28 | Growth for Glenacardoch Belgian Blues 4 year old Glenacardoch 644. Stud sire Glenacardoch 230. Hugh de Lacy DAIRY » Glenacardoch Belgian Blues Buying another property was at the heart of father and son Adrian and Casey Lawson’s succession planning for Adrian’s 163ha sheep farm at Morton Mains, near Invercargill in Southland, that’s been in the family for 125 years. Adrian Lawson won the New Zealand Romney Farmer of the Year Award in 2004, and today the farm carries 1550 purebred Romney ewes, 370 replacement hoggets and a dozen or so bulls, and has 15ha planted in potatoes. The need for a succession strategy arose when Casey and partner Rachel Heslin, and their twoyear-old son Taine, were ready to come home from Australia where Casey had spent eight years working as a road and rail tunneller. The strategy they decided on took the form of 203ha of rolling country at Woodslea Downs, south of Wyndham, that they took over last October. It’s being used as a dairy run-off, carrying 342 heifers, 216 calves and hosting 280 cows for grazing over the winter. The grazing stock belong to the Southern Dairy Hub and local farmer Rex Crosswell. The two farms are run jointly by Adrian and partner Kirsty Watson, and the role of the Woodslea Downs property in the succession strategy has yet to be finalised, but in the meantime it’s providing monthly grazing income that’s delivering a constant cash-flow. Rachel works for Edendale Veterinary Service’s VetCo, while Casey works for a local agricultural contractor over the summer, as well as helping at Woodslea Downs shifting stock during the winter. Adrian continues to manage the Romney flock by putting 800 of his ewes to Romney rams supplied by Dean and Fiona Addenbrooke, who trade as Ruakiwi South Ltd. The next cut of Romney ewes goes to Border Leicester rams to produce ewe lambs to meet vigorous demand at the annual Lorneville two-tooth and ewe-lamb fair on the first Tuesday in every February. Last year Adrian’s ewe lambs topped the sale at $192. The remaining ewes go to a Polled Dorset/Texel ram with the majority of the works lambs going to Blue Aky Meats with an average carcase weight of 20-21kg. A first cut is taken from the Romney ewe lambs for replacements for the main flock. A second cut is destined for the same buyer who’s been taking them for the last 10 years. Last year’s lambing percentage was 156%, down from the 2017 all-time high of 164% because of a 7% drop in scanning following the drought of 2021-2022.Adrian grows 10ha of precision-drilled swedes for a winter supplement, something which is also part of the home farm’s re-grassing programme.The Woodslea Downs property grows 20ha of winter crop and 1100 bales of baleage for winter supplements.Advanced Agriculture field representative Scott Laurence lends a hand with the cropping and re-grassing.The plan is for Casey and Rachel to eventually take over the home farm once Adrian and Kirsty decide to step back and lessen their workload.In the meantime the Lawsons’ succession planning is on track for a satisfying outcome. IRRIGATE WITH CONFIDENCE · IRRIGATION SYSTEMS · REMOTE MANAGEMENT · PRECISION VRI Proud to support Glenacardoch Belgian Blues A family owned & run business specializing in working with family farms 027 279 8704 or 03 303 6300 o ce@donaldlovecontracting.nz Proudly supporting Glenacardoch Belgian Blues
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