A fertile imagination

Tim Saunders farms sheep and beef near Palmerston North. His first book This Farming Life was published in 2020. His latest book, Under a Big Sky, about the challenges of farming during tough times, is out now.

How do you fit writing into farming life?

The trick for me is to get up early. I like to be at the computer by 5:30am, or earlier during the long summer months. I’m usually too tired after a day out working on the farm to write at night. However, with more and more rules and regulations involved in farming, and with a seemingly never-ending list of new compliances that need to be studied, my writing time is often compromised. I always carry a notebook with me on the farm to jot down ideas and phrases, or poems that often seem to pop up from nowhere. If I’m relaxed, poems often fall fully formed onto the page. Others need to be coaxed out. But there is always something to inspire me.

What’s your favourite farming story?

My grandfather used to buy sheep from Makara and walk them through the streets of Wellington’s CBD to the train station. He needed to get them onto a train to take them home to the farm. Startled by their reflections in shop windows, the sheep ran out of control. They smashed windows, went wild in shops, caused all sorts of problems and left pandemonium in their wake. Droving livestock through the CBD was banned shortly afterwards.

What surprised you about how your predecessors lived and worked?

As the fifth generation to farm this land, I have a massive respect for the people who worked the land before me. People used to be more in tune with nature; they could read the signs nature provided to predict the weather and grow the food the world needed. Undoubtedly they made mistakes along the way – a few of which we are still dealing with – but they were more connected to where their food came from than many people today.

What new methods are you exploring?

Kiwi farmers are adept at keeping up with the latest technology and farming methods to reduce emissions and help the planet, but unfortunately this comes with a price tag – and the cost will ultimately be passed on to the consumer. On our farm we embrace change as much as we can – but it is up to every New Zealander to make positive choices and do something conclusive that will affect the future of the planet. Under a Big Sky (Allen & Unwin) RRP $34.99.