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On Farm Story
FARMERS WEEKLY – farmersweekly.co.nz – May 30, 2022
Consolidating their farming future
It’s been all go recently for Taranaki farmers Lance and Janelle Downs as they juggle the next step of a family succession plan while getting the best out of their own business and enjoying their rural lifestyle and community that they live in. Colin Williscroft reports.
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IVEN the differences in their formal education histories, there was a bit of amusement in the Douglas community, just under half an hour up the Forgotten World Highway from Stratford, when Lance and Janelle began dating about 11 years ago. However, the success of their partnership since then has proved the match a good one. Lance and his twin brother Lloyd had left school at the age of 14 to run the 2100-hectare Aotuhia Station after their parents Kevin and Jean bought it in 2003, while Janelle was a school teacher when she and Lance met. Now married and with three children, Ellie, 6, Tim, 5, and Millie, 3, it’s all systems go as they look towards consolidating their farming future. After recently purchasing an almost neighbouring block from where they live and work on the Whangamomona side of the Strathmore Saddle, the couple now farm 1903ha (1720ha effective), 340ha of that leased with the remaining 1563ha under their ownership. They are also in a 50/50 partnership with Lloyd of a further
TEAMWORK: Lance and Janelle Downs farm just under half an hour up the Forgotten World Highway from Stratford.
2735ha, made up of Aotuhia Station and its fattening block near Te Kuiti. However, more change is on the way, as during the next couple of years there will be further steps in the family succession plan to take account of growing families and options for future expansion. Janelle says Lance has inherited a drive for progress from his father. “Kevin is very driven in terms of growing and expanding and Lance is always looking at options for how our business to grow and improve. “Kevin took risks when no one else would and he and Jean have both worked exceptionally hard to give us the opportunity we have been given and we are forever grateful.”
She says the hard work ethic has filtered down through the extended family. “When I first met Lance, I made note of a saying Kevin often used to say, ‘the first generation work hard, the second generation get it a bit easier and the third generation play golf, go fishing and lose the farm’. “As long as we don’t spoil our kids and work them as hard as the first generation, we will be right for another 100 years. “With that in mind Tim can dig a new post hole and roughly ram it up and Ellie knows where all the stock on the farm are... I think we are at least heading in the right direction.” Excluding the shared family business, Lance and Janelle run 5500 ewes as well as lambing 1330 hoggets, fattening all their lambs
ENJOYING THEMSELVES: Mille, Ellie and Tim give life on the farm a big thumbs up.
Photo: Janelle Downs
along with an extra 2050 trade lambs. They have 590 breeding cows, 330 Herefords and 260 Angus. Bulls are for both the beef and dairy market. Their 20 best stud bulls are sold at an on-farm sale in combination with other farmers in their area (this year on June 15), with the remainder sold at a second on-farm bull sale in September, as well as throughout the year, primarily for the dairy market. Lance and Janelle’s children are the fifth generation of the Downs family breeding Herefords and six years ago the couple established their Tawanui Hereford stud. Lance says buying registered cows from three different studs involved some tough selection pressure but spending all their savings on bulls has seen the stud
As long as we don’t spoil our kids and work them as hard as the first generation, we will be right for another 100 years. Janelle Downs Farmer come on in leaps and bounds over the past few years. They aim to produce moderately framed, hardy cattle, with good carcases and excellent calving ease. “Basically cattle that can hang on up in the hills when times get tough in the winter, then come
HARD TO BEAT: Views like this are one of the advantages of farming in eastern Taranaki. Photo: Janelle Downs
