Old traditions made new

Farmlands shareholders Lisa and Kurt Portas made Palliser Ridge station in South Wairarapa their home 12 years ago after Kurt started as a shepherd.

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

| Lisa and Kurt Portas with Axel, 6, and Beauden, 8.

Then all of a sudden Palliser Ridge was the right opportunity and everything fell into place here.”

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

NZ’S MOST VALUABLE CARD? YOU DECIDE.

Make Christmas magic

We're giving away loads of prizes this Christmas.

Every purchase you make in-store at Mitre 10 using your Farmlands Card will get you an entry into the draw. Ends 21 January 2022.

1x

8-Piece Makita Kit

Merry Christmas.

This one’s for you. Merry Christmas. This one’s for you. Gift Card Gift Card

100x

$100 Gift Card

3x

Traeger Smokers

For full terms and conditions visit mitre10.co.nz/trade/giveaway-terms. Every purchase on your Farmlands Card between 17 November 2021 and 21 January 2022 qualifies for one entry into the draw to win 1 of 104 prizes. Prizes: One 18 Volt Makita 8-piece Power Tool Kit, three Traeger Pro 575 Wood Pellet Smokers and one hundred $100 Mitre 10 Gift Cards.

GET ALL YOUR SUMMER AT FARMLANDSGEAR