No land? No problem. Twenty-one-year-old Angus Grant may not have a farm to call his own, but over the last decade, he's still managed to establish a flock of around 1000 sheep.
The Lincoln University student, who grew up in central Christchurch, has built sheep numbers by grazing on empty sections in and around the city.
Grant's passion for all things rural was evident early on, according to his mother, Carolyne. "You could tell from when he was young, what do you want to be when you grow up? 'I want to be a farmer'."
(Source: Seven Sharp)
While still at primary school, Grant began to farm chickens, converting his sister's playhouse into a coop. Eggs were sold around the neighbourhood, and business flourished. Then, as a birthday surprise, his father, Peter, gifted his son three sheep.
By the time Grant had reached high school, those few sheep had become a few more. He was utilising empty sections where houses had been demolished after the earthquakes and commercial blocks where building had yet to commence, for grazing.
"Starting small is key. I started with red zone sections, which was pretty unconventional," explained Grant, "and they were sort of on my street or nearby, and I contacted the landholders."
There were stressful moments. Grant had to bike all over the city to check on his flock, and teachers became accustomed to their pupils having to urgently leave class when his sheep broke free of their confines.
"A couple of times, there was stock out on the road, and I had to shoot off, but they all found it quite amusing," he recalled.
He said his business took off when he obtained his driver's licence. Last year, Grant travelled around 35000 kilometres in his ute, checking on sheep paddocked at a number of properties on the city fringe.
When asked how he secured grazing rights, Grant said, "Mostly I just knock on the door, or people refer me or something."
(Source: Seven Sharp)
Grant is quick to acknowledge the support he's had from all sectors of the industry. One of his early mentors was Southland farmer Allan Findlay, who owned a rental property next door to the Grant family home.
"He came and spoke to me man to man as a 9-year-old," Findlay recalled. "We just had a wee talk about farming."
An invitation followed to visit the Findlay farm near Ohai, and Grant said numerous visits over the years were invaluable in gaining experience in a range of farming practices.
Findlay himself didn't get into farm ownership through traditional succession planning.
"I came from a coal mining town and been brought up in Christchurch," he explained. "It was impossible for me, but I achieved it."
He has little doubt Grant will achieve his dream of farm ownership, too. "It's just so good to try and get people that are interested in farming to be farmers."
(Source: Seven Sharp)
When he's not farming, Grant is studying towards a Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) with professional accounting and a finance minor.
When asked about his future aspirations, Grant is certain that it is "to own a farm, yeah, that's the long-term goal."
As he builds equity, Grant said he'll likely look to get a full-time job to supplement his farming income and that he'll "keep working hard".
With that work ethic, Grant is certain to realise his dream of owning his own farm.
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