22 | Competition a confidence booster Derek and Leanne White with family: “We have a strong desire to create opportunities for the next generation of farmers.” Richard Loader Central Plateau sheep and beef farmers Derek and Leanne White have been announced Runners-up in the inaugural 2022 Wairere Central Districts Red Meat Farm Business of the Year. The competition showcases innovative Red Meat farming practices by identifying farmers that demonstrate a well-balanced and positive approach to their business. The couple operate a successful breeding and nishing business on 435 effective hectares between Taihape and Waiouru. Derek says he and Leanne saw the competition as an opportunity to benchmark their business against other well performing farm businesses. “Entering the competition was a learning opportunity to work out what we were doing well and where we could improve. There was certainly a physical and nancial aspect to the competition but the broader scope included governance and structure of the business, compliance, sustainability and community involvement. Many farms operate in smaller diminishing communities and you have to get involved or we start losing services and young people.” Derek says entering the competition provided he and Leanne the con dence to stand up and tell their farm story to an audience, showcasing their business. “You tend to plug away at what you do. Putting us in that environment made us focus on what we are trying to achieve. We took a lot of quality feedback from some highly respected judges and spent time re ecting on that feedback. We’ve taken away where we could improve our business going forward and I think we gained a lot out of the competition. There is always a strong desire to improve, and it was helpful to identify where some of our weaknesses lay.” Derek and Leanne operate their farm as a team with casual labour utilised when required. Derek thinks the husband wife work relationship is one of their businesses strengths. “Leanne is certainly doing a lot of on-farm work while juggling the needs of our three children aged RURAL PEOPLE » Derek & Leanne White 10, 8 and 3. We’re both very passionate around stockmanship and developing farm infrastructure. These factors are a big part of our business. We also have some excellent key people who provide us with top advice to help us make informed business decisions.” Derek has farmed for 23 years, leaving school to complete a two year cadetship at Smedley station followed by a diploma in farm management at Lincon University. After managing and working on different properties, the couple leased Derek’s parents’ farm in conjunction with another property before purchasing the home farm in 2014. The high altitude farm rises from 560 metres to 800 metres above sea level and encompasses 470 hectares, including 15 hectares of pine plantation, some native bush and other non-effective land. “There are a couple of aspects where there is higher more exposed land, then easier basin country. But it’s regarded as good Taihape hill country with good strong volcanic soils on the ats. We typically get three to four good snowfalls during the winter. Long cold winters can be a limiting factor. We compensate this by growing brassica feed crops as well as feeding baleage supplement to cattle.” The farm runs 3000 ewes to the ram, and 900 in-lamb hoggets, with Romney Wairere genetics bought over the last three years. “We see the pro tability side of our business as being in our lamb production. We aim to get around twelve lambs per hectare. Last year our lambing percentage was 155% to the ram. We nish about 90% of the lambs, utilising summer feed crops to achieve that.” 140 Angus Hereford breeding cows are put to McFadzean ‘meat-maker’ bulls – an Angus/Simmental cross – and R2 Heifers are mated to a low birth weight Angus bull. Steers are sold as yearlings, retaining breeding heifers. Culls and drys are sold at 18 months. “We see it as a privilege to farm in our own right and enjoy the challenges that it brings. We have a strong desire to create opportunities for the next generation”. The Central Plateau farm rises from 560 metres to 800 metres above sea level and encompasses 470 hectares, including 15 hectares of pine plantation.
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