The Focus Blog
On 21 October 1981, a small software business was set up in Masterton. It was called CRS Software. Its founder, Ian Campbell, had an idea that wasn't obvious at the time: computers could help farmers get on top of the money side of the farm.
In 1981, an IBM computer cost around $20,000. For most families, the farm books lived in a ledger on the kitchen table, or in a shoebox until the accountant asked for them.
[Photo 1: early CRS Software office or an early farm computer]
Today that business is Farm Focus. We're still in Masterton, in the Wairarapa, where it all started. We now support more than 10,000 farmers, growers and their advisors across New Zealand and Australia.
We turn 45 this week. I want to use the occasion to say thank you, and to share what this business has taught me about what farmers need from us.
When I swapped the city for the Wairarapa, I kept hearing about a tech business just up the road that was quietly making a difference on farms right across the country. I inched my way in, first as a contractor, then part-time, and eventually as CEO. What struck me first was how many customers didn’t see us as software at all. To them, we were more like a trusted old friend at the kitchen table.
Many of you will remember Cashmanager RURAL. It became a familiar part of farm offices around the country, helping farmers manage GST, cashflow, budgets and livestock records.
For a lot of families, it became part of how the farm runs. Parents set it up, and the next generation took it over.
[Photo 2: Cashmanager RURAL on a desktop computer, or the old manual and disks]
In 2022, Cashmanager RURAL became Farm Focus as our customers moved to the cloud. Now your numbers are up to date wherever you're working: the farm office, the ute, or your accountant's desk.
[Photo 3: a farmer using Farm Focus on a phone or laptop on farm today]
The technology has changed a lot in 45 years. What farmers need from it hasn't.
Know where you stand, and what's coming. Farmers need a clear view of their finances. That matters whether you're getting through a tough season, planning an investment or bringing the next generation into the business. For 45 years, our job has been to make that easier.
It's a people business. Brian Eccles joined in 1989 and later owned the business. People used to tell him he owned a software company. He always said we're actually in a people business, and the software is just how we help. I agree with him. Farming has needs that generic software was never built for, and meeting those needs is the whole point.
That's why training and support have always mattered as much as the product. When you need help, you should be able to talk to someone who understands a farm business.
[Photo 4: a recent Farm Focus workshop or training day]
Listen to the people who tell you straight. Some of our customers have been with us for 20 or 30 years. They've told us when we've got it right, and when we haven't. That feedback has shaped what we build, and it has made us better.
Accountants are a good example. For years we helped them indirectly by supporting their farm clients, until they told us plainly that they needed more for themselves. So we built features specifically for them into Focus Professional, and it’s made the whole relationship between farmer, advisor and the numbers work better.
New technology has to earn its place. AI is already part of Farm Focus through our Farm Assistant. We're now adding insights that flag what deserves your attention, such as cashflow pressure ahead of mating or summer. Our test is simple: does it save you time, or help you understand your business better? The decisions stay with you and your advisor.
Good numbers make better conversations. We work closely with rural accountants, advisors and banks. When your numbers are clear and up to date, conversations about borrowing, performance and future plans get easier for everyone at the table.
This year we launched Focus Payroll in New Zealand and Australia, so you can run payroll alongside your farm finances. We also launched Focus Professional, which gives advisors better tools to work with their farming customers.
In 2024, after 35 years with the business, Brian sold Farm Focus to Vela Software, part of Constellation Software. Constellation is a Canadian company that invests for the long term. Brian wanted a home that would look after our customers and our team, and that's what we found. That backing lets us keep investing in New Zealand farmers and keep growing in Australia, with Masterton still home.
[Photo 5: the Farm Focus team in Masterton today]
We're proud of our history. But the most important thing is that we keep being useful to the farming families who rely on us.
To every customer who has trusted us with their numbers, some of you for decades: thank you. To the advisors who work alongside us, and to our team past and present: thank you too.
It’s a privilege to lead this business. The kitchen table looks a bit different these days and farming will keep changing, but our job stays the same: helping you make good decisions with confidence, for this generation and the one after.
Here's to the next 45. Know the numbers, know the farm.
Marie-Claire Andrews Chief Executive, Farm Focus
