96 | nzdairy NZ CENTURY FARM & STATION AWARDS » Maungatapu Downs ‘We feel a tie to Karen Phelps The name James Thomas has figured highly in the history of the family’s Morrinsville farm Maungatapu Downs, which has just been recognised in the Century Farm awards programme. It was James Thomas and his wife Margaret who purchased the initial 130ha block in 1921, after developing farms in Rototuna and Waihou, eventually adding another 60ha. Sons Fred and Stan farmed the land together in two separate blocks, which at its peak reached 330ha of land holding, as a sheep and beef unit. Fred passed away in1942 and sons Ken and Cliff subsequently took over his block. In around 1960 a cowshed was built and a sharemilker taken on marking the family’s start in dairying. Cliff ceased his involvement in the partnership in the mid sixties and farmed his own property next door. Ken stopped farming sheep and beef in 1974 when he was elected chairman of Piako County Council following in the footsteps of his grandfather James who had also held the position. Ken was the first mayor of Matamata Piako as well meaning he spent a lot of time off farm and had sharemilkers on there until his son James returned from university in 1988 and started sharemilking. James and wife Jane bought the farm from the family in 1994 and today it totals 78ha and milks a herd of 180 Frisian cows through the original 1960s 14 aside herringbone cow shed. James’ mother Joan with Jane and James and the children Sarah and Matt (in the backpack). “We feel a tie to this land and legacy. After coming back from the Century Farm Awards and hearing the amazing stories of survival and succession there are a lot of farms in New Zealand in our position.” Like his forebears, James is also heavily involved in local body politics, currently serving his third term as deputy mayor of Matamata Piako. In order to balance this commitment, along with his role as a farm consultant for FarmWise, he and Jane, who is a teacher at Morrinsville College, employ a contract milker. “We’ve always been community minded,” says James, “and I’ve always been interested in local body politics from my family background.” They both love to help on the farm when they can and James says Jane’s steady off farm income has proved incredibly valuable over the years. “I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved as a family with the farm. It’s a small farm by modern standards hence why we need off farm income,” he says. The couple’s son Matt, who works as a rural banker, and wife Shannan now live on the farm with their sons Jack, 2 ½ and new born Fergus. “So we now have the fifth generation on there which is really cool,” says James. “The farm is a labour of love. We feel a tie to this land and legacy. After coming back from the Century Farm Awards and hearing the amazing stories of survival and succession there are a lot of farms in New Zealand in our position. I’m happy in the space we’re at and we could look at a variety of options in due course. It’s awesome and a real privilege to be representing not only us but all those who have come before in marking 100 years of family ownership of this land.” Experts in law relating to: • Farming • Business • Property • Wills • Companies • Estates & Trusts • Relationship Property • Succession Planning Cowsheds & Goat sheds Farm Repairs General Engineering Onsite Maintenance Arc, Mig & Gas Welding Graeme McIntyre - 027 284 4281 CROSSROAD ENGINEERING
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