The Country 26/03/25: Stephen Crossan talks to Jamie Mackay

This month's Farmstrong farmer is a Bay of Plenty kiwifruit spraying contractor who organises the annual Dairy Farmers v Hort Growers cricket match in Te Puke to get farmers and growers off-farm for a day.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Monthly here on the country we chat to a farm
strong farmer, although this month's farm strong farmer is actually
a key we fruit spraying contract. There is name is
Steve cross and he's from Tippookey. But Steve used to
be a dairy farmer. You've moved into the horticulture industry
and one of the reasons we're chatting to you today.
You're the bloke behind the annual dairy Farmers Versus hort

(00:23):
Crowers cricket match and tapoke. We've got a bit of
background noise, there no doubt on the road side. So
how did this game come about? Stephen Crossing?

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Originally I was trying to brainstore ideas to bring our
rural community into the cricket club and find some I
guess still and cricketers for a struggling small country cricket club.
As the idea of snowbought what I did some brainsarming,
it pretty quickly became more of trying to find players
and I guess give guys a reason to have a
day off their farms or orchards and play some cricket.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
So the idea came about dairy farmers Versus hort Growers
you were a dairy farmer. You've changed sides. You play
a match, an annual match, I think on the last
Sunday in February. Who won this year?

Speaker 2 (01:08):
So this year I think it's a third year in
a row the horticulture guys has got the win. They
were put into field first, the horticulture guys, and they
bowled Team Dairy out for one hundred and forty and
then in reply they chase it down pretty quickly.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
So what format are you playing? T twenty or surely
it's not fifty overs?

Speaker 2 (01:28):
No, we play thirty overs. Thirty overs gives everyone sort
of the opportunity to get a bat in the bowl.
There's a couple of drinks breaks in. They're sponsored by
one of the local pubs. So it sort of gives
I guess, a long and afgame of cricket for everyone
to get a go and sort of keeps everyone at
the cricket club for most of the day.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
Well, very important to get a day off farm. I
hear through the grapevine are the key we forru it
grapevine that you're losing dairy farmers. A lot of the
dairy farms in your Tapuki region. Of course, the Keiwi fruit.
Capital of the country are being converted to keiw fruit.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
It's getting harder to find. Yeah, dairy farmers have play
in our game. Whether it's because of the conversions or
people are not getting the message, but there is definitely
more queue fruit going in the area, that's for sure.

Speaker 1 (02:17):
Tapuki must be a very positive place at the moment.
I know the dairying's going well. Kiwi fruit seems to
be on a real high at the moment.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yeah, the town's buzzing, The roads are busy. You can't
get a park in town and there's several trucks on
the road. So things are definitely looking good for us
here and see Pockey.

Speaker 1 (02:36):
Okay, just go back to farming. How have you found
the transition from dairy farmer to keywi fruit contractor?

Speaker 2 (02:43):
Originally it was it was yeah, I guess from the
start it was challenging, but then your skills that you
learn as a dairy farmer translate to everything really, whether
it's fixing a leaky hose or learning how to manage
your time. Very similar.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
I would imagine being a dairy farmer Stephen Crosslin would
be very good training for a spraying contractor because the
dairy farmers have to get out of bed at sparrows
fat and I know you spraying contractors are just the same.
You want to get out and get going before the
wind gets up.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
Yeah, it's getting out before the wind gets up, or
before any other people are in the orchards are out
of bed, and then really making the most out of
our day, whether it's a four am start or a
three am starts, trying to get as much out of
the day as we can.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
How do you stay farm strong? How do you look
after the top paddock yourself? Because they've thrown you up
this month. You're obviously a bit of an ambassador for
the mental health charity, Rural Mental Health Charity.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
Running this cricket event is one of my big things
that keeps me going. I find they're helping others is
one of the key things that keeps me going and positive.
I also run to booking cricket club, so that keeps
me busy as well. So it keeps in mind a
little bit off work and other stuff. So you helping
others is the main main part of what I do.

Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yes, having a hobby or an interest off farm is
crucial to rural mental health no doubt about it. Steve
Crossing is this month's farm Strong Farmer, keep up the
good work and we look forward to the Dairy Farmers
versus the Howt Growers cricket match and to Pookey again.
In twenty twenty six, Awthome to Joey