Sunday episode of Hyundai Country Calendar recommended Lake Hawea Station, run by Kiwi entrepreneurs Geoff and Justine Ross.
The couple returned to their rural roots in 2019 by purchasing the 6,500-hectare land station and converting it into a carbon neutral certified farm, where they now keep 10,000 merino sheep.
The Ross’ are the founders of the wildly successful 42 Below vodka company, and during the show Justine described them as “natural disruptors.”
However, their “disturbance” in the shaving barn and promotion of regenerative agriculture has disrupted a number of springs in the rural community.
The backlash was so fierce that the iconic show was forced to address it on its Facebook page.
“We’ve had a tremendous response to the Lake Hawea Station carbon reduction and animal welfare show. And while it was our highest-rated episode of the year, most of your comments have been negative!” the message started.
Much criticism was directed at the changes in the shearing barn, where the focus had shifted from the shearers to the sheep.
The shearing board had been painted white so that no blood was visible, and mattresses had been placed at the bottom of the portholes to protect the sheep on their way out of the barn after shearing.
The shearers’ usual preference for rock songs has been replaced by classical music to calm the animals and a scorecard for the shearers’ performance was judged by the sheep’s experience as opposed to the traditional count.
During the episode, Geoff Ross said the decisions were made to appease and educate overseas consumers who believe that shaving is harmful to sheep.
But New Zealand viewers were unimpressed, calling the decisions “wake up” and “PC BS.”
One commenter claimed it was “very clear that public money has tainted TVNZ”.
A TVNZ spokesperson said the broadcaster is state-owned but commercially funded and independently operated.
The shaving regime has also come under fierce criticism, saying that scorecards for shavers were “crapola” and that they should choose their own music “even if a lot of it is bullshit”.
The show also came under fire for presenting an unrealistic version of New Zealand farming, as not all Kiwis are in the same financial situation as the couple.
“Not everyone can sell a vodka company for millions and then buy a farm to try [to] promote their fantasy ideas,” one comment read.
Someone else called for “real farming” to be depicted and for “real people with real mortgages and real challenges.”
Not all feedback was negative, with some supporting the couple’s environmental efforts and chastising those who complained.
“Unbelievable how many nasty reactions there [are] about this episode. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Absolute keyboard warriors.”
One commenter didn’t understand what all the fuss was about and said they thought the program was “fantastic” and had watched it more than once.
“Well done with their conservation measures and out-of-the-box thinking!” they praised the couple.
The couple sold their alcohol brand 42 Below to Bacardi in 2006 for hundreds of millions. They also own the Ecoya and Trilogy companies.
Spanning 6,500 acres of the high-altitude South Island, their farm has more than 10,000 merino sheep and, according to their website, aims to “maintain and restore biodiversity and introduce regenerative farming practices.”
Whatever the tone of the feedback, Country calendar said it helped make Lake Hawea Station’s entry the highest-rated episode of the year so far — maybe just not in the way it was intended.
Geoff Ross could not be reached for comment before the publication deadline.