David van Vught bought his 80-hectare Te Kohanga dairy farm in 1991.
Situated 23 kilometres south of Pukekohe and 91 kilometres northwest of Hamilton, the farm averages production of 43,000 kilograms of milk solids. From the early 2000s, David has farmed it alongside his wife Rita.
“We bought it for the character and the hills. It’s not just a flat farm. We like the local area, and have other family farming nearby,” says David.
Along with the charm came a few challenges.
“We are close to the river, so need to maintain the drains, and keep the weeds under control. Ragwort, gorse, reeds: there’s always something to battle with and tidy up.”
Rewards have come from a sense of achievement.
“We milk 120 cows, with all replacements bred and raised on farm. We’ve always produced our own replacements, so the herd now represents 34 years of breeding,” says David.
Taking advantage of the character, and going in a slightly unconventional direction, in 2011 Rita started a farm park, featuring a variety of animals including the resident emu and donkeys, providing visitors with an up close and personal experience of farming.
“For seven years we would host two or three tours per week, mainly overseas visitors. We took them on a trailer ride into the milking herd, gave them a tour of the cowshed, and taught them about the dairy industry.
“Most were from overseas, and fascinated with farming life, though had no real idea what it was like. We had visitors who hadn’t seen hay, and others who didn’t realise cows had tongues.
”Another of the farm’s unique characteristics is the redwood log cabin Rita and David built on the hill 15 years ago, which on a clear day presents views towards Coromandel and the Auckland Sky Tower.
“We wanted somewhere to go for a cup of coffee and a quiet time with no phone and no visitors. We can walk up there or take the ute. It has solar power, a chemical outhouse, lighting, a ladder to an upstairs bedroom with a sofa bed, and is furnished with antiques. It also has a big fire pit, which is ideal for barbecues.”
Both first generation kiwis, children of Dutch immigrants who arrived in New Zealand and went farming, Rita and David raised their own children on the farm. Now the four of them are a doctor, a builder, a trainee nurse, and an aspiring architect, which means the van Vught’s retirement plan was always to sell. Early last year, due to health problems, they brought the timeframe on that plan forward, engaging Adrian van Mil of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Pukekohe to market their farm. Adrian could see the property’s appeal.
“Offering a serene escape and rural charm, as a first step into dairy farm ownership, this would be difficult to top: a truly special place to make a living.
“Last year, when the level of enthusiasm for dairy was still at a relatively low ebb, our campaign attracted interest from numerous parties coming from a broad range of backgrounds. We knew that the right purchaser would come along, someone who could see the value in the property, which is what occurred, and a young local couple secured the purchase, stepping into their first farm, which they are taking on as a going concern, with all the stock, including the donkeys and emu.
“This sale indicated that buyers are taking more notice of the extra character, setting or nearby amenities that some farms have to offer. This farm’s charm, location relative to excellent fishing, and additional lifestyle features certainly strengthened its appeal,” he says.
Pleased to sell, though acknowledging they will miss the daily routine, walking through the paddocks, and the cows, the couple is not going far, having subdivided 12 hectares off the farm, where they plan to build.
“We chose a piece of the farm that meant a lot to us, and the building plans are coming together, aiming for completion by Christmas. You can see much of the farm from the house site. We’ve promised to leave the binoculars in the drawer: we’re not going to watch too closely how the new owners are farming it,” says Rita.
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