| 3 Farming with the seasons at Dansey’s Pass Along with the 5800 ewes, the station is home to 1500 ewe hoggets and a few hundred cattle. Kim Newth In mid-April, high country farmer Ian Anderson will be out mustering to bring down all his ewes from steep snow-prone pastures to the lower country, which is much more winter safe. All the Romney/Merino ewes are grass wintered with no supplementary feed. They are tough selfsustaining sheep, with the right foraging instincts for this southern country. “It has been a good growing season for us – it got off to a slow start, but it is pretty good now,” observes Ian. “Hopefully, if we can squeeze in a little more growth, we should be going into winter in not too bad shape.” Once down from the heights, the ewes will be belly crutched, with the rest of the coat left on for warmth. Belly crutching ensures the sheep can move freely through the winter months without getting snagged or accumulating clumps of mud. The ram will go out in the first week of May. Traditional blade shearing, which leaves a layer of wool on to protect sheep from the elements, takes place in August. Around half of the station’s quality wool clip is supplied to the Smartwool brand, ultimately ending up as premium socks and other quality wool wear products. Ian knows this land well, having grown up among the tussocks. His father (originally from Ben Omar Station) bought Ben Ledi Station - at Danseys Pass, inland from Oamaru - and his mother grew up on the property next door. Ultimately the two stations were combined. Following tenure review, some of the land went into the conservation estate. Today, the property is around 3618-hectares in extent, rising to 1400-metres at its highest point. Along with the 5800 ewes, the station is home to 1500 ewe hoggets and a few hundred cattle. ON FARM » Ian Anderson Partners: Doug Harvie, Craig Wyatt, Brett Challis, Robyn Friedrich & Tom Saul. Harvie GreenWyatt is here to help youmaintain & grow your agri business. Our rural business accounting, business and planning disciplines. Software solutions , including Xero, Figured, Focus and tailored payroll solutions Business advice and planning Tax guidance and returns Cash owmanagement Succession planning PROUDLY SUPPORTING IAN ANDERSON Heifers go to the bull as two-year-olds, calving as three-year-olds. Through the winter, once the grass stops, all stock apart from the ewes will go onto a daily supplementary feeding regime. Ian feeds the hoggets well on quality lucerne baleage that he buys in. Ian has an active role beyond the farm gate as Federated Farmers High Country chair. Last year, he spoke out over difficulties he’d had obtaining a fire permit to control snow tussock. He noted how controlled burning of snow tussock had been a common practice on high country stations for many decades and getting permission to do it used to be straightforward. Now, resource consent is required. Ian had to get an ecological survey done and was told he’d also need a Wildlife Authority permit, (though no endangered wildlife has been found on the particular block in question). He’s still waiting for the permit. “We need to able to control snow tussock as it can grow very tall and block pasture growth. Unfortunately, the local council has not been very unhelpful and demanded that DOC be involved. What should have been a simple process has instead become very complicated.” Ian will continue serving as the Federated Farmers High Country chair through to June this year. “Hats off to this current government though – they have made good progress with unravelling some of the red tape that was previously in front of us.” jayamy.stringershearingltd@gmail.com Ranfurly Otago For AQuality, Prompt and E cient Shearing & Crutching Service, Woolpress &VanHire + Accommodation and Laundromat Facilities Call JayOn027 444 9158
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