Kelvin "Rocky" Cormack and Janelle Davison found a gap in the farming sector to establish a small business called The Gofer, providing relief staff for farming businesses.
The couple, both from farming backgrounds, have a small team of efficient, reliable and experienced staff who help out on demand with anyone struggling to find workers, cover short-term relief for sick or accident leave, or fill in while farmers take a well-deserved break with their families.
Ironically, the couple have sacrificed time with their own families to help a farmer in need.
Whether it’s relief milking, calf rearing, tail trimming, shearing, spraying, small digger work, tractor work — and much more — The Gofer can do it all.
The business started in June 2021 with two clients and grew from there through word of mouth.
Rocky, a truck driver who had previously managed dairy farms, had been in the office arranging stock logistics when he got the idea.
Talking to farmers every day, many sounded stressed, often not having anyone to help load or unload stock.
Janelle had been relief milking between and before jobs for years.
The overwhelming feedback from clients was gratitude.
"They can’t thank you enough, especially when we do farming minding and the whole family can go away together. The wife comes back and is nearly in tears thanking us," Rocky said.
They also provided work for university students on holiday and sponsorship to small communities.
The Gofer covers Otago and Southland and if a call comes from further afield they will work out if it is feasible or not.
The idea was to franchise the Gofer to expand its reach. They were keen to get more people and investors on board to grow it to its full potential, Janelle said.
