Camaraderie is the main thread that runs through the various aspects of Waitahuna West farmer Min Bain’s life.
From the Lions club to his sheep stud and everything in between, friendship and community are important to him and he is a busy man on and off the farm because of it.
Min grew up at Moa Flat and, when the home place was sold, he and his young family moved not far away to a farm at Dunrobin. In 2008 an opportunity came up to buy 330ha at Waitahuna West.
"The West Otago community was awesome but what we have here in Lawrence is pretty amazing," he said.
With a family background in sheep stud breeding, Min continued his father Ken’s passion for breeding Romney and Romdale rams. His uncle Bill had a Dorset Down stud which headed to the business, giving clients a terminal sire option.
"I particularly enjoy the Dorsets for the people; the camaraderie within the breeder community is fantastic. We’re like one big family. We range from the large-scale commercial breeders to small hobby farm Dorset enthusiasts."
Outside of farm life, Min has been a very active contributor to the Lawrence community. As a Lions club member, he has been involved in many of the initiatives and events the club undertakes, and he received the Lions Lloyd Morgan service award for his contribution to his community.
"I just love it, actually. There’s a great bunch of people in the club and I just find it very rewarding. Recently we have been delivering firewood to the elderly. It’s so heartwarming knowing you are part of something that is making a difference to someone else's quality of life."
Among other things, the Lawrence Lions Club has been instrumental in running the annual trail ride, it helped fundraise and install the rescue helicopter pad for the community, contributed funds towards the new swimming pool and holds the annual crop growing competition.
"I think in recent years we have raised about half a million dollars that has stayed in this community, which is pretty bloody amazing. There’s not a whole lot of us but those that are here will reliably get things done," he said.
Taking time for others also extends into Min’s personal life and he has helped up-and-coming stud breeder Jake Heslop to start his own Dorset Down stud. He is also involved in the local dog trials as a sponsor and liberator on trial day.
Being nominated for the Year of the Farmer was humbling for Min but he said he would not be able to do all those things if it was not for the help from his wife Lisa.
"She wants to stay in the background with all of this, but she deserves some recognition. She has also been on many committees over the years and does all the office work for our business, which is a big part of a stud operation, and she’s very supportive of the community work," he said.
The couple enjoy discussions with their son Lochie and daughter Danielle. Lochie, a Lincoln University graduate, is working for Landpro and Danielle is in her third year at Lincoln.
"They both give interesting feedback, share new initiatives and offer challenging discussions around best farming practices. Both of them will help out on farm whenever needed," he said.
— Alice Scott
