Amber Carpenter and her husband Fraser manage three farms in Paparimu, South Auckland – one share milking 550 cows and two beef blocks stocking 450 units at peak.
They also have two young kids, so life is busy on all fronts.
Carpenter worked inthe fashion industry before getting into farming in 2007.
Here, she speaks to The Country's Rowena Duncum about that transition from fashion to running multiple farming operations while juggling a young family during a global pandemic.
Many are hard to predict or control. They range from climate events like drought and flood to fluctuations in commodity prices, changing government legislation and new technology.
Along with these external factors, come the demands of running any business – financial and production planning, managing cash flow, hiring and managing staff, succession planning etc.
These pressures aren't going to disappear so it's vital that farmers develop the skills and resilience to cope.
Research shows many farmers are great at looking after their equipment and stock, but, like other New Zealanders, they can neglect their own wellbeing.
As an industry, we can't afford to let these pressures reach the point where they damage productivity and affect the lives of families.
Farmstrong is an initiative to help farmers, growers and their families to cope with the ups and downs of farming by sharing things they can do to look after themselves and the people in their business.
