48 | Tom Hargreaves is the 4th generation of his family to be running the 1600 hectare farm just south of Geraldine in South Canterbury, which now includes the 200 hectare dairy farm they bought next door in 2019. As well as their operational sheep and beef farm and the dairy farm they run the Kakahu Charolais stud which Tom and his father Gerald established in 2006, and the Kakahu Angus stud established in 1954 by their father Kenneth Hargreaves. Having the dairy farm next door has led to a heavy focus on the potential for a growing income stream through value added beef in the dairy industry. They use their own Angus and Charolais bulls on their dairy farm and rear everything on farm so they know first-hand the value to be had from fast growing calves born lightly on the ground, but their main clientele remains the traditional Angus cow/calf operator, many of them on high country stations. Over the years the Hargreaves have concentrated on certain traits with specific EBV (Estimated Breeding Values) in mind and in the current challenging economic climate Tom’s a strong advocate for others to do likewise as a simple way to increase their annual income. The Hargreaves want their focus on performance to flow through to help commercial breeders make as much money as they can out of their herd using performance genetics. Kakahu Angus rear everything on farm The Hargreaves want their focus on performance to flow through to help commercial breeders make as much money as they can. Virginia Wright MEAT & WOOL » Kakahu Angus Fernvale Genetics, located in Moa Flat, West Otago is an elite ram breeding company that has seen 3 generations of the Brenssell family over the past 80 years develop the stud to its current status. The stud today has entrenched key breeding policies that are used to produce superior animals that will have the Genetic make up to enhance the commercial sheep farming operations they are transferred into. These key breeding policies include: • Only multiple born & reared animals sold or retained in stud. • Quality outside bloodlines used every third generation. • Commercial pressure though 45,000 stock units. • Two year ram performance guarantee. • All ewe hoggets put to ram Fernvale Genetics is part of a large 45,000 stock unit sheep and beef operation. Not only is the focus on the stud, but the commerical side of the sheep and beef opertions have to be pro table. The combined farming operation includes 18,500 Beef stock units with 1,200 breeding cows. 027 201 8181 fernvale@farmside.co.nz www.fernvale.co.nz
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