It was March last year when Francois and Shelley Tillard took ownership of a Windsor sheep farm and prepared to convert it to dairying, just months before the world's economic system went into meltdown.
Bank finance they had hoped for suddenly evaporated, and they had a week to find an investor to complete the deal.
But in a twist of fortunes, events were to turn out better than expected, and save them significant sums of money.
The value of shares in Fonterra fell from $5.57 to $4.52.
Construction costs eased.
The Tillards were able to negotiate the supply of irrigation water from the Downlands scheme.
And the high exchange rate reduced the import costs of a centre pivot irrigation system.
The sale of 200 cows and savings, when the payout reached $7.90 a kg/ms, provided their deposit for the farm; but when it came to stocking it, cow prices had fallen, and the Tillards paid $1600 a head for 1000 cows sourced from four different herds.
But it was a risk, with no certainty of water.
Locals also questioned whether the land was suitable for dairying, given it was flat- to easy-rolling, with steep gullies.
"It was a big risk," said Mr Tillard.
Their equity partner was investing for the long term.
"People like that are more genuine than those who jump in at the top," Mr Tillard said.
While the Tillards were converting, the opportunity came to double the size of the farm to 520ha with the purchase of a neighbouring farm, which they finally took over last May.
"Four months later, we were calving cows on it, with a centre pivot," Mr Tillard said.
The first milk came off the converted farms this season.
Mr Tillard said they had all but finished converting the first farm, and when they took over the second farm, it was a case of moving equipment and machinery over the boundary.
All the time they were making and overseeing the conversion, the couple continued with their sharemilking job on an 850-cow farm at Ngapara.
Mr Tillard said continuing with that job was vital, because bills had to be paid; but they were conservative with their budgeting, working on a forecast payout of less than $4.50 a kg/ms.
The payout in their first year sharemilking was $3.63 a kg/ms.
"We don't live for the payout," Mr Tillard said.
When the payout reached $7.90 kg/ms, the Tillards kept a lid on their costs and saved all they could towards their new farm.
Their finances were helped by Mrs Tillard being a self-confessed tough negotiator.
"We've never been extravagant, but I never pay full price for anything," she said.
They were also prepared to make sacrifices.
But just as important was the support of the farm's owners, Leigh and Raewyn Hamilton, and the ability of the herd manager and staff the Tillards had employed.
The Tillards have had two sharemilking jobs, and Mrs Tillard said both employers were very supportive of their careers.
"We're very lucky to stay on here at the same time," she said.
When considering the move to farm ownership, she said they sought advice from the Hamiltons.
Mrs Tillard oversees the sharemilking job, while Mr Tillard works on the conversion property, but their business structure has changed to managing 10 staff and two herds.
"The biggest issue is trusting the staff, but if you can't then you shouldn't be in business," Mrs Tillard said.
The Windsor farm is L-shaped, and while cows face a 2.3km walk from the furthest paddock to the shed, it includes a 90m elevation, so eventually a second shed may be built.
The 1000-cow herd consists of 500 Friesians and 500 Jerseys.
To ease the pressure of having to put 1000 cows through a 54-bale rotary shed twice are day, the Jerseys are milked only once daily.
Mrs Tillard said the independence of a second shed would help prepare staff as they develop from farm worker to sharemilker or farm manager.
It was also part of a wider philosophy of making conditions appealing for staff, hence the decision to invest in five centre pivot irrigators and an irrigation gun.
While k-line irrigation would have been cheaper, Mr Tillard said shifting the lines was time-consuming and not very appealing.
The Tillards have built enough effluent storage to hold three months' worth, and spreading it had been channelled through the centre pivots.
Gullies provide an ideal area for young stock.
So far, the new conversion has performed as expected, but the fertile soils mean production should soon reach 1700 to 1800kg/ms a ha.
The Tillards plan to consolidate their conversion.
While doing so, they hope to be able to continue sharemilking for the Hamiltons.
But Mrs Tillard said her husband could not sit still for long and, once this conversion was completed, he was likely to start looking for another.