5.9 Two families – a case study
There are many similarities between David and Claire Golding and Rob and Jane Marsden. [ not real names] Both couples have strong marriages, including respect and independence as individuals. Both have school age children. One partner in each couple grew up on a farm. Both have sheep and beef farms in valleys, one on either side of State Highway 1. Both had help from family to purchase their farms; both men are involved in farm discussion groups, both couples are recognised as key families in their community, because of their involvement in, and contribution to the community. Three of the four parents are on primary school Boards of Trustees.
There are differences: David and Claire are slightly older than Rob and Jane, both being over 40, have a near debt free farm, [ as at February 1997] and live further from the town centre of Taihape. Rob and Jane live 15 kms though their road is sealed - all the way. David and Claire live at least twice this distance from town and must negotiate some unsealed roads which means they seldom arrive in town with a clean car. One male and one female in each couple grew up on family farms.
Background - farms: David and Claire live on the family farm which David purchased in his early twenties from extended family members, with help from a temporary business equity partner. Originally a portion of the farm had been a family farm but the equity in this portion had been lost two generations ago. Under David’s care and attention the farm has blossomed and is considered to be a ‘top farm’. David won a Farming Award in the 1990s.
The Golding’s farm is just under 3000 acres and carries 11000 stock units, the Marsden farm is 860 acres and carries 3300 stock units. This is Rob and Jane’ Marsden’s second farm. The first they purchased in 1984 with substantial help from both their families and an 85% Rural Bank loan. Their interest rates went from 7 to 17 to 23%. They sold that farm in 1993.
Rob and Jane demonstrate the difficulties faced for a long period because they borrowed so heavily on their first purchase. Even with substantial family investment, at no interest, if they had then sold their first farm it was worth less than they paid for it so they would have walked away unable to pay family what they owed, as well as the bank. "We owed it to Rob’s parents to hang about until we got the debt down."
Both families are meticulous with their budgets. Neither will spend unless they have the money. David draws a wage, and Claire an allowance from this wage. The farm operates as a company and is possibly worth over two million dollars. Though they know little of how others are faring, they say "we are probably performing in the top 25%". This gives them, they suggest, "a sense of security".
Rob and Jane are not as wealthy, in money terms. Their personal drawings are stringent- $15000 a year, which "the kids can eat", even though they grow many of their vegetables, keep hens, eat from the farm. "We need enough money to basically square the books, pay the bank and pay parents - I’m happy."
Background - people: David was brought up in a provincial town, went to a private boarding school, then spent a number of years as a shepherd before buying, with considerable difficulties, back into the farm at age 23. Claire lived in a rural town where her father was a stock agent. Claire attended Wanganui Girls College as a boarder, then trained as a nurse in Palmerston North, did additional training, then nursed for six years.
Rob’s father was a doctor in an urban area. Rob attended Rathkeale College but spent his school holidays on a relative’s farm in the Manawatu. He worked on farms in both the North and South Island before going to Massey to do an agricultural diploma course when he was in his 20’s. Jane grew up on a dairy farm in the Bay of Plenty; went to a state secondary school then to Massey where she completed a food technology degree.
Family: David and Claire have three children, one in her second year at a private girls boarding school; one in his first year at a preparatory school, the youngest at the local primary, 11 kms away. Rob and Jane have four children who attend the primary school some 12 kms distance away. Their eldest starts secondary school in 1998.
Both families have a parent/s living in other parts of the North Island. Both Claire and Jane’s mothers have debilitating illnesses that cause them concern, and worries over responsibilities about their care - short and long term.
Work on the farm: David and Claire have a clear separation of work. David runs the farm, Claire runs the house. Neither have outside paid work, except for BOT. David suggests he is working longer hours, seven days a week, with more pressures than ever before, especially with administrative matters. They employ two permanent members of staff.
Rob and Jane both worked on the farm before the children were born and still do so, though Jane also works at a variety of jobs, including lecturing at Massey and relieving teaching when opportunity arises. When, on occasions, money has been tight, Jane has been told "you have a good degree why don’t you go to work?" but she doesn’t want to do so. "I do feel as though you have to justify it to so many people. It’s a lot easier in our household if I’m not in paid work."
Rob works as a fishing guide whenever he can. He is being trained in this, and enjoys meeting new people - developing new skills, and loves fishing. "There’s more to life than slogging round the hills."
Community involvement: all four adults are involved in community activities - three holding positions of responsibility on Boards of Trustees, and the fourth in Home and School. All are heavily involved in school activities- fundraising, assistance with travel, sports teams. David spent two days in one week in February doing BOT work- such things as administration, getting to grips with performance appraisals, equal opportunity documents.
This involvement in BOTs takes a heavy toll not only in time. Rob, who has been involved in BOT matters for a number of years, said: "It’s probably been the worst years socially for me. You’re in the spotlight.[There are] so many people ready to dig the knife in if you make the wrong decision".
Both schools had an Education Review Office review late 1996. Rob said: "I make no excuses for apparent laxness - if they didn’t like the way I ran the school they could fire me on the spot."
Both Claire and Jane were involved in Plunket or kindergarten committees. Jane is a church official, assists with guides and scouts, plays tennis. Claire used to sing in a choir which raised funds for local charities, but distance and shuffling children between three schools and sporting activities has put paid to that interest at present.
Values, attitudes, hopes and concerns: All four adults are confident solid citizens - honest, thoughtful, caring, giving - to each other, to their children, to those around them. Both families believe in a farming as a lifestyle – "I love living here - it’s unique - there are a lot of positives". For Jane one of those positives is the idea of being able to work as a family. "It’s the only place where you can work as a partnership together with the flexibility of your own rhythms and styles." Both families aim to give their children the best possible education they can so the children can make a choice.
Selection of a secondary school is causing considerable angst at present for the Marsdens. "The financial ability of the farm is focusing on education. It’s going to cost us money to do it - to get four children through boarding school."
The Golding’s have preceded them. Daily attendance at a state secondary schooling was not an option because of the distance and travel difficulties. Claire said that in choosing a school for their eldest daughter there were a number of considerations. They wanted a small school, close to home for convenience of access. For their son, now in Form 1 and his first year as a boarder, it has been for academic, sporting and social reasons. He was often one of two boys in his class level at school, but the wrench is apparent. "You have to mentally prepare yourself for the kids going." Claire talks of it taking up to a year to get used to the children not being at home all the time, of continuing to miss them at the table for mealtimes, for instance.
Jane said she is not normally a worrier but she has worried more over this than anything else. In 1988 in an article published in the New Zealand Farmer Jane said: "we wont be able to afford boarding school later on" and yet both she and Rob have serious doubts about sending all, any, of their four children to the one local secondary school.
This is an issue raised by a number of people interviewed. For some there is no choice because there is no money to do otherwise. Most farmers in the area, however, send their children to Feilding Agricultural High or Palmerston North Boys, or Palmerston North Girls, or to Wanganui Girls. This means that Taihape College does not have a cross section of the population, that is, it has an imbalance. [ discussed later in the report] Rob and Jane know this, but want to provide the best education for each of their four children.
But Jane also wants her children at home - to be with them, and not miss out on their growing up. She considers not being able to participate each weekend in their sporting activities would be sad, even though this currently necessitates members of the family driving approximately 45kms to meet the rugby bus to Wanganui leaving at 8.15am on Saturdays.
This may be ‘luxury’ stress in contrast to families living in poverty, but it’s very real. All four adults have known stress in recent years; David and Claire because of a farm accident – "it made us realise our vulnerability", and Rob and Jane because they consider they made a number of wrong decisions in purchasing a farm. This led to a loss of confidence and, for a while, an inability to make decisions round the farm.
Claire suggested the distance they live from town can lead to "‘isolation-itis’. Living out here you have to really like yourself... I wonder at times if I’m getting too private - you have absolute total privacy here".
The future: David is the one who is questioning the worth of staying on the farm. He loves being a successful farmer and the lifestyle it affords him and his family, but he questions whether it is worth it - partly because of the returns he is getting on his investment, partly, one suspects, because of the pressure arising from the bureaucrats demanding "compliance and accountability with their insatiable appetite for policies and regulations...
I’m actively discouraging anyone [of the children] to come onto the farm - not for financial reasons - we’ve probably set ourselves up so we can afford family succession. It’s for economic reasons - the hours we work and the return we’re getting - it’s a joke".
Rob and Jane are not thinking this way. They enjoy the lifestyle, especially if given the chance to follow other interests and learn new skills. One or perhaps more of their children, may follow mum and dad into farming.
Contact for Enquiries
Rural Affairs Coordinator
Sector Performance Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0675
Fax: +64 4 4 894 0745
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