Known for their generosity and willingness to share their knowledge, the couple was praised in their nomination as "some of the nicest people you will meet.. truly loved by so many people they have helped."
Peter started the Glen R Angus cattle stud in 1994 and Helen leads the Merino and sheep studs, having "realised long ago you can’t have too many bosses on the drafting gate."
Over the years, the couple have traded properties to ensure their studs are tested in environments that reflect real farming challenges. Originally they farmed at Penlyn Station near Ashburton where they held an on-farm lamb sale every year, selling about 8500 lambs.
It was a dream of Peter’s to run a high country station so they bought Eskhead Station, a 16,000ha property near Lake Sumner in the 1990s.
In 2005 they sold Eskhead and moved their operation to 467ha Sandown Station where the couple now run 400 Angus stud cows, plus replacements, and 1600 ewes. They also run 300 commercial angus cows at a 500ha Banks Peninsula property for progeny testing.
They have an additional 62ha irrigated block in nearby Kirwee for their calf rearing.
Peter is firmly focused on breeding stock in commercial conditions, running stud cows in big mobs with minimal intervention to ensure they can thrive under tough conditions. Calves are also put through rigorous selection.
The couple are passionate breeding advocates and believe it’s important to do what they can to pique the interest in young people.
They get involved with local secondary school agriculture classes, including Darfield and Timaru Boys’ High Schools, to share hands-on skills and breeding principles.
"When we were younger there were strong Young Farmers groups that fostered these skills. That has all but disappeared now," Peter said.
"Our generation needs to do what we can to cultivate passion in the next one."
Their support has seen many young people go on to represent New Zealand in stock judging, farm cadetships, mustering teams, and even industry leadership roles.
"The reward is very much ours," Helen said.
"It’s a real proud moment to see them shine."
Family is at the heart of their success and a highlight for Peter and Helen. Daughter Sarah, principal farm systems adviser for Environment Canterbury, contributes to the book-keeping side of their business and plays a key role in the youth programmes they get involved in.
"We are very proud of her," Peter said.
There are still challenges that need to be addressed when it comes to fostering young people in the industry, Peter said.
"They can understand the theory and technical side of stock breeding but it’s about seeing the correlations between the figures they are looking at on paper and the composition of the animal in front of them. It’s about educating people to fully understand EBVs, and what the limitations are."
There are also some huge advantages young people have at their fingertips, embracing new technologies that allow stock buyers to make informed decisions on the spot through a few taps on their phone.
"Rather than flicking through pages of a book like I have done my whole working life," he said.
Now in their 70s, the couple have no plans to slow down and while they no longer show cattle competitively, they fondly recall the camaraderie of the show circuit.
"As much as our friends roll their eyes at us," Helen said, laughing, "we still love what we do. If you surround yourself with positive people, it makes life so much more fun."
— Alice Scott
