‘‘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 four judges agreed with.
Mr and Mrs Henderson, who won the farmer-grower category, will receive a prize pack valued at $10,000. They were chosen from five finalists in a celebration of the South Island’s food and fibre-producing champions.
As well as running a busy dairy-farming operation near Invercargill, Mr and Mrs Henderson operate a social media platform, Legendairies, to help people understand the dairy industry.
The couple, who have three children - Ruby, 9, Gus, 7, and Annie, 5, - are active community members: Mr Henderson is chairman of the Southern Field Days and on the Tisbury School board of trustees and Mrs Henderson is a member of the PTA.
They often host school visits and Mrs Henderson is involved in the Farmer Time initiative, helping city children gain an understanding of farming life.
‘‘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 acknowledged their staff and also their close-knit local community, which she described as ‘‘just like gold’’. That was evident during the recent wet weather as they supported each other, even dropping off food. There was also a community potato patch.
The couple will host a Rural Champions barbecue later this year 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.’’
Silver Fern Farms Finegand site manager Bronwyn Cairns, who lives in Gore, felt ‘‘almost quite emotional’’ at being named winner of the rural services category.
After leaving school, she went straight to Southland Frozen Meats plant in Mataura as a laboratory technician. She worked 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.
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.
Judge Kate Scott, chief executive of Horticulture New Zealand, was ‘‘truly inspired’’ by the remarkable stories of the Rural Champions and the profound impact they had on their communities.
‘‘This year’s finalists are exceptional, making the judging process incredibly tough. However, this year’s winners have distinguished themselves not only through their unwavering commitment and perseverance in their fields but also by the exemplary leadership they have each shown,” she said.
Fellow judge Blake Holgate, from Rabobank, was struck not only by the extraordinary efforts of the finalists, but the fact there were so many stories in rural communities of rural people doing amazing things for others - ‘‘to the point these stories aren’t actually the exception’’.
‘‘In lots of ways they are simply how rural communities operate which is really what makes rural communities so special,’’ Mr Holgate said.
