Business Rural North Summer 2021

18 | ‘People, Photos: David Nelson and son Mac with customers from Taiwan and China. On-farm visits are a vital part of telling the New Zealand grass fed farming story. Lindy and David with grandchildren (below). Sue Russell RURAL PEOPLE » David & Lindy Nelson D avid and Lindy Nelson are sheep and beef farmers near Alfredton, north Wairarapa. Their 1020 ha, 900ha effective property, called Ratahiwi Farm, is home to 4500 breeding ewes, 1300 ewe hoggets and 400 winter trading hoggets. On the cattle side, the farm has 120 Sta- bilizer® cows; a multi-breed composite developed over 30 years ago in the USA, plus 400 finishing bulls fattened from weaner to 18 months, along with replacement heifers for the cow herd. The Stabilizer® breed provides farmers with several advantages, including low birthweights and accelerated growth from birth, cost-efficiency at weaning and earlier finishing. The Nelson’s have been farming 35 years now and are heavily committed to a holistic approach to their farming business and to engaging within the wider agricultural community, in ways that impact positively on the future of the sector in New Zealand. Their ethos is bound around four pillars; people, planet, progress and profit. David says these princi- ples underpin everything their farming operation is bound around. “We have always had an environmental focus and 14 years ago we completed the Horizon Regional Sustainable Land-Use Programme to really improve the environmental outcomes and sustain- ability of this land with extensive riparian plantings and fencing of waterways, along with annual plant- ing of 200-300 poplar trees,” David explains. The farm environment plan is currently being updated using the Ballance MitAgator Programme, a planning tool backed by science, that assists farm- ers by identifying risk factors, such as nutrient loss areas and also applied OverseerFM®, a software based programme that provides data on nutrient ALLINSolutions Proudly breeding WaipunaHighlanderGenetics Our Breeding Programme • Our aim is to breed rams that are highly productive, low-touch, resilient and facial eczema tolerant. • Our breeding programme is based on rigorous data, science and the latest technology. • Our rams are bred and grown on steepWanganui hill country by Donald and Liz Polson. Our Services • Genetically benchmarking your ewe lock. • Helping you to de ine your breed objective. • Customised ramadvice to suit your farm’s production system and breed objective. • Genetic consultancy. value@allinsolutions.co.nz NormAlderson - 0274469884 Dani van der Linden - 021 771 014 Waipuna Highlander - The most productive composite breed with excellent facial eczema tolerance 116 Main Street, Pahiatua (06) 376 8829 PROUDLY SUPPORTING DAVID NELSON