Laura and Richard Morrison run The Gullies, a 250 hectare beef and sheep farm ten minutes out of Tūtaenui Marton, where they live with their two young sons – Fergus and Henry – dogs, cats, a hand-reared calf and a series of orphaned lambs. Laura believes art can lead the agricultural sector into robust but nuanced conversations – helping people tackle sensitive subjects and bridge the gap between agriculture and the rest of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Laura is a bit of a big-picture thinker. She sees connections where others wouldn’t and creates welcoming spaces that spark fresh thinking. About two years ago, Laura and Richard bought a 250 hectare block of land from Richard’s family, setting out on their own to run the farm they’ve named The Gullies. Home to Aotearoa New Zealand’s original Wiltshire flock and Burnbank Herefords, The Gullies work with ethical livestock genetics with a focus on meat production.
Having recently stepped down from her part-time role at Federated Farmers – “All irons are now in The Gullies’ fire,” smiles Laura – she is finding new and exciting ways to marry agriculture with art. Laura, 39, and Richard, 45, manage an Airbnb on the farm – known as The Cottage – and as part of The Gullies’ social commitment to giving back, Laura established The Gullies Arts Residency in 2022. An artist stays on farm at The Cottage for eight weeks during the residency, taking inspiration from the environment as they work. The concept is to “find that sweet spot between engaging with artists and giving them the space to share their ideas.”
At the end of 2023, Laura opened The Gullies Art Store, also in Marton. The former Victorian butcher’s shop provides a brick-and-mortar satellite for The Gullies, celebrating well-made things – art, good design and rich textiles. “It’s a real blend of old and new, just things that I hope work well together,” Laura says. Large framed photos of the farm greet visitors. “Straight away we can strike up a conversation. My personal crusade is seeing justice in the way that a public conversation is had around why farming is essential, why it matters and why we need to sustain it.”
Burn-out and exhaustion are real in the agricultural sector. Traditionally, farmers won’t speak up until their back is against the wall, Laura explains. But she’s keen to see them take inspiration from artists when it comes to transparent, proactive– sometimes awkward – conversations, saying, “Artists and makers are often able to navigate really sensitive topics, without thinking that it’s too emotional to talk about.” An open-studio day then brings the public through the farm gates, with the Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui – which has shown unwavering support – hosting a public talk. The Gullies also commits to purchasing at least one artwork created by the artist inspired by their residency, and creates a limited-edition print run, with profits funding future residencies. A tree-planting ceremony at the end creates a living connection between the artist and The Gullies.
In 2022, The Gullies’ inaugural resident artist was Andrew McLeod, followed by Caroline McQuarrie in 2023. “Caroline and Andrew are just so articulate. They get the residency; they get farming. They engaged in farming practices and spent time with the animals. They spent time asking Richard questions and understanding genetics,” Laura says. “It’s just walking that path together and continuing to see that unlikely bedfellow relationship flourish.”
Andrew loved the farm, and Laura got a kick out of watching Andrew and Richard hang out, having long chats. Botanical, agrarian elements appeared in Andrew’s work. Observing the Morrison family running The Gullies inspired the themes of Andrew’s painting, Family Portrait. Taking artist-community connection to the next level, Andrew is now engaged to a local, and moved from Auckland to Whanganui to be with her. The couple is preparing for an April wedding. “It was just so cool to have him here,” says Laura. “A real honour.” Meanwhile, Caroline explored locally sourced wool and engaged with local weavers through Marton’s arts and crafts group. “It was a real joy to see her throw herself into life in the Rangitīkei,” smiles Laura. As a photographer and weaver, Laura says Caroline has “a really logical mind,” and quickly cottoned on to the mechanics of farm work. Family and friends visited each artist, broadening the Morrison family’s social circles. “The artists become part of your family, but they’ve got their own space,” Laura says. Laura believes the best artwork comes from artists who are prepared to put their vulnerability on the line, and she is determined to provide a safe space for her resident artists to do so. She has “zero interest” in educating people about art or agriculture. “I just want the two to meet, and let the sparks fly for themselves.
Leaning into vulnerability and sharing experiences has helped Laura through the toughest of times in her own life – she suffered two early miscarriages and the loss of a baby boy halfway through her pregnancy, five years ago. Time may help, but “you never get over it,” Laura says. “You just don’t. There’ll still be some days where I’m driving along, and all of a sudden, the little baby that I held– his image, his body, the sunrise that day, being in the ED when we lost him…These crystal-clear images race back. Now I don’t see it as overwhelming grief, just more like these next few minutes belong to him. That’s my time – a truly bittersweet little snatch of time. It’s so beautiful. I get to hang out with him for a few minutes while I’m crying, thinking of him, and remembering him. It’s deeply private and special. Sometimes I picture him hanging out with the boys, and then other times it’s as he was on that day.” Laura makes time for these moments. “You have to, or it will reach out for you. You can’t run away from yourself.” Navigating the road to acceptance requires the right tools, and Laura encourages women to seek them out. “It’s a path that needs to be trodden, ”she says. “It’s just part of my story now; it’s part of Richard’s story; it’s part of the boys’ story.” Integrating their experience of pregnancy loss into everyday life hasbeen empowering for the Morrison family. Laura treasures the people who don’t “scuttle away” when it comes up. “It takes a lot of bravery not to shy away from those hard conversations.”
And those hard conversations circle back to where art meets agriculture and the fiercely intelligent way everything connects in Laura’s mind. Previously, Laura saw farming The Gullies as Richard’s gig, while she juggled her Federated Farmers role with responsibilities at home. Now, thanks to good communication with Richard and the courage to listen to her inner voice, Laura has a clearer picture of what she and Richard want to achieve. “I feel more invested with the residency, The Cottage, the store, the marketing of the genetics and wanting to have those bigger conversations around ag. I feel like there’s more of a partnership now, on and off farm, which is gratifying.” Heart-led and family-driven, the future of The Gullies, and all who come into its orbit, is looking bright.
Laura spoke to Shepherdess last year about losing her son to miscarriage as part of our THREAD digital storytelling project. You can read her here.
Story written by Lauren Jackson and photographed by Michelle Porter for Shepherdess magazine. Shepherdess magazine was started around a kitchen table on a dairy and beef farm in the Horowhenua. We continue to come to you from this kitchen table, and from many other farms, home offices and lounges across provincial Aotearoa. The magazine is here to connect, empower and inspire women across rural New Zealand, by offering a place to tell stories of our rural communities. Find out more about Shepherdess here shepherdess.co.nz
