| 39 Business good, the steak is good too Paul Ruddenklau - Dunmore Farm. Margie and Paul farm around 300 adult Wagyu for Black Origin and also their own Friesian bull beef. Karen Phelps Farming Wagyu for Black Origin has given Southland farmers Margie and Paul Ruddenklau that all-important cashflow. “I worked in the banking industry for 12 years and so I recognise the importance of cashflow. Black Origin makes it easy for us to plan and run our business and the steak is good too,” says Margie with a smile. “The steak really is like nothing we’ve eaten before,” adds Paul. It’s high praise indeed as the couple has a background in beef and sheep farming. Paul grew up on a farm in Dipton then he and Margie farmed in a partnership on a sheep and beef farm there for around 15 years. In 2000 they moved to Dunmore Farm at Lora Gorge, just east of Winton, where they have 200ha. They farm around 300 adult Wagyu for Black Origin and also their own Friesian bull beef, rearing around 150 bull calves and carry them through to killing at 18-24 months. Their business also includes trading stock sheep and they have around 1300 store lambs at present. The Ruddenklaus are in their third season of farming for Black Origin and have been farming Wagyu for five seasons. They raise the animals to a liveweight of 500600kgs when the Wagyu then heads to a feedlot to be finished on grain - a secret recipe from Japan. “Wagyu appealed to us because we could cut out the middle man and deal more directly with the processor,” says Paul. “ We get monthly payments and weight gain is incentivised. The workload is also less than with sheep and the returns are better.” He says that Wagyu need to be fed more intensively and gain weight quickly in spring – around 2kg per day at peak. “We find they put weight on in pastures with a bit of rough feed in them – they need good quality plus a bit of roughage. Weighing monthly helps us to see the weight gains so we can figure out what is and isn’t working,” says Paul. “They are quiet natured and inquisitive animals, easy to handle in the yards, which makes working with them a pleasure.” “We find they put weight on in pastures with a bit of rough feed in them – they need good quality plus a bit of roughage. Weighing monthly helps us to see the weight gains so we can figure out what is and isn’t working.” MEAT & WOOL » Paul Ruddenklau - Dunmore Farm Margie says the close relationship they have with Black Origin makes raising Wagyu a positive experience. “They are a great team and it comes from the top. They respect their staff and farmers as they recognise their business relies on good people.” Margie, who is also a councillor for Southland District Council, combines farming with working off-farm. She takes on the bookwork for the farm, helps in the calf shed at springtime and generally fills in as needed. VETSOUTH ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT PAUL RUDDENKLAU & DUNMORE FARM BALCLUTHA | GORE | WINTON | INVERCARGILL | LUMSDEN | OTAUTAU | CLYDEVALE | TAPANUI 0800 VETSOUTH | vetsouth.co.nz The Ruddenklaus don’t need to employ any other staff with Paul taking on the day to day running of the farm. Paul says that with the market demand for Wagyu beef strong the future looks bright. “Any premium Wagyu product, such as Black Origin produces, is always going to demand a good price. It makes us feel very positive about the future of farming Wagyu.”
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