Worthington Agriculture has grown from a part-time hedge mulching operation into a broadscale contracting business supporting farmers across Taranaki, with owner Shayden Worthington building his business around practical service, strong relationships and an understanding of life on the land. Worthington Agriculture now offers hedge mulching, cultivation, drilling, round baling, hay and silage, pit silage with loader wagons and general agricultural contracting.
Shayden says steady growth and farmer demand have driven the business forward since it began in 2021. Since then, Worthington Agriculture has expanded through strategic purchases. “I bought a spray business, then a cultivation & cropping business, and last year, I bought a silage business,” Shayden says. “I dropped the spraying side because it was too hard to manage both spraying and silage, and I wanted to give the silage and cropping operations full attention to ensure efficiency.”
The move into silage work made sense after Shayden had already been involved with the operation as an owner-operator for a couple of years. “I knew the customers, the workload and the business was just up the road, so bringing it into my own business was a natural fit.”
“Farmers here [in Central Taranaki] work hard, and the community is close. That is what makes it a great place to be involved in agriculture.”
Worthington Agriculture now supports a loyal client base throughout Central Taranaki, with hedge mulching work taking the team further afield when needed. “Farmers like knowing who is coming onto their farm and building a relationship with the drivers or with me,” Shayden says. “And we all take a lot of pride in our work.” Worthington Agriculture employs one full-time worker and several experienced seasonal staff during the busy months.
Weather has been the biggest challenge this season, with persistent rain creating strong grass growth but making contracting work difficult. “The rain was good for growth, but hard work for us,” Shayden says. “We had short weather windows, so when the chance was there, we had to move quickly.” That has required careful planning and sometimes splitting work across more farms so everyone receives a little pressure relief. “At times, we might do five hectares instead of twenty just to get around more people and keep everyone happy.” Wet conditions also impacted haymaking, with fewer opportunities to get crops dry enough to bale.
Like many rural contractors, rising fuel costs remain another pressure point. “We cannot carry all of that cost, so sadly some of it has to be passed on,” Shayden says. A farming background, combined with his diesel mechanic experience, has also helped control machinery costs. “It definitely helps being a mechanic. I still need people to help with urgent repairs, but I can do most of the work myself when I have time, and that keeps costs down.”
With expansion largely complete, Shayden says the focus is now on upgrading machinery and improving efficiency, including a recent investment in a new McHale Fusion Vario plus baler. “Central Taranaki can be challenging to farm because the mountain attracts a lot of rain, but it does grow great grass,” he says. “Farmers here work hard, and the community is close. That is what makes it a great place to be involved in agriculture.”
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