| 13 Store lambs are still a big part of it Of the 604 ha property (380 ha effective) and about 224 ha is in native bush. Sue Russell RURAL PEOPLE » Nathan Blake and Mahuri Farm Nathan Blake and wife Libby own and operate sheep and beef property Mahuri Farm, purchased from Nathan’s parents in 2020. Two years prior to this, they formed Mahuri Enterprises Ltd, as the vehicle for their farming business. The farm operates over challenging terrain, with the majority of it Class 7 in nature. Of the 604 ha property (380 ha effective) and about 224 ha is in native bush. Stock numbers are pretty much tracking as they did a year ago, with 1600 ewes. Cow numbers have increased slightly to 60, along with 16 R2 and 20 R1. An important income stream is store lambs, amounting to approximately 65% of the farm’s income. These are sold mainly on farm and some at the sales in Te Kuiti in June/July. An ongoing problem that requires constant attention is the number of feral goats that inhabit the area. They breed rapidly, so Nathan manages this with a combination of culling and mustering. Nathan is also a very keen supporter of Federated Farmers. He’s the Ruapehu District Vice President and Meat and Wool Chair. “Federated Farmers do a great job in representing the issues farmers face and bringing their concerns into public focus as often as they can,” Nathan comments. He came into the role of Vice President in July. The organisation and farmers alike have issues in the district, including the negative impact farms converting to forestry blocks is having on the communities. “Whereas a farm may support a number of families, actively working on the farm, when it comes to forestry that number is reduced substantially, so people move away from the district and this impacts communities, schools, lifestyles. It’s sad to see this happening really.” He’s pleased though, to see the rules around land-use are tightening up somewhat, placing forestry operations more into Class 6 or 7 properties. On the positive side, Nathan says it’s good to see some Councils taking a look at fresh-water reform policies and implementation timelines and he believes the change in Government is part of why this is happening. Each year, all the Federated Farmers branches meet at an annual conference. It’s a time to thrash out policy discussion and gain a sense of what the major issues are impacting farmers across the country as well as at a more local level. “The organisation works well. It keeps us regularly informed of where the issues are at a national level and progress being made. They are a strong and consistent voice in Wellington and do their best to represent the actual challenges farmers face.” Thursday 5th December, 2024 And while the sheep sector is still presenting real challenges in wool clip value, meat schedules and livestock values, Nathan says the beef industry is in a much better situation. In his case, as a farmer carrying both beef and sheep this helps to iron out the highs and lows. “Bremworth made money this year, which is really encouraging. The issues facing the sheep sector are going to take long-term solutions to correct.” Asked about plans for the future, Nathan is very much taking a careful, considered approach before committing to any major changes. “We’ll see what the next couple of years brings.”
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