42 | RURAL PEOPLE » Mike McElrea Better returns bring chance to invest Two tooths in for shearing. Mike and Sean when they won the Perendale ram hogget Golden Sash at the West Otago show (below). Karen Phelps Better returns are giving the McElrea family who farm at Edievale an opportunity to invest more heavily in their hill country to drive production. Mike McElrea and his wife Natasha along with Mike’s son Sean run the 695ha property, about 20 kilometres from Tapanui in West Otago. “After five or six years of not being able to do it, it’s a good feeling to be able to apply fertiliser to the hill again, along with clover seed,” says Mike. “The returns are there now so we want to grow more grass and make better use of the country.” The farm carries about 3200 Perendale ewes, including 800 stud ewes, 850 ewe hoggets, 300 ram hoggets (predominantly Perendale but also Romdale and Perendale-Texel), and 180 Angus and Angus Hereford cross beef cattle comprising 82 mixed-age cows, 19 in-calf heifers and 45 R1s. All cattle are mated to Simmental. Cattle are being used more strategically. R1s have been grazing fodder beet from May 10 through to late October, preserving grass for other classes of stock before moving the cattle directly on to new spring growth. “Halter was put on the cattle a month ago,” says Sean who has a Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture). “Calves will have more weight on at weaning and blocks will be grazed better with improved pasture management. It will also help keep cattle away from major waterways and looking ahead we are also expecting to graze more cattle due to making better use of grass.” The next stage of development will include extending the water scheme into hill blocks, building dams around good springs and using virtual fencing to put cattle on poorer country preserving better pasture for ewes. The family has also changed the land use of about 80ha by planting trees on an unproductive area with road access and flat ground suitable for future milling. “That’s part of the farm succession planning,” explains Mike. “The carbon credits are useful and Hardy sheep bred on hard hill that perform on any country Fertile, high yielding, meaty rams with constitution Finalist in Beef & Lamb Sheep Industry awards for Meat Yield and Internal Parasite Resistance WormFEC programme for 20 years, less drenching, lower costs Stud ewes haven’t been drenched for 25 years Using 5k and 50k DNA technology Lambing hoggets for ten years unassisted on tussock Contact: Mike McElrea 027 242 9376 Sean McElrea 027 299 5101 | mcelrea@farmside.co.nz 2129 Tapanui Raes Junction Highway, Edievale, West Otago Taieri Wool & Skin (1998) Ltd Ph 03 489 4408 & 0274 355 953 Fax 03 489 3308 | taieriwool@xtra.co.nz | Bush Road, Mosgiel AH Rodney McLennan 03 489 3499 / 0274 355 953 ƕ Competitive prices on main lines ƕ Truck available for shed clean-outs ƕ Provide & replace wool packs ƕ Fast efficient service ƕ FREE quotes we could also sell it as a standing forest. It gives the family options.” Wool is emerging as another source of optimism. Gowan Braes Stud, established by Mike in the late 1990s, has concentrated on breeding for worm resistance, fertility, growth, survival and strong, slightly finer wool.
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