28 | Breeding and growing high quality stock Jack Brennan, George Brenssell, Cam Morris, Liam Park. Kelly Deeks MEAT & WOOL » Fernvale Genetics Family-owned sheep and beef operation, Fernvale Genetics in West and Central Otago, has always taken pride in breeding and growing high quality stock and by using only the very best genetics available, and focusing on key traits of intramuscular fat (IMF), birthing ease, and growth for the past 20 years, these are now the dominant traits of the Fernvale Angus stud. About eight years ago, the Brenssell family of Fernvale Genetics started looking into the IMF of their herd for Alliance’s new Pure South Handpicked programme, and found pretty quickly that IMF was particularly strong in the females. “They are a Kakahu genetic base and over the past 20 years, there have been some top end genetics used within our herd,” says Lloyd Brenssell. “For an example instead of purchasing a dozen $8000 bulls each year, we decided to purchase one $40,000 stud bull a year. IMF has been one of our primary focuses, more so than growth, and it’s treating us well. They go particularly well in the Alliance Handpicked programme, because they meet the stringent selection criteria for that.” Lloyd says Alliance has done a spectacular job with its Handpicked programme, which aims to provide the very best eating experience from free range, grass-fed red meat farmed in environmentally conscious and regenerative ways. “The work Alliance has put into that programme is paying dividends for them. It’s one product that we can’t supply enough to the customers.” Fernvale Genetics finishes all of its two-year-old trade cattle supplied to the Alliance Handpicked programme, giving the Brenssells the ability to gauge how they are performing within the industry, and more control over their quality, which Lloyd says relies half on genetics and half on feeding. IMF however, is a genetic trait, pure and simple. “Look at the Wagyu for a comparison. Many hundreds of years of breeding has resulted in quite a small cattle beast that is saturated in intramuscular fat. New Zealanders have dabbled in Wagyu but they just don’t have the size we want. The Angus is the next best thing, and they have some genetic streams that have more IMF than others. We’ve focused on that for the past 20 years and when you focus on that for a long time, it tends to be a dominant trait in your herd.” Lloyd and his wife Angela are the third generation custodians of Fernvale Genetics, originally founded in 1946 at Moa Flat, West Otago. Fernvale genetics began with a focus on making Romneys productive in what at that time was very under-developed country and after two decades of very selective and somewhat ruthless breeding, started to achieve amazing results in the show ring and the sale yard. Pregnancy Scanning Sheep & Cattle Proud to Support Fernvale Genetics Phone Blair: 021 673 174 Your Rural Specialists ph.co.nz Lloyd took over in 2008 and has been focused heavily on developing the studs, which are operated and farmed alongside the commercial flock and herd with the philosophy that if you don’t perform, you’re out. “We keep it really simple, and we don’t keep rubbish,” he says. “You’ve got to be ruthless, and only keep the best.”
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