Customer stories

From dairy farming to hops: How the Ealam family changed their business model

It’s an old saying – you should never have all your eggs in one basket. Meet the Nelson farming family who are the living embodiment of this.

Reading time: 4 minutes

A fresh opportunity

The Ealam family has farmed the same piece of land since 1856.

“We’d been looking for something different for a while, looking at options for the future, we want the farm to support another six generations,” says Cam Ealam.

For the past 80 years the family has been dairy farming, but Cam was keen to look at how the land could have multiple income streams.

“We saw the hop option pop up and thought that would definitely tick some of the boxes.”

And so after a few long family discussions, the decision was made to convert 35 hectares of the 110-hectare farm to grow hops.


Hop on board

The key ingredient in beer is going through a renaissance, largely due to the growing popularity of craft beer. And although globally New Zealand represents a tiny part of the market, the hops we grow here in Aotearoa are in ever-increasing demand both locally and globally.

But change hasn’t come without challenges.

“My family by nature is quite risk-averse, so being able to convince my mother and grandparents that it was a good idea was one of the biggest challenges,” says Cam.

“Basically, my mother wasn’t going to have a bar of it unless my grandad was on board.  Thankfully he was pretty excited about it right from the start so that made it easier to convince Mum!”


More than a wing and a beer

The investment required was significant, as the family needed all the machinery required to harvest and process on site – around $80,000/ha all up, not including the land.  But the first year of production would see a significant crop, and with a healthy financial return estimated, the Ealam family felt it was a stronger prospect than traditional pastoral farming.

Fortunately, the family is in a good position. Their intergenerational farming model had always been conservative when it came to taking on debt, and the land sat right in the sweet spot for growing hops – something not lost on previous generations.

“There had been hops grown on the farm by one of the earlier generations, so it’s come [full circle] which is quite cool,” Cam says.  “We have all the family history with photos of old hop gardens and records of fertiliser trials and yield tests.”

Fortune favours the bold

The difference today is that a shift from what was once a high volume and low value crop, to a product that’s lucrative, innovative, and globally sought-after, has transformed the industry.

Even so, ANZ Commercial & Agri General Manager John Bennett says it takes courage to make bold decisions and it’s important to know what you’re getting into. 

“Critical to considering different options for any business is having insights and good information about the industry dynamics and business models of the sectors that you’re looking at.

“Combine this with the industry networks that the Ealam family were able to tap into, the debt structuring expertise and access to specialists, and it made the decision easier,” says John. 

John also points out that to respond to changes in customer and market needs, farmers need to be flexible and not afraid to change business models that their parents or grandparents had. Innovation is about technologies, crops and how they're financed.

All in the family

For the Ealams, the land still needs to support Cam, his parents, and his retired grandparents, who all still live on the farm.  So, they’ll continue milking, but plan to reduce the herd size over time and possibly move to boutique milk supply. There are also plans for red meat farming and cropping.

It’s a story they’d like to someday share with their community.

“One idea I’ve got floating around in my head is if we do stop milking cows, I would love to convert our shed into a craft beer boutique bar or café,” Cam says. “There is a cycle trail which goes right past the farm gate which gets pretty busy, and it would be great to share the story of our family, the connection to the land, and how farming is evolving.”

Contact an ANZ Agri Specialist

As each agricultural sector has its own unique characteristics and challenges, we have teams of specialists with in-depth knowledge and expertise in each of these areas to help support your agribusiness.

Preparing farming businesses for a sustainable future

Hear from ANZ’s Agriculture Economist, Susan Kilsby, and AgFirst’s Managing Director, Erica van Reenen, on what’s happening in the economy across the agri sector, what agri businesses can do to improve their environmental outcomes and options for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

Related products

Agribusiness

We offer specialised research and insights on the key issues affecting the farming sector, resources to help manage your rural business, and specialists in rural economics who provide in-depth analysis of rural markets and commodities.

Important information

We’ve provided this material as a complimentary service. It is prepared based on information and sources ANZ believes to be reliable. ANZ cannot warrant its accuracy, completeness or suitability for your intended use. The content is information only, is subject to change, and isn’t a substitute for commercial judgement or professional advice, which you should seek before relying on it. To the extent the law allows, ANZ doesn’t accept any responsibility or liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage arising from any act or omissions by any person relying on this material.

Please talk to us if you need financial advice about a product or service. See our financial advice provider disclosure at anz.co.nz/fapdisclosure

Was this content helpful?