Rakaia Gorge sheep and beef farmer Ross Bowmar.
New Zealanders often hear about farmers being the backbone of the country, but do we really know what makes the primary industries tick?
With that in mind, The Country’s Kem Ormond has compiled a list of questions for everyday Kiwis in agriculture.
This week, it’s Ross Bowmar’s turn.
Ross and his wife Jess farm at Redcliff’s Station in the Rakaia Gorge.
The property runs 8500 stock units over 1935ha, consisting of Merino sheep and Angus cattle.
The couple have three children, aged 7, 3, and almost 1.
They recently opened Braided Point, a tourism accommodation business on the property, overlooking the 2km-wide Rakaia river valley.
In addition, Ross is a director at the Alliance Group, EA Networks, and chairman of the meat and wool section of Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers.
What drew you to agriculture?
I grew up in Southland in a passionate farming family.
The family was always focused on turning out the highest-quality stock.
This background provides you with a comprehensive understanding of how rewarding farming is alongside an appreciation for the challenges.
No surprise, then, that I attended Lincoln University, where I completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science with first-class honours.
I always took the approach that if you put in the effort, then the career opportunities will come.
This then led to a fully funded Master of Agricultural Economics at Michigan State University, then over a decade working for the largest agricultural processing company of plants in the world (ADM) across the US, Canada, and Australia, and finally as the head of NZ.
Now I’m fortunate enough to farm my wife’s family farm along with our children, who are the fifth generation.
It was an opportunity that was too good to turn down as it would never come around again. Though occasionally, you do miss the regular paycheck and free cash flow!
What excites you about each day? What gets you up in the morning?
The best thing about being a sheep and beef farmer is every day is different.
Even if you know what needs to be done, the weather and markets will keep you sharp and on your toes.
In addition, my other off-farm roles mean I am able to contribute to trying to enable and better the outcomes for farmers and the wider community through multiple touchpoints.
And to ensure the commercial skills I developed don’t become too rusty.
What’s the biggest challenge your industry is facing – right now, or looking into the future?
The biggest challenge at present is the lack of profitability.
As per Beef & Lamb reports, many farmers are going backwards financially.
Thankfully, product prices are slowly improving and interest rates are declining, which will make a significant difference going forward.
What is your wish for agriculture?
That we develop industry structures that facilitate the rapid development and adoption of cutting-edge technologies.
Specifically, the export dollars earned and the cost structures deployed to produce the products leave enough headroom to allow for innovation and technology adoption.
And that the regulatory environment is minimised to ensure enablement not impediment.
What would you like non-farmers to know about your role/industry?
The more farmers earn, the more they spend.
All of the money earned from offshore ultimately flows through to all New Zealanders.
Therefore, a strong viable farming industry benefits all New Zealanders and leads to a higher standard of living.
We travel back to where it all began, with a near-naked crew covered in body paint.