Seeking those worthy for NZ Century Farm awards

Karen Roughan said the Century Farm awards were all about recognising the importance of New Zealand's farming history. Photo: Ella Stokes

Families with a long heritage of farming their land have just over five weeks to submit their application for next year's New Zealand Century Farms and Station Awards. Reporter Ella Stokes caught up with Karen Roughan, who has been involved with the awards since they started 13 years ago.

The New Zealand Century Farm and Station Awards began in 2005 in Lawrence with the aim of capturing and preserving the histories of pioneering families and their descendants.

Karen Roughan, a member of the original organising committee, said the awards were started to celebrate farming history but also to bring people to Lawrence.

For the past year, she has been the awards chairwoman.

''It has definitely brought people to our community.''

Families who have owned and farmed their land since at least 1918 are eligible to apply for this special acknowledgment of their hard work and perseverance.

Mrs Roughan said in the first year they had over 50 applicants from Otago and Southland.

To date, more than 400 families from throughout New Zealand have joined the circle of centenarians and sesquicentenarians.

''We know there's still lots out there.''

Mrs Roughan and her husband Jim have farmed in Lawrence for over 40 years.

The Roughans' previous family farm received a Century Farm award in 2014, although they no longer farmed there as they moved to a smaller nearby block.

She said the application was easy. Families just had to prove they had had the land ownership for the correct amount of time.

''It's amazing what you can find.''

Families were also to submit copies of related supporting photographs or documents which were then archived at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, ensuring all records were kept.

She said although it was an award, it was not a competition. It was a recognition of a family's dedication to farming.

''If your family has been on that land for 100 years, you've earned it.''

She said not only was it a good thing to do for a family's history but also for the farming history of New Zealand.

''There's no-one else in New Zealand recording the history of farming ... it's important there's a recognition for the work people do.''

Any families who would like to apply for this year need to do so by November 30.

Southern Rural Life