Episode 29 – What’s the key to successful multi-generational farms?
Maintaining a fifth-generation farm is no small feat, and the Stewart family farm just out of Palmerston North is a great example of how to keep the family business running into the future. Sheryl talks to both the fourth and fifth generations of Stewarts on the farm, with projects ranging from transitioning to dairy, investing time and money into regenerative native bush, and building a boutique accommodation service.
Guests include:
- James & Debbie Stewart, fifth generation farmers, Stewart Dairylands
- Dave Stewart, fourth generation farmer
- Jan Stewart & Julia Moretti, Hiwinui Country Estate
Hosts:
- Sheryl Haitana, Editor, Dairy Exporter
Manawatu farmers James and Debbie Stewart discuss how they transitioned the family farm from a sheep stud to dairy back in the early 2000s. James says one of the key things for them was stepping back from a production focussed mindset, and looking at what systems suit their land, their animals, and their environmental goals.
They also discuss the process of winning the Ballance Farm Environment Award, and how the process of putting their farm system under the microscope was rewarding. It helped them quantify certain goals and ideas already on their minds, like a composting barn and a regenerating forest.
Dave Stewart is the fourth generation on the Stewart Family farm, and discusses the ways himself and his father integrated ecological practices into their farm system, such as regenerating native tree plantings in favour of macrocarpa. They’ve built these in blocks around the farm as ”nutrient-interceptor beds”.
He shares tips on how other farmers can get started with regenerative plantings on their farms, and his journey joining up with the local community for support.
Jan Stewart and her daughter Julia Moretti run the boutique accommodation business on the Stewart Family Farm. Jan and Dave started the business with a lodge when Julia was a teenager, and after spending time in London, Julia moved back home to raise her daughter and be part of the family business.
They have a good mix of international and domestic visitors, who share a common interest in seeing farm life first-hand on this multi-generational farm.
Read more about the Stewart family farm in the Dairy Exporter here
Buy the Dairy Exporter Spring Issue here
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