60 | MEAT & WOOL » Leefield Station age, we have some of the best females available.” This year for the first time a bull sale was held at Leefield Station in conjunction with Black Knight. Greg says having the sale at the station was a great opportunity for people to literally get amongst the bulls in the paddock. “They got to see the bulls from tip to toe, to get a feel for them. When you are buying bulls there is a lot of passion involved, people have got to really like what they are looking at. When people can get amongst them, people can feel confident about their purchase.” He says the Leefield Station site is a great place to breed quality females, because it’s very challenging. “The Marlborough weather can be dry and windy, and we have really steep hill country. Of the 1000 hectares we farm, 600 is steep hill country. We don’t have any easier country, because that’s all been planted with grapes.” He says because of those difficult conditions, the number of bulls they are producing will remain small. Greg says the Hampshire sheep stud is also a great complement to the overall business. He says the Hampshire breed is generating huge interest internationally due to the incredible eating experience. The meat is known for its naturally marbled quality, the equivalent of the Wagyu of the sheep meat. Sheep also play another important role within Leefield Station – grazing in the areas of the vineyard that can’t be planted and the gullies the tracHampshire sheep stud complements business • from page 58 tors can’t get into. Greg says the sheep are helping to reduce the fire risk within the 600 hectares of grapes. “Sheep are so much softer on the environment than tractors and diesel, so the more sheep we can get into the vineyard at the right time of year, the less diesel burnt and the less environmental impact.” Greg says at Leefield station people can see a totally unique environment. From within the station people can sit back and watch the bulls, taste a Leefield Station Pinot in the great hall, see the sheep who provided the wool for the jerseys, and sample the honey from the bees buzzing around the wildflowers. A special focus on the farm is the breeding programme, with a 50 strong New Zealand Hampshire sheep stud and 100 registered and recorded Angus breeding cattle. WE’RE PROUD TO DESIGN, SUPPLY & INSTALL SIGNAGE FOR LEEFIELD STATION Proud to be associated with Leefield Station agfencingrenwick@gmail.com +64 27 784 9317 CONTACT US: Earthmoving and Farm Maintenance Done Right 30 years of local knowledge and experience makes us the right people to talk to when it comes to earthmoving and farm maintenance. We explore every angle of a project upfront to ensure it runs smoothly and efficiently. For us, being the best isn’t about getting a job done fastest, or cheapest, it’s about getting it Done Right. Find out how we will get your project Done Right at tarbotton.co.nz
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