Lone Star Farms has been named a finalist for the Rabobank People and Development Award at the 2024 Beef + Lamb New Zealand Awards, further solidifying its reputation as an employer of choice. Lone Star Farms has seven farms across the South Island with about 95,000 stock units, two of which are leased. The Nelson headquartered company employs 35 people. The farming company is overseen by an advisory board supported by a strong leadership team. While it has a corporate structure, Lone Star Farms GM Southern Farms Matt Smith says it maintains the values of a family farm.
“It’s great to be recognised for all the effort we put into this aspect of our business. Our staff are everything to us, so we want the best for them and to help them progress in any way that we can,” he says. “All permanent staff have individual personal development plans, and we are progressively developing this process,” Matt explains. “If positions become available within the company, we have a policy to advertise in-house first to give our current staff a chance to progress. Three out of the current seven farm managers have worked for us in the past. We also support staff with some of their training costs depending on the course and the benefit it will have.”
The larger farms all have a Farm Manager, a Stock Manager and usually a couple of Block Managers as well as shepherds and general farm hands. “The Block Manager role is an opportunity for an experienced shepherd to start to take on responsibility around stock management, feed budgeting and staff management but in a very supportive environment. We are trying to grow them into becoming our next Stock Manager, so if this opportunity arises, they have some experience of the skills required. The same opportunity exists for Stock Managers to progress into Farm Management roles.”
All staff are encouraged to go to field days. “A big one is the Headwaters Muster in July. This is an opportunity to network with like-minded farmers, get an understanding of the factors that are having an impact on the industry and celebrate the achievements of the Lumina lamb program,” Matt explains. Farm and Stock Managers attend three ‘Focus Days’ a year. These get the managers and stock managers off the farm and looking at their business ‘from the balcony rather than being on the dance floor.’ These days usually encompass a field trip to look at a business or another farming operation.
“For the last 18 months, we have included a Leadership coach at these days to help build the leadership skills of our management team – to make sure that we are developing our next batch of leaders. Managers, Stock Managers and more experienced Block Managers have monthly sessions with the GM and Business Manager focusing on financial topics, helping them to get an understanding of what is required as a Farm Manager in the financial and budgeting space.”
The 2IC group, facilitated by farm consultant Pete Young, aims to broaden the Block Managers’ and some of the shepherds’ farming knowledge and meets five times a year. “We are trying to prepare them for more senior roles in the future. It is also a good opportunity for staff across the farms to catch up and see how our other farms operate.”
Primary ITO courses are encouraged as part of the staff’s Personal Development Plans. To help staff complete these courses, managers often set time aside during the week for the staff member to complete their paperwork.
“If we can teach and be part of some of the next generation of farmers coming through, and they have learned to farm in a sustainable manner, we are having a positive impact on the red meat sector.”
“Staff retention is also a key focus for us. Around 20 of our staff are in shepherding or general roles, and if you work on the basis that usually a shepherd will last two years, then, in theory, we should be replacing 10 staff per year across the organisation. Currently, we would be lucky to replace five per year.”
“Also, we have multiple staff that has previously worked for LSF and have returned to the organisation. Culture is something that you need to keep working at as it’s forever changing and the people within the organisation need to buy into the culture. To help with this, our managers employ attitude and fit rather than skill level; we believe if they have the right attitude, you can teach them anything.”
Lone Star Farms partners with Rural Coach for training and development. Matt says its partnership with Rural Coach has worked out very well. All Rural Coach’s coaching processes and resources have been developed by drawing on real case studies, which helps to make the training more helpful and applicable on the farm. Lone Star Farms also uses Matai Consultants, who have completed irrigation and dam designs and are now gaining consent for a new water storage dam to go on its sheep and beef farm in the Hakataramea Valley – just another example of its ongoing commitment to investing in its farms, to ensure they remain viable for future generations.
“One of our Farms – Caberfeidh, has been involved in the Growing Future Farmer program for the last two years with first and second-year students on the farm each year. These students have a job with us once they have graduated if they want to stay within the family,” Matt explains. We have a saying ‘Farming Better Every Day.’ If we can teach and be part of some of the next generation of farmers coming through, and they have learned to farm in a sustainable manner, which has a positive impact on the environment, animals, community and people, that is how we are having a positive impact on the red meat sector.”
“We also currently have three share farming relationships going at the moment ‘Star Partners,’ this is where we support young couples who have just started leasing and are short on capital and provide a proportion of stock (either grazing or share farming) which helps the farmers with cash flow. We currently have 9,500 ewes in these relationships. The key aspect to make this relationship work is the people and making sure that we have the same values,” Matt explains.
Having People and Development Award finalist recognition from Beef + Lamb New Zealand gives Lone Star Farms further confidence that it is making a positive contribution to its people and the industry as a whole.
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