Crafar Facebook campaign gathers steam

Allan Crafar. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Almost 200 people have thrown their weight behind a Facebook group in support of embattled farmer Allan Crafar.

The group, titled SUPPORT ALLAN CRAFAR!!!!! this afternoon had 180members, and was set up last week by Oamaru dairy farmer Steven Smit in response to criticism of the farmer.

"What farmer has good cashflow before the 20th of October?," the group states.
"Give the man a chance."

Smit says while he doesn't know any of the Crafars, he said the family was getting hammered by the media and wanted to know if others felt the same.

The group includes comments from those who have worked for the Crafars as well as one woman who joined the group, before removing herself, telling members she joined before she "knew the underlying stories".

"Dumbass. If you joined a group without knowing anything about the cause, I can assume you aren't the sharpest tool in the shed, and thus won't add anything anyway. Thanks for playing. Move along," another member shot back.

Meanwhile Layla Robinson, the partner of Allan's son Robert is calling for the removal of a "ridiculous" thread on Trade Me's message board criticising Crafar's farming practise.

"Actual discussions are fine, but stuff like this is lame," Robinson said.

In the thread Mik21 says "to build an empire; don't tell the bank manager, don't tell the accountant, don't tell the Mrs, just do it!"

This was known as the "four 'D' Crafar system," Mik21 said.

One of the farmers to come to the defence of Crafar is the son of murdered Bay of Plenty woman Beverly Bouma.

Russell Bouma told nzherald.co.nz the Crafar family stepped in to manage the family farm in the month's following his mother's death.

Beverly Bouma was murdered in a home invasion on her Reperoa property in 1998.

Russell Bouma said Allan Crafar was a "likeable bugger" who didn't deserve the bad rap he was getting, and that people should take a good look at themselves before passing judgement.

Bouma said the Crafar family ran the family farm for six months following the departure of their farm worker, after his mother's death and never expected payment for it.

"That's the kind of people they are. They are extremely efficient operators, who have helped out a lot of people," he said.

Bouma said while he did not have a lot of contact with the Crafars now that he did not live in the area, his family would always remember the good work they had done.

"To get where they got you can't be a half wit. You would have to be a very clever," he said.