In the small Waikato town of Pukekawa, near the lower Waikato River, Chris and Vikki Nicholson, along with son Tom, work the rich volcanic soil, growing quality potatoes and onions, as well as barley and cover crops.

Chris and Vikki have been at the helm for 30 years and family is at the heart of their business. The 283 hectare farm was first purchased by Chris’s grandfather, Charlie, back in 1945 and later handed down to his parents, John and Claire.

Succession planning is a challenge that is facing the industry today. Within horticulture, many of our strongest businesses are created when members of the family are active within the operation and a pathway is created for intergenerational ownership.

The Nicholson’s are a great example of how families can create a strategy for their future by setting up simple structures, processes and having clear communication.

At 22 years of age, Tom has been involved in the industry his whole life. A young-man of few words but of high standards, he is the fourth generation to be involved in the business.

“Interesting enough, it was an MG organised course called Growing You that first got us thinking about succession planning,” says Vikki. “It really opened our eyes to what we need to do to plan ahead to ensure there was a smooth transition.”

“Tom was born and bred on the farm. There’s clearly an enthusiasm for growing – when his mates were swimming and fishing over summers, he spent a lot of that time working on the farm.”

“We understand that older generations find it difficult to openly talk about the future and we learnt a lot from our own experience going through succession with Chris’s parents. As such, we’re very determined that we would be open and up-front with Tom, as well as our daughter Julia who is less interested in farming but needs to be kept up-to-date.” 

An important part of succession for the Nicholson’s was creating an environment where Tom could succeed and thrive. This included encouraging him to spend time way from the business at school, university and working on another farm, as well as making sure Tom has the opportunity to have life experiences other young men his age enjoy.

“When Chris was young, he was paid peanuts but was expected to work every available hour,” says Vikki. “We look back at when we were both starting out and there were a lot of summers where we’d never get off the farm.”

“It’s important young people feel valued and that includes getting paid what they’re worth and afforded some flexibility to do the activities that normal young Kiwis do, like go to concerts - live a bit. “

“He’s still young but has been involved in the business a long time so is given responsibility for key jobs. When we’re not around he runs tool-box meetings and he’s managing our recruitment.”

“However one thing we’ve instilled is the value of our staff. We’ve always had a philosophy that there’s no job you’d ask one of our team to do that you wouldn’t do yourself. So, if it means getting a spade out and clearing out a silt trap or digging a trench, then that’s what we do.”

Chris highlighted that operating conditions over the past few years have been difficult for the business, relying on a team effort to navigate through successfully.

“The unprecedented lockdowns over the last two years which had Tom stuck at home several times and unable to return to university, which meant managing his studies online,” says Chris.

“It was also a challenging time on-farm with staff having to navigate border controls daily and as essential workers some creative thinking was required. Over the family dinner table we got our heads together and solutions were thrashed out.”

Rather than dwell on the negatives, Chris takes a positive outlook for the future, saying, “people have to eat and we can provide fresh produce – it helps that we’re in a good spot, being only 45 mins to Hamilton and Auckland markets.”

Working in partnership with advisors is also important, including MG.

“MG is our biggest customer going back at least 15 years. The team are great, talking to us pretty much every day,” adds Vikki.

“From the point-of-view of a company, they’re really well organised with excellent communication, particularly through the COVID period.”

Image:

Top - Vikki, Chris and Tom Nicholson.

Bottom - MG Representative, Irshad Khan with Chris &
Vikki Nicholson