| 43 RURAL PEOPLE » Tawa Hills Angus Whangara Robbie 330. “His first calves are really nice,” says Tawa Hills Stud owner Blair Crawshaw. • from page 42 Farmer partners important High priced bull ‘hasn’t disappointed’ Tawa Hills Angus has its first group of calves being born this spring from its significant investment in bull it paid $92,000 for from Whangara Angus. Stud owner Blair Crawshaw admits it’s “pretty exciting” and says Whangara 330 hasn’t disappointed. “Whangara 330 was a moderate birth weight bull with good figures – solid, compact and structurally sound. His first calves are really nice – moderate sized and solid, which is what we’re after, and also robust so they can handle harder country.” Blair grew up on the 1050ha farm located at Motu, which runs around 3200 Perendale cross breeding ewes and 700 hoggets. The farm is on hard hill country rising to 700m above sea level. It’s steep terrain and winters are four to five months long. The stud, which Blair started in 2017, comprises 200 stud cows. There are also 50 commercial cows but Blair says they are looking at eliminating those. “We run the stud very commercially. That’s one of the reasons were getting rid of the commercial cows as we farm the stud cows like commercial cows anyway. “They’re out on the hills grooming the country for sheep feed. The only time they’re on the flats is for calving and the AI. There is no molly coddling so we know they can cope with the conditions and rear a good calf.” Tawa Hill Angus is chasing low birth weight, high growth rate and good carcasses. Blair is also using overseas genetics and has just bought a bull from Tangihau Angus in New Zealand. “He’s got really good carcass data, a bit bigger framed, but we have selected the right cows to put him over. We are hoping for a bit more earlier growth into the calves combined with good carcass attributes.” Blair has always had a keen interest in breeding cows and was tagging all the commercial calves at birth and recording them for years before starting the stud. Tawa Hills Angus has been selling bulls at a combined breeders sale but 2023 marked the stud’s first individual sale at Matawhero Sale Yards. “We were happy with the result and sold ten out of 11 bulls and averaged $6500 approximately,” says Blair. “The next sale will be in June 2024 and we’re looking at offering around 25 bulls.” Blair has been busy fencing off waterways on the farm and there is now no crop grown for winter feed for environmental reasons. Stock numbers were pulled back a bit to compensate. As part of the business Blair also manages a 350ha dairy run off five minutes down the road with 650 calves grazing there from Whakatohea Maori Trust Board. Low birth weight Angus bulls from Tawa Hills are used over the dairy heifers to eliminate bobby calves. Around1300 bales of silage is made from the run off, some of which is purchased by Blair for use on Tawa Hills to supplement baleage he makes on his own farm. Blair’s wife Paige does the farm bookwork and helps out on the farm as needed as well as being mum to Kady, 2 ½ and Cleo, seven weeks. Blair takes on the day to day running of the business along with stock manager Hori Maaka and another full time worker. His parents Ron and Gaye still live on farm and help out as needed as well. The family has quite a legacy to uphold: the farm was one of the first in Motu and the Richardson family, which hails from his mother’s lineage, one of the original farming settlers in the region. It’s given the family added incentive and pride in continuing the farming legacy as well as creating their own mark with new initiatives like Tawa Hills Angus. Karen Phelps Proudly thanking our sponsors: pay a donation to the school each year and in return we immerse the students in their business, focusing on those five pillar skills.” This involves the students working on partner farms throughout the year with the wrap-around support of the school to expose them to different people and systems. “They are meeting everybody involved in those businesses, they are growing and starting their red meat network and creating a start to their brand. They are learning different management styles and different skills, and they learn them from other people.” “These farmer partners are very important to the success of our school.” During their course, the students also become involved in the life of the local community. “Learning the values and importance of having a good healthy working community is very important to rural New Zealand.” The school is extremely grateful to its sponsors whose endorsement and financial support is absolutely crucial to its continuation and success in providing a life-changing career pathway forits students who may otherwise struggle to get a job. “They leave different people that are employable, and not only employable but sought after.” Veterinary Health Centres : Opotiki 07 315 8474 Whakatane 07 308 7479 www.opovets.co.nz Congratulations to Tawa Hills Angus in their success. We have enjoyed working with you to achieve your farm goals. Veterinary Health Centre works with farmers to enhance farm profitability. Proud to support Tawa Hills Angus Power Farming Gisborne | 06 868 8908
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