| 27 Summer rain welcomed in North Canterbury Kim Newth MEAT & WOOL » Ferniehurst Station Ltd A damp early summer is just what farmers needed in North Canterbury, where conditions were looking pretty dry in the lead up to Christmas. It has provided a welcome boost for hill country sheep and beef properties, such as Ferniehurst Station. In anticipation of a summer drought, the 1800-hectare station had sold their steer calves and bailed out of lambs at weaning in December. Then, intermittent rain showers from Christmas onwards kept the grass growing and opened up some fresh trading opportunities. “We’ve still got 2500 trade lambs on and we’re trying to get them up to finishing weight – otherwise, we’ll sell them store,” says farm manager Harry Wilding, who is currently going through farm succession with his parents, Richard and Catherine Wilding. “We’ve increased our area of Raphno, [a high forage yielding, drought tolerant kale/radish hybrid]. With it having been a good early summer, we also bought 97 Friesian bull calves. It’s something new for us. We’ve got plenty of fodder beet for winter, so we’ll try and finish them too.” Harry returned to take up the reins of the family farm two years ago, having spent the previous 18 months working in Australia on sheep and beef farms in Western Victoria. “Those farms are very similar to New Zealand in a lot of ways, but have dry summers every year. I was interested to see how they navigate that, given our recurring droughts here.” With just under 5000 ewes to manage at Ferniehurst, Harry is grateful to have skilled people working with him like Jack Satterthwaite, a keen young shepherd with a good team of dogs. Every year after mating in June, Ferniehurst sends some 2000 hogget replacements to the Davey family farm operation in Rakaia, which runs an intensive cropping and stock support system. “That saved us last year. Even if we have plenty of grass, we’ll still be doing that this year – we’re keen to keep that relationship going.” In recent months, a spare farmhouse has been opened as Airbnb accommodation at Ferniehurst, giving visitors a chance to enjoy mountain views along with a new walking track through a preserved stand of native forest. “Our goal is to slowly grow that tourism strand, without distracting us too much from the core sheep and cattle side. It has been going well so far. We look after it as a family team and have had quite a few guests. Most leave five-star reviews. People enjoy staying here and the experience of SHE EPCO EST 2010 TAILING SUPPORT J & A BUR ROWS 0 2 7 6 4 5 4 4 5 6 SHE E PCO • LIVESTOCK CARTAGE • GENERAL FREIGHT • BULK & FERTILISER 99 Ward Rd, Cheviot 7310 03 319 8644 | 0276 776 787 Cheviot Ag Air Ltd Topdressing, Firefighting, Seeding Topdressing, Firefighting, Seeding i , i i , i Operating the 954 Fletcher ti t l t For fast efficient service contact: 027 432 5232 or 03 3198 036 | 72 Munro Road, RD2 Cheviot For fast ef cie t service co tact: 027 432 5232 or 03 3198 036 | 72 ro oa , 2 eviot MI & DJ STACKHOUSE being able to take a 40-minute loop walk through our very well established patch of native podocarp forest – some of the rimu trees in there are hundreds of years old. We’re lucky to have it and to be able to share it with other people.” Ferniehurst received a funding grant last August to go towards deer fencing to protect another 27.5 hectares of native bush that will be retired into a QEII covenant. Harry says that area is already fenced off from sheep and cattle; the deer fencing is due to go in over the next six months. “We’re definitely hoping to put a walking track through there too - it’s a beautiful gully with old beech forest.” Ferniehurst received a funding grant last August to go towards deer fencing to protect another 27.5 hectares of native bush that will be retired into a QEII covenant.
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