Next generation brings new enthusiasm

For James and Debbie Stewart, dairy farming has always been about more than production and profit. It’s about family, succession and creating opportunities for future generations. 

Today, three generations of the Stewart family live and work together on their Manawatū farm. James’ parents, Dave and Jan Stewart, remain closely involved in the business, while James and Debbie’s sons Robbie and Sam have returned home and now work as herd managers alongside their parents. 

The Stewart family has been farming since 1886, with five generations contributing to the legacy that today includes Stewart Dairylands, the dairy arm of the wider Stewart Group. 

The Stewarts first entered the Ballance Farm Environment Awards back in 2009 and returned in 2024 to have another go.  

The return of Robbie and Sam brought fresh energy and renewed purpose to the business, making the family’s involvement in the 2024 Awards particularly meaningful. 

James said their reasons for entering again were very different. “In 2009 we were in the early years of our farming journey, we wanted to set a benchmark for ourselves and get a fresh perspective on our farming practices. We were given some great feedback and advice.  

“By 2023 we had achieved a lot of the goals we had set ourselves. We had carried on with extensive riparian planting, invested in a new milking shed with automation and technology, including solar, and made a lot of improvements across the farm,” he said.  

The family doesn’t necessarily see itself as environmentalists. “A lot of what we do is simply common-sense farming,” James said. “We’re always looking for efficiencies and good business decisions that also deliver environmental benefits.” 

Being part of the Awards programme in 2009 helped them set a high bar for how they presented their farm. “We are very visible with our proximity to Palmerston North so keeping things tidy and well presented is important. If we are doing new development, it will always come with a planting plan,” Debbie added.   

Winning the Horizons Regional Supreme Award in 2024 provided recognition for years of steady progress and it created an opportunity for reflection at a pivotal time for the family. With Robbie having recently returned home, the Awards became a valuable way to involve him in the wider business. 

“For Robbie, it was a great way to understand all the different parts of the farm business and what drives our decisions. It gave him a snapshot of where we are today as we start passing responsibilities on,” James said.  

“It was a really nice way for us to reflect on the family business,” Debbie adds. “We could look back on what had been achieved and at the same time think about where we wanted to go in the future.” 

Robbie believes the impact has extended well beyond the Awards themselves. 

“The programme made us look at succession planning and where we are heading. It was probably one of the key things that accelerated a lot of the change that has happened over the past 18 months.” 

For Sam, who returned soon after the awards, it is reassuring to know the business is ahead of the game with its systems and processes. 

“It’s really good to know where the bar is and to keep striving for improvements,” he said. 

The judging process encouraged valuable conversations and challenged the family to examine their business from new perspectives. 

“Having outside people come onto the farm and ask questions about why and how you do things makes you look at your operation differently,” James said. “We were getting free advice from experienced people.” 

It was also a welcome distraction from some of the negativity that was happening in the rural sector at the time. “Farming had been pretty ho-hum in 2023. It was nice to have something outside of the farm gate to think about and opportunities to network with other positive people in the rural industry,” James said. 

The Stewarts’ story shows the real value of the Awards often lies in the conversations they spark, long after the judging is done.