‘Very deserving’ winners named Rural Champions

Farmer-grower

"All-round great Southlanders who are very deserving of this award."

That was a line in the nomination for Awarua dairy farmers Steve and Tracy Henderson for this year’s Otago Daily Times-Rural Life Rural Champions initiative and it was one the judges agreed with.

Mr and Mrs Henderson have been named as the winners of the farmer-grower category and will receive a prize pack valued at $10,000. They were chosen by a panel of judges from five finalists in a celebration of the South Island’s food and fibre producing champions.

Nick and Alexis Wadworth (Otapiri Gorge), Jack and Kate Cocks (Mt Nicholas Station), Phill Hunt (Maungawera), Emma Crutchley (Maniototo) and the Hendersons were selected from a stack of nominations following the initiative’s launch by Sir John Kirwan at the Wānaka A&P Show in March.

As well as running a busy dairy farming operation near Invercargill, Mr and Mrs Henderson operate an informative social media platform Legendairies to help people understand the dairy industry.

The couple, who have three children — Ruby, Gus and Annie — are active community members; Steve is chairman of the Southern Field Days and is on the Tisbury School board of trustees and Mrs Henderson is an active member of the PTA.

They often host school visits on the farm and Mrs Henderson is involved in the Farmer Time initiative, helping city children gain an understanding of farming life.

A humble Mr Henderson said the couple did not feel like they did anything different from anyone else.

"As long as you can do something to help someone learn or someone be better, whether staff or anyone you interact with, that’s why we exist."

Mrs Henderson paid tribute to their staff and also their close-knit local community which she described as "just like gold".

That was evident during the recent wet weather in the South as they supported each other, even dropping off food.

The couple would host a Rural Champions barbecue later this year for the community and she was "stoked" to be able to bring the locals together.

"We’re so lucky to be in this community. I think everyone deserves this recognition," she said.

 

Rural services

Silver Fern Farms Finegand site manager Bronwyn Cairns admitted she felt "almost quite emotional" at being named the winner of the Rural Champions rural services category.

After leaving school, she went straight to Southland Frozen Meats’ plant in Mataura in 1984 to work as a laboratory technician. She has moved her way up through the ranks and is now responsible for a workforce of about 1200 people.

"I don’t like being that person out in the limelight, I’m really happy to accept it on behalf of the team ... how far we have come and what we have done in that community," she said.

Her ascension through the industry had been about working very hard, being passionate about what she did and "giving 110%".

The people’s choice award was won by North Canterbury farmer Alistair Bird, known as Kiwi Farmer, who set up a YouTube channel to promote everything good about farming.