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Call us on 0800 222 733Steve Woulfe – from construction company to organics
Steve Woulfe and his wife Anne decided to escape the stress of city life with a move to the country - and new careers to boot.
Steve Woulfe was "stressed out" managing a large Wellington construction company after the 1987 stock market crash, and he and his wife Anne were ready for a complete change. "We bought an orchard – and it felt like a holiday for the first three or four years."
How a lack of knowledge proved to be an advantage
Although they had absolutely no knowledge of orcharding, their fresh approach was a bonus, Steve says, allowing them to sign up to a greener system of orcharding that others had passed up. “We were prepared to change because we didn’t know anything else.”
Switch to organics driven by a need for cash
However, by 2000 their financial future was looking grim, so they converted their 75 acres in Hawke’s Bay to organics. "We were greenish ourselves – and when we looked at the returns for organics, it could keep us going. And it was a real challenge.
"We really did enjoy the initial years of organics. There was a very small group of us and we’d all talk to each other all the time."
Retiring at 50 – success – or not?
But after Steve and Anne’s children left home, it was time to reassess. "We thought, 'Why are we working seven days a week?' And we wanted to travel a bit more.” So the couple sold the orchard, and Steve was able to retire at 50.
However, there was one problem – he got bored. "I tried it for three months, but I just couldn’t do it. I needed something to keep the brain ticking over. And I think most people need some sort of routine in life.”
A more sustainable solution to work, life and leisure
Steve now works part time, advising a large orchard firm on organic methods. "It is exactly what I want. Flexibility, time off and I’m still very interested in what we are doing here. It’s the best of both worlds.
"I just go home and I don’t have to think about anything. We’ve got a yacht over in Napier, and the house we wanted and we are just enjoying life.
"You’ve got to be flexible. I can remember when we first bought the orchard and our friends in Wellington said, 'I wish we could do that'. I said, 'Well you can – we don’t know any more than you'. But we were prepared to change what we were doing, because we weren’t happy with what we had."