Donald’s Farm: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

In 2018, the late Donald Pearson gifted 74 hectares of farming land, native bush and planted gullies to New Zealand Young Farmers.

His vision was for the Whitford farm be used for education, teaching young people about the primary industries and opportunities in farming. Since 2020, his legacy has been steered to award-winning status by manager, Sam Waugh.

Award-winning Management

While serving as Director of the NZ Young Farmers national board in 2018, Sam Waugh heard whispers about the Whitford farm just 30 kilometres southeast of Auckland and the potential of a farm donor.

After a two-year hiatus in the UK, Sam returned home looking for work and as luck would have it, the Farm Manager position at Donald’s Farm was being advertised. Sam jumped at the opportunity.

“That was five years ago, it’s been a whirlwind of a journey ever since, but it’s been a heck of a lot of fun and really rewarding as well.”

Under Sam’s management, Donald’s Farm has become a leader in on-farm education while integrating sustainable practices. This is evident in the stack of awards collected in 2024: the Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award; Bayley’s People in Primary Sector Award; the Dairy NZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award; and Norwood Farming Efficiency Award. Sam’s leadership also earning him Runner Up in the 2024 FMG Young Farmer of the Year awards for the Northern Region.

“I've always been passionate about getting young people into the agricultural sector. This farm provided an awesome opportunity to be able to make a tangible difference to the industry.”

 

Planting for the Future

Donald’s Farm is 63 hectares of effective farming area with 135 cows, including milking shorthorns and light brown Jerseys. The farm operates as a not-for-profit commercial dairy farm, championing sustainability initiatives, while offering educational programs.

Adjustments are continually made in effort to sustain the land, such as changing cow breeds, using summer feed crops to maintain high quality feed for the cows across the drier months and improving soil fertility and pasture management.

Working with Conservation Volunteers New Zealand, they’ve set the goal of planting 120,000 plants along the farm streams in effort to ensure only drinkable water leaves the farm’s waterways. The project is well underway with riparian fencing carried out and 28,000 native plants in the ground to date. The partnership is also building a native plant nursery that will grow 50,000 natives annually to be planted alongside the Papakura Stream, which the farm streams feed into.

 

Connecting with Nature

The education component at Donald’s Farm has taken years to develop, but Sam has loved the process. Alongside the farm’s board, Sam has developed and implemented a range of programs from weekly hands-on learning experiences for high school students, to farm tours for primary-aged school groups.

The farm and forest school, Nature’s Den, bring Auckland primary school students to visit one day a week. Students spend time in the ‘forest block’ to play, explore and experience nature hands-on with the goal of forging a deeper connection with the natural world.

Secondary school students gain practical on-farm experience helping with day-to-day operations to “get their hands dirty” putting up fences and milking cows, as well as farm theory and the opportunity to upskill in the use of chainsaws, motorbikes, and machinery.

Students also gain a broader knowledge of what a career in agriculture entails by listening to guest speakers. Representatives from a range of roles, from seed and food reps to rural bankers, are invited to Donald’s Farm to highlight the broad spectrum of possibilities in the sector.

Across all their educational programs is a core mission to create a connection to farming and agriculture, a “light bulb moment” within the students, says Sam.

“We're providing the chance to come out and just see what a farm is and what it takes to grow grass and look after animals, produce milk, meat, and fibre. Then it’s about how we develop that light bulb moment further and provide a hands-on practical experience where the students can really engage.”

 

Providing Pathways

These programs have become essential for reaching young people who aren’t aware of the varied career options within farming.

Ellen Paterson had always thought that farming was reserved for those who had grown up on a family farm or married into one. After growing up in the city of Auckland, she had studied Screen Arts and begun a career in television, but the 2020 lockdowns prompted her to rethink her path. She decided to attend a hands-on program at Donald’s Farm where she discovered a passion for farming.

“Last I heard she was working on a big dairy farm down in Canterbury and is loving the lifestyle, a massive change from Auckland city life. She was only able to see the opportunities were there through our programs.”

Ellen isn’t an outlier. In a recent survey, participants were asked to score out of ten, how much they felt their understanding of the sector had increased during the program. The results were affirming with 81% of students giving a score of 8 or higher.

In addition, 75% of those who participated said they were now considering opportunities in the primary sector or may consider them in the future.

Sam is heartened by this feedback, “We can see the impact of the work that we're doing and that the programmes we're offering are encouraging the attendees to look at what options there are in the industry.”

His biggest piece of advice to those considering a career in the sector is to explore their opportunities.

"Talk to as many people as you can about it. Try to find out not just from farmers but other surrounding industries about what opportunities there are. Sometimes people think if you want to get involved in the sector, you’re either farming or not at all. But spend time talking to people in different jobs to see what works for you and gives you the lifestyle that you want.”

 

Securing the Sector

Despite the positive impact Donald’s Farm is having on young people, Sam’s still concerned about the future of the agricultural sector. He laments the loss of a connection to farming for the general population, something he says needs to change if the industry is going to continue to thrive.

“About a generation ago, most people in New Zealand, whether they lived in cities or rurally, had some form of connection to the primary industries. Whereas this generation, that's been lost, particularly for those in the city. So, first, we really need to provide a connection point to them.”

Providing a connection point involves accessibility and education. By welcoming young people onto the farm that may have never been in that environment before, an entry point is created. This connection can attract more young people to the workforce and enhance the public’s perception of agriculture in general.

“As an industry, we could be better at taking those young people and looking after them, being aware that they haven't grown up on a farm. Moving out to a farm is a complete shell shock to them. We need to make sure we've got the right organisations and the right programmes in place for those people to feel connected and get supported in that transition.”

 

Freedom to Fail

Welcoming inexperienced youth onto the farm requires preparation. Sam encourages farmers to think about how their operation looks to someone who’s had little or no involvement with farms. Young farm hands require patience and support.

“Don’t be scared of letting people new to the industry make mistakes. One of the fastest ways we learn is from mistakes, it’s a key part of the learning process.”

Sam recommends helping young staff work out how a mistake happened and how they can avoid it from happening again, avoiding a heated reaction, “nothing knocks their confidence more than that.”

If young people can be given the chance to prove themselves and develop their skills, farmers, and the industry, could all breathe easier.

“We always feel like we’re run off our feet with plenty of work to do, and don’t get me wrong there is a lot of work to be done – but if we’re not getting young people interested in the industry, then in one generations time the industry, as we know it, is going to fall over.”

 

Urban Connections

Looking to the future, Donald’s Farm has big ambitions. Their goal to connect with 5,000 people a year on the farm, a 450% increase on the 900 visitors of 2024, requires critical infrastructure and systems in place. Sam is eager to bring the goal to fruition and create more farm connections.

“The bigger picture from that is making sure we are connecting with our urban mates. The lack of connection is a real issue, not just for the industry, but for us as a society in general – we need to know where food comes from, and making healthy choices starts at knowing how food is grown.”