52 | Diverse farming is the key to its success The farm is also home is home to 3500 ultra-fine merino sheep. Rosa Watson MIXED USE » Invernia Holdings Ltd For three generations, Invernia Holdings in North Otago has operated a diverse farming operation that has been key to its success. The entire operation covers 2500 hectares of irrigated flats with a small piece of irrigated hill country and another small piece of dryland hill, and includes dairy, dairy beef, sheep and a growing plantation of walnut trees. The farm has been in the Hurst family for the last fifty years, when owner Russell’s father moved “over from the hill” from Windsor, putting the farm into border dyke irrigation and building the first dairy shed. Today, there are four dairy farms with support blocks attached, with 3000 Friesian cows across the operations. A new cow shed built two years ago that increased capacity from a 50-bale rotary to an 80-bale rotary, which allowed the herd to increase by 600 cows. The farm is also home is home to 3500 ultra-fine merino sheep. All wethers, the sheep are bought in as hoggets and kept till they are about seven years old. The merinos are set stocked to graze unproductive areas around waterways and irrigation, and also graze around the walnut trees. There are also 200 nursing cows that rear the bull calves. Currently there are approximately 500 established walnut trees, covering five hectares, including the original 40 trees planted by Russell’s father. A new irrigation system has enabled a further 3000 trees to be planted, bringing the total area to 26 hectares, and a larger commercial scale. Currently owned by Russell and wife Cathy, their sons have all now taken a role. James looks after the dryland hill, nurse cows, sheep work and the walnuts, while Henry is 50/50 sharemilking on one of the four connected dairy units on the farm and William is 50/50 sharemilking across two other sheds. The fourth shed is run by a contract milker. Overall, there are 30 staff across the whole operation. The benefit of Russell’s father’s foresight is still reaping benefits today. “Originally my Grandad planted those 40 trees and there were a lot of nuts on the ground so he started to pick them up and sell them,” James tells Rural South. He also trialled apricots and cherries without success. ARTIN W W AKEFIELD LTD Level 1, 26 Canon Street, Timaru • 03 687 7122 • Fax: 03 684 8558 • reception@martinwakefield.co.nz • www.martinwakefield.co.nz ACCOUNTING SERVICES RURAL BUSINESS SERVICES Benchmarking • Bookkeeping / accounting • Budgeting • Business Start-up • Financing • Cash Flow Forecasting • Financial Planning • Monitored Business Performance • Office Duties • Payroll Services • Portfolio Management • Software Solutions • Strategic Planning WE WORK WITH Proud to support Invernia Holdings Ltd Large Solar farms • Solar for Full Dairy Shed systems Solar for Houses • All other Electrical needs. CALECT SOLAR 0800 360063 calum@calect.co.nz Walnuts, however, seemed to do well in tucked into the hill. “Where we are is probably a bit heavy soils for them, but it was just sort of the block that suited it. It’s tucked under the hills, so we are reasonably sheltered from frosts.” Walnuts are low labour with the majority of harvesting down mechanically, and work in well with the other farming operations, James says. “The busy time for walnuts is quiet time for the dairy side, (so) it means that labour can come in.” It also provides an area for the merinos to graze. “And the merinos tie in with the dairy for those unproductive parts of the property you can’t put anything in. “Diversity is making sure everything works well with each other and also can stand on its own as well.” The expansion of the walnut plantation will require a lot larger equipment, he says. For the last eight years a major capital project has been underway replacing the border dykes with spray irrigators to meet consent obligations. There is two years left to complete it. Round 250ha has been completed each year, at a significant cost. James sits on the Meat and Wool Council as the North Otago representative, motivated to stand by new district plan overlays that he wanted to have a say on. “They were going to affect our farm quite significantly.” It also allowed him to advocate for farmers in the Omarama area that were recently hit with a TB outbreak. “So, it’s just finding an issue that relevant to me to be able to put in my time and advocate against or for.” He encouraged the younger generation keep take a seat at the table to have a say on future legislation and rules. “(It’s) being able to have a constructive say and put your opinion in to members of parliament and decision makers about the future of farming.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=