North Autumn 2022 www.waterfordpress.co.nz Bombay farmer Sue Cole became interested in breeding Highland cattle years ago and she hasn’t looked back since - Page 9 A passion for breeding
2 | Page | 3 Page | 26 Page | 42 Page | 18 Page | 34 Diversi cation supports Clifton legacy From harvesting ood water to hemp Carbon neutral farm is the way ahead Stud now 100% breeding operation Sheep still roam the hills of Clifton Station in Hawkes Bay, where the Gordon family has farmed for more than 150 years. Hawke’s Bay farmers Simon and Lou White have now been recognised for their irrigation excellence and environmental stewardship. Overcoming hurdles in the Central Plateau Carlos Segura manages one of four blocks that together make up the 6350 hectares of Tuatahi Farming Limited Partnership on the Central Plateau. Finding new and interesting methods After 32 years of managing Tangihau Station, Dean McHardy is still nding new and interesting ways to make gains in the farm’s Angus stud, its commercial herd, and its commercial ock. Using B+LNZ’s GHG (Green House Gas) calculator, East Coast Farm Manager Richard Webby was pleased to record a reading of -.614 tonnes per hectare. Gold Creek Simmentals has made a bold move. It is now a 100% stud breeding operation after selling off its commercial herd. Page | 10 CONTENTS >> Index | Page 60 These conditions are prescribed for the sake of understanding between the Company and its clients. Advertising is charged for on the basis of space taken up using a standard tabloid page. Actual space may be reduced during the printing process but this will effect all advertisers equally so no credit will be given for any reduction in size due to processing. The Company reserves the right to alter, change or omit entirely any advertisement or article that it considers to be objectionable or which may contravene any law. In the event of a failure on the part of the Company to insert advertising as instructed the Company may publish the advertisement at the first available subsequent reasonable date unless the advertisement features date sensitive material. Every care shall be taken to publish the advertisement in accordance with the advertisers instructions as to page and position but the Company reserves the right for whatever reason to place advertising in a different position and in doing so shall incur no liability whatsoever. Advertisers must advise business rural immediately of any error or omission in advertisements and shall work constructively to remedy the situation which in the first instance shall be a rerun of the corrected advertisement in the next available issue of business rural. Where advertisement proofs have been faxed or mailed to the client 48 hours prior to the nominated printing cutoff time acquiesce shall be taken as confirmation and acceptance. Corrections made by telephone shall be accepted but the Company reserves the right to decide whether a further proof should be faxed or mailed to the client. Accounts for advertising are due for payment within seven days of publication of the newspaper. Accounts not paid within this time may incur a penalty of 3% per month until the account is paid. Any debt collection costs incurred by the Company will be added to the account of the debtor. Views and opinions expressed in business rural are not necessarily those of the editors, Waterford Press Ltd or publisher. Business rural welcomes contributions from freelance writers & journalists. All articles published at editors discretion. Business rural accepts no responsibilty for loss of photos or manuscripts. Printed by: Published by: Christchurch Office 112 Wrights Road, Addington, Christchurch Phone 03-983 5500 PO Box 37 346 www.waterfordpress.co.nz Queenstown Office 70 Glenda Drive, Queenstown 9300 PO Box 2581, Wakatipu North MANAGING DIRECTOR James Lynch james@waterfordpress.co.nz EDITORIAL Editor Randall Johnston randall@waterfordpress.co.nz Paul Mein paulmein@waterfordpress.co.nz Journalists Kelly Deeks, Russell Fredric, Renata Hopkins, Richard Loader, Kim Newth, Karen Phelps, Sue Russell, Virginia Wright SALES ROOM Adam Feaver, Chris Graves, Megan Hawkins Mandi King, Allan J Knowles, Chris McPhee, Lisa Moffat, Colin Morais, Catherine Norton, Chris Pearce, Alasdair Thomson sales@waterfordpress.co.nz PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT General Manager Luke Lynch luke@waterfordpress.co.nz Graphic Artists Connor Gosnell, Anton Gray, Nick King, Sophie McCleary, Liki Udam. art@waterfordpress.co.nz CONTENT COORDINATORS Alissa Crosby, Ann-Marie Frentz OFFICE AND ACCOUNTS Manager Helen Bourne accounts@waterfordpress.co.nz Jill Holland reception@waterfordpress.co.nz
| 3 RURAL PEOPLE » Clifton Station Diversi cation supports Clifton legacy Kim Newth Sheep still roam the hills of Clifton Station in Hawkes Bay, where the Gordon family has farmed for more than 150 years. Yet the family’s long stewardship here owes much also to their entrepreneurial spirit and openness to change. Angus Gordon and son Tom are fth and sixth generation farmers respectively on the station’s 800 hectares, whose hills and gullies are so deeply embedded in their shared ancestry. Angus has fond memories of growing up in this special place, near Cape Kidnappers. “We had horses to ride, pet sheep dogs from an early age, creeks and the sea to swim in, and I got to help my father with mustering on the farm.” Stock trading is a big part of life for Angus and Tom today. They fatten several thousand trade lambs through to October, run a ock of around a thousand self-shedding Wilshire ewes and have a herd of 260 cows. Fodder crops for lambs include Raphno, a kale-radish hybrid. On the station’s irrigated ats, 30ha is leased to Bostock Brothers to grow organic maize for chickens. “In autumn, we replant it with oats used to fatten lambs in winter.” It has been some time since the property’s 1886 woolshed was needed for commercial shearing. In more recent times, it was used to host historic woolshed shows for cruise ship tourists. “We ran that as a tourism venture from 2006 to 2020. We actually had our best season ever in 2019/20 and then Covid came along and put an end to it.” Angus and Dinah Gordon rst took over the station’s reins in 1982. Their rst big diversi cation project involved the growing of early squash for the Japanese market on the irrigated ats. Later, they built a café facing the ocean that became a popular stop for tourists, locals and day trippers. “We wanted to do something that would not depend on the land or vagaries of the weather. We ran the café with a manager for 13 years and now lease it out to some very good operators, who have their own business there called Hygge at Clifton Bay – it’s a roaring success.” The latest diversi cation is a glamping operation run by Tom and wife Lucia, with two luxury campsites developed ve years ago. “Lucia is very good at marketing and does the day to day running of the business while Tom did a lot of the building. They’ve done a wonderful job with the garden and landscaping. It has been at out since they opened again last September. It has worked out really well.” Trees have long been planted for timber on the station, but are now planted for carbon credits with some 50ha of pine planted last year. Gorges have been fenced off over the years as has the property’s boundary with the Maraetotara River, creating a lot of regenerating bush areas on the station today as well. Meanwhile, Angus is fast gaining a following as an author with three books published to date on family history, the area’s historic wool sheds and the latest on ‘Historic Homesteads of Hawke’s Bay’ that includes a section on Clifton’s 1900 Edwardian homestead built by Angus’ grandfather Frank. One senses that Frank would be very proud indeed of how his descendants have kept the place going and thriving through the years. Tom Gordon dagging fat lambs before trucking them to Affco. Insets: Angus Gordon’s three published books. Top quality equipment and an experienced team Phone Mike 021 733 918 www.mikekettlecontracting.co.nz One of the irst farms Mike Kettle remembers working on as a young haymaker 30 years ago was Clifton Station, near Te Awanga. A few years later, Mike bought out his boss and began investing in business growth. Today, Mike Kettle Contracting Ltd still does the round bales at Clifton Station and much more besides, with services having expanded considerably over the years. Based in Hastings, Mike Kettle Contracting is today a progressive agricultural contracting business providing extensive cultivation, hay and silage solutions. Mike and his team have a top notch reputation for reliability, operating a large modern leet of John Deere tractors, Claas forage harvesters, hay equipment and a quality range of the latest cultivation and ground engagement machinery. At Clifton Station, Mike started o working for Angus Gordon but now works closely too with Angus’ son Tom on jobs like baleage, drilling, and cultivation of new crops. “I’m noticing that with a lot of the people I’ve been working with over many years, the sons are now taking on more of the management and ownership. It’s a privilege for our team to still be working with these loyal farm families and now servicing the next generation!” Having such a long connection with the local rural scene ensures Mike and his team can be relied upon to respond quickly and e iciently to farmers’ speci ic needs. They know the land inside out and what needs to be done. Mike is very proactive about investing in new gear to avoid breakdowns in the paddock. The frontline John Deere tractors are traded at 6000 hours and replaced with new. A similar trading policy is true across all equipment. All machinery goes through the workshop over the winter. Virtually all servicing is done in-house, with the full-time team maintaining the machinery. This further builds reliability in the ield as the core team is very familiar with all the gear. Jobs such as baling barley straw, hay and baleage will keep Mike and his employees busy through the late summer season. Soon drilling will be starting again as farmers begin cultivation for winter feed. Mike Kettle Contracting services include mowing, raking, tedding, hay baling with conventional medium and big square balers, round and square baleage, ploughing, power harrowing, rotary hoeing, discing, roller drilling, direct drilling, maize silage, grass silage, tree planting, buying or selling hay, straw or standing grass, and transporting. Proudly servicing Hawke’s Bay’s agricultural sector YOUR ONE STOP CONTRACTORS Mike Kettle Contracting is proud to provide a total contracting solution for all livestock, cropping and lifestyle farmers all year round. We’re your one stop shop for the cultivation, planting, harvesting and delivery of crop to your farm. Let us use our knowledge, expertise, equipment and experienced team to maximise the productivity of your agribusiness. HAY • BALEAGE • BULK SILAGE • MOWING & RAKING DIRECT AND ROLLER DRILLING • DRILLING CULTIVATION • ORCHARD DEVELOPMENT
4 | RURAL PEOPLE » Andrew & Emma Martin & Mary Taylor Couple prepare to Along with the stud bulls, Glenbrae is home to 160 registered Hereford cows, including heifers. Richard Loader Central Hawke’s Bay farmers Andrew and Emma Martin are preparing to take the reins of the well-respected Glenbrae Hereford Stud that was established fty years ago by Emma’s father, Martin Taylor. Andrew and Emma had been farming on a block of land not far from Porangahau village, when Emma’s brother Daniel was killed while providing support for an organised trail bike event in 2019. Daniel had played a major role working along side his father Martin on the family farm in Mangaorapa near Porangahau. “After Daniel was killed Martin and Mary asked if Emma and I would like to come and help them with the stud. So we decided to sell up where we were and with my parents’ help bought the farm neighbouring Martin and Mary.” Andrew and Emma’s 530-hectare property is home to 1500 breeding ewes, including hoggets, and 800 – 1000 trading lambs, depending in the season. About 100 mixed aged Angus and Angus/ Hereford cows are run, along with 25 rst calving heifers as well. The mixed aged cows go to an Angus bull while the heifers go to a Glenbrae Hereford bull. Although a few weaner steers are sold most of the progeny are nished. Glenbrae, the neighbouring farm owned by the Taylors, is a 570-hectare rolling hill country property with a handful of very fertile river ats that are perfect for bringing the Glenbrae stud bulls up to peak condition before the annual sale. Along with the stud bulls, Glenbrae is home to 160 registered Hereford cows, including heifers. While Martin passed away eighteen months ago, $11,564 Give us a call on 0800 2 GOLDPINE Jump on to www.goldpine.co.nz POSTS & POLES • OUTDOOR TIMBER • FARM BUILDINGS • OUTDOOR FURNITURE • WIRE, GATES & NETTING Proud to support Andrew & Emma Martin & Mary Taylor in the pursuit of breeding excellence Proudly supporting Andrew and Emma Martin and Mary Taylor Mary has been operating Glenbrae with the support of Andrew and Emma and next year the couple will take it over, operating both farms as one. “We will also buy the Glenbrae stud cows and carry the stud on,” says Andrew. “Emma and I are both very proud to be part of the stud and know it is quite a responsibility to carry forward. Emma and I both love cows. We had cows before we came around here so we have had a lot to do with them and really enjoy them.” Andrew says he and Emma work very well as a team and now that the children are all at school she is back on the farm full time. Carrying on the tradition set by Martin. Glenbrae’s annual on-farm bull sale will be held just before Queen’s Birthday, on Thursday the 2nd of June. “We usually catalogue about thirty R2 bulls, which we try to get to about 750kgs. We try to breed easy doing cattle that put weight on, and concentrate on growth and fertility traits. Temperament and structural soundness is big for us. We really want longevity in our cattle. Feet are a real focus and anything that looks dodgy gets culled. We don’t want to pass anything inferior on to our clients. We want our clients to be happy with what they take back to their own farms.” Last year two bulls were sold to South Island farmers, with the majority nding homes all over the North Island. “We have some very good loyal clients along with a few newbies. We sell mainly to the beef herd market, primarily commercial herds going over Herefords or Angus. We do sell a few yearlings in the paddock during the year.” Passionate about farming, Andrew says he cannot see himself ever doing anything else. “I like being outside and I don’t like huge crowds of people, so it’s quite good being out in the open.” Specialising in Hay and Balage and supplying quality feed supplements. Contact Colin on 027 497 5713 or at jacobscontractingnz@gmail.com JACOBS CONTRACTING sweatwork@gmail.com 021 066 0274
| 5 RURAL PEOPLE » Andrew & Emma Martin & Mary Taylor take over reins of Hereford stud Hawke’s Bay farmers Andrew and Emma Martin are to take over the running of Glenbrae Hereford Stud next year. Quality Olive harvest essentials Olive grove and orchardist equipment • 100% KIWI OWNED AND OPERATED Nestled in the foothills of the Brynderyn Mountains, near the small town of Mangawhai in Northland, sits the picturesque olive grove, Olives on the Hill, owned by Chris and Linda Smith. The beautiful rural setting is also home to The Grove Supply Co. “We provide anything that a small to medium olive grower would need, from harvesting equipment, brilliant de-leafers, nets, rakes and bins, a huge range of fustis and stainless-steel tanks, taps, filters and cappers,” says Linda. “We also have equipment for orchardists to crush and press other fruits.” The Grove Supply Co. is the only ocial distributor of the amazing ATRAX-4 harvesting machine from the Greek manufacturer, Spacesonic, and all Sansone oil storage products, plus all olive harvesting equipment from Zanon. All Zanon equipment, including harvesting machines and de-leafers have the guarantee of quality that comes from this long-time Italian supplier to the New Zealand olive industry. This year we have available the new Net-Cart from Spacesonic. The benefits are many, including keeping the olives away from the contamination that nets on the ground can bring, the ability to hold more olives, the ease of collecting the olives in the crates once they have been shaken from the tree and drastically shortening the time taken per tree. “I really believe the olive industry can compete on the world stage but we have to compete on quality.” says Linda. “We source only high quality brands and we believe customer service is paramount” she adds. Quality equipment is important to make the best of your crop. Chris and Linda welcome customers to call in at their grove where they can chat about olives, taste the oil and view the equipment. Please call ahead. Alternatively, Grove Supply Co. customers can view products online by visiting their website: http://grovesupply.co.nz/ 09 945 0890 | info@grovesupply.co.nz | grovesupply.co.nz ATRAX-4 Harvester Spacesonic Net Cart New from Spacesonic, hand harvesting net cart. Easily remove the olives from the trees without contaminating them on the ground. These carts come in various sizes from 5m to 7.5m. Telescopic rods make access to the tree easy. Manages hills due to the wheel adaption. Harvest this year can be easier than ever with our electric hand-held harvesters and the easily manoeuvrable net cart. Get in quick as these will sell very quickly! Lightweight electric harvester from Spacesonic in Greece. Efficient and fast, it makes easy work of harvesting the olives, and is suitable for groves from 50 – 2,000 trees. Adjustable speed motor so the fingers vibrate at between 650 – 1,350 cycles/min. An extension pole is easily attached for those very tall trees.
6 | RURAL PEOPLE » Beef It Simmentals ‘Cracker weaners’ may join sale bulls Richard Loader Northland stud breeders Aaron and Bernadette Gubb are looking forward to presenting their third offering of Beef It Simmental R2 bulls at the Kaihohe Saleyards on the 8th of June. Last year Aaron and Bernadette offered thirty R2 bulls to an appreciative beef and dairy market, averaging $3800 with all stock sold. “I guess it will be somewhere around that same number this time,” says Aaron. “By sale time the R2’s should average around 700 kilos, but I might also include a handful of Autumn weaners this year. There are some real cracker weaners this year. I weaned them at the beginning of January and the bulls averaged 375 kilos and the heifers averaged 336 kilos.” Aaron says while half a dozen Beef It Simmental bulls were sold into the dairy industry last year most bulls went to the beef market with farmers wanting to put them over Hereford Friesian cross for hybrid vigor. “In the Beef + Lamb Progeny Testing trials Simmental absolutely smashed everything. Of the top twelve bulls, ten of them are Simmentals, and the two that weren’t were ranked nine and twelve.” Aaron and Bernadette milk 420 predominantly Friesian cows along with a few cross breds on their 230 hectare effective dairy unit half way between Kaikohe and Kaitaia in Umawera, near the Mangamukas. For fteen years the couple had about fteen unregistered purebred Simmentals, which they bred to use over their dairy herd. Aaron says three years ago he and Bernadette thought they might as well go all the way and buy an entire stud consisting of fty cows and heifers from Peter Hill in Whangarei, along with other stud cows from disbursement sales. “The last year or two we’ve started to get our own heifers coming through from sires that we have picked ourselves. We’re breeding for a cow that is fairly easy calving, will grow once it’s on the ground, is docile and preferably polled. The idea is that the progeny will be nished before the second winter. I use the Simmentals over my dairy cows too so they have to be relatively easy calving.” Most of Beef It Simmentals genetics now come from Kerrah Simmentals. Located north of Wairoa, on the boundary of the Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne districts, Kerrah is New Zealand largest and one of the leading gene pools of fully recorded Simmentals. “We buy a mix of bulls and semen from Kerrah and I have bought about fteen heifers from them in the past too.” The Gubb’s stud herd includes 29 in-calf R2 heifers, 15 R2 autumn heifers, 75 spring cows with calves a foot and 32 autumn cows. During Northland’s Autumn there is no bobby calf run and Aaron has got around that issue by using Fleckvieh Semmental AI straws across a section of the dairy herd and nishing off with a Simmental bull. He currently has fteen Fleckvieh heifers, all Spring born weaners resulting from AI. “The ones I’ve reared look just the same as a Simmental Friesian cross. The bulls will go into the beef market, while the heifers will join the milking herd. It also creates a bit of hybrid vigor and a different dairy cross.” “By sale time the R2’s should average around 700 kilos, but I might also include a handful of Autumn weaners this year. There are some real cracker weaners this year. I weaned them at the beginning of January and the bulls averaged 375 kilos and the heifers averaged 336 kilos.” Last year Aaron and Bernadette offered thirty R2 bulls to an appreciative beef and dairy market. 160 Hariru Rd, Ohaeawai RD2 Kaikohe office@tractorthomas.co.nz 021 813 421 • Round & Square Hay and Silage • Cultivation, Cropping & Drilling • Maize Planting & Harvesting • Bulk Haulage • Conventional Hay • Weighbridge Services • Lime and Fert Spreading Ryan and the team at RTA Contracting are proud to support Beef it Simmentals Simmental Beef Stud Northland, NZ. 8th June2022 - KaikoheSaleyards 30 r2 Simmental Bulls Our bulls are guaranteed for structural soundness DNA tested Fertility tested Muscle scanned Beef classed EBL & BVD negative Contact Aaron Gubb: 021 590 915
| 7 RURAL PEOPLE » Bryce & Aneta Lupton A highly successful change on farm Karen Phelps Bryce and Aneta Lupton are ne-tuning their bull and lamb nishing operation after transitioning Te Opu Farm at Maungaturoto from sheep and beef breeding in 2005. It’s been a highly successful change for the farm and has given them much greater exibility to respond to the seasons and sensitive environmental challenges of its location on the Kaipara Harbour shores. The latest experiment is growing ewe lambs for a local breeding farmer and returning them to him as two tooths. Bryce says it is utilising the dairy heifer replacement scenario for sheep, not a common practice in New Zealand, but they are nding it ts their farm system well. “From the breeder’s point of view, he can use a terminal sire over his ewes to get more lambs off earlier. It’s also one less mob he has to look after in his system and he can get a better grown two tooth on our easier rolling country so their life performance is enhanced,” explains Bryce. He hopes to keep adding value to his client, increasing lamb weights, and is also looking at how additional value can be created for the farm to result in a win-win. “The last two seasons weather has been a bit challenging so we couldn’t get the lambs on as early as we would have liked. But when we can and can achieve more weight and condition then we are looking at mating the top half of them for ourselves. That would be the cream on the top if we could also get a lamb out of them and sell them as store or nish them depending on the season.” Bryce and Aneta farm Te Opu Farm, which totals 392ha (360ha effective), in an equity partnership with Peter and Prue Vincent. Located 10km west of Maungaturoto on the shores of the Kaipara Harbour the farm winter nishes lambs and trades bulls. The home block of 377ha has been in Bryce’s family since 1890 and looking after the land is a legacy he takes great pride in. Much of the unusable farming land in the system has been retired and planted in natives – around 20,000 to date. The largest block that’s been retired is 1ha. The property has native bush in DOC estate and QEII National Trust covenants. They were also nalists in the 2017 Northland Ballance Farm Environment Awards. The farm nishes around 3500-4000 lambs each year and winters 450 yearling bulls. They buy store lambs in April-May-June and sell in July-November at 18-19kg carcass weight. Replacement bulls calve at 120kgs and are taken through two springs and sold mostly as store to other farmers at 18-22 months of age and 400-450kgs. The bulls are in a block grazing system comprised of block 0.85-1ha. This allows them to produce more kilograms of beef by strictly controlling the grazing management. As the original block of land at Te Opu has been in his family for over 130 years, Bryce’s next goal is to submit the farm to the Century Farm Awards. His main driver is to preserve the farm’s history for future generations as entrants’ farm histories are recorded digitally then stored at the Alexander Turnbull library. “We have our name on the title of the farm but at the end of the day we are caretakers of this land. The land is key and looking after it our main goal.” Bryce is utilising the dairy heifer replacement scenario for sheep, not a common practice in New Zealand. Don Wilson - Pukekohe 027 497 5825 - don@onroadtransport.nz Blue Vallance - Paparoa 027 480 1072 - blueandgayle@xtra.co.nz Grant Robinson - Whangarei 021 158 8386 - grant@onroadtransport.nz 09 238 4016 | RD2, Pukekohe 2677 www.onroadtransport.nz North Island Livestock Cartage Proudly supporting the mid-northern farming community since 1960 Your First Choice for Veterinary Care
8 | RURAL PEOPLE » Colvend Shorthorns Bulls bred to handle the high country Colvend Farm Shorthorns on the move. An R2 bull (below). The King Country farm near Taumarunui (bottom). Virginia Wright Colvend Farm is a well-balanced combination of 14 hectares of at, 200 hectares of medium hill, and 150 or so hectares of steep to very steep country, with a further 137 hectares of virgin native bush. It can be found 40 or so kilometres north of Taumarunui in the King Country and is run by Alan and Valerie Park and their 21-year-old son Ashley. Their daughter Melissa (28) works propagating plants in Te Awamutu. As a teenager Ashley wasn’t too keen to go farming until Alan and Valerie took him along to a New Zealand National Beef Expo in Fielding, a meeting place for breeders of all kinds from all over the country, when he was 14. “They’re still common in many countries around the world but we don’t have anything like that here any more,” says Alan. “It’s harder now for the young ones coming through but that’s where we made a name for ourselves with our Shorthorn bulls. We took Ashley along to help us prepare them. They were washed and blow-dried and they were all led, so they had to be broken in before we went and Ashley had helped with that on his weekends home from boarding school.” It was on their way home that Ashley showed his rst enthusiasm for becoming a farmer, probably helped by the fact that the Park family’s Shorthorn bulls proved themselves to be the best in the show, going on to win the Supreme Champion Shorthorn Bull award three years in a row. Alan’s own history with the Shorthorns goes back to when he was about the age Ashley is now, when he was working with his parents Lola and Colin on the family farm on Mt. Pirongia, near Te Awamutu. “Dad always put a white Shorthorn bull across our Angus cows to create the blue-grey cattle which I really liked. That’s going back something like 46 years ago,” says Alan. In 1997 the Park family moved to their current farm which, unlike the high and exposed Pirongia property, lent itself to starting a stud and they wasted no time in doing just that. The Parks purchased the cows for their Colvend Shorthorn stud over about four years from Ina Philips in Dar eld, out of Christchurch. “We just took a few every year,’ says Alan. “Ina didn’t want to sell them all at once, she had a soft spot for the Shorthorns so that’s why she only let them go year by year.” Alan’s idea was to sell a few bulls annually, building up to holding an annual on-farm sale for 12 to 15 bulls. With only the Shorthorn stud in action the most they got to was 10 a year which wasn’t quite enough, so the second stage of the plan came about when they started an Angus stud in 2016 to complement the Shorthorns. “We built a big implement shed that we combine with the bull-sale yard,” explains Alan. “The rst bull sale was the nervous one because we had no pre-existing clients for the Angus. Then we ran into Covid for the second one. The third one was better because we were starting to build our reputation and our next sale is 31st May. We’ll have 10 Shorthorns and 11 Angus bulls for sale and we’re really looking forward to it,” says Alan. Back when they started the stud in 2000 Alan was aware that the hindquarters on the Shorthorns weren’t as good as they could be, so they started breeding for a type with a good hindquarter while keeping the good growth needed for modern farming. Alan believes that many other breeders chose to concentrate on size at the expense of do-ability when targeting the traits they selected. While the majority of American and Canadian cattle are grain fed, New Zealand cattle need to handle life outside, fending largely for themselves, grazing pasture. “I worked hard on that over the years,” says Alan. “We breed a medium-size shorthorn bull that can handle the hill country. We now sell our bulls to both stud and commercial farmers all over New Zealand.” Eight years ago the Park family’s Shorthorn bulls won their rst awards and Alan believes they’ve only got better since then. “We use our steep country as our testing ground for our Shorthorn cows. When they come home during the winter to calve we can tell which are the good do-ers and which aren’t so we know which ones to keep. “We only keep the best and we’ve been doing that for 22 years.” “The rst bull sale was the nervous one because we had no preexisting clients for the Angus. Then we ran into Covid for the second one. The third one was better because we were starting to build our reputation and our next sale is 31st May. We’ll have 10 Shorthorns and 11 Angus bulls for sale and we’re really looking forward to it.” Telling your story with numbers By combining our Business and Farming knowledge with Xero and Figured for all your Planning, Forecasting and Monitoring Helping you move forward. 378 Crozier Street, Pirongia 3802 07 871 1866 Specalists in BUYING AND SELLING ALL CLASSES OF LIVESTOCK MyLiveStock Local Agent: Vaughan Rogers: 027 452 1568 100%NZ owned and operated • Working with farmers for farmers • PROUDLY SUPPORTING COLVEND SHORTHORNS mylivestock.co.nz Website | Mobile | App
| 9 RURAL PEOPLE » Ruru Valley Farm A lifelong association with Highland cattle Photos: Gabrielle of Glen Tannock; Dave and daughter Georgia in the bush cabin; Wiltshire ewes with this years Blackshire cross lambs shedding; Lily of Glen Tannock with QE11 bush in background. Sue Russell Prior to marrying, Sue Cole was a towny. Her introduction to rural life came when she met Dave and the couple settled on a life-style size plot of land at Glenbrook in 1998. “I had grown a fond attachment to Highlander cows and when we married my parents gave me an in-calf cow for our wedding present. That really started my long association with the breed,” Sue explains. And with nursing quali cations she soon become interested in breeding the growing collection of Highland cattle. Sue describes those early days as a steep learning curve. Eventually, with more cows, the breeding programme really stepped up a notch and the timing was perfect, as life-stylers and the tiny-house people wanted an animal on their land that could take care of eating the pasture and be almost like a pet. “The thing is that often these people think they’re just cute and cuddly, but they really need to be fed well to grow well. We got involved in the New Zealand Highland Cattle Society and the breed sort of went through a resurgence. We got quite involved with the breeding and the herd register.” For a period of time Sue had a small business selling the meat at local markets and trucking Highlander Cattle to the works. Her aim was to get them to the works with the least amount of stress. A couple of abattoirs accepted horned cattle to process. “I was encouraging owners to dehorn their cows if they weren’t going to be breeders.” Then in a new shift in their farming journey the couple moved to a new farm in Bombay. It was a prudent decision, given they couldn’t afford a nice nishing block and land was better priced in Bombay. “The land we are now on is not good for heavy animals. Highlander Cattle seem different from other breeds. They are smarter. I know this because we had other breeds as well and when we would take the tractor into the paddock to feed-out, the Highlanders’ would be more interested in escaping through the open gate.” Sue and Dave then decided to introduce a new income stream into their farming business, in the form of Wiltshire Sheep. “Wiltshire are self-shedding and have good feet and again it proved to be a good decision,” Sue re ects. Admittedly, the rst generation Sue says, were a bit ‘manky’ but through breeding a great ock has been established. The couple decided to not remove tails and have never had to deal with ystrike. They also haven’t drenched unless absolutely necessary. “We use apple cider vinegar in troughs for both sheep and cattle.” Wiltshire’s are popular with Lifestylers. They are a meat breed but make for good company and pets. Introducing a Blackshire ram into the mix this year has produced a potpourri of very cute progeny. “We can have a white Mum with two black lambs or one of each.” As for the Highlanders, the couple have downsized the herd, with the exception of the ‘old girls’ who are just pets. “From the original cow, I have the great-greatgrand-daughter who has just had a calf, so it is really nice to go back that far with the breed.” The next chapter came along when the couple were presented with the opportunity to buy 100 acres of QE11 native bush, which they have owned these past three years. The block requires pest-management – including rodents, pigs, deer and gorse. “We like challenges and this block has plenty of these. It’s also provided us with a new set of learning about preserving native ora and fauna. We have built a little ‘hunters’ cabin in the bush, for family and friends to enjoy the special sense of being immersed in native bush.” The couple have engaged others to help with pest eradication measures. Sue says she has learnt a lot and attributes that to her nursing observational skills. To her delight Sue has learnt that the national long-walk ‘Te Araroa’ passes by the front gate. This has prompted another thought, that perhaps those travelling the length of the country, or the part of it where the farm is, could stop by and enjoy a rest in the bush. “I’m going to contact the Te Araroa people and see what’s involved. It just seems like a wonderful coincidence that we are so close to this worldfamous national treasure of a walkway.” Bait its Fate Leading the fight against introduced threats to ensure the protection of New Zealand's precious wildlife. Toxins | Lures | Traps | Bait Stations | Monitoring Tools | Warning Signs Connovation specialises in possums, rodents, stoats, and other pest control products that are eco-friendly and humane. www.connovation.co.nz | +64-27-273-4888 | anjali@connovation.co.nz D-Block that bloke! A company owning the important mission of controlling and eradicating New Zealand’s invasive pests is creating meaningful change for landowners who believe in preserving and enhancing this country’s pristine natural environs. Based in East Tamaki, on Sir William Avenue, Connovation is leading the world in the research, development, and manufacture of a whole raft of animal pest technologies. CEO Duncan MacMorran says that protecting our natural resources underpins everything Connovation does. “We put a real focus on research and development and strive to create products that are eco-friendly, humane and practical.” The company specialises in possum and rodent control along with stoat, ferret, weasel, and wallaby control technologies. For land-owners Sue and Dave Cole, from Glen Tannoch Farm in Bombay, the advice and support received from Connovation in choosing pest management technologies is having a huge impact on native bush preservation. The company is involved in R & D, commercialisation, monitoring and control, selling its products to Regional Councils, Department of Conservation, Contractors, land-care groups, and individuals. It has a strong focus on research and development and works with the Department of Conservation, Predator Free NZ , Ospri and Universities to provide a strong scienti ic background to its products. Products are manufactured in New Zealand and designed for New Zealand conditions. Connovation provides advice on the best practice to use these products. “We are about innovation and constant improvement in product and service delivery. Our research has resulted in the registration of new technologies such as Double Tap for the control of possums and rats, Ratabate paste for the control of rodents, D Blocks for the control of rodents and Predastop for the control of stoats and feral cats.” For the very best pest-control technologies and advice on the best way to use these products, landowners need look no further than Connovation. Anjali Barboza, Marketing Specialist, says that the amount of research that goes into every product the company manufactures is very in-depth. “We do a lot of R & D behind each product, and we are working closely with Predator Free 2050, Department of Conservation and Bo a Miskell on a range of exciting projects involving possums, rats and stoats which are currently in trials”, says Anjali. Connovation’s website carries comprehensive information about the company, its products and services and is a must for any person seriously wanting to deal with pests. Creating meaningful change for landowners
10 | Stud now 100% breeding operation Karen Phelps RURAL PEOPLE » Gold Creek Simmentals Gold Creek Simmentals has made a bold move. It is now a 100% stud breeding operation after selling off its commercial herd. “It means we no longer have the demands and distractions of the commercial cow herd getting in the way,” explains stud owner Tom Sanson. “It’s also allowed us to expand the stud and nish more bulls with better selection pressure.” In order to build numbers the stud has undertaken an embryo transfer programme for the past few years with 57 in the rst year followed by 30 every year after that. Tom says the aim is to keep doing an embryo transfer programme going forward to ensure the best genetics are coming through. Gold Creek Simmentals will calve 170 this year and 200 in 2023. The stud also comprises around 75 heifers and 75 bulls. It’s also meant that purchasers will have more choice at the stud’s annual bull sale. Due to be held on 23 May at 2pm, the sale will offer around 30 bulls plus heifers and semen packages. Last year marked the rst sale held on farm in the newly built sale yard - previously bulls were sold on farm by private treaty. Tom says the signi cant investment in the facility followed on from the commitment to invest more heavily in the stud. On 6 May an open day will be held on farm giving people the opportunity to view the bulls. Buyers will have plenty of choice at the annual Gold Creek Simmental bull sale in May, with around 30 bulls plus heifers and semen packages The sale catalogue will be available at goldcreeksimmentals.nz prior. Tom and wife Adeline started Gold Creek Simmentals in 2009. Tom is the third generation on the land and spent time working in Europe before coming home to New Zealand and working on a number of prominent East Coast sheep and beef stations. He returned to the family farm in 2008 in a management role, and in 2009 jumped at the opportunity to purchase a number of registered cows from various stud dispersals. From here Gold Creek Simmentals was established, and his journey as a stud breeder began. Tom says the stud is proof of the Gold Creek philosophy of continuous improvement. “We are always striving to improve, to grow and to be innovative in how we do things. We are not conservative in our approach here, and our investment in the right genetics, regardless of cost, is testament to this,” he says. Gold Creek has used genetics from Woonallee Simmentals in Australia since its inception. “They have unique bulls so it’s given us real consistent types,” says Tom. “It’s also given Gold Creek a point of difference.” Gold Creek aims to breed predominantly polled cattle as this is something the industry is increasingly moving towards, even more so since new legislation came into effect, which mandates the use of a local anaesthetic for the process of de-horning and de-budding, says Tom. Producing naturally polled cattle helps save Gold Creek clients time and money – another big focus for the stud. Gold Creek cattle are well balanced with good temperament and consistent gures across the board including growth and carcass traits. Great emphasis is placed on producing faster nishing, high yielding eshy cattle. “We want to put more meat on a smaller frame than traditional Simmentals, which is one of the main reasons for sourcing genetic material from beyond the shores of New Zealand as well,” explains Tom. Tom and Adeline have shares in the family farm and have also recently entered a 50% equity partnership with a couple of friends. The purchase of the 1000ha property at Whangara marks their foray into the Angus breed as Whangara Angus stud formed part of the purchase. It includes 400 registered cows and 200 commercial cows. Further growth is on the cards for the couple’s business: “In whatever we do we look ahead towards an ambitious vision that aspires to help our clients take their farming operations to a new level.” “It’s also allowed us to expand the stud and nish more bulls with better selection pressure.” GOLD CREEK SIMMENTALS L to R: Ross Mitchell, Daryl Fergus, Rob Fergus, Tim Petro, Luke Bates, Deano Brenssell. www.fergusrural.co.nz admin@fergusrural.co.nz Gisborne: Wairoa: Rob Fergus 027 4496007 Deano Brenssell 027 8638923 Luke Bates 027 4211653 Daryl Fergus 027 2092787 Ross Mitchell 027 4048965 Environmental Solutions Consultant: Tim Petro 027 3390400 Livestock and Agribusiness consultants AGRIBUSINESS Adeline and Tom Sanson.
| 11 Simmental stud a labour of love Six month old calf showing good growth against a seven-year-old. Inset: Each year paddock sales are held for about 40 R2 bulls. Richard Loader RURAL PEOPLE » Hampton Downs Simmental Ph: 078263075 Proud to support Hampton Downs Simmental www.thetractorcentre.co.nz THE TRACTOR CENTRE phone (09) 238 7179 Cnr Heights & Paerata Roads, SHW 22 Pukekohe Massey Ferguson Global Series Tractor & Loader Packages On 0%* Finance To Approved Purchasers 74 to 132hp Cab & Rops options (Conditions Apply) THE TRACTOR CENTRE Enquiries and inspection always welcome email: 2033 State Highway 3, RD Mahoenui, 3978 phone: 07 877 8977 or 027 355 2927 www.raupuhastud.co.nz Raupuha Stud Bull & Heifer On-Farm Sale 9am 31st May 2022 Red,White & Roans of our world When Malcolm and Ngaire Entwisle were living in Germany in the late 70’s they fell in love with the Simmental breed of cattle that happily grazed near the alpine villages wearing cow bells and owers around their necks. Returning to New Zealand, they bought a dozen in-calf cows, the start of what would become Hampton Downs Simmental Stud near the small north Waikato township of Te Kauwhata. Further females were purchased from stud dispersals to initially build herd numbers. Following calving issues with the rst in-calf cows, semen was sourced overseas, looking particularly for ease-of-calving traits. Polled genetics also resulted from the Entwisle’s search, which has followed through to this day with semen preferentially selected from homozygous bulls, while acknowledging the need to use some horned bulls strategically to expand the genetic base. The Entwisle’s eldest daughter Sarah and her husband Patrick English returned from Australia in 2011 to allow Malcolm and Ngaire to ease into retirement. Although Malcolm passed away four years ago, Ngaire continues to support day-to-day running of the 400-hectare farm and the stud passed to Patrick. Sarah has an off-farm day career, but assists her husband on the farm in the weekends and shares Patrick’s passion for the family farm and stud. “The breeding focus now is on low birth weight, calving ease, good carcass, structure and feet. We’ve been historically very strict on temperament. We scan all our R2 heifers and bulls for eye muscle area, and intramuscular fat as well as doing all the performance recording required to create the EBV values.” Genetics continue to be sourced predominantly from United States and Canada with the intention of advancing the breed to suit New Zealand hill country conditions where the bulls are likely to end up. Short gestation has become a recent focus and Sarah says that if cows can calve early, their calves mature earlier and cows have more time to get back in calf. Patrick and Sarah breed with the intention that all females will stay on farm to be bred, with the bulls sold as breeding bulls. Anything that is not structurally sound is fattened on farm then culled and not offered to market. Each year paddock sales are held for about 40 R2 bulls throughout the year and by arrangement, mostly prior to the October breeding time. “We like to sell our bulls as two year olds, so that we can be con dent about their structure. We also strive to be a low input system. At the moment we have drought conditions with no grass growing and we need our animals to get through that. Our thinking is that if the animals do it tough on farm here, wherever they go to they will thrive. We don’t want an arti cially pumped up animal that falls apart at their new home.”
12 | As is so often the case in pioneering farming, the hard work of earlier generations created the platform for future ones to carry on the farming legacy. Nothing is more true than at Hinewaka Shorthorns, which has been home to six generations working the land, and with a seventh waiting in the wings. Hinewaka, located soe 20kms south-east of Masterton, is 780ha of rolling to steep hill country on limestone soils. With an elevation of 1500ft above sea level and an average 800mls rainfall annually, the farm produces top-class shorthorn stock. Given the environment it enjoys, a substantial amount of cultivation occurs annually and each year between 20-30ha is planted in kales, sustaining the stock through summer and winter feeding. Today, David and Pip Blackwood, who have been tending to the home property since 1983, have all-but handed over running the farm to son Mitch, one of four children. David says it’s a pleasure to see the next generation take hold of the challenges and opportunities that farming brings, and to mark its own stamp on how the farming business is conducted. “It can be a tricky time often in farming families when it comes to succession. In our case we realised that the most important thing was to communicate well with all the children. It’s a case of balancing our own needs for the future, with that of our children and the farming business,” David says. Hinewaka is home to 150 breeding cows, run under commercial conditions, 3700 Coopworth/ Romney ewes and 1100 hoggets. Fertility within the ock runs between 130 – 150% and most lambs are fattened for slaughter. David says it is a strong philosophy for the breeding of their shorthorn bulls that the cows have to tough it out to keep their place in the herd. “We’re very strict about the traits I want to see. I’m not producing animals of a particular form dictated by the market; I’m producing animals that suit our environment and if that works for our buyers then well and good. It’s always been our breeding philosophy and it is our strength.” Hinewaka holds an annual sale in the rst week of June, in keeping with all the other studs in the district. Standing up for sale are a mix of bulls destined for commercial farming operations and stud bulls, sold to other studs to add new genetics. David says its critically important to view the commercial farmers purchasing his bulls as just as important, if not more, than the studs. He says the breed here in New Zealand, though small in number, is in a good situation. “I think it’s one of the advantages of a minority breed, that all the breeders know each other. There’s isn’t a sense of competition between us. We just let the buyers decide what they like best.” He laments the fact that there is a whole younger generation of farmer who doesn’t know much about the capabilities and strength of the Shorthorn. RURAL PEOPLE » Hinewaka Shorthorns Building on hardwork of earlier generations Sue Russell Abraham Shearing Ltd Providing shearing services for theWairarapa. Paerata &Cushla 027 748 7259 abrahamshearing@gmail.com Proud to be associated with Hinewaka Shorthorns Call Arron Cook on 027 498 7104 “They were the rst breed to come to NZ and elsewhere in the world they are gaining popularity for their maternal strengths and carcass traits which are gaining premiums in the marketplace. Up until the 1960’s Shorthorn, Angus and Hereford were the three breeds used for crossing and adding hybrid vigour depending on what traits farmers were seeking in their herds. Then the European breeds started to become popular; a bit of a fad.” Today, David says, a lot of farmers are straight breeding with Angus. He says the down-side of this is that they lose out so much on hybrid vigour. Selecting which bulls will stand up for sale in any given year is a case of having a good eye for what looks good. Fertility is a key driver, above other traits. The bulls are split into A and B mobs. Eventually around 25 bulls make it through to sale. Some clients are after bulls suitable for mating to heifers. “The bulls are great performers for 5 or 6 years in a herd. Sale day for me is actually the worst day of the year – I love breeding them but don’t enjoy selling them.” Having a large proportion of repeat clients is always satisfying and David says he encourages clients to keep in touch regarding how the bulls are performing. And looking ahead David is convinced the next evolution for the breed lies in Genomics; the eld of biology that focusses on the structure, function, evolution, mapping and editing of genomes (an organism’s complete set of DNA). “This is an important development for the breeding industry. At the moment through Breedplan we only have EBV’s to work from in terms of animal performance and value. I am using Genomics in my herd and see it as the way of the future.” “Sale day for me is actually the worst day of the year – I love breeding them but don’t enjoy selling them.” Selecting which bulls will stand up for sale in any given year is a case of having a good eye for what looks good.
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