May 14, 2025 • 6 mins
We’re joined by two young entrepreneurs who have started up a new company called “Seedling”, which aims to help both those who want to retire from the farm and younger players who want to get in, with a focus on succession planning and investment.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The average age of farmers in New Zealand is in
the late fifties, which makes farm succession a real challenge
and a concern. Well, two young entrepreneurs have got together
and have come up hopefully with a solution. Sebastian or
seb Chapman and Sean Laidlaw to start with. I'm going
to start with you Sean, because I read on your
(00:21):
bio you're a laid Law from Western Southland. Now that
rings a lot of bells for me. Are you in
a relation to former All Black Kevin and Southland Great
Paul who I used to play a lot of footy with.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, I am, so that's my uncle, my grandfather.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Well did you get the footy gene or did you
just get the brains gene?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
I certainly didn't get any of the footy jeans, And
plenty of my mates will say on what for all
at it?
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Okay? Well, certainly you're a bright young man along with
your mate Sebastian Chapman. Now, seb I think you're involved
in future farmers. You're based in Wanaka, So tell me
how you two got together and what's your solution to
the age old problem of farm succession. I'll stick with you, Seb.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yeah. Mate. So we got seed Up about a year ago.
I sort of put a loose idea of Seedling out
into the market to see sort of what the response
was going to be, and then Sean reached out and
he had actually been sort of working on something similar.
So we thought, you know, better than going against each other,
we may as well team up and do it right.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
You know.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
So what is Seedling? Is it a venture fund or
is it going to be a program or an app?
How are you going to get this into the market
and how does it work? I'll stick with you again, Seb.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yes. So we're primarily a private equity business, and the
whole concept is really based around getting skin in the
game for young farmers and sort of building their equity
position in the farm. It's sort of grounded in a
lot of economic fundamentals, I guess, and we're I guess.
(01:59):
The The primary contract that we mainly use is somewhat
based off in equity partnership, but we've engineered and a
few other little mechanisms so that the young farmer can
grow their stake quicker than they would normally, and it
also provides a better return for investors because the incentives
are a lined across the board.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Now that explains your background. You studied software engineering and
economics Massive University, Sean Laidlaw, you went to Auckland University.
You're continuing your studies. You're almost through an MBA on
rural banking and why it's underfunded. Have you got any
answers there?
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Yeah, Yeah, it's still a work in progress, but yeah,
there's a few interesting points I think, I mean, particularly
around some of the risk matrixes that banks used in
career requirements for young farmers. I mean, obviously we discussed
the sort of generational shift that's probably going to happen
over the next five or ten years, and it's a
(02:59):
lot of cash I guess for young farmers to come
up with whether they want to buy the family farm
or buy a different farm. And so I guess our
solution is to try and alleviate some of these pain points.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
So, how is seedling different Sean Laidlaw from an equity partnership,
getting the family involved or doing succession through that? What's
the difference? Why is your program or model going to
be easier?
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I think there is a discerning growing number of farmers
that you don't have a family farm, right, so that
alleviates or gets rid of the option of slowly buying
in over time to the family farm. And so what
we want to do is make it a real clear
pathway for these guys to come in at a smaller
(03:45):
starting point, but know that over time they have the
right to acquire more shares and a bigger piece of
the pie in that farm and really come along for
the journey as we develop some of these farms and
some of the practices behind how we want to operate.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
So Sean, is this all about the existing farmer leaving
vendor finance in there?
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I mean, that's certainly one option, and we've been greatly
supported by our first farm under management to do that.
They've believers, I guess in what we're trying to achieve
and the problem, but it doesn't necessarily have to be.
We're obviously raising capital externally to go out into the
market and acquire further farms.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
So, yeah, you both got a good farming background, or
you certainly have, seb you were born into a farming family.
In horror, Fanua, I think you've worked off or in
Australia spent many an hour on a tractor. And is
it right that you actually worked under Mike Casey, the
electric cherry guy.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
It is Mike and I worked on a software company
called fruit Winder, so yeah, I was working on data
collection in the cherry orchards. So yeah. Have had a
good at working relationship with Mike for a few years now.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yeah, he's a wonderfully interesting character. And Sean Laidlaw West
and Southland, they're all farmers over there. What's your farming connection?
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Mostly just through the family. I mean, you wouldn't want
me just been too long on a farm if I'm honest,
But you know, I've always kept it pretty close to
my heart and getting out to see family on farms
and I guess understanding the challenges that they face.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Will you guys have seedling at field days? If people
are listening to this and thinking farm succession is a
bit of a chore, especially in our operation, are you
going to be there? Can you offer them a solution?
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Yep, we will definitely be there. We don't have a stall,
but I'll be floating around so people can reach out
and Sean, hopefully you'll be able to make it down
to good.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
On you, hey, Sebastian Chapman, Sean Laidlaw. Thanks for your time.
Make yourselves known to us at Field Days. I look
forward to meeting you in person. Will be broadcasting right
inside the front door of the main pavilion. You won't
better miss us, you won't be able to get away
from us. So look forward to meeting you at field Days.
A good luck in your new venture.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Seedling Awesome Tuesday,
The average age of farmers in New Zealand is in
the late fifties, which makes farm succession a real challenge
and a concern. Well, two young entrepreneurs have got together
and have come up hopefully with a solution. Sebastian or
seb Chapman and Sean Laidlaw to start with. I'm going
to start with you Sean, because I read on your
(00:21):
bio you're a laid Law from Western Southland. Now that
rings a lot of bells for me. Are you in
a relation to former All Black Kevin and Southland Great
Paul who I used to play a lot of footy with.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, I am, so that's my uncle, my grandfather.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Well did you get the footy gene or did you
just get the brains gene?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
I certainly didn't get any of the footy jeans, And
plenty of my mates will say on what for all
at it?
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Okay? Well, certainly you're a bright young man along with
your mate Sebastian Chapman. Now, seb I think you're involved
in future farmers. You're based in Wanaka, So tell me
how you two got together and what's your solution to
the age old problem of farm succession. I'll stick with you, Seb.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yeah. Mate. So we got seed Up about a year ago.
I sort of put a loose idea of Seedling out
into the market to see sort of what the response
was going to be, and then Sean reached out and
he had actually been sort of working on something similar.
So we thought, you know, better than going against each other,
we may as well team up and do it right.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
You know.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
So what is Seedling? Is it a venture fund or
is it going to be a program or an app?
How are you going to get this into the market
and how does it work? I'll stick with you again, Seb.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yes. So we're primarily a private equity business, and the
whole concept is really based around getting skin in the
game for young farmers and sort of building their equity
position in the farm. It's sort of grounded in a
lot of economic fundamentals, I guess, and we're I guess.
(01:59):
The The primary contract that we mainly use is somewhat
based off in equity partnership, but we've engineered and a
few other little mechanisms so that the young farmer can
grow their stake quicker than they would normally, and it
also provides a better return for investors because the incentives
are a lined across the board.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Now that explains your background. You studied software engineering and
economics Massive University, Sean Laidlaw, you went to Auckland University.
You're continuing your studies. You're almost through an MBA on
rural banking and why it's underfunded. Have you got any
answers there?
Speaker 2 (02:37):
Yeah, Yeah, it's still a work in progress, but yeah,
there's a few interesting points I think, I mean, particularly
around some of the risk matrixes that banks used in
career requirements for young farmers. I mean, obviously we discussed
the sort of generational shift that's probably going to happen
over the next five or ten years, and it's a
(02:59):
lot of cash I guess for young farmers to come
up with whether they want to buy the family farm
or buy a different farm. And so I guess our
solution is to try and alleviate some of these pain points.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
So, how is seedling different Sean Laidlaw from an equity partnership,
getting the family involved or doing succession through that? What's
the difference? Why is your program or model going to
be easier?
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I think there is a discerning growing number of farmers
that you don't have a family farm, right, so that
alleviates or gets rid of the option of slowly buying
in over time to the family farm. And so what
we want to do is make it a real clear
pathway for these guys to come in at a smaller
(03:45):
starting point, but know that over time they have the
right to acquire more shares and a bigger piece of
the pie in that farm and really come along for
the journey as we develop some of these farms and
some of the practices behind how we want to operate.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
So Sean, is this all about the existing farmer leaving
vendor finance in there?
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I mean, that's certainly one option, and we've been greatly
supported by our first farm under management to do that.
They've believers, I guess in what we're trying to achieve
and the problem, but it doesn't necessarily have to be.
We're obviously raising capital externally to go out into the
market and acquire further farms.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
So, yeah, you both got a good farming background, or
you certainly have, seb you were born into a farming family.
In horror, Fanua, I think you've worked off or in
Australia spent many an hour on a tractor. And is
it right that you actually worked under Mike Casey, the
electric cherry guy.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
It is Mike and I worked on a software company
called fruit Winder, so yeah, I was working on data
collection in the cherry orchards. So yeah. Have had a
good at working relationship with Mike for a few years now.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yeah, he's a wonderfully interesting character. And Sean Laidlaw West
and Southland, they're all farmers over there. What's your farming connection?
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Mostly just through the family. I mean, you wouldn't want
me just been too long on a farm if I'm honest,
But you know, I've always kept it pretty close to
my heart and getting out to see family on farms
and I guess understanding the challenges that they face.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Will you guys have seedling at field days? If people
are listening to this and thinking farm succession is a
bit of a chore, especially in our operation, are you
going to be there? Can you offer them a solution?
Speaker 3 (05:41):
Yep, we will definitely be there. We don't have a stall,
but I'll be floating around so people can reach out
and Sean, hopefully you'll be able to make it down
to good.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
On you, hey, Sebastian Chapman, Sean Laidlaw. Thanks for your time.
Make yourselves known to us at Field Days. I look
forward to meeting you in person. Will be broadcasting right
inside the front door of the main pavilion. You won't
better miss us, you won't be able to get away
from us. So look forward to meeting you at field Days.
A good luck in your new venture.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Seedling Awesome Tuesday,
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