American station buyers take citizenship

Emily Crofoot

An American family that owns Castlepoint Station in the Wairarapa has taken out New Zealand citizenship - only a few years after being targeted in a storm of controversy over foreign ownership of farmland.

The Crofoots - Anders, Emily and their two children, David and Sarah - yesterday took part in a citizenship ceremony in Masterton District Council chambers to officially become Kiwis.

New Yorkers Anders and Emily Crofoot bought the 3000ha station east of Masterton in 1998, but in 2002 were featured in a poster campaign opposing foreign ownership of New Zealand land. The posters, plastered around central Auckland and Wellington, urged people to save Castlepoint from foreign influence, and called the Crofoots "All American Trust Fund Babies". They alleged the family "has been buying land and people's jobs".

"These are the type of Americans that make people want to blow buildings up," the poster claimed.

Mr Crofoot said at the time he believed the posters had been distributed by an American tourist unhappy over his stay at Castlepoint Holiday Park, also owned by the Crofoots.

Mr Crofoot said yesterday he made the move to New Zealand not only for a love of the country but to pursue a passion for farming.

"New Zealand's farming system is quite unique and in terms of raising livestock the move made a hell of a lot of sense compared to the intensive farming in the United States."

Mr Crofoot said Castlepoint Station carried sheep and cattle, a change from when he farmed in New York state, where sheep presented management problems.

"We had to cope with stray dogs, coyotes and foxes."

Mr Crofoot said it had always been the family's intention to become New Zealand citizens.

Mrs Crofoot had first visited New Zealand when she was 18 and had "fallen in love with it".

When the couple married, they honeymooned here for six weeks. They subsequently returned for regular holidays.

A decision to permanently swap New York County for Castlepoint was timed to not interfere too greatly with their children's schooling.

David is now 16 with "a wicked Kiwi accent" and Sarah is 14 and still has "somewhat of an American accent, but it is more a hybrid", Mr Crofoot said. She is a student at St Matthew's Collegiate and David, after leaving Wairarapa College, is at the Raglan Surfing Academy.

- NZPA