Forty New Zealand families will be acknowledged for their hard work and perseverance on the land at the annual New Zealand Century Farm and Station Awards next month.
The small rural town of Lawrence in Otago is busy preparing for the NZCFSA awards dinner that will formally honour 40 NZ families for farming their land for 100 years or more.
Award recipients from throughout NZ will converge on Lawrence over the weekend of May 17-19 to join in the celebrations.
Families attend a welcome function on Friday and then the awards ceremony on Saturday evening, which 250 people are expected to attend.
During the day there is a town and farm tour, which the NZCFSA committee said has become increasingly popular as part of the annual event.
There are five sesquicentennial awards this year recognising those families who have been farming their own land for more than 150 years.
NZCFSA chair Edward Fitzgerald has been involved in the awards programme for the past 10 years and said the NZCFSA team and Lawrence locals are, as always, looking forward to hosting the 2024 event.
“It is a real honour to acknowledge the families’ hard work and perseverance.
“Many of our pioneering families contributed greatly to their regions, town and communities, often reshaping at a significant level.
“For many, the efforts of their ancestors have been underappreciated or completely unacknowledged.
“This is a chance to honour these families that have contributed and continue to contribute to NZ’s agricultural industry and economy.”
The programme’s purpose is to capture and preserve the family history, which might otherwise be lost through the generations.
Families submit narratives of their farm history, together with copies of related photographs and supporting documents, which are then archived at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, ensuring all records are kept in perpetuity.
At the awards dinner families have a chance to meet other recipients and formally receive a distinctive bronze plaque and certificate to display on their property.
Families enjoy the special night where many stories of hardship, perseverance and success over more than 100 years are shared.
Applications are now open for the 2024 year, with any families that have owned and farmed their land since 1924 or earlier encouraged to apply.
The deadline for this year’s applications is November 30, 2024.
