also enabled the farm to be fully self-contained. The family is now looking to stabilise their business, investing in their team to build a sense of community within the farm so the business can provide for the staff as well. “If we have the stability of a great team it takes a Proud Suppliers to Peirce Family Farm www.rbrural.co.nz Your milking machinery is one of the most expensive and by far the most vital piece of equipment on your farm, which is why it is crucial to ensure it is always working at its best. Milking machines that perform at full capacity maximise profitability and minimise risks for your herd Book your test now with a Registered Milking Machine Tester listed at www.nzmpta.co.nz It is a requirement to have your milking machine tested annually by a MPTA Registered Tester. Refer NZCP1: Design & Operation of Farm Dairies, Code of Practice (page 48) 027 449 7402 info@nzmpta.co.nz www.nzmpta.co.nz huge amount of stress off. We look to help them when and where we can to get ingrained in the community. ”Bridgette says trust and open communication have been the keys to their successful family farming operation:“Dad, Alex and I have discussions about anything major but our parents are now stepping back and allowing Alex and I to make these decisions for the family farming operation. It’s a great privilege and it’s about building a business with longevity that is able to provide for all of us no matter what stage we’re at in our lives.” Back row left to right : Melissa Peirce, Simon Peirce, Alex Peirce, James Smith. Front row left to right: Sophie Smith, Bridgette Smith, Richard Peirce, Debbie Peirce, Lucy Smith
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