Thanks to Farm Source Reward Dollars, King Country farmer Ross Ormsby enjoyed a trip of a lifetime in 2023, heading to France to watch the Rugby World Cup.
Suffice to say the past three years have been tough on Ross and his parents who are aged in their 80s, Margaret and Keith. The Ormsby farm sits on the foothills of Mount Pirongia and over the past few years, "everything that could break, did break".
"It’s been a hugely stressful period. We’ve replaced 35 fences, bought new equipment, and upgraded machinery. On top of that we had nine months of temperamental West Coast-style weather. It was very challenging. The upshot is that we now have a very modern dairy farm that is up to the environmental standard that my parents always hoped for," says Ross.
Margaret had bought everything for the farm through Farm Source and had accumulated a lot of F$. She cashed them in at Farm Source for travel vouchers and shouted Ross a trip to France to see the Rugby World Cup to thank him for all the support he had given the family.
The trip was special on many levels for Ross, who became a tetraplegic at age 16 following a rugby injury. He travelled with a French caregiver who took him to her grandparents’ farm in Normandy and into the Alps.
"I ended up doing a farm tour of France, which I was actually really excited about. The cowbells were something else; and to see farms in the Alps connected directly to cheese shops. They do things so differently over there. I even went to a cow festival," he laughs.
While Ross wasn’t able to secure a stadium wheelchair pass for the Rugby World Cup All Blacks games, he attended the Fan Zones in Lyon and Paris, which he says were an “incredible experience”.
"Before we left, Farm Source got wind that despite being to more than 80 All Blacks games, I didn’t have an All Blacks supporter jersey, so they very kindly gifted me one for the trip. It was amazing, although I admit I lost a bet and as a consequence was forced to wear a French supporter’s jersey during the pool games," he laughs.
"The whole experience was amazing and it all comes down to my 80-year-old parents wanting to create a modern farm out the bush. I owe a huge thanks to them and to the Farm Source Rewards Programme for making the trip possible."
The Farm Source Rewards Programme is easy to join. All you need is a Farm Source account to start earning – learn more.