6 | RURAL PEOPLE » Awatere Farming Awatere’s low-cost, all-grass farming The system delivered a good result last season. Russell Fredric Awatere Station’s low-cost, all-grass farming system shapes everything from pasture renewal to livestock performance, with every decision aimed at getting more from the land. The Anderson family has farmed Awatere Station, near Waikaia in Northern Southland, for 53 years. Today, Awatere Station manager Tom Anderson oversees the 3,000-hectare hill-country property alongside Ryan Tutty and Angus Murray. A further 250ha support block in Wendon Valley brings the total farming area to about 3,250ha, including 2,750ha effective. The farm runs 12,000 Romney ewes, 3,000 replacement hoggets and 650 breeding cows, while finishing about 90 percent of its lambs and all steers by 18 months on-farm. “We’re a sheep and beef-based breeding and finishing property, rolling through to medium and steeper hill country. Our main focus is keeping a low-cost system that works with the country we’ve got.” That strategy underpins a wintering system that relies entirely on pasture rather than winter crops or supplementary silage or baleage. Farming up to 750 metres above sea level means weather can quickly test that approach, particularly after pre-lamb shearing, but the result is a more efficient, low-cost business. The system delivered a good result last season. Lambs averaged 18.7kg carcass weight, while steers averaged 280kg. Consistent scanning results and improved sheepmeat and beef schedules created opportunities to reinvest. “It gave us the ability to do more development. We doubled the area we usually regrass through direct drilling, built a new set of sheep yards and further subdivided paddocks. Lifestyle & Rural Fencing including: DEER • SHEEP • CATTLE • POST & RAIL • YARDS 027 867 2975 | dbfencing2024@gmail.com
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