Federated Farmers: West Coast couple take wider outlook

Jon and Vicki Nicholls.

The winners of the national Dairy Industry Federated Farmers Leadership Award hugely enjoy the lifestyle that goes with running their business, but they also look beyond their farm for fulfilment.

Jon and Vicki Nicholls, who have three young daughters, run nearly 500 cows in a 50/50 partnership on Greenmile Farm near Murchison, where Vicki is the fourth generation to farm on the property since 1911.

The couple were named 2017 West Coast/Top of the South Share Farmers of the Year, and also picked up the Dairy NZ Human Resources, Federated Farmers Leadership and Meridian Energy Farm Environment Awards for the region.

Judges of the Feds national award that his to say: "Both Jon and Vicki are actively involved in their local community. Jon's recent promotion within the Murchison volunteer fire brigade shows a huge commitment, with a significant amount of time spent off farm.

Jon and Vicki are also allowing access to the river that flows through their farm, for public recreational use. Jon has extensive skills and knowledge within the dairy industry that he is prepared to share unselfishly, to help with the extension of information to other farmers."

Jon joined the volunteer brigade three years ago and because dayshift crews are often short, ends up being officer in charge. Because of the Kaikoura-Hurunui earthquakes' disruption, SH1 now comes through Murchison, adding to the brigade's workload. There have been only two fires in the district so far this year but more than 50 call-outs to road crashes.

He says he joined to give back to the community "but also to meet people who aren't farmers.

"The reality is farmers tends to socialise with other farmers, and that's great. But actually it's quite neat to also have friends who aren't farmers, and perhaps there are some good benefits that go both ways in that sort of relationship."

"Jon joined to the local volunteer fire brigade to give back to the community "but also to meet people who aren't farmers"

He and Vicki enjoy farming, and the business is profitable. "But Vicki and I don't have any ambition to be the largest dairy farmers in the country.

"We've done large scale farming early in our careers and there are aspects of that which we're not sure we enjoyed enough personally.

"In order to keep things going forward and the business growing, it may well be outside dairy farming. That will always be the core but that may spill off into other ventures."

Jon feels it's important to have a wide network of people to call on for friendship and advice, and vice-versa. For example, one of the couple's good friends owns a local river rafting business.

"He has a very different outlook on life to mine, but it's a positive knowing someone like that because they challenge the personal beliefs you've held over the years."

He has also enjoyed involvement with the Massey University/Fonterra governance training programme. While it's been tough to find the time for the couple to take on too much industry involvement with the rollercoaster ride in dairy prices in the last 12 months, they have been very committed to the local community.

With the extra confidence gained from the Fonterra distance learning, Jon is getting stuck into his role as vice-chair of the local school board, and growing involvement with the South Island Dairy Event (SIDE).

Their varied backgrounds mean the couple have a pretty comprehensive skillset.
Vicki was raised on the family farm and has taken on a few short term farm assistant roles in Canterbury but her first jobs were in the hospitality sector. A passion for horses led her to polo grooming, and she was an extra in The Lord of the Rings.

After gaining a degree in agriculture in the UK, Jon came to New Zealand and worked on dairy farms for three years. He joined FarmWise as a consultant in the Bay of Plenty, rising up the ranks to become National Manager from 2010-2013.

The regional Human Resources Award recognises the effort they put in to be good employers.

"This is our fourth season on the farm and the young lady who is our full-timer has been with us for three of those," Jon says. "She actually left after 18 months to try something else but nine months later she was knocking on our door to see if she could have her old job back.

"That's been really positive."

Jon and Vicki believe the best way to motivate staff is to work alongside them, encourage them and ensure they are picking up the new skills they want to pick up.

"Equally, it's about understanding where the gaps are. Sometimes you can't upskill people into those gaps. Fine, we all have weaknesses.

"With our different skills, [the full-timer] and I complement each other as a team."

Jon says it helps to accommodate the goals staff have outside work, such as being flexible about enabling someone to play netball on Saturday, and to go to the social events that are important to them. Another example of flexibility is that staff are allowed to buy back a week of annual leave, if the money is more important to them.

The Nicholls like to acknowledge staff successes, for example they held a celebration lunch for a young girl employed over summer when her NCEA grades came in and she went off to Lincoln University.

Jon always tries to say 'thank-you' to anyone who has worked for them that day, even if it has to be over the radio sometimes rather than face-to-face.

"It's about accumulating goodwill, in a way. That can end up cutting both ways."
But he's also "hot" on performance issues, documenting problems and improvement plans.

"I think sometimes folk are nervous about having those harder conversations but from our experience it's been a positive. Often they've end up addressing issues we've had but other times it has made it clear to the person it's not going to work. They've chosen to move on because they've recognised they weren't able, or willing, to improve."