SHAREHOLDER STORY
Old traditions made new | Lisa and Kurt Portas with Axel, 6, and Beauden, 8.
Farmlands shareholders Lisa and Kurt Portas made Palliser Ridge station in South Wairarapa their home 12 years ago after Kurt started
our family life to look like. Then all of
as a shepherd.
The owners of Palliser Ridge, Jim and
Raised rurally in Takapau, Central
Marilyn Law, had seen Kurt and Lisa’s
Hawke’s Bay, Kurt had farming jobs
commitment and spark and, on a day
during the school holidays growing up
like any other, they asked the couple to
and always enjoyed working on the
stop by for a chat. The Laws brought
land – but for Lisa, a city girl originally
the couple in as equity partners, with
from the United Kingdom, it’s been a
Kurt managing the farm and Lisa using
steep learning curve. For several years
her knowledge in retail to help expand
she held down her successful career
the Palliser Ridge brand .Now the
in retail management, commuting from
young family own a good chunk of the
have. We had already put down roots
the station to Wellington – and later,
land they care deeply about.
here, we were already pretty invested
Masterton – every day, but it soon
“Our eldest son, Beauden, was tiny,
anyway, so it was amazing to know we
became a slog.
he was really little, and Jim and
could stay for the long term.”
“I was really eyes on the prize for a
Marilyn just sat us down and said
while and working my way up,” Lisa
they were keen to bring us into the
says. “Kurt was out here doing what
farm,” Lisa explains.
he loved and I was leaving at 6 in the
“It was a real shock for us. I don’t think
morning and getting home at 8 at
it was something we ever aimed for
night – and that wasn’t what we wanted
because it just felt so far away that
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a sudden Palliser Ridge was the right opportunity and everything fell into place here.”
Then all of a sudden Palliser Ridge was the right opportunity and everything fell into place here.” it wouldn’t be a reasonable goal to
Read more of Lisa and Kurt's story in the summer edition of Shepherdess magazine, out now at your local Farmlands store. Writer: Carly Thomas Photo: Abbe Hoare
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THE FARMLANDER | 27
