Business Rural North Spring 2021

32 | Virginia Wright B acking onto the Gwavas Forest which backs onto the Ruahine Ranges, Forest Road Deer Farm is 327 hectares of rolling to steep hill country at a high enough elevation to mean a colder climate than much of Hawkes Bay. The nature of their land and its climate are one of the reasons why Grant and Sally Charteris are predominantly running a red deer velvet stud where, as Grant puts it, “We’re producing deer to breed for velvet and we’re breeding velvet produc- ing deer for other people.” They hold an on-farm sale every December selling 15-20 three year old velvet sire stags and up to 100 yearling hinds for velvet breeding. They run the deer in conjunction with a 60 strong Hereford cow herd, an essential part of the Charteris’ pasture management plan given that their rolling to steep terrain won’t take a topping tractor. “Deer are browsers, they pick and forage, so the cows are there to clean up the rougher pasture which means the deer can take what they want out of it without coming under any pressure so it allows them to fully express their genetic potential.” Everything on the farm works around the stags’ natural rhythms and is targeted to ensure that the stags are in absolute peak condition when they start growing their velvet, despite the ravages of the roar which runs from late Feb through to the end of May. “They start acting like teenagers with way too much testosterone,” says Grant with a laugh. “They can lose up to 30% of their body weight because all they’re interested in doing is roaring and chasing around and trying to find a hind, so we spread them out to give them plenty of personal space you might say.” The deer are farmed in age groups, each with their priority times of year for extra feed or feed of higher quality. The velvet-producing stags feed ad-lib on kale from June 1 st . “We’ve found over the years that the best way to grow good velvet is to use that first month after the roar to pour as much high octane feed into them as possible to help them recoup their body fat. By the time they cast their buttons and are ready to grow velvet in August you need them in top condition, so that any extra feed you give them then is going straight into the velvet.” Apart from their obvious success with the quality and quantity of velvet they’re producing, years of carefully planned hard work by the Charteris’ was recognized earlier this year with two awards at the Deer Industry Environmental Awards. It’s a win that Grant puts in part down to the regrouping he and RURAL PEOPLE » Forest Road Deer Farm / Grant and Sally Charteris Forest Road Deer Farm leads the way Sally did after the tragic loss of his father Bruce in a farm accident eight years ago. “He was my mentor and my sounding board,” says Grant. “So we subsequently engaged with Rural Coach and we had to write down what values were important to Sally, and what values were important to me, and then align those values and set some clear goals moving forward. “It was a really robust process and put some structure into our business plan and I think the environmental stuff morphed from there because it was the base line of everything that we wanted to achieve: our marketing story, the products we’re selling, and our goal to create a platform the next generation can use to market anything they want to.” Phone: 06 839 1713 Cell: 027 597 5801 Sue: 027 936 1446 keith.burden@xtra.co.nz 622 Ohurakura Rd, RD2, Napier. 4182 Specialist in Deer & Velvet: • Live Sales and Venison Procurement • 30 Years Experience and Knowledge of the Deer Industry NZ • Buy & Grade Velvet for CK Import Export NZ • Deer, Sheep & Cattle Farmers • Involved in the Advanced Deer Party Group with 'Deer Industry New Zealand' Burden Livestock congratulate Grant & Sally and on their environmental achievement KEITH & SUE BURDEN FAIRVIEW LIVESTOCK 2019 LTD Alister & Jeannette Cameron & Bain Champion, 24 The Esplanade Westshore Napier Alister Cameron Ph 027 442 0809 Bain Champion Ph 027 949 6138 Working for the Best Results for the Farmer GPFS Ltd. are a specialised team of contractors providing services to the Hawkes Bay Regions for Forestry, Agricultural and Rural Fire. Our services include, but are not limited to: 06 835 8521 info@GPFS.co.nz • Agrichemical Handling • Silviculture • Rural Fire • Estate Management • Training Services • Animal Pest Control • Plant Pest Control • Establishment • Earthworks • Fencing The deer are farmed in age groups, each with their priority times of year. Grant and Sally Charteris (below).