Steve Woulfe – from construction company to organics
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 knowing nothing about orcharding was 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.”
Change to organics driven by the 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.
- Steve checks a tree to see how ripe its apples are
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."
