| 95 nzdairy NZ CENTURY FARM & STATION AWARDS » I Guy Ltd Allan and Wendy Guy with their children, partners and grandchildren, covering three generations. Six generations farming in Karaka Alexia Johnston At first glance, the Guy Family Farm is just a dairy farm, but looks can be deceiving. Beyond the gates is a farm rich in history, proudly owned by the same family for 143 years. As the Guy family pores over the farm’s history, it is fair to say it has come a long way since James Gordon Snr and his wife, Eliza, formerly of Ireland, purchased 200 acres on Karaka Rd in 1881. It was covered in Manuka and scrub which had to be cleared before sowing into pasture. Their daughter Eliza and her husband Thomas Hague Walker purchased the farm in 1912. Fast forward to the 4th generation – Ian and Gladys Guy, daughter of Thomas Hague Jnr and Clarissa (nee Pascoe), purchased the farm in 1956. They were the first generation to supply milk for town supply to Auckland Co-op Milk Producers Ltd. They had four children – Graham, Murray, Allan and Jenny. Allan left school in November 1970 and started working on the farm full time, before marrying Wendy in 1979. They have three children - Angela, Melissa and Chris. Allan and Wendy purchased the farm in 1990. Chris and his wife Sally began sharemilking in 2018, along with their children Hunter, Fletcher and Sophia. They purchased the farm last year and have achieved some great milestones. They milk 230 friesian cows on the farm OAD all season. They also lease an adjacent 80 hectares to rear dairy replacements, beef cattle and to grow maize and silage for the dairy farm. They have planted 2,500 native trees along some of the waterways in conjunction with “Trees for survival,’ local schools and Rotary. Also, a number of beehives have been placed around the farm to produce Queen Bees for export. In 2018 they won the Dairy Industry Awards Auckland/Hauraki Region Sharefarmer of the Year and were later named runner-up in the NZ Sharefarmer of the Year at the National DIA Awards. They were also one of the first 20 farms in New Zealand to use the new ‘halter’ remote fencing technology system. An automatic drafting gate was also installed at the cowshed which is used in conjunction with halter to automatically draft cows for mating. This allows Chris to rely on Halter for 100% of his herds heat detection. And, if running a farm wasn’t enough, they also own and run Little Guys Learning Centre, a facility established on the farm by Allan and Wendy, which is licensed for 98 children. The teachers and children regularly go for walks on the farm, including visits to the cowshed and watching the calves being fed. This is very popular and unique to other childcare centres. Karaka Primary School is 250m walk from the homestead. Five grandchildren are attending there as the 5th generation. It has been great to pass the farm on to Chris and Sally, knowing it is in good hands and has remained within the family. The Guy family was also recently recognised at the Century Farms New Zealand Awards, acknowledging their efforts to keep the farm in their family for more than 100 years. Allan said it was an honour to accept the award, but it was as much about previous generations’ hard work and perseverance because without them, we wouldn’t be here today. • Annual Accounts • Income Tax Returns • GST • FBT • Cash Flow Budgeting • Monthly Management Reporting • Setup and Structure Advice • Xero & MYOB Partners Proudly Supporting I Guy Ltd 64 Beaver Road West R D 2 Pukekohe Ph: 09 - 238 8925 | Mob: 027 - 249 9443 | Email: admin@theclajCA.co.nz • Maize silage • planting & harvesting • Loader wagon silage • Big square baling • Round baling • Full ground cultivation 027 4648 437 | murdoch.ag.contracting@gmail.com
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