36 | Takapoto planting & improving the land Mixed Age Cows Beside Sanctury Mountain Maungatautari. Richard Loader RURAL PEOPLE » Takapoto Angus Sam LeCren had been through two farm management redundancies, and was taking a year to reflect while doing casual farm work, when the opportunity arose to manage the farming operations at Takapoto, on the edge of Lake Karapiro in Hora Hora, Cambridge. The location was in close proximity to good schools and the farm’s owners were progressive; believers in planting, and improving the land. The opportunity was a perfect fit with Sam’s own farming ethos and his passion for the landscape and animals. “I have a strong interest in the environmental side and that was another quite big deciding factor in coming here,” reflects Sam. “I’ve farmed all my life, and I do want the farm to be profitable and be in the top ten percent of farming, but I now have the freedom to try new things on the farm, and if it doesn’t work, chalk it up to experience and move on.” Sam says his passion is not just the farming, it is the environment as well and that satisfying ‘grounded’ feeling of working the soils and pastures. “Effectively we farm biologically, and I have a holistic approach to grazing management. We use multi-species crops and pastures to get a lot of diversity so that the animals have access to a smorgasbord. Our mantra is that healthy soil produces healthy plants which produces healthy animals, and protein dense food.” The farms under Sam’s care and management include Takapoto Estate, referred to as the home farm; a lease farm a few kilometres away referred 027 290 1922 07 827 0177 OSBORNES TRANSPORT LTD Proudly Supplying Takapoto Angus with Valtra Tractors Hamilton & Otorohanga 07 843 7237 waikatotractors.co.nz +64 27 426 2364 ben.j@genetichoice.co.nz www.geneticchoice.co.nz Elite Beef Genetics: It's What We Do. Proudly supporting Takapoto Angus
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