32 | An ever-wider focus on kaitiakitanga Waihinga Farm is proud to supply Silver Fern Farms and has silver accreditation with New Zealand Farm Assurance (NZFAP). Having a farm so close to town that it does not have a rural address has its advantages, but it comes at a significant cost, Pete Smith says. Pete and his wife Prue own and run a sheep, beef and cropping business on a total of 500 hectares over two separate blocks. Shopping is barely a three minute drive away from the home farm, but there is a downside. “Rates have increased $20,000 in the past three years.” The 300 hectare home block is a lowland finishing property bordering Martinborough while the other, Greys Block, is a hill block eight kilometres away covering 200 hectares. Annual rainfall is usually about 750mm, but because 6.5 kilometres of the home block borders the Ruamahunga River, it is prone to flooding during heavy rain events and up to 40% of this block can be totally under water for a few days. Pete and Prue have two children and three grandchildren who are the eighth generation to make gumboot impressions on the home farm on which the original homestead was built in 1881. Greys Block is used for sheep breeding and supplying the home block with lambs and store cattle for finishing. “On the flats we are finishing 300 head of cattle a year and we also grow 50 hectares of maize and 20 hectares peas.” Stock comprises 1300 Wairere Romtex breeding ewes, 350 hoggets which are mated, 140 R1 bulls, 100 R2 bulls, 100 each of R1 and R2 steers and 100 each of R1 and R2 heifers. The cattle are mostly Angus, plus 30 cows have recently been added to the hill block for pasture control. Waihinga Farm is proud to supply Silver Fern Farms and has silver accreditation with New Zealand Farm Assurance (NZFAP). NZFAP provides confidence and certainty to millions of consumers world-wide that the meat and wool produced from New Zealand’s sheep, beef and deer farms is authentic, genuine, and safe. The accreditation of qualifying farms is subject to an independent annual audit. For Pete and Prue this is part of a bigger focus on kaitiakitanga – guardianship, sustainability and environmental responsibility to ensure a regenerative future for the land, animals and people. The home block has a 4.5 hectare bush block that is a native sanctuary. This was fenced completely in 2015 to protect it from stock grazing and to encourage regeneration by natural re-seeding and has a QEII covenant that will protect it in perpetuity. The farm’s location is very handy for local school’s primary-aged pupils to engage in field trips, which is a highlight for them as well as creating a connection between urban and rural. “It’s really important. I just love seeing the kids, they goof off on it, they go back to the classroom, they write stories and poems and I get shared into RURAL PEOPLE » Waihinga Farm Russell Fredric Leanne Southey BBS, FCA Becks Scho�ield BBS, FCA Contact us for a no obligation chat about how we canhelp you today. www.sosa.co.nz E: ca@sosa.co.nz P: 06 3700811 Masterton 5810 110 Dixon Street We can assist you with all your accounting,tax and business needs Proud to support Waihinga Farm that. It’s quite special seeing the difference it makes to some of them,” Pete says. Despite the many improvements made to the farm, Peter and Prue have a decent list of ‘to do’s’ to tick off. “There’s still plenty to be done of the farm, trying to make paddocks smaller, spray gorse on the hill block, putting more troughs in and making as many improvements as we can every year, budget allowing.” The farm’s income split varies, but last season about 60% came from the cattle, 30% from the sheep and 10% from cropping. For all your shearing needs in the Martinborough area 06 306 8004 mbashearing wayneaporo@gmail.com
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