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For New Zealand farmers at this time of the year it is all about getting everything done by Christmas
Being Southern Hemisphere we enjoy a summer Christmas, but of course for many of us it falls in the middle of the busiest time of the year.
While those in town are racing around getting the last of their shopping done and getting ready to head to the beach, those of us on the land are racing around trying to get as much done so they can enjoy one or two days of rest.
On the property we work on, it is shearing time, weaning lambs, dipping for flystrike, drenching, bulls going out as well as all the other day to day chores.
After the incredibly wet autumn and winter, the rain stopped abruptly and now with the very dry conditions we are experiencing at the moment countrywide, water is a main priority, ensuring there are no leaks, troughs are working and the pumps are keeping up with demand.
At times we have been known to be picking up hay on Christmas Eve or on Boxing Day
Other farmers are also making hay or silage, and at times we have been known to be picking up hay on Christmas Eve or on Boxing Day – the saying “make hay while the sun shines” certainly applies, as well as shear sheep when they are dry. The weather dictates the days off, not the holiday dates in many occasions.
On dairy farms the cows still need to be milked, irrigators moved and mobs checked and moved.
Fruit and vegetables don’t stop growing and need picking. One of the biggest days for our berry growers is Christmas Eve, with everybody getting fresh juicy strawberries and blueberries to enjoy with their pavlova – a very traditional Kiwi Christmas dessert.
Rural Women
Our rural women are very busy hardworking multitasking people, especially at this time of the year. Not only working on farm, doing the books and running the household.
As it is also the end of the school year, our children have prizegivings, breakups, shared lunches and other very social events as well as many community Christmas events often requiring plates of food to be taken.
Fiona Gower on her 3,500ha coastal sheep and beef family farm in North Waikato about an hour south west of Auckland.
Many also have their own rural enterprises started up to help with finances, or to use the skills they have gained before having their children, so they need to deal with the demands for these.
It can be a very stressful time for them, not only getting everything done, it can be a tough time balancing the books and making ends meet to ensure the family can enjoy some form of Christmas, especially in tough financial times. It is at times like this that organisations such as Rural Women New Zealand and its strong social support network are vital being there for those needing help, whether it be financially, physically or emotionally to help the women and their families get through.
Holidays are often short with those with farm staff taking turns for days away.
Some families still have the traditional Christmas fare, however many enjoy relaxing around the table, having barbeque or cold meats and salads, with plenty of freshly grown fare often from their own gardens, followed by a family game of lawn cricket or other outside activities, maybe a swim in the pool or the stream nearby.
For those who can get away, holidays are often short with those with farm staff taking turns for days away.
Often those who don’t get away will have camping holidays on the farm, doing essential chores and then spend the rest of the time relaxing.
For Northern Hemisphere people it will seem strange, and often we say here that Christmas does fall at the wrong time of year for those involved in the rural sector, but it means that farmers have a reason to stop and rest for a day and spend time with friends and family.
For Christmas, many of our rural community will be wishing for warm gentle rain, a lift in payouts and produce prices.
We will be hoping that the extreme weather events of the past year and other natural disasters like the Kaikoura Earthquake don’t repeat themselves.
And wishing that those in the rural sector and their communities can lower stress levels and enjoy their life on the land.
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