ENVIRONMENT AWARD WINNING
Sandra and Chris Campbell with daughter Charleigh (8), their farm manager’s son Finn Harrison (7) and son Ryan (6).
Equity partnership gains multiple awards Words and photos by: Karen Trebilcock
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nowing that what they’re doing is making a difference to their waterways keeps Chris and Sandra Campbell working hard. The couple won the Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award, the DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award, and the Norwood Agri-Business Management Award in the Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards announced via Facebook in early May. “It’s less daunting if you do a small bit of it at a time, keep ticking off the boxes, than having to suddenly do it all at once to be compliant,” Chris said. The Clifton family milks 470 cows on rolling country, neighboured by Pamu sheep farms. Their business is a simple but effective 62
equal equity partnership with Peter and Elaine Carnie of Invercargill. Chis and Sandra are also the contract milkers for the partnership. After years of contract milking they understood the business and weren’t keen to go sharemilking and put all of their money into livestock. An equity partnership with old friends instead was the answer and provided the stable opportunity they wanted for their young family. The farm was a 1990s conversion owned by Noel and Tania Caulfield when the partnership bought it four years ago. While contract milking at Clydevale Chris and Sandra spent two years looking at more than 70 Southland farms, as well as a few in Otago, and knew the Clifton farm was for them when they first saw it. “It was the only one we came to that felt
loved,” Chris said. “And it had scope.” The farm was bought as a going concern with Noel and Tania staying around for the transition to make sure everything kept running smoothly. The Campbell’s farm manager, Aaron Harrison, came with them from Clydevale and they’ve since added to their team Ernie Mahlobo from South Africa who is on a rural exchange programme. Management meetings with the Carnies happen four times a year although the two families prefer to go cod fishing off Kaka Point, 40 minutes’ drive away, in the Campbells’ boat. “We’re responsible for the on-farm management but we’re on the phone with them probably at least once a week,” Chris said. The cows do about 500kg MS/cow/year on grass supplemented by a barley and
Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | July 2020
