Business Rural North Summer 2021

| 29 The circle of life continues at Titoki Jordan Smith holding daughter Ella. Sue Russell RURAL PEOPLE » Panekiri Station & Titoki Station I t will be four years in October since Jordan Smith came full circle in a way and returned to take up the role of Manager at PAMU’s (Landcorp) Titoki Station 25 minutes or so north-west of Whangarei. Though he spent intervening years away in the King country, Jordan always had a sense that he would return to the north, a region he and wife Kate feel is a great area to work and bring up a young family in. At a time when the young couple were seriously deciding their next steps, the Manager’s position became available – seemed life perfect timing! “Our back-yard is 1000 hectares so what more could you want?”, says Jordan. The direction of the station has also changed since Jordan returned. “When I first returned it was operating as a tra- ditional sheep and beef breeding property. We had 250 Angus breeding cows and 2000 breeding ewes and we would grow them and transfer them on to other PAMU farms.” In the past three years especially the focus has shifted to developing EBS, Efficient Beef System’s, of a much more intensive nature growing just shy of 2000 bulls, freeing up other pockets of this large farm to diversify land-use and income streams accordingly. It’s also provided the opportunity to work on improving environmental outcomes from the farm’s activities. “There’s been a real interest grow in working more holistically with this land offering, to ensure the best uses and outcomes are achieved over the whole property. This has involved retiring some areas from stock.” Ground really unsuited to carrying and condition- ing stock, given it’s marginal quality and accessibil- Panekiri Hoggets’ on their way to the yards. *From page 28. ity issues, and retiring land that really shouldn’t be farmed on. “It also means by concentrating the stock on to those parts of the station that have the best soils for pasture growth, we’re in a much better position to really refine exactly how we can grow them,” Jordan explains Typically paddocks would have been 5 – 12 hec- tares in size but with this new system paddock size has reduced to between .45 – .67 hectares. “Three years was the first dip of our toes in the water with this system, so to speak.” Jordan says the results in animal growth gain were pretty much immediate, with the number of animals raised on these smaller paddocks, and their weight gain, pointing to a much more profitable system. Concentrating commercial stock on to a much smaller footprint, brought the challenge as to what to do with all the marginal land. Jordan says this exercise was extremely valuable, giving PAMU the opportunity to look at the bigger picture of what Titoki Station could really become. Establishing a mix of native, exotics and radiata pine forest-blocks meant that all this now freed up land could have a new purpose. “With the radiata, it had to make sense why we were planting them where we did. They had to contribute to realising financial gains in time. Right tree right place” Jordan says to see a large area planted in a variety of native trees, such as manuka, kanuka, kahikatea, cabbage trees and totara is something he’s especially happy about. “Native trees have always been a passion of mine. Over time, this station is taking on a whole new look and feel as a result.” Titoki Farm has an effective platform of 559 hectares and a total size of 1002 hectares, meaning that nearly half the land is planted in one form of tree or another. Working with great partners such as Northland Regional Council regarding what species grow best where, with a trial currently underway on growing eucalypt and poplar trees. “Further down the line it may become a produc- tive wood-lot.” With such a long association with Titoki Station, Jordan admits he often doesn’t ‘see’ the farm with new eyes. “I don’t often stop and appreciate just how much the land has changed,” Jordan says. He knows that the best approach to shifting farming practice is to see a challenge as an op- portunity. Jordan also feels that in these modern times when consumers are concerned about where their food comes from, that being guided by shifts in their expectations is the right way to be viewing farming. “You have to be very adaptable and very diverse to have a successful modern farm. “We are about enriching this space; we are just caretakers really.” As farm Manager, Jordan engages with PAMU’s senior management team. Each farm, within the network, has its own unique situation. “This is a wonderful community to be farming in and we feel very blessed to be working and living on this farm.” sponse to an extra 1000 hectares of steep country being retired and put into plantation forestry and manuka last winter. There are currently 750 yearling heifers of which 550 will be calved, with the rest sold after scanning. “We also send two hundred and fifty of the top steer calves to one of Pamu’s finishing farms with the balance of about seven hundred and fifty steers taken through to eighteen months before sending them to the finishing units.” Last winter 350 hectares of production manuka was planted in partnership with Convita Honey. While Pamu provided Convita with the land and shared the cost of developing it into manuka, Con- vita manages the operation. “There were natural waterways running all year through the land leading into the head of the Man- gaone Stream, which is fenced off right throughout the farm. Rather than fence off the waterways we decided the best use of the land was to plant it in production manuka. There is a total of fourteen hundred and fifty hectares of plantation forestry that will eventually be harvested. That land was retired based around steepness, erosion risk and waterway health.” Reflecting on the challenges of farming in the area, Ian says attracting and retaining quality staff can be an issue because of its remote location. “Both husband and wife often work and from out here it’s a bit hard to do that because of travel. Schooling can also be an issue because you might have to travel to meet a school bus. But we try to counter those barriers by offering good training, career paths and empowerment in their roles.” “Rather than fence off the waterways we decided the best use of the land was to plant it in production manuka.” 0800 FOR WEEDS Chance Campbell - 021 732 240 | Email: nvc2012ltd@gmail.com www.northlandvegetation.co.nz FROM CAPE REINGA TO WELLSFORD • Farm spraying • Pasture renovation • Crop preparation • Lifestyle blocks • Schools, golf courses etc • Noxious weeds • GPS guidance system • WSMP registered • Liquid Fertiliser • Riperian planting • Poplar poles “Proudly supporting Titoki Station” Over 25 Years assisting Northland Farmers PO Box 433, Kaitaia 021 743 277