Although Federated Farmers has found farmer confidence to be slipping, not every farmer feels that way.
The latest Farm Confidence survey shows that 66% of farmers consider the current economic climate to be bad, which is up 11% since January.
However, there are farmers who are keeping a more proactive, positive outlook, knowing that farming is a longterm game.
Mark Guscott of Glen Eden Farm in South Wairarapa told Kerre Woodham that he tries to associate himself with clever and on to it people, because otherwise it just drags you down.
He said that if you associate yourself with negative people, it just becomes a spiral.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the carry Wood and Mornings podcast from
News Talk said B. As you will have heard our news,
farmer confidence is continuing to fall Federated farmers. The latest
farm Confidence survey shows sixty six percent consider the current
economic climate to be bad, and that's up eleven percent
since January. But this time last week I was supposed
(00:29):
to be talking to a group of farmers at the
Beef and Lamb Conference and in the preliminary chats that
we had they had a different take on things. They're
very proactive, very positive, understand that things aren't optimal at
the moment, but that farming's are long term game and
joining me now is one of those farmers. Mark Guskett
(00:50):
from glen ead and Farm in the South Wide at
Upper Very good morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Mark, A morning, Carrie. How are you well.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I'm good, thank you. But honestly, so often we hear
from farmers only when they're bad, or they're mad, or
they're sad, and it's very seldom that you that you
hear from farmers who are like, you know what, today
is a great day.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
You know that stuff doesn't put the new cycle, that
does it. Sorry to get into the media but you
know that's out us sometimes, isn't it. They an't good news,
don't tell stories.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Well, you're right, And also, I guess if you are
enjoying your life and enjoying your farming and accepting the
ups and downs that come with farming and understand what
farming is, you're not going to be lobbying or ringing
or complaining or you're just get on with it.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeah. Yeah, you just get on with it. I mean
we're all, we're all. I mean most farmers are just
too busy to be doing lobbying and that sort of stuff.
And where she quiet into what we do. So got
animals look after and put some pieces, so you just
get all the things.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Yeah, and that's that's kind of what I mentioned, because
there has just been Yeah, the media has kind of
focused on the mad, the bad, and the sad, and
yet that's a tiny, tiny proportion of farming as a whole.
When we open up the conversation around farming, we hear
from so many who love a frosty morning and getting
out there with the animals and not having anyone who's
(02:15):
your boss. And there's a lot to love about.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
What you do. Yeah, we're pretty lucky. I mean, I
mean before I was farming with it a few years
as a banker, and I mean you do a bit
of office stuff and and what I disfigured it wasn't
for me. And I was lucky enough to have an
opportunity to come farming on our family and our family business,
and I'd love it. I mean, I don't want to
do anything else. I'll probably there's probably whether there's opportunities
(02:40):
for me else where, I don't know, but you know,
I don't want to do anything else. That's you know,
you're outside every day year and even if it's cold
and weat, you can come inside and do inside jobs.
So now you get it. It's pretty good.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
What and is that pretty much reflected in the people
that you talk to, the people that you hang out with.
I mean, because monas will find monas, and and positive
leaders within the any industry will find their own kind
as well. What is it like on the farm? Really?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, you're right. I mean I got a bunch of
mates that are pretty positive, and you know, they've good
at what they do, and so I try and associate
myself and hang out with was like you just said,
clear of people, and you onto it people and positive people,
because it's just dregs you down. Like farming's pretty hard,
and honestly, farming isn't straightforward. We all know that. But
you just got to get on with it. And I
(03:32):
think that if you associate yourself with negative people, it's
just becomes a spiral, doesn't it. Then that's kind of
like a basic psychology type thing. I imagine, not being
a psychologist, of course, but yeah, but like I can
understand why all those surveys are negative because it's not
straightforward at the moment, Like the weather's always playing havoc
for things. I mean, obviously cyclones last year were pretty
(03:54):
bad for the for up the coaster bit, and you know,
there's economic downturns and stuff. But you know, honestly, and farming,
we've been here before all of the time, you know.
And I mean I'm about to kick over twenty years
on our own account, my wife and I and so yeah,
I mean we haven't seen everything, but we've seen a bit. Yeah,
and you just got to get on with it. I mean,
(04:14):
if you're worried about the little downturns every I'm need
to worry about and you know, you know those of
us who've got kids, you know, there's always something to
worry about. It doesn't matter where they're age two or twenty. Yeah,
it's just another thing. It's got to get on with it.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
And when it comes to farming, the thing that I
really love about our farmers is that science and farming
has gone together hand in hand ever since the first
farmers were farming the land here and it doesn't really
matter what they farm and constantly and with the new
blood coming into farming, they're constantly looking for new and
better ways of doing thing, with the young farmers telling
(04:49):
their mums and dads how things should be done in
the old card to roll their eyes and step away.
But you know, like it's your farmer, isn't it. That's
non GMO project verification. And you're the first and producers
globally to have a Global Animal Partnership step for accreditation.
(05:11):
So you're constantly looking to improve things for your stock,
for the farm, for the consumer.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, well, you do have to have that focus on
what people actually want to buy. Like I mean, we
could farm differently if we just want to farm what
we from, what's easy for the farm and for the land,
but you actually have to have a view on what
people want to buy and what people want to eat,
what future might look like. And so that's why we've
sort of we've been associated with Airkins run to a
(05:39):
marketing land marketing company that goes into North America and
so that's where you know all their lamb supplier is
non GMO. I mean that's pretty easy in New Zealand
to be fair. But also we've got the GAP certification
what SUNDS for Global Animal Partnership, which is an animal
a high animal welfare standard, but we're certified independently for that.
(05:59):
And then we've got another sort of a regenerative egg
certification through another outfit in the States called SO and
that's that basically tell the season. We're independently verified of
looking after our land with a long term view. So
and all these are all things that customers want overseas.
So why wouldn't we do that? To be honest, Yeah,
(06:21):
it makes no sense to me to people to produce
what people If you produce stuff that no one wants
to buy, it just doesn't sound like a good business
plan to me.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
So what kind of heart would you say farming is
in at the moment? Like when I spoke to a
number of you before the conference. You sounded really kind
of energized and excited about the possibilities of farming, which
is not something I had heard through the media.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Yeah, well, I think I mean, like you say, like
I think you said earlier, we're quote me personally or
my wife and I, we're quite aware of the of
the ups and downs in it, but we have to
look through that. And like I'm lucky enough to have
a little bit of multi ancestry, so you have to
think so that, you know, that just encourages me to
think in one hundred year blocks of fame because you
(07:06):
have to. I mean, you invest in your land, and
your land will always be here and will be here
long before I'm gone, long after I've gone, and so
we've got to do what's right for the land. And
if you hear long enough, you can kind of almost
feel it down a bit.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
I know what you mean.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
When you see when animals are healthy, you know they're
running around, skipping around in the paddocks and stuff, and
it's it's excuse my languages, that's not bullshit. You can
see it. So ask any farmer that and you can
see it. So it's quite cool.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
So in amongst all the high interest rates and the
bank's been difficult and obstruperous, and and you know, a
whole bunch of towneys that have completely disconnected from the
land and have no idea what goes on on farms?
Is there still joy to be had and waking up
every day as a farmer?
Speaker 2 (07:55):
I reckon there is. Yeah, I love it. Like I
when we start at sort of the summit to our wallshit,
I've got a I've got three other guys that work
here with us. You know, we go and have a
cup of tea and a bit of a youn and
talk about what's happening and the ups and downs and things,
make a plan. You know, they're they're they're good people.
I like hanging out with good people. So you know,
(08:16):
then you get to go out and do you know,
you might be driving in the track to feeding out
some Baylor's or moving some animals around, or sometimes doing
some office work. But that's just how it is.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
You know.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
It's it's a bloody good place to to to raise
kids and have a life. And you know it's okay,
it's great. I love it. I wouldn't want to be
doing anything else, that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Do you wish that you heard more conversations like that
in the media or in a wider forum rather than
just focusing on those who are just you know, really tybe.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
I mean, you always want to hear that stuff, but
I don't know, I don't know you know how you
could do it, because I mean, coming there's there's lots
of just we call them discussion groups, which are like
business focus things where you go to each other's farms
and you talk about the ups and downs and you
critique each other's business and it's really open and they're
they're really powerful. I mean, obviously that's not something that
(09:10):
someone like yourself would be into because it's you know,
you can get a quite technical but pretty positive places
and they're good for you know, farmers mental health and
stuff to get out and just to the fat with
other farmers and discuss the problems. The problem shares a
problem hard type stuff, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Yeah, And so when we look at this kind of
farmer confidence because of the current economic climate and the
lake taking a longer, you can you see that changing,
like there will always be ups and downs in terms
of how you're feeling about about business.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Yeah, I think so. I mean, farming is by naven
anyone who's been in farming more than a year or two. No,
it's quite cyclical. And so you have these times. You know,
we've just been you know, we're coming off this high
inflation thing that you know that I was. I was
a kid in the eighties, and you know, farming was
a lot harder than they had. High inflation and high
interest rates as well. They're a lot higher, so it
was probably harder. But you know where this maybe this
(10:06):
is our version of that, I'm not too sure, but
it's definitely cyclical. And and I'll be lucky enough for
that constrance to go to supermarkets in California and you know,
you sort of see that it's it's a it's a
real mindfield to produce it, to produce the right stuff
and get it on a supermarket shelf and get it right.
But when it does it, it's actually pays off really well.
(10:27):
And there's there's a lot of demand around the world
is a very big place, and so yeah, I'm really
confident and all the all the consumer trends and all
point towards ongoing increases in meat product meat consumption, not
huge amounts, but it might be like three to four
percent a year increases. So we're in the right game,
I think, especially the type of farming with you know,
(10:49):
with high welfare, you know, all that sort of stuff.
That's all important stuff. So it seems to me that
the world wants that stuff.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Fantastic, lovely to talk with you, Mark mark Uske at
Glenaden Farms and south Ward and Upper farmer confidence is
continuing to fall in our news, but according to Mark,
that's not the full story about what's happening at farmers.
There are a lot of farmers who are just getting
on with it, who are doing fine, who are reading
the room as regards the world, know what the world wants,
(11:17):
moving with the times, and they're positive.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
For more from carry Wood and Mornings.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Listen live to News Talks a B from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the carry Wood and Mornings podcast from
News Talk said B. As you will have heard our news,
farmer confidence is continuing to fall Federated farmers. The latest
farm Confidence survey shows sixty six percent consider the current
economic climate to be bad, and that's up eleven percent
since January. But this time last week I was supposed
(00:29):
to be talking to a group of farmers at the
Beef and Lamb Conference and in the preliminary chats that
we had they had a different take on things. They're
very proactive, very positive, understand that things aren't optimal at
the moment, but that farming's are long term game and
joining me now is one of those farmers. Mark Guskett
(00:50):
from glen ead and Farm in the South Wide at
Upper Very good morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Mark, A morning, Carrie. How are you well.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
I'm good, thank you. But honestly, so often we hear
from farmers only when they're bad, or they're mad, or
they're sad, and it's very seldom that you that you
hear from farmers who are like, you know what, today
is a great day.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
You know that stuff doesn't put the new cycle, that
does it. Sorry to get into the media but you
know that's out us sometimes, isn't it. They an't good news,
don't tell stories.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Well, you're right, And also, I guess if you are
enjoying your life and enjoying your farming and accepting the
ups and downs that come with farming and understand what
farming is, you're not going to be lobbying or ringing
or complaining or you're just get on with it.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeah. Yeah, you just get on with it. I mean
we're all, we're all. I mean most farmers are just
too busy to be doing lobbying and that sort of stuff.
And where she quiet into what we do. So got
animals look after and put some pieces, so you just
get all the things.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Yeah, and that's that's kind of what I mentioned, because
there has just been Yeah, the media has kind of
focused on the mad, the bad, and the sad, and
yet that's a tiny, tiny proportion of farming as a whole.
When we open up the conversation around farming, we hear
from so many who love a frosty morning and getting
out there with the animals and not having anyone who's
(02:15):
your boss. And there's a lot to love about.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
What you do. Yeah, we're pretty lucky. I mean, I
mean before I was farming with it a few years
as a banker, and I mean you do a bit
of office stuff and and what I disfigured it wasn't
for me. And I was lucky enough to have an
opportunity to come farming on our family and our family business,
and I'd love it. I mean, I don't want to
do anything else. I'll probably there's probably whether there's opportunities
(02:40):
for me else where, I don't know, but you know,
I don't want to do anything else. That's you know,
you're outside every day year and even if it's cold
and weat, you can come inside and do inside jobs.
So now you get it. It's pretty good.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
What and is that pretty much reflected in the people
that you talk to, the people that you hang out with.
I mean, because monas will find monas, and and positive
leaders within the any industry will find their own kind
as well. What is it like on the farm? Really?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, you're right. I mean I got a bunch of
mates that are pretty positive, and you know, they've good
at what they do, and so I try and associate
myself and hang out with was like you just said,
clear of people, and you onto it people and positive people,
because it's just dregs you down. Like farming's pretty hard,
and honestly, farming isn't straightforward. We all know that. But
you just got to get on with it. And I
(03:32):
think that if you associate yourself with negative people, it's
just becomes a spiral, doesn't it. Then that's kind of
like a basic psychology type thing. I imagine, not being
a psychologist, of course, but yeah, but like I can
understand why all those surveys are negative because it's not
straightforward at the moment, Like the weather's always playing havoc
for things. I mean, obviously cyclones last year were pretty
(03:54):
bad for the for up the coaster bit, and you know,
there's economic downturns and stuff. But you know, honestly, and farming,
we've been here before all of the time, you know.
And I mean I'm about to kick over twenty years
on our own account, my wife and I and so yeah,
I mean we haven't seen everything, but we've seen a bit. Yeah,
and you just got to get on with it. I mean,
(04:14):
if you're worried about the little downturns every I'm need
to worry about and you know, you know those of
us who've got kids, you know, there's always something to
worry about. It doesn't matter where they're age two or twenty. Yeah,
it's just another thing. It's got to get on with it.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
And when it comes to farming, the thing that I
really love about our farmers is that science and farming
has gone together hand in hand ever since the first
farmers were farming the land here and it doesn't really
matter what they farm and constantly and with the new
blood coming into farming, they're constantly looking for new and
better ways of doing thing, with the young farmers telling
(04:49):
their mums and dads how things should be done in
the old card to roll their eyes and step away.
But you know, like it's your farmer, isn't it. That's
non GMO project verification. And you're the first and producers
globally to have a Global Animal Partnership step for accreditation.
(05:11):
So you're constantly looking to improve things for your stock,
for the farm, for the consumer.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, well, you do have to have that focus on
what people actually want to buy. Like I mean, we
could farm differently if we just want to farm what
we from, what's easy for the farm and for the land,
but you actually have to have a view on what
people want to buy and what people want to eat,
what future might look like. And so that's why we've
sort of we've been associated with Airkins run to a
(05:39):
marketing land marketing company that goes into North America and
so that's where you know all their lamb supplier is
non GMO. I mean that's pretty easy in New Zealand
to be fair. But also we've got the GAP certification
what SUNDS for Global Animal Partnership, which is an animal
a high animal welfare standard, but we're certified independently for that.
(05:59):
And then we've got another sort of a regenerative egg
certification through another outfit in the States called SO and
that's that basically tell the season. We're independently verified of
looking after our land with a long term view. So
and all these are all things that customers want overseas.
So why wouldn't we do that? To be honest, Yeah,
(06:21):
it makes no sense to me to people to produce
what people If you produce stuff that no one wants
to buy, it just doesn't sound like a good business
plan to me.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
So what kind of heart would you say farming is
in at the moment? Like when I spoke to a
number of you before the conference. You sounded really kind
of energized and excited about the possibilities of farming, which
is not something I had heard through the media.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Yeah, well, I think I mean, like you say, like
I think you said earlier, we're quote me personally or
my wife and I, we're quite aware of the of
the ups and downs in it, but we have to
look through that. And like I'm lucky enough to have
a little bit of multi ancestry, so you have to
think so that, you know, that just encourages me to
think in one hundred year blocks of fame because you
(07:06):
have to. I mean, you invest in your land, and
your land will always be here and will be here
long before I'm gone, long after I've gone, and so
we've got to do what's right for the land. And
if you hear long enough, you can kind of almost
feel it down a bit.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
I know what you mean.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
When you see when animals are healthy, you know they're
running around, skipping around in the paddocks and stuff, and
it's it's excuse my languages, that's not bullshit. You can
see it. So ask any farmer that and you can
see it. So it's quite cool.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
So in amongst all the high interest rates and the
bank's been difficult and obstruperous, and and you know, a
whole bunch of towneys that have completely disconnected from the
land and have no idea what goes on on farms?
Is there still joy to be had and waking up
every day as a farmer?
Speaker 2 (07:55):
I reckon there is. Yeah, I love it. Like I
when we start at sort of the summit to our wallshit,
I've got a I've got three other guys that work
here with us. You know, we go and have a
cup of tea and a bit of a youn and
talk about what's happening and the ups and downs and things,
make a plan. You know, they're they're they're good people.
I like hanging out with good people. So you know,
(08:16):
then you get to go out and do you know,
you might be driving in the track to feeding out
some Baylor's or moving some animals around, or sometimes doing
some office work. But that's just how it is.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
You know.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
It's it's a bloody good place to to to raise
kids and have a life. And you know it's okay,
it's great. I love it. I wouldn't want to be
doing anything else, that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Do you wish that you heard more conversations like that
in the media or in a wider forum rather than
just focusing on those who are just you know, really tybe.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
I mean, you always want to hear that stuff, but
I don't know, I don't know you know how you
could do it, because I mean, coming there's there's lots
of just we call them discussion groups, which are like
business focus things where you go to each other's farms
and you talk about the ups and downs and you
critique each other's business and it's really open and they're
they're really powerful. I mean, obviously that's not something that
(09:10):
someone like yourself would be into because it's you know,
you can get a quite technical but pretty positive places
and they're good for you know, farmers mental health and
stuff to get out and just to the fat with
other farmers and discuss the problems. The problem shares a
problem hard type stuff, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Yeah, And so when we look at this kind of
farmer confidence because of the current economic climate and the
lake taking a longer, you can you see that changing,
like there will always be ups and downs in terms
of how you're feeling about about business.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Yeah, I think so. I mean, farming is by naven
anyone who's been in farming more than a year or two. No,
it's quite cyclical. And so you have these times. You know,
we've just been you know, we're coming off this high
inflation thing that you know that I was. I was
a kid in the eighties, and you know, farming was
a lot harder than they had. High inflation and high
interest rates as well. They're a lot higher, so it
was probably harder. But you know where this maybe this
(10:06):
is our version of that, I'm not too sure, but
it's definitely cyclical. And and I'll be lucky enough for
that constrance to go to supermarkets in California and you know,
you sort of see that it's it's a it's a
real mindfield to produce it, to produce the right stuff
and get it on a supermarket shelf and get it right.
But when it does it, it's actually pays off really well.
(10:27):
And there's there's a lot of demand around the world
is a very big place, and so yeah, I'm really
confident and all the all the consumer trends and all
point towards ongoing increases in meat product meat consumption, not
huge amounts, but it might be like three to four
percent a year increases. So we're in the right game,
I think, especially the type of farming with you know,
(10:49):
with high welfare, you know, all that sort of stuff.
That's all important stuff. So it seems to me that
the world wants that stuff.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Fantastic, lovely to talk with you, Mark mark Uske at
Glenaden Farms and south Ward and Upper farmer confidence is
continuing to fall in our news, but according to Mark,
that's not the full story about what's happening at farmers.
There are a lot of farmers who are just getting
on with it, who are doing fine, who are reading
the room as regards the world, know what the world wants,
(11:17):
moving with the times, and they're positive.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
For more from carry Wood and Mornings.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Listen live to News Talks a B from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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