| 57 RURAL PEOPLE » Ngahere Station Farming methods now well adapted Ngahere Station is one of ve farms united under the Bell Family Trust, collectively called Ngahere Station Limited. They stretch from the coastline of Central Hawkes Bay to its ranges. Named after the ti ngahere tree which is a member of the cabbage tree family, Ngahere Station itself comprises 1500 hectares and was once part of the old Mangukuri Station’s 8500 hectares. “We’re on the southern end of the old property, with four kilometres of coast-line with fairly steep cliffs going down to a beach at low tide, and up to 1500 feet above sealevel at the top of the Rangitapu Ranges,” says Guy Bell, who set the trust up in the 80’s with family succession in mind. The ve properties are collectively run by Guy and his wife Bridget with their two sons Angus and Struan , together with four other permanent staff, and contractors and casuals as needed. Guy and Bridget started farming on Ngahere Station in the early 1970’s, although Angus and his wife Samantha are there now, and have added the other properties since. Two of the farms including the original Ngahere Station are essentially breeding units. While deer are part of the wider family operation Ngahere is purely a sheep and beef operation. It’s been in the family since 1964, long enough that their farming methods are well adapted to its particular contours and conditions. It’s because the yellow-brown clay soil typical of the area is prone to slipping that the Bells continue the practice that began in the 1940’s of planting around 300 poplar and willow poles every year to help stabilize the land, especially along the coastal cliffs. Once they’re established after two or three years the bigger cattle can graze among them, nd shade, and eat their foliage in times of drought. “It’s good calving country out there on the coast. We keep it stocked between August and November and we calve about 300 cows. If we get a dry season we’ll put ewes out there but other than that it’s not heavily grazed,” says Guy. “We usually get about a 90% calving. They go to one of the other farms further inland to be nished, and it’s largely the same with the sheep.” It’s an Angus- Hereford Cross herd, around 80% Angus with the 20% Hereford introduced for the Virginia Wright breed’s larger bone structure and to introduce hybrid vigour. They serve a secondary function in keeping the pastures well-groomed for the sheep. The stock ratio on Ngahere is around 35-40% cattle and 60-65% Romney sheep, based on the Wairarapa Romney Improvement Group’s genetics. “We’ve been using rams from the Tauranginui Stud and from the Glen-Iti Stud for 20 years,” says Guy. “There were eight or nine members in the Improvement Group and they did a lot of work in establishing good sheep that can genetically handle the conditions typical of most of the east coast of the North Island’s hill country, and a good deal of the rest of New Zealand for that matter. They’re hardy sheep, they can cope by themselves on the hills without intensive shepherding. They’re good producers with our lambing percentages in the breeding ock around 140.” Whether it’s the conventional post and batten fences stretched along the ridgelines to avoid steep faces that might slump, or the breed of stock selected because of its suitability for the land, clearly the lessons learned through generations of farming continue to hold true for the Bell family and Ngahere Station Ltd. Ngahere Station Are proud to support [a] 49-51 Takapau Road, Waipukurau [w] www.millshonda.co.nz [p] 06 858 9109 k f Ma ing li e on the farm easier Angus, Struan Bell and Kevin Calf marking in Cheviot. Competitive Schedules, 2 Day Payments Processors of Lamb, Mutton, BobbyCalves&Goats Plant: 07 878 7077 | Livestock: 06 363 7237 | www.crusadermeats.co.nz
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