| 43 RURAL PEOPLE » Rimu Partnership any time soon Sale bulls in the shade. “He’s bred very very well for them. The general manager of Palgrove Ben Noller said Holster was an absolute no-miss bull and one of the most influential bulls ever used at Palgrove,” says Don. Building on this success the Dittmers purchased Silverstream Oatley, another game-changing sire. “His first 12 bulls averaged $42,000 and topped at $115,000, which was an Australian record at the time,” says Don. On May 22nd, the Dittmers will host their first-ever on-farm public sale, offering 20 rising two-year-old Charolais proven bulls, which hail from these genetics. “We’ve got a nice line up of bulls that will sell well and it’s good to get to this point,” says Don. The couple’s choice of Charolais was informed by Don’s experience as a stock agent, where he recognised their commercial value. He notes that crossbred and Angus cows with a Charolais bull produce progeny 40-50 kilograms heavier than straight Angus, offering significant economic advantages. Don says the stud’s breeding aims are moderate framed cattle with premium meat and good temperament and bulls that will go out and survive. The challenges the Dittmers face are mainly from the encroaching forestry industry. “We used to have five neighbours; now we only have two as the farms have been sold for forestry. It has destroyed the farming community and the local school has closed down, the local town has suffered,” says Don reflecting on the changing rural landscape. As they prepare for their milestone bull sale, the Dittmers demonstrate that passion for farming knows no age as they continue to innovate and expand their business well into their eighth decade. “We used to have five neighbours; now we only have two as the farms have been sold for forestry. It has destroyed the farming community and the local school has closed down, the local town has suffered.” Proud to support Rimu Partnership
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