26 | Strength of McNeil Farming partnership Shepherds from left Ben MacDonald, Lochie Nelson, Isaac Roth. Tracey Edwardes RURAL PEOPLE » McNeil Farming Ltd The extended family of a large sheep and beef farming group on the East Coast have always made decisions together. McNeil Farming Ltd consists of Tennant and Leigh, and Burne and Tracey McNeil. Also, working their way into taking over the operation are Tracey and Burnes’ three children, Hayden, Scott and Jessie. Tennant says any success is due to the strength of their partnership. “Two heads are better than one, and four is better than two - especially when two are wives!” he laughs. There are seven main blocks in the business which is made up of 12,660ha freehold and 7,800 leasehold and it is currently carrying a total of 107,000su, with 32 permanent staff over the farm group. A four-generation history “My grandfather Jack McNeil cut Tapuaehikitia Farm, 8kms south of Tiki Tiki, out of bush in around 1900. It was 1146 acres in total of which 500 acres was Crown lease and the balance was Maori lease. Our father Maurice took over running Tapauehikitia in the late 1940’s and ran Hereford cattle and Romney sheep. “Dad and mum were right into horses so they were a big part of our lives growing up. We rode to school and went mustering at every opportunity. Mustering on horses has been our way ever since”. After school Tennant initially went shepherding on the Coast, and shepherding and shearing in Central Hawkes Bay, and Burne shepherded on the Coast and in the South Island. Tennant took over the home block in 1985 and took up his first lease block the same year. TE WHANGAI ROMNEYS The power of resilience Over 50 years of intensive selection with scale and grazing pressure using... • Good science • Common sense • Total integrity ... Try them, you won’t regret it! Supplying the maternal genetics which allows McNeil Farming Ltd to achieve... www.tewhangai.co.nz Contact Hamish de Lautour 027 447 2815 | 06 261 3826 | hamish@tewhangai.co.nz Contact James Brennan 027 635 4567 | manager@tewhangai.co.nz Gisborne Country Veterinary Services Proud providers of Veterinary Services to MCNEIL FARMING LTD
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