The rise of the side hustle on Kiwi farms

It’s no coincidence that the legend of No 8 wire was born on our farms. Farmers have long exhibited the ability to respond quickly with what they have available when they’re faced with a big challenge.

And right now, the challenges couldn’t be any bigger. The numbers don’t lie: interest rates are high, commodity prices are down and everything on the farm has become more expensive.

But in typical fashion, farmers up and down the country are finding creative solutions to these complex challenges. That knack for quick thinking is today manifesting in the interesting side hustles that wouldn’t have been associated with the farming sector in previous years.

While margins are being squeezed elsewhere, farmers in the Wairarapa are taking advantage of the region becoming dark-sky accredited. Space on previously under-used paddocks is now being leased to other businesses that offer star-gazing safaris, serving as a serendipitous amalgamation of the tourism and agri sectors.

City dwellers, tired of the glowing rectangles of mobile phones and computer screens, are leaping at the opportunity to disconnect and enjoy the views that have always typified the rural experience. And that’s only one example. Other farmers are taking advantage of how digital technology can bring the farm closer to consumers than ever before.

Forgive a moment of familial pride, but my folks own a small business called Homegrown Butchery, which offers direct-from-the-farm meat products. It’s basically a case of taking whole or half lambs and selling them direct to city consumers who normally wouldn’t have access to products like this.

This concept of offering excellent products direct to consumers is also seen in businesses like the The Cheese Wheel, which offers a subscription to a collection of fine cheese products sourced directly from Kiwi dairy farmers.

The great thing about this is that farmers are finally taking a bit of the power into their own hands. They can set prices that they think are fair and deal directly with the consumer. This, of course, won’t remove the need for the more traditional sources of revenue, but it does provide supplementary cashflow that would otherwise not exist. Farmers who are plugged into their financial reporting often know where their businesses are tracking – and through tools like Farm Focus are aware of when they need to start plugging some revenue holes.

There are few examples that better illustrate this point than Honest Wolf. In response to struggling wool prices, a third-generation farm at Papanui Estate decided to use some of its wool to produce a fashion and accessory range sold direct to consumers no matter where they are in New Zealand.

Following in the footsteps of Allbirds, Honest Wolf is continuing to show the potential of New Zealand wool to be reshaped into a wide array of premium products.

The applications reach further than fashion, with industries tapping into the strong wool movement for insulation, carpeting, soundproofing and more. In recent years, we’ve even seen Tauranga-based shaper Paul Barron design surfboards made of wool fibres.

This is just a small example of what’s possible if Kiwi wool companies are able to grab a bigger share of the broader fibreglass market, which is tipped to reach a global value of  $20.4 billion by 2027.

Across the farming sector there are equally interesting opportunities to tap into. The reality is that the farmers most plugged into their numbers and forecasts are the ones best placed to respond first and find new opportunities. There’s value in knowing which way things are tracking, so that you can quickly pivot and carve out new opportunities that simply didn’t exist before.

It’s a reminder that while No 8 wire is still around on farms, the Kiwi agricultural sector has come a long way since those humble beginnings. Long may it continue to evolve.

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