74 | A big transformation Karen Phelps ON FARM » Mount Erin Station Set against the dry, rolling hills just ten minutes from Havelock, Mount Erin Station is undergoing a significant transformation as it adapts to both environmental pressures and farm management places a focus on lifting performance. Spanning 1185 hectares, with around 1000 hectares effective, the steep hill country farm has long contended with challenging conditions, including just 420mm of rainfall last year. Summers arrive early and bite hard. “People say that if they see Mount Erin going dry they know they will go dry three weeks later,” says farm manager Alec Wills. “So everybody bases their farming in that sense off us and uses us as a barometer. We can be going dry around November and not green until March or April.” Alec took up the role 18 months ago after working as a stock manager in North Canterbury. 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Equipment available: bulk cartage trucks, diggers, graders, rollers. When he arrived, the brief from the family partnership that owns the station was clear. “The owners did want change and wanted performance to lift,” says Alec. “With the farm consultant we’ve been able to achieve that.” Working alongside John Cannon of Challenge Consultancy, he has begun reshaping both the system and mindset of the farm. Historically, Mount Erin Station followed a more traditional model. It wintered around 7734 stock units, including 4500 Perendale ewes and roughly 240 cows, with most lambs sold store in November and December. While steady, the approach offered limited flexibility and returns. Now the focus has shifted towards creating a system that responds more dynamically to climate and market conditions. “It’s all about trying to get stock gone before summer but also means we can dictate more when we sell stock rather than having to,” says Alec. “It’s putting flexibility into the system, so we are no longer price takers but rather sell stock when the market is hot to get more of a premium.” One of the key changes has been reducing ewe numbers to lift productivity per animal. By running smaller mobs, Alec is hoped scanning percentages will improve and will give the ability to sell lambs early into a less crowded market. Lambing in July, one to two months earlier than many neighbouring farms, allows the station to capitalise on this window. “We have to be ahead of summer as we get hot here, but it also means we can hit that early market and make a good margin,” says Alec. The station has also introduced greater trading flexibility through cattle. Around 320 weaner bulls are carried through to yearlings with bulls purchased before Christmas and again in autumn. These are grown out over winter and sold before the dry months return. Cow numbers are also set to rise from 250 to 300, better utilising the farm’s less productive country. Infrastructure and land use are evolving alongside stock policies. Subdivision is under way to reduce paddock sizes to more manageable blocks, improving grazing control across the station’s steep terrain. Water systems are being upgraded, with more troughs installed, and fertiliser inputs increased to drive pasture growth. Flat land on the property is also being leveraged more strategically. Of the 60 hectares of irrigated ground, 25 hectares are leased out for squash production, returning to the station each autumn in new pasture. The remaining area is used for crops such as chicory, supporting summer growth for trading cattle while allowing the hill country to build feed reserves for winter “It’s real good to see the farm heading in the right direction,” says Alec. “While average grass production has traditionally sat at 5000 to 6000 kilograms of dry matter per hectare annually, gains are already being seen even if they are yet to be fully quantified. We are proud to be associated with Mount Erin Station 100% NZ Owned and Operated - Now with over 100 agents nationwide For all your livestock requirements, contact the team ‘Your Livestock Specialists’ Office 06 8787 535 • admin@redshawlivestock.co.nz Agent: Hamish MacDonald 027 821 0445 Mount Erin Station on the outskirts of Havelock North, Hawkes Bay.
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