Business Rural North Spring 2026

North Taranaki-based Osflo Fertiliser will be celebrating a huge 60 years in business next year - Page 51 Big milestone approaches SPRING 2026 www.waterfordpress.co.nz

2 | Contents Gralyn Farms �� 03 Hugh and Sharon Ritchie �� 04 Arahura Genetics �� 05 Eight Mile Farms �� 06 Fernleaf Romneys �� 08 Glendryneoch Wiltshires �� 09 Heather Gee-Taylor �� 10 Hinenui Genetics �� 11 Jeff Hall �� 12 Komako Angus �� 14 Mana Stud �� 15 Longview �� 16 Morunga Station Ltd �� 17 McFadzean Cattle Co �� 18 Maungatapu Downs �� 19 Ohineiti Station - Bevan Proffit �� 21 Poronui �� 23 Rakaunui Farm �� 24 Rakanui Pastoral �� 25 Rangiora Trust �� 27 Romani Farms �� 28 Te Kawa - Clifton �� 29 Te Whangai Partnership �� 30 Terawhiti Farm �� 31 Waitawhiti Station �� 32 Tunanui Station �� 34 Aaron Tosland �� 35 Ben Burmeister - Lockhart �� 36 Ben Dawson �� 37 Oromahoe Trust �� 37 Peninsula Pastoral Company �� 38 Piquet Hill Farms Ltd �� 38 Rockview Red Devons �� 39 Biobees Ltd �� 40 Patrick Crawshaw �� 41 Super Air �� 42 Farm Chemical Supplies 2020 Ltd �� 43 Ace of Spades Contracting �� 44 Groundspread NZ �� 45 Bay Irrigation 2011Ltd �� 46 Kelvin Lalich Builders �� 47 Vision Harvesting �� 48 Naylor Lawrence Associates �� 49 Old Coach Irrigation �� 50 Osflo Fertiliser �� 51 Tangiteroria Transport �� 53 Annton Nursery �� 54 Wheeler Contracting �� 55 Duncan Wills Builders �� 56 Beck Helicopters �� 57 Murdoch Transport Ltd �� 58 Animals Like Us �� 59 Kairakau Lands Trust �� 60 Highfields Farm �� 60 D&J Fitzgerald Transport �� 61 Worthington Agriculture �� 61 David and Rebecca Buick �� 62 PRISM �� 63 Hayley and Stephen Brunskill �� 64 Kamahi Farm �� 66 Kotu Station �� 68 Paparata Elite Romneys �� 70 Rangitapu Station �� 71 Waikuku Farms �� 72 Heritage Ayrshires �� 76 19 | Frustration with regulation 45 | Supporting its members 71 | Combining traditional farming with technology 11 | High performance breeding on the East Coast North #businessruralnorth #yourstory www.waterfordpress.co.nz   T&C’s: These conditions are prescribed for the sake of understanding between the Waterford Press Ltd and its clients. Accounts for advertising are due for payment within seven days of publication of the newspaper. Accounts not paid within this time may incur a penalty until the account is paid. Any debt collection costs incurred by Waterford Press Ltd. will be added to the account of the Client / Debtor. Advertising is charged for on the basis of space taken up using a standard tabloid page. Actual space may be reduced during the printing process but this will affect all advertisers equally so no credit will be given for any reduction in size due to processing. Waterford Press Ltd reserves the right to alter, change or omit entirely any advertisement or article that it considers to be objectionable or which may contravene any law. In the event of a failure on the part of the Waterford Press Ltd. to insert advertising as instructed by the Client, it may publish the advertisement at the first available subsequent reasonable date unless the advertisement features date sensitive material. Every care shall be taken to publish the advertisement / article in accordance with the clients instructions as to page and position but the Waterford Press Ltd reserves the right for whatever reason to place advertising / article in a different position and in doing so shall incur no liability whatsoever. Where images are supplied by client for use, Waterford Press Ltd, withholds the right to choose the amount and which are used at the Editors discretion. Clients must advise Waterford Press Ltd immediately of any error or omission in advertisements and shall work constructively to remedy the situation which in the first instance shall be a rerun of the corrected advertisement in the next available edition where possible. Corrections made by telephone shall be accepted by Waterford Press Ltd. but the right to decide whether a further proof should be proofed to the client is discretionary. Views and opinions expressed in our publications are not necessarily those of the editors, staff, Waterford Press Ltd. or publisher. Waterford Press Ltd. welcomes contributions from freelance writers & journalists. All articles published at editor’s discretion. Waterford Press Ltd. accepts no responsibility for any Errors or Omissions within any articles, where the client approved prior to print date; any post print date advertisement and / or editorial adjustments are made at Waterford Press’s discretion and may incur additional costs to the client. OUR PARTNERS: Christchurch Office 112 Wrights Road, Addington, Christchurch Phone 03-983 5500 www.waterfordpress.co.nz Queenstown Office 70 Glenda Drive, Queenstown 9300 MANAGING DIRECTOR James Lynch james@waterfordpress.co.nz BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Chris Pearce chris.pearce@waterfordpress.co.nz EDITORIAL Editor Randall Johnston randall@waterfordpress.co.nz WRITERS Kelly Deeks, Hugh de Lacy, Russell Fredric, Anne Boswell, Emma Bailey, Kim Bowden, Kim Newth, Karen Phelps, Sue Russell, Rosa Watson, Virginia Wright, Alexia Anderson, Aimee Wilson, Randall Johnston, Tracey Edwardes. RESEARCH & MARKETING Sam Dart, Adam Feaver, Chris Graves, Megan Hawkins, Lisa Moffat, , Catherine Norton, Annie Patrick, Chris Pearce, Danielle Percival, Adam Shirra, Leo Smith, Alasdair Thomson sales@waterfordpress.co.nz PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT General Manager Luke Lynch luke@waterfordpress.co.nz Graphic Artists Anton Gray, Francesca Hildawa, Jamie Thomson, Liki Udam. art@waterfordpress.co.nz CONTENT COORDINATORS Alissa Crosby, Ann-Marie Frentz, Michelle Phelan OFFICE AND ACCOUNTS Lyn Barlow lyn@waterfordpress.co.nz Print ISSN: 2703-5719 Online ISSN: 2703-5239

| 3 DAIRY PEOPLE » Gralyn Farms “I enjoy helping other people but it can get stressful. I’m doing this for the greater industry good.” New vice-pres for the Taranaki area Working as a contract milker for Gralyn Farms near Inglewood, he and his wife understand the pressures of the business. Aimee Wilson Federated Farmers national share farmer chair Sam Ebbert has a new position of responsibility, having just stepped into the role of vicepresident for the Taranaki area. Supporting the president on the executive committee and to help shoulder some of the workload, there have been many new challenges in the dairy industry recently. “I enjoy helping other people but it can get stressful. I’m doing this for the greater industry good,” he said. At the end of last season there were a couple of dozen cases where farm owners have directed milk companies to withhold payments to sharemilkers, due to a range of issues, and that’s where Federated Farmers has had to step in and help find solutions. The organisation is currently looking into what measures they can put in place to ensure share milkers are protected, so they are not affected by financial losses. Sam said while $15,000 to $20,000 might not seem a lot to a farm owner, it’s a lot of money to share milker who has worked hard all season. He said the farm owner is generally disgruntled about something - whether it be the quality of work or another issue. Working as a contract milker for Gralyn Farms near Inglewood, he and his wife understand the pressures of the business, but admits the industry is a lot better than it was 20 years ago. “The road is a lot easier than it was back then with support and knowledge.” As the national share farmer chair, he gets to mix with farm managers, herd owners and other contract milkers within the wider dairy industry. It gives him insight into what’s happening in other parts of the country, and not just in Taranaki. The Federated Farmers executive role is a good balance of both governance and operational, and enables him to give back to the industry, through his experience. The couple milk 630 cows under Mt Taranaki, which is 304m above sea level and they experience extremely high rainfall - up to 3.5m annually. While this season has been one of the better ones, with relatively low rainfall so far, Sam knows that could all change quite quickly. “Weather-wise, it couldn’t have been any better.” The rain will eventually come - and that could easily be 1.5m in one month, making life challenging, depending on how far out they are from calving. 1914 Mountain Rd, Inglewood, Taranaki | 0274 479 232 | bjbishoptransport@xtra.co.nz Saturday - Sunday: 10am to 5pm or by appointment. Maketawa Museum Take a step back into the world of John Deere at the Maketawa John Deere Museum. 39 Cutfield Street, Inglewood 94 Broadway, Stratford 0800 662 6455 See us for: Pumps and Water Systems | Milking Machines Effluent Systems | Meal Systems | Teat Spray Systems www.moamilking.co.nz The grass growth rate has been “phenomenal” with an average of 30 to 40kg a day, which he said is unheard of in July. Sam and his wife are half way through another two year contract milking term with the owners of Gralyn, and hope one day they will have their own herd. With his new Federated Farmer role, it’s the busiest he’s ever been, but Sam knows all that hard work will eventually pay off.

4 | DAIRY PEOPLE » Gralyn Farms Working as a contract milker for Gralyn Farms near Inglewood, Sam Ebbert milks 630 cows under Mt Taranaki (story on page 3). Karen Phelps Hugh and Sharon Ritchie’s Hawke’s Bay farming operation has built its success on diversity, resilience and adapting to change. But the closure of McCain Foods’ New Zealand operations has created an immediate challenge forcing the couple to reassess a significant part of their business and look for new opportunities. Around half of their cropping operation had been dedicated to vegetables supplied to McCain Foods, meaning the impact of the closure has been immediate. “We have investment in equipment - washing, planting and harvesting - that we need to re-deploy or sell or find an alternate market,” explains Hugh Ritchie. “We’re going to let the dust settle and see what to do.” The closure follows a wider pattern of international companies reducing their New Zealand operations including Heinz Wattie’s. “We are seeing multiple companies electing to pull out of or reduce their operations in New Zealand after operating here for a long time,” says Hugh. “We need to know why they are struggling to make a viable return. I suspect there are a whole lot of reasons but it’s a real concern.” For Hugh, the issue raises broader questions about New Zealand’s food security and international competitiveness. He believes the fresh vegetable sector also needs to examine how value is distributed through the supply chain. “In the fresh vegetable market we need to look at the margins taken between the grower and consumer,” says Hugh. “That needs to be looked at seriously. Are appropriate returns being made in the appropriate areas?” Another challenge is ensuring New Zealand producers are competing on equal terms with imported products. “The systems and quality parameters are not always the same, such as carbon requirements,” explains Hugh. “This might mean we can’t compete against imported fruit or vegetables. I believe trade has to be fair.” The Ritchies are now exploring a range of alternatives for their cropping land. Options include more seed crops, increasing maize and wheat production, expanding grass seed production and investigating clover seed production. “Lots of opportunities have jumped out of the woodwork so we’re making a plan but it’s certainly left a hole in our business,” says Hugh. The closure of EUROMALT, which purchased barley for malt production for the brewing industry, has added another challenge for arable farmers with the Ritchies among those who were suppliers. “It’s another example of the serious questions that need to be asked in terms of competitiveness,” says Hugh. “I suspect energy prices have played a part in the shutting down of some businesses.” Despite these pressures, the Ritchies’ diversified farming model, spanning over 2000 hectares across two units, that has helped provide stability. The operation includes arable production, beef finishing and lamb trading, meaning it has other income streams to support the business. The operation finishes about 1500 bulls each year from weaners through to 18 months, targeting a minimum carcass weight of 320 kilograms. The cattle are sold before Christmas as the land can become summer dry, with the couple also considering using collars to better manage cattle on cropping ground. The lamb part of the business is a winter trading operation with sheep grazing cropping areas before being sold from early August to mid-September. Up to 10,000 lambs can be sent to the works each year with around 8500 expected this season. For Hugh the key to navigating uncertainty is continuing to adapt. “You have to keep your eyes open for new opportunities and be ready for change. That’s what farming has always required.” Ritchie’s facing major change Is your business performing as well as it could be? We can help Learn more at www.unlimit.co.nz Proud to support Sam Ebbert Proudly supporting Drumpeel Farms For all your Hay - Silage - Cultivation Phone Mike 021 733 918 mike@mikekettle.co.nz | www.mikekettlecontracting.co.nz P SRS 03 302 8115 email: nzoffice@spsnz.co.nz Proudly supporting Hugh Ritchie SOUTH PACIFIC SEEDS (NZ) LTD Specialists in Hybrid Vegetable Seed Production www.energyvets.co.nz enquiries@energyvets.co.nz ENERGY VETS TARANAKI LTD Inglewood Clinic (06) 756 7228 Waitara Clinic (06) 754 8791 • from page 3 ARABLE » Hugh and Sharon Ritchie

| 5 RURAL PEOPLE » Arahura Genetics Arahura annual ram sale this November Paul, Dayanne and their daughter Isabella. Karen Phelps Farmers looking to strengthen flock performance will have the opportunity to access some of New Zealand’s leading sheep genetics when Arahura Genetics holds its annual ram sale this November by private treaty. Based in the Wairarapa, the stud has built a reputation for breeding Romney rams with exceptional facial eczema tolerance and worm resistance as well as maintaining the productive traits commercial farmers rely on. Owned by Paul Crick and Dayanne Almeida, Arahura Genetics continues the legacy of the respected Makino flock, purchased in 2021 from Ross and Gilly Alexander. Since taking over, the pair have focused on advancing decades of genetic progress and ensuring the flock continues to deliver practical benefits for sheep farmers. “Our goal is to carry forward and build upon the outstanding work of the Alexanders and ARDG group,” explains Paul. “We want to help farmers make the best breeding choices for the future of their flocks.” This year’s ram sale will feature animals developed under commercial hill country conditions ensuring buyers are investing in genetics proven to perform in real farming environments rather than under intensive stud management. The stud operates from Glenside, an 850-hectare sheep, beef and deer property southeast of Masterton, where every sheep is individually performance recorded. The breeding programme places equal emphasis on animal health, productivity and structural soundness. “By using our rams, farmers can elevate their flock’s tolerance to facial eczema while also maintaining production traits,” explains Paul. “There is no compromise on structure or performance.” He says facial eczema remains one of the most significant challenges facing sheep farmers across many parts of New Zealand with the disease capable of causing severe liver damage, reduced productivity and even death. While management practices can reduce the impact Paul says that breeding for genetic tolerance provides a permanent, cumulative solution. Likewise selecting for worm resistance is becoming increasingly important as drench resistance continues to develop throughout the country. Arahura Genetics has invested heavily in both traits for decades. The flock has been facial eczema tested since 1982 and worm resistance tested since 2003, earning both FE Gold and WormFEC Gold accreditation. Today it ranks among New Zealand’s highest SIL facial eczema and WormFEC indexed flocks. The stud’s Maternal Worth plus Facial Eczema Index sits in the top seven percent nationally, while the 2025 sale rams average DPX ranks in the industry’s top five percent. Its worm resistance programme also continues to deliver results, with the flock’s DPF Index sitting 580 cents above the national average and this year’s sale rams averaging in the top 19 percent nationally. All lambs are DNA tested to provide genomically enhanced breeding values, giving commercial farmers greater confidence when selecting sires. “Breeding for increased tolerance should be the first line of defence,” explains Paul. “Consistently introducing tested, tolerant rams into a flock can make a significant difference within only a few years.” The breeding programme also focuses on maternal performance, early growth, moderate ewe size, carcass yield and lifetime reproductive performance, ensuring buyers receive genetics that contribute to profitability across multiple traits rather than a single point of difference. With increasing pressure on livestock health, productivity and profitability, Paul says the upcoming ram sale offers commercial farmers an opportunity to invest in genetics designed to improve flock performance for generations to come. More than 80 percent of the sale rams qualify for WormFEC Gold status giving buyers confidence they are investing in animals bred for long-term resilience as well as productivity. ARAHURA GENETICS

6 | RURAL PEOPLE » Eight Mile Farms Lowering the carbon footprint on farm Eight Mile Farms encompasses an 800-cow dairy farm producing 275,000 kilograms of milksolids annually, a 400-hectare dry stock property and three sheep and beef properties totalling 1,670 hectares. Karen Phelps Over the last 10 years King Country farmers Matt and Olivia Buckley of Eight Mile Farms have been investigating options for effectively and sustainably integrating dairy and beef into their farm system. “We have a particular interest in lowering the carbon footprint of our farming operation. Studies have demonstrated in New Zealand that dairyderived beef has a 32-48% lower carbon footprint than beef from mixed cattle so we needed to ensure the full utilisation of non-replacement dairy calves. Having an integrated farming system has enabled us to closely monitor the performance of our stock from birth until finishing,” explains Olivia. Eight Mile Farms encompasses an 800-cow dairy farm producing 275,000 kilograms of milksolids annually, a 400-hectare dry stock property and three sheep and beef properties totalling 1,670 hectares. It was in 2023 that they decided to explore options to enhance the efficiency of their non-replacement Proud to be working alongside Eight Mile Farms Listening. Thinking. Innovating. Hamish 027 777 6619 Olivia 027 515 5102 100% KIWI OWNED? THAT’S RARE. As a 100% NZ owned and operated business, we’re committed to ensuring Kiwi farmers trust us to take their meat from your farm to the world. We’re proud to be delivering on that commitment with continued financial success and growing our operations from strength to strength with smart investment where it counts. dairy stock. They identified that a strategic combination of automation and premium beef genetics would deliver significant improvements. Investment was then made in automated calf rearing technology with a system supplied by Bell-Booth comprising three CalfExpert automated feeding units. In just one season of using the new system they have seen a big difference. Previously calves were weaned at ten weeks weighing around 85 kilograms. Now some calves are weaning at just 52 days at 95 kilograms. “Olivia ran the numbers and it’s costing us the same in dollar terms but we are 15 kilograms ahead compared with the old system,” says Matt. The CalfExpert units allow calves to feed up to three times a day (once every four hours) with some feeding groups now receiving up to 12 litres of milk. “It more replicates what is natural,” says Matt. “Before that we fed them a fortified four litres once a day.” Each feeder accommodates up to 150 calves across four stations with six pens of 75 calves each housed in the shed. For the first ten to fourteen days calves remain indoors after which a gate opens

| 7 RURAL PEOPLE » Eight Mile Farms The CalfExpert units allow calves to feed up to three times a day. onto a 1.1 hectare paddock where they can move freely in and out to feed. The system is fully automatic including washing itself and weighing every calf at each visit, allowing daily monitoring of weight gain, sucking speed and whether animals are drinking their full allocation. Pre 2025 the majority of their spring-born bull calves were finished in a 30 month bull beef system.Now the majority of these will be finished in a 20 month bull beef system. “Faster growth rates and shorter finishing times are enabling a significant reduction in emissions from dairy and beef animals. It’s also meant we have gone from getting no more than 50 per cent of those calves into that system to getting 95 per cent into it,” says Matt. The new shed housing the system has also been fitted with solar panels and battery storage, which has been co funded through an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) grant. “Solar demonstration farms, such as ours, will be utilised by ECCA to evaluate the economic viability, resilience and advantages of integrating batteries alongside solar energy systems. Our solar data will be employed to develop return on investment (ROI) calculators and establish best practices for other farmers contemplating solar adoption,” says Matt. In addition the Buckleys have separately installed 216 solar panels on the cow shed, without battery, which powers the shed through most of the day and feeds surplus energy back into the grid. An open day is planned for later in the year to showcase the solar technology. Matt and Olivia have also been collaborating with Dairy NZ and Beef LNZ to share their journey. They have hosted two field days demonstrating the application of the technology on farms and say they have received significant engagement from the farming community. Toitū-Certified Feed for Smarter, Sutainable Farming Customised nutrition solution for New Zealand farmers to help feed the world feeds.graincorp.co.nz

8 | RURAL PEOPLE » Fernleaf Romneys Concerned about growing drench resistance Both mobs of sheep are from the stud, so mostly never drenched. Kim Bowden The first question Justin Forlong asks many farmers at Fieldays isn’t about stock numbers, wool or genetics. It’s about worms. The King Country sheep breeder believes parasite management remains one of the biggest challenges facing sheep farming – a massive underlying problem he says still isn’t being fully acknowledged by many farmers. He is particularly concerned about growing drench resistance, where worms survive routine treatments and rams are effectively propped up by repeated dosing. He says some sale rams may have been drenched eight or nine times, leaving them with little natural resistance and farmers increasingly reliant on drenches that are no longer doing the job. “We’re asking them what their situation is with worms on their farm, are they getting any drench resistance, because most farms do have a problem with it now,” he says. For more than two decades, his family’s Romney stud - Fernleaf Romneys - has been selecting hard for worm resistance, building lines of sheep that can thrive with minimal drenching. Today, roughly 80 percent of the rams they put up for sale have never had a drench in their lives. The programme involves regular faecal sampling to see what’s really happening in the “worm breeding factory” of the gut, and selecting animals that naturally cope with parasite pressure. He’s blunt in his reasoning: “It is not very glamorous at all, but we figure it’s better than the CARLA test because worms come out their arsehole, not their mouth.” The distinction between worm resistance and worm resilience is important, he says. “A resistant sheep will actually kill the worm in the gut. A resilient sheep will have the worms in them but still be doing well, but she’s passing those worms back onto the pasture.” That focus on resistance, rather than simple resilience, is aimed at reducing the overall worm burden on the pasture, not just keeping individual animals looking well. The stud is also putting renewed emphasis on facial eczema tolerance, returning to intensive testing now worms are more under control. “The worms sort of took precedent over everything,” Justin says. “We figure it’s a bit of a trade-off against each other, really.” Facial eczema is notoriously hard to spot in its early stages, and the visible symptoms often only show up after significant internal liver damage has already occurred. “With worms you can drench them to fix the problem, if your drenches are still working,” he says. “The eczema is a bit of a hidden underlying problem that you don’t always see the outcome of straight away.” Fertility is the next major focus. The flock is scanning in the high 160 percent mark, with docking percentages consistently around 140 percent. While those figures would satisfy many farmers, Justin says there is still room to improve. [cell] 027 596 7181 [email] grant@dyerlivestock.co.nz Proud to support Fernleaf Romneys in servicing their livestock requirements Grant Hall Offices in Otorohanga, Te Awamutu & Taumarunui info@baileyingham.co.nz | www.baileyingham.co.nz PHONE: 07 873 7325 | FREEPHONE: 0800 482 928 Quality Service to Farmers & Businesses Bailey Ingham is proud to be associated with Fernleaf Romneys and the Forlong family PETERWYLIE M 027 473 5855 E pwylie@pggwrightson.co.nz Rural & Lifestyle Marketing Specialist pggwre.co.nz PGGWrightson Real Estate Limited, licensed under the REAA 2008. “There is work that needs to be done there, but the fertility is turning around really quickly now that we’re focusing on it.” The family aims to sell 150 rams each year through private sales, with customers stretching from Southland to Waikato, Gisborne, Wairoa and Taranaki. They run 600 stud ewes, 600 commercial ewes, dairy grazers and trading cattle on rollingto-steep hill country at Ohura, approximately 40 minutes west of Taumarunui. Justin, who returned to the family farm five years ago after running a fencing business, represents the fourth generation of his family to breed Romney sheep. His father, Melvin, 83, remains closely involved.

| 9 RURAL PEOPLE » Glendryneoch Wiltshires Flock wasn’t always made up of shedding sheep He began switching from Perendales to Wiltshires over the course of three years. Kim Bowden On 700 hectares in the Hinakura Valley, east of Martinborough, Nick and Harriet Diederich run Glendryneoch Wiltshires, a flock of Wiltshire ewes - a breed renowned for its ability to naturally shed its own wool. The sheep carry a short winter coat - anything from 2.5 to six centimetres long - before shedding it in spring. Nick runs 1000 Wiltshire ewes on his family’s steep hill-country property, and this season will lamb 200 recorded stud ewes and hoggets. The flock wasn’t always made up of shedding sheep. He began switching from Perendales to Wiltshires over the course of three years, selling Perendale ewes and ewe lambs while introducing full-shedding genetics into the flock. Two key factors drove the change. One was the declining value of wool. The financial reality of producing strong wool became increasingly hard to justify. The second driver was workload. At the time he was also running 100 beehives, and the busiest periods for both enterprises fell through spring, summer and autumn. “Everything was clashing,” he says. The move to shedding sheep significantly reduced the amount of work required. “General consensus from people who are running full-shedding flocks is sort of 60 to 80 percent less work.” Today, Nick’s focus is on breeding productive, fertile, easy-care sheep that can adapt to any type of country. Selection centres on fertility, growth rates, structural soundness and full shedding ability. Lamb growth is a particular focus, with Nick aiming to get lambs to 40 kilograms as quickly as possible. The hill-country environment also plays a key role in the breeding programme. It acts as a natural selection tool, ensuring only resilient and adaptable animals remain in the flock. “We farm very hard, steep hill country here, and you find that sheep from tougher country will shift to easier country very well, whereas if you take sheep from easy flat land country and put them on our property, they’ll struggle,” he says. While Wiltshires are marketed as a low-input sheep, a significant amount of data sits behind the stud operation. Because the property is too extensive to record every lamb at birth, Nick DNA-tests his recorded stock at docking and enters the performance data into Sheep Improvement Limited (SIL), the national database used to compare production traits across flocks and breeds. He also uses saliva tests (CARLA) to monitor worm resistance. “You can look at a sheep and you might have an idea about it, but if you haven’t got the data to back it up...it helps us make a better-informed decision – and also our clients can make better informed For all your agricultural requirements. Spraying, cultivations, direct drilling, baling and grain harvesting. 317 Ruakokoputuna Rd, Martinborough 027 405 9887 M Proud tosupport GlendryneochWiltshires Experienced digger operators specialising in farm work. Services include tracks, dams, drainage, farmmaintenance, horsearenas&siteprep. Shed costs and workload We select for: • Muscle • Fertility • Shedding • Growth rate • Structural soundness • DNA profiled • SIL Nick Diederich 027 356 1705 Email: glendryneoch@gmail.com Enquiries and inspection welcome. decisions when they come to purchase our rams,” he says. This data driven approach is helping to build a strong reputation for Glendryneoch Wiltshires. The stud will have 50 two-tooth rams available this season through private treaty, with buyers coming from across the North Island. “Originally I started breeding rams for myself, because there wasn’t a lot of choice and there weren’t a lot of shedding sheep around.” he says. The stud has grown through repeat customers and word-of-mouth recommendations.

10 | Pushing lambing dates later this season The operation has grown considerably over recent years. Karen Phelps RURAL PEOPLE » Heather Gee-Taylor Heather Gee-Taylor and her father Mike are recalibrating their Manawatu-Rangitikei farming operation with the pair pushing lambing dates later this season in a bid to better align with feed availability across their properties. The ram will go out on 1 May, a shift that will push weaning out to January. “This will help us meet the spring growth curves as the springs seem to arrive later now,” says Heather. Heather leases 360 hectares of the 560-hectare family property Glencorran and, with Mike, purchased Tawai Farm, a 300-hectare property just 3km from Glencorran, where Heather holds a one-third share. The operation has also grown considerably over recent years. Ewe numbers have lifted to 4,000, alongside 400 cows across the entire business. Improved commodity prices and lower interest rates have given the pair confidence to invest, with fertiliser going back on the land after a period of restraint during tougher trading conditions. Water infrastructure has been a major focus. A reticulation scheme covering 300 hectares has been completed on Tawai, giving stock reliable access to water across the property. Attention is now turning to Glencorran, where the first stage of a similar scheme begins this summer. “It’s a long skinny farm,” says Heather of Glencorran. “The initial phase will establish the water source and lay the main pipe, with troughs and the remaining pipework to follow in the following year, budget and conditions allowing.” Back on the home farm Heather has been out clearing manuka, a task she says is about more than tidying up the landscape. “We’d rather keep that country clean and the hills are bigger and we are mustering from further away and the sheep love hiding in manuka,” she explains. The approach differs from that taken on Tawai, where the terrain and land use make the shrub less of a mustering hazard and it is instead used for manuka honey production. “Tawai is flatter and the manuka, around 28ha, is mainly fenced off,” explains Heather. She also focused on enhancing sheep stock resilience by transitioning to Romdale ewes. “They are stronger and survivability is good. They do better in hard times,” she says. “We are also moving to more Romney rams back over the Romdales to add more durability and fertility.” A fencing contracting business the pair set up to service Tawai’s boundary work is also part of the mix and remains a useful sideline alongside the core sheep and beef enterprise. It has continued to take on outside contract work when time allows, though Heather says the farm remains the priority. One of Heather’s true passions lies in horse breeding and she has been dedicating more time to her ten brood mares and a stallion at her small stud. Currently producing 8-10 foals annually, she rears them for show jumping or all-round use, training them for jumping before selling them through private arrangements. Although financially the picture is brighter than it was, after a difficult run of high interest rates and depressed commodity prices, Heather is cautious about declaring victory too soon. “Give us another two seasons like we’ve had and we’ll be on a real win.” Call us today! Manawatu Shearing Top Service Competitive Rates Covering Manawatu, Rangitikei &Wairarapa areas 021 124 4 926 manawatu.shearing@gmail.com RichardRowe 027 279 8841 WilliamRowe 021 242 8181 Email: mercang@farmside.co.nz *catalogue online at Angus NZ; Genetics; see sale catalogues.

| 11 High performance breeding on the East Coast Hinenui Genetics, the Teutenbergs and now the Cooks have spent decades refining sheep to handle the unique pressures of the East Coast environment. Photo: Rebecca Williams. Hugh de Lacy RURAL PEOPLE » Hinenui Genetics Hinenui Genetics stands as a three generation legacy of high performance sheep-breeding on the East Coast of the North Island, a region where resilience isn’t optional: it’s essential. The principals of Hinenui Genetics, Phil and Deana Cook, along with their three children, carry that legacy forward every day on their Wickham Hill, Ngatapa, Gisborne property, running the stud with a mix of deep experience, sharp genetic focus, and a genuine passion for producing rams that thrive where others struggle. It’s a three-generation commitment to the legacy of high performance breeding of Coopworths, Romneys, Romworth and ShedX sheep that Deana and Phil inherited from Deana’s parents, Lucy and Brett Teutenberg, and her grandfather, Bill Teutenberg, who started recording his Coopworths in the 1980s. With Hinenui Genetics the Teutenbergs and now the Cooks have spent decades refining sheep to handle the unique pressures of the East Coast environment. “Facial eczema has long been one of the region’s biggest challenges, and the stud’s breeding programme takes full account of that reality,” Deana says. “For years, eczema tolerance was our stud’s numberone priority — and breeding resistance to it has paid off considerably: today, all our sire rams are tested at some of the top eczema-testing levels in the country.” That solid foundation in recording has allowed the stud to push further and faster. “With eczema tolerance now deeply embedded in the flock, we have shifted significant focus toward worm resistance, a trait increasingly vital for sustainable farming,” Deana adds. “Our breeding philosophy is clear: maintain exceptional eczema tolerance, lift worm resistance, and never compromise on sound structure or highproduction traits.” Over the four stud breeds that comprise Hinenui Genetics, the total number of recorded ewes is 1650, and the Coopworth, Romney and Romworth flocks have all gained FE Gold status. Wickham Hill Station also supports a herd of 120 commercial Angus cows, but there’s not a sheep on the place that isn’t part of a stud. This year has marked an exciting step forward for the stud’s own genetic creation, the ShedX line of self-shedding sheep, based on the Coopworth and the naturally shedding Wiltshire breed, with contributions from Exlana and Easycare sheep. Phil and Deana ran an AI programme using semen sourced from two respected names in high-performance genetics, Willowglen and Enfield. “Bringing these sires into the programme is a strategic move aimed at lifting reproduction and growth traits even further while reinforcing Hinenui Genetics’ renowned tolerance traits,” Deana says. “The team is eager to see how these lambs develop, especially given the complementary strengths of the selected sires.” It’s this kind of forward-thinking that has kept Hinenui Genetics at the forefront of performance breeding for three generations. Phil and Deana’s three children are growing up immersed in the rhythms of stud life - lambing, weighing, tagging, drafting, and everything in between. “Their involvement not only helps us get the jobs done but hopefully generates an interest in genetics – carrying on the stud for years to come,” she says. Proudly Supporting Hinenui Genetics Chris Spark 027 218 0036 | scanaspark@gmail.com 393 Gladstone Rd PO Box 1247 Gisborne 4040 Ph: 06 869 1234 E: post@grahamdobson.co.nz www.grahamdobson.co.nz Our Services: Farm Business Administration • Personnel Recruitment Specialist knowledge in Farm Accounting • Human Resources Management Investment Advice and Business Advisory Services Your Business Our Services Your Success ‘You have the vision, let us help you get there!’ Your Partner in Livestock & general freight Hauling Everything, Handled With Care. ROBBBBROS Ltd. MATAWAI 027 6752936 robb.brosltd@gmail.com Proudly Supporting Hinenui Genetics

waterfordpress.co.nz

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=