Friday, March 29, 2024

Crisis creates opportunities

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Yesterday we had planned to host a large gathering of farmers and industry people to celebrate our win of the Westpac Bayleys Marlborough Farmer of the Year 2019 title. With a large part of New Zealand facing the challenge of drought we were excited about the chance to share with those interested the values and principles behind the people and the systems here at Bonavaree.
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While I’m more comfortable verbally communicating I thought I would try to put something in text to share at this challenging time for us all. 

At Bonavaree we are incredibly passionate about what we do. 

We thrive on building systems and engaging people to help us all grow and develop. Those who find what they’re passionate about and spend their time in this space will have greater success and happiness.

During our first earthquake, in 2013, I learned shit always happens and sometimes it’s big. Like earthquakes, covid-19 and winning the Marlborough Farmer of the Year. 

And sometimes it’s smaller, like the neighbour’s ram lamb getting in with your ewes. 

What’s important is how we deal with the tough stuff. That’s what I believe defines us.

In the fast-paced lives we lead the most important things can sometimes be misplaced in priority. In times of our biggest challenges we are reminded of what’s most important in life. Looking after ourselves, our loved ones, our neighbours and friends. 

Communication is always important. 

Communicate regulaarly and often. 

It’s vital for us and all those around us. Let our family, friends, staff and anyone else who supports us know what we are thinking and how we feel. Ask them for their thoughts and feelings so we can build relationships to survive the biggest challenges. Be aware we sometimes can speak in a tone and context to those closest to us, our partners, that we wouldn’t communicate to others. Communicate our story.  

A lot of my time is spent around building and maintaining relationships. 

Strong, healthy relationships have been essential for us at Bonavaree to build and grow our business to the stage it is at now. 

We have chosen over the past years, where possible, to build relationships with only individuals and companies who are passionate about what they do. 

We try to surround ourselves with people. We have learned so many things by engaging with people over the years and that continues daily. We also get great satisfaction out of feeling like we have helped someone and that is why we spend so much time helping community organisations and individuals.

Getting myself into a healthy head space has been important. 

Focus on the positives and our strengths. Engage others, where possible, to help with tasks you don’t enjoy. 

Time spent thinking about things that are out of our control is time that should be spent elsewhere. 

Physical exercise and being physically fit help us to be in a healthy head space. 

Me-time, time for myself, I have learned is most important. 

Often it is the first thing we cut out of our lives as we get busy with partners, children and work. 

I have learned that me-time is essential to our own wellbeing. 

For me it is playing hockey. This is a time I can forget about everything else that’s going on in my life and chase a ball and some people half my age around a field before sharing a beer and a completely different conversation with them. I had three years out with injury and surgery and during that time didn’t replace hockey with something else for me-time. 

Getting back into it last year took me to a level of well being I hadn’t felt for three years. Me-time for you could be going for a walk, maybe having a drink with friends. Whatever it is, find it and prioritise it.

Be proactive, drive your own bus. Don’t wait to react and let someone else drive. It is easy for us to be busy working. Make sure we are working on the best things.

Celebrate your wins. When times are tough the wins might seem small but really celebrate them. Thank and congratulate those involved.

Every time I hear about a high performing individual or business what I’ve learnt is they all do the basics very well. They have a plan with an end goal. They understand where they are at with comprehensive measuring and monitoring and many of us struggle with that. Their timing of process is very deliberate and they know where they want to get to.

The great news for the rest of us is that a lot of what they do isn’t rocket science. 

Having kept up to date on covid-19 from the beginning I have been pleased that to date everything that has happened I saw and felt before it had happened. That has given me strength and confidence in my own thoughts.

We have found ourselves in this very privileged and important position of being considered an essential business while our nation is in lockdown. 

At Bonavaree we are very dry and the team has been spending a lot of time doing maintenance work and training, which, to us, is important but I didn’t believe essential in a lock down. 

At the start of the week I discussed it with the team and built a plan around managing through this period. 

We have three of the team off-farm in their family bubbles ready to come back in if needed. 

The other four of us are doing essential tasks then spending the rest of the day in our own bubbles. 

We want to show those who aren’t in essential businesses we realise the privileged position we have and respect it. This is a real opportunity for our sector to reinforce our perceived position as the nation’s backbone but, as always, we have to play our part.

Lately I have been asking fellow farmers how the All Blacks react when the rules, in which our national game is played on the field, change.

Do we really think our industry can go through time without rule changes? Change is something we have learned happens and we actively embrace it at Bonavaree. Be involved in shaping our future.

There will be more opportunity over the next period of time than there’s ever been before. Let’s make sure we have our eyes open to see it.

I like to be challenged. That is when I get my greatest growth. I have had two challenges I think have turned into great opportunities over the past few weeks for us all to take on with innovative thinking.

All sectors have struggled with a shortage of labour over recent years. This is a chance for our sector to attract and retain talented and passionate individuals. 

When times are tough, physical and social interaction is essential in helping our mental and emotional wellbeing. That form of interaction has been taken away from us. We need to adapt and find new ways of doing it.

We look forward to hosting you at Bonavaree at our field day sometime in the future. The positives in the delay are that we are involved in many exciting projects on-farm and will be able to share those with you in more detail by then. 

Until then, keep communicating. Take care and thank you all for helping us be who we are today.

We will get through this together.

Who am I?
Fraser Avery is a Marlborough sheep and beef farmer.

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