Function shows farming far from a solitary occupation

James and Samuel Reid farm Minchmoor Farm near Outram. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery

James and Samuel Reid, from Minchmoor Farm, near Outram, found that out when they hosted a function for those involved with the property.

Originally, the plan was to thank logging and roading crews working on the property, and also the Minchmoor team for working over Covid-19 lockdown.

Then they got thinking about who it was that helped them keep the farm running — or ‘‘doing the doing’’ as Samuel put it — and their list continued to grow.

From stock agents to tractor mechanics, it quickly reached more than 100 people, which surprised them. Often farming was regarded as quite a solitary or isolated profession but when it came to the number of people required to run an operation, it really was a team effort, Samuel said.

They also had some archival footage of lime being spread on the property in 1958; relationships could span up to three or four generations — ‘‘that’s pretty special too.’’

It had been unprecedented times through Level 4 and 3 and it had been ‘‘bloody good’’ to be involved in the agricultural industry, Samuel said.

While it might seem ‘‘a bit of a cliche’’ about farming being the backbone of New Zealand’s economy, considering all the people gathered at Minchmoor Farm, involved in one operation, that illustrated the reach through the economy, he said.

The luncheon was held in Minchmoor’s new woolshed and, as he surveyed those attending, James Reid said: ‘‘This is really what it is about, this is the people that it takes to make a farm operate’’.

It also reaffirmed the value of family-run businesses to the New Zealand economy, he said.