Intensive and arable crops – Grower, Chertsey, Ashburton, NZ
GROWTH AWARDS 2014 WINNER: COMMUNITY & PEOPLE
Ross was brought up on the family farm and then went into partnership with his brother to run the family operation. For over 20 years they grew a range of crops and farmed livestock. Ross then moved to the Canterbury Plains, where he now focuses on arable cropping, potatoes and export onions. The business has grown substantially over a decade, moving from 2-3 employees to 25-30 during peak periods, with 12-14 permanent staff. Ross and his wife run the farm with a farm manager, and their son is now also involved in the business.
Ross is passionate about assisting his employees to achieve their full potential through providing training opportunities to ensure they are up-to-date with the latest technology developments. Ross and his wife have also become leading advocates of promoting health and safety on-farm.
“Our operation has pressure points but if we can use simple philosophies it’s more enjoyable and people contribute.”