The federation’s roots go back to 1899, when the New Zealand Farmers’ Union was formed by Northland dairy farmer Thomas Portland Smith.
About a decade later the New Zealand Sheep Owners’ Federation was being formed by Mt Peel Station’s Henry Acland.
He recognised the need for a unified voice to promote farmer interests and account for fluctuating wool prices, disease outbreaks, and the need for improved farming systems and infrastructure.
He served as the federation’s president until his death in 1942.
In 1945 the two groups merged to form Federated Farmers, which last week paid tribute to the milestone.
Federated Farmers Mid Canterbury president David Acland said he was aware of his great, great grandfather’s contribution as a farming leader.
Family members remembered accounts of him as a nice man with a fob watch who always had sweets for the grandchildren, he said.
"Henry Acland was the first generation born in New Zealand — son of [John Barton Arundel Acland], the original Acland that came to New Zealand.
"When JAB died Henry took over as really the administrator of Mt Peel Station for the family. He looked over the accounts and ongoing management during that second generation.
"He didn’t drive so he would travel down by train to Rangitata and someone would pick him up from there by gig or whatever and he would go up to the station."
After studying law at Oxford University he was based in Ashburton and then had a law firm in Christchurch.
Mr Acland, who co-owns Mt Somers Station, said he had seen many Federated Farmers achievements himself.
"For me it’s all the little things that the Feds do. I’ve seen the list of all the great things, but then you think of the likes of Sir [Peter] Elworthy leading farming through the 1980s during deregulation, and that was a difficult time for farmers and he led farmers through it. At that time it put a lot of farmers to the wall and farming families suffered a great deal so, thinking back, that was a significant period in the organisation.
"If you think about now there’s a huge amount of work that has gone into the land and water stuff that came at us left, right and centre. They’re not massive highlights, but important for farmers."
He said there was always more work to do.
"Representing the collective of farmers was what Henry Acland and Thomas Portland Smith did. They came together to represent the collective voice and that fundamentally hasn’t changed and won’t change."
President Wayne Langford said early forward-thinking farmers were quick to recognise the need for farmers to come together as one unified voice.
He said the federation had been there for farmers through booms and busts, political cycles, market downturns, land use change and the removal of subsidies.
Timeline
1922 — Meat Export Control Act initiated by NZ Farmers’ Union president Sir William Polson so a fair share of export meat profits would go to farmers.
1925 — Women’s Division of the NZ Farmers’ Union founded by Florence Polson, Sir William’s wife, is now Rural Women NZ.
1969 — the first Fieldays was the idea of John Kneebone, later a Federated Farmers president.
1977 — Farming leaders work with government to establish the QEII National Trust to protect more than 180,000ha of special natural areas on farms.
2003 — Federated Farmers led the charge against the Labour Government’s "Fart Tax".
2005 — Pushes back on a government proposal for mandated access across farmland to rivers and lakes.
2019 — Helps stop the government bringing in a capital gains tax.
2024 — Secures an independent inquiry into rural banking issues to make sure farming families get a fair deal.
