| 9 RURAL PEOPLE » Mathewson Farms Solid farm foundation offsets challenges Andrew and Bridget Mathewson with family. Over the past 15 years, the couple have renovated the station’s woolsheds, redeveloped the cattle yards and sheep yards and renovated the homestead and staff accommodation. Kim Newth Declining commodity prices coupled with more extreme weather over the past few seasons are pressures that Martinborough couple Andrew and Bridget Mathewson have in common with farmers and growers across New Zealand, but prudent farm management at their sheep and beef property in Martinborough is helping them weather the challenges. “Something I have always worked on is to keep a medium cost business,” says Andrew. “There will always be years where farmers have to cut costs, but if your business is structured correctly you will get through it.” Andrew hails from Central Otago and, for 10 years, ran his family’s high country property, Lake McKay Station, before it was sold in 2008 due to farm succession planning and land tenure changes. When he and Bridget went looking for another property with good scope and potential, they found just what they wanted in Martinborough: Whakapuni Station. The property has deep historic roots in the area. Bridget has devoted many hours to enhancing the homestead’s extensive established garden, (which opened to the public last November as part of the Wairarapa Garden Tour). “She’s doubled the size of the garden since we came here – hats off to her as it has all been her work and her eye.” Andrew faced a big learning curve when they first moved to Martinborough, adjusting to a different farming system and a different climate. The 1700ha station has an effective farm area of 1300ha with the rest being in forestry and native bush. Andrew says a game changer for their operation five years ago was adding a 170ha flatland run-off, used for finishing stock and trading stock.They generally trade through 5000 stock units a year through that block. “Having that run-off block is a huge help as you can pull levers if you need to and offload when you need to.” Over the past 15 years, the couple have renovated the station’s woolsheds, redeveloped the cattle yards and sheepyards, renovated the homestead and staff accommodation, applied capital and maintenance fertiliser, and completed a lot of subdivision/fence replacement across the farm. The station runs approximately 10,000 capital stock units, of which three-quarters are sheep and the remainder are cattle. “Subdividing the hill blocks gives us more manageable paddocks and makes it easier to grow quality pasture. We’ve also changed the genetics from composite ewes to a Romney flock and also went back to Angus cattle. The Wairarapa Romney Improvement Group has done a fantastic job of breeding stock to suit these conditions.” Andrew says they had been lucky to have good staff over the years and generally have one permanent shepherd along with a couple of casual shepherds to assist when needed. Contractors For all your agricultural requirements. Cultivations, direct drilling, baling and grain harvesting. 317 Ruakokoputuna Rd, Martinborough | M 027 405 9887 | E pakohe.ag@gmail.com Pakohe Agriculture Ltd are bought in for fencing, shearing and crutching. “We have a good local agricultural contractor for the run-off block and for ag work.” Andrew and Bridget have three children with Sam, their eldest, in his final year at Lincoln University. With his own team of dogs, he plans to go shepherding next year. “He is looking forward to heading off soon to the great wide open!”
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