Business Rural North Spring 2021

26 | Continued legacy reaching new heights About 300 hectares of Kiripaka Station is flat to rolling with the remainder steep country. Richard Loader RURAL PEOPLE » Kiripaka Station: Robert & Rachel Cashmore T he Cashmore family’s association on Kiripaka Station reaches right back to the heart of New Zealand’s golden pioneering days when man and beast wrestled the land to form the pastures now grazed. Located in the Franklin ward an hour southeast from the hustle and bustle of Auckland’s CBD, the station’s name Kiripaka translates to ‘flint’ in Maori and reflects the manganese seams that run through the 1200-hectare property. When the Cashmore’s first arrived on the land it was densely carpeted in native bush, which was gradually milled. “My ancestors had been milling through Hawke’s Bay and Coromandel before coming on to this tract of land in the 1870’s,” says Robert Cashmore, the fifth generation family member to care for the land. “As they cleared further back from where the mill was by the roadway, just a bullock track at that time, they started putting in pasture species. So the land morphed into agricultural farmland, rather than a milling operation.” Of the 1200 hectares, about 840 hectares is ef- fective, the balance including three large holdings of native bush which Robert’s great-grandfather had the foresight to fence off. “Those tracts of native bush have been virgin bush forever and include beech, which is very uncommon this far north, large holdings of kauri, rimu, totara and matai. We do have pockets of native bush for shelter in just about every paddock on the farm. There is also some wetlands area.” About 300 hectares of Kiripaka Station is flat to rolling with the remainder steep country rising from an altitude of 200 metres up to 600 metres above sea level, the highest privately owned farm- land in Auckland. The farm is home to 2,650 Romney ewes and 900 replacement hoggets. Dorsett and Beltex terminal sires are put to a third of the ewes. The property has a 175 breeding cows with all progeny finished, which Robert says is proving a challenge given the region’s enduring two-year-old drought conditions. While there has been some rain of late, the water table still remains perilously low. The last couple of years Robert’s wife Rachel has been rearing a few beef calves, which will either be finished or sold store, depending on the market. Born and bred on the farm, Robert says after he completed his 7 th form bursary miserably and he did a year on the family farm before winning a Young Farmers scholarship to attend Lincoln University where he completed a Diploma in Farm Management during the years 2004/2005. A six-month tour of the States working on Angus Stud farms was followed with several years work- ing on farms and stations in the South Island. It was when he broke a leg playing rugby while working in Balclutha that Robert returned to the home farm in Auckland and realised just how much he had missed it. “It was nice being back in Auckland after being away for four or five years. Around that time my father was starting to get involved in local body politics and was away from the farm for three days a week doing that. He progressed through his po- litical career to become Deputy Mayor of Auckland, which he currently is. While dad’s political career was progressing I became more and more involved with managerial roles on the farm and now my wife Rachel and I are going through the process of farm succession.” Robert says with ever increasing and often ill- conceived legislation placing pressure on farming and the life of farmers the passion for farming seems to be on a daily diminishing scale. “My ancestors had been milling through Hawke’s Bay and Coromandel before coming on to this tract of land in the 1870’s.” HAURAKI PLAINS MOTORS LTD For all new and used farm machinery 1 Pipiroa Road, NGATEA - Ph. 07 867 7021 e: admin@hpmotors.co.nz www.haurakiplainsmotors.co.nz Miles Shelley 027 227 1121 Michael Duffin 027 440 4681 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 KBS 2018 Ltd KBS 2018 Ltd helps you get the best from your land through:  Technical advice on grazing  Pasture management  Nutrient requirements for pasture growth  Budgeting advice  Stock planning  Fertilising programmes Address. 868 Coalfields Rd, Maramarua RD1 Pokeno | Ph. 09 232 5804 or Freephone. 0800 241 501 Mobile. 027 484 4083 | Email. office@kbs2018.co.nz The qualified team from KBS 2018 Ltd goes the extra mile to provide you with relevant, viable and cost-effective solutions tailored to the requirements and expectations of your land. 33 Coles Crescent PO Box 72-016, Papakura 2244 T 09 299 6596 E admin@robbix.co.nz • Chartered Accountants • Business Advisors • Rural Specialists Proud to be associated with Robert Cashmore Empowering freedom, clarity and purpose in business