The Farmers Fast Five: where we ask a farmer five quick questions about farming and what agriculture means to them.

Today, we chat with Southland farmer, AgProud founder and Nuffield Scholarship recipient Jon Pemberton.

What did your journey into farming look like?

I've always been on the farm, a fourth-generation farmer from Canterbury. My grandfather was progressive—he did what he called "repair and planning" in the '80s, introduced innovations like a wee mobile centre pivot, and had the first herringbone shed. But the '80s hit hard; we lost an uncle to mental health issues because of it, and the farm couldn't support three families. That led to a shift in farming practices, with many innovations being abandoned due to the loss of subsidies.

I always wanted to be a farmer. But long story short, left school at, in the sixth form, drove tractors for the summer, then ended up going down and doing the conversion on the sheep farm my parents had bought a South. They were part of the 99 dairy boom in Southland.

I spent some time overseas and then got more involved in the family business. In 2010, they leased the farm for three years, and then it was sold. In 2003, we bought our first farm.

Tell us a little bit about your farming operation.

We still own our first farm, a 400-cow property near Brydone that backs onto the Mataura River. We are also entering our fourth season of a four-year lease on an 800-cow farm.

What challenges have you faced in your farming business, and how have you tackled those challenges?

Family succession. I don't hide that it didn't go so well.  But probably the best thing we did was ripping the scab off and dealing with it early. It was tough, but we wouldn't have it any other way, and it's been far better for the family as a whole. My message would be: For those going through a rough one, stand back and look at what's best for family relationships, not necessarily the business.

On top of that, it's just the usual stuff with farming. We've had mastitis outbreaks, lameness issues that took over unexpectedly, and a major failed sexed semen program a couple of years ago, which affected cash flow for 18 months. The year after that failure, we had a flood. We were already down in cow numbers, but that probably helped since we couldn't graze parts of the farm for a while. Honestly, it's nothing different from what anyone else deals with. You talk to your neighbours, and they've been through similar things. You can handle one or two challenges, but three at once can get frustrating.

What has been a highlight for you in your farming journey?

Probably getting the Nuffield Scholarship and the community engagement through off-farm roles, especially AgProud and National Lamb Day. Also, being part Of Thriving Southland's start-up

What advice would you have for the next generation of farmers?

Don't rush into things too quickly. It's such a different world now. You need a wide range of skills beyond just physical work. The scale of businesses is much larger, and they have to be to survive. As a result, you spend more time managing people than you did 20 years ago. Learning to navigate that can be challenging. Sometimes, it's better to learn under someone else's guidance because figuring it out on your own—managing staff and dealing with all the associated challenges—can be a very costly way to learn.