First Farm Award helps Canterbury couple turn persistence into ownership

Nearly two years into their search for their first farm, share farmers Braden and Brigitte Barnes stopped putting offers in, a reflection of just how hard it had become to make ownership stack up.

Then an unexpected opportunity emerged, one that, alongside being named winners of the inaugural Fonterra & ASB First Farm Award, gave them a way forward.

Delivered in partnership with the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards Trust, the Fonterra & ASB First Farm Award supports farmers transitioning into ownership through lending, mentoring and practical support.

The Canterbury couple, who were named winners of the 2025 award, recently purchased a dairy support property they plan to convert. Like many first-time buyers, they spent years watching farms sell before finding one they could make work.

“We put a couple of offers in and missed out,” Brigitte says. “Then I think it got to a point where we actually stopped even putting offers in because we just thought, ‘what’s the point?’

“There was just a lot of people with a lot more equity or it was stretching us too far.”

Even with an equity partner involved, the numbers did not add up. Rather than walking away from the idea altogether, the couple broadened how they thought about ownership and focused on finding something they could build over time.
 

Spotting opportunity

The farm they eventually bought came along unexpectedly.

“It wasn’t very strategic,” says Brigitte. “We drove past the sign, looked it up, and went to see it a couple of days later.”

At the time, the property was operating as a dairy support farm. While not the original plan, Braden and Brigitte could see potential. The focus shifted from trying to win a bidding war to working through whether the farm could work over the long term.

The couple plan to convert the property, a move they weighed carefully. While it means a slower start, with no milk cheque during the transition, it provided a realistic entry point into ownership.

Confidence to keep going

Both Braden and Brigitte say winning the Fonterra & ASB First Farm Award helped keep them in the game at a time where momentum could easily have dropped away.

“All of a sudden, everyone was in our corner wanting us to win the fight,” Braden says.

For Brigitte, the value went well beyond the financial support.

That backing came from both Fonterra and ASB, who stayed closely engaged as plans progressed.

“ASB were saying, ‘let’s get this done,’” Braden says. “And Fonterra were the same, getting in touch with us saying, ‘Have you looked at this farm?’”

Winning the award also helped open doors. Having their name out there, and having trusted organisations backing them, helped create new options and connections at a critical point in their farm-buying journey.
 

Making the transition work

Financially, the biggest challenge will be managing the transition period while the farm is converted, but Brigitte and Braden say the $1 million of ASB lending at 1% for three years from the First Farm Award will significantly ease that pressure.

“Having that 1% loan is so valuable,” Brigitte says. “It really helps us be able to do this.”

Beyond the lending support, the couple also drew on specialist advice as they worked through consents, contracts and development decisions. Being able to talk those through with experienced people made a big difference.
 

Advice for others

Looking back on their farm purchase process, Brigitte says flexibility has been just as important as persistence.

“Ownership might not end up looking like how you first imagined it,” she says. “Be open-minded about all the options that are out there and keep exploring all of them.”

Braden encourages others thinking about ownership to put themselves forward wherever possible, particularly through industry awards.

“Entering the awards isn’t just for the awards,” he says. “You’re bumping heads with a lot of smart people in the industry, and you build confidence because you’re there as well.”

Despite being advised to wait a year to enter the Fonterra & ASB First Farm Award due to time pressures, Braden and Brigitte decided to apply anyway.

“We only had the weekend to do it,” Braden says. “And we ended up winning. It’s never the perfect time.”

Settling into ownership

In the short term, the couple have been focused on settling into their new farm, learning a new farm system and helping their three children adjust to moving schools.

Further ahead, their attention will turn to conversion and development, building a system that works for their family and their land.

After years of moving between contracts and farms, the biggest change is more personal.

“We’ve got a place now that’s home,” Braden says. “It’s nice to have that security and have a base for our family.”

With no calving this season, the change already feels marked. Braden jokes there will be no fresh milk from the vat this year, but a bit more flexibility instead.

“We feel lucky to be here,” Brigitte adds. “And really thankful to everyone.”
 

The Fonterra & ASB First Farm Award

The Fonterra & ASB First Farm Award is open to people who have previously entered the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards and is a collaboration between ASB, Fonterra and the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards Trust.

Winners of the award receive up to $1 million of ASB Business Term Lending fixed at 1% per annum for three years, along with a Fonterra launch package that includes $20,000 of Farm Source account credit to drive productivity and sustainability, mentoring, and additional support to help them successfully transition into ownership.

The 2026 winners were announced at the national Dairy Industry Awards Gala Dinner in Rotorua in May.