| 29 Farmers urged to look for opportunities Karen Phelps MEAT & WOOL » Levels Estate While farmers may rightly feel they have a lot of pressure on them in terms of regulation, bureaucracy and increasing costs, elected Director Central South Island for Beef + Lamb New Zealand and the New Zealand Meat Board, Nicky Hyslop says it is important to not let this overshadow opportunities. “While we need to make sure we are working really hard to have sensible government policy we also need to remember the opportunities we have as farmers. “There is increasing interest from the public in naturally raised food and New Zealand farming ticks that box. Although we know climate change will impact New Zealand, the fact we have a temperate climate means we will be in a better position than many countries to adapt,” she says. Nicky and husband Jonty farm 327ha in South Canterbury centred around The Levels, a 227ha property. The Levels has a long history, originally settled by the Rhodes family, it was the rst station taken up in South Canterbury. A New Zealand Historic Places Trust rated cob cottage is on the farm is testament to this fact; it was the Rhodes’ home and the rst homestead in South Canterbury built around 1856. In 1865 it was sold to the NZ Land Company. Nicky’s family became involved with the property in 1876, when Charles Orbell was employed to manage the station and subsequently purchased the homestead block in 1904. The property has remained in the Orbell and extended family since. Nicky grew up on Clayton Station in Fairlie – but her parents purchased The Levels from family in 1995 and Nicky and Jonty took over ownership, with support from both their families, in 2003. A lot of development has occurred on the farm since that time, particularly around irrigation. The Levels has been nishing 400 beef cattle, grazing 300 dairy heifers and nishing between 4000-5000 lambs each year. This year an additional 40ha was leased from neighbour, also irrigated, and the couple also purchased a 60ha dryland block at the back of Pleasant Point, 15kms away from The Levels. Nicky says the additional land will allow them to continue to grow in scale, with a focus on increasing lamb nishing to 8000 head. “One of the opportunities in purchasing the dryland property was we could move cattle we were nishing on The Levels where we have heavy soils that can get wet in winter. By continuously looking after our soils, we will be more resilient, grow more grass, increase crop yields, diversify land use and reduce our environmental footprint.” Over the last ve years this has also involved planting shelterbelts – both native and exotic. They are also looking at a small area on The Levels, which is steeper land where they can plant trees to help slow run off, add biodiversity and provide shelter. “While we need to make sure we are working really hard to have sensible government policy we also need to remember the opportunities we have as farmers. There is increasing interest from the public in naturally raised food and New Zealand farming ticks that box.” “We’re also increasingly aware of how we use our water, and look for ways we can improve our irrigation systems, as well as being mindful of the balance of stock and crop policies,” she says. “We grow up to 40ha of barley each year and small areas of hybrid radish and small seed crops. This year we are working with a local cropping farmer to grow a small area of carrots. “We want to continue to explore these options as it gives opportunities to diversify and reduce our emissions. Integrating crops, livestock and trees is a great sustainable system. “In the long-term, having a raft of food and bre coming off the farm means we are more resilient to market volatility. It’s about getting the balance right, being pro table, looking after our soils, our animals and people and reducing our emissions over time. In the future we may have opportunities when we understand more about sequestering soil carbon in New Zealand but we know that will only happen if we look after our soils now.” The historic cottage at The Levels. Nicky Hyslop and husband Jonty farm 327ha in South Canterbury centred around The Levels, a 227ha property in South Canterbury. 39 George Street, Timaru 7910 | PO Box 125, Timaru 7940 | Email: hcmail@hcpartners.co.nz Phone: 03 687 9222 | Website: www.hcpartners.co.nz Partners: Paul Wolffenbu�el | Craig Copland | Nick Krivan | Kalpesh Hari |Mark Evans Consultants: John Stark | Duncan Brand Are proud to provide accountancy, tax and business advice services for Levels Estate 0275 083 789 unearthag.com Shop Online at our store or contact us for more information Suppliers of Needham Ag John Deere JD750A Air-Seeder Parts and Modifications
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