Business Rural Winter 2021

| 39 MEAT & WOOL » Cromel Valley Station Injury scare prompts changes to farming system Cromel Valley Station runs 1500 Perendale ewes and 280 Angus breeding cows. The farm also provides winter grazing for around 1600 dairy cows. Karen Phelps T he next generation is already gearing up to take over Cromel Valley Station. And one of them hasn’t even started school yet. Brother and sister, eight year old Briar and four year old Luke, are already having serious conversations about the farm, according to dad Craig Drummond. “Briar loves livestock and has a 50cc motorbike she rides around the farm on helping round up stock. Luke is more interested in tractors and diggers. Briar wants to take over the farm and is already trying to angle with Luke that she should get it,” says Craig with a laugh. Once they do they will be the fifth generation to farm that land. The 1416ha station runs sheep, beef and dairy support and has been awarded a Century Farm and Station award. The family originally moved to the area when Peter and Selina Drummond shifted from Canterbury in 1915. The homestead Craig and wife Hannah live in was built in the 1850s.Craig took over operation of the farm in 2004, the same year he met Hannah. Typically Craig and Hannah have done the lion’s share of the work on the farm themselves with the help of one full time staff member. But having an injury to his achilles tendon this year, which suddenly saw Craig incapacitated, has been a wake up call for the couple and has led to them changing their system. They now plan to employ two staff through the busier winter months and nobody the rest of the year when they will utilise casual staff as required. This gives their system greater flexibility. Until then they have had a role swop with Craig a stay at home dad and Hannah taking a more active role on the farm. Community and friends have also been a huge sup- port and stepped in to help. “It’s shown us that if one of us falls out of the sys- tem it fails, so having two labour units over winter will future proof the business and make it more enjoyable as we will be able to have more time off because it’s not unusual for us to work four or five months straight,” says Craig. “It’s mostly established family farms here and so it also makes you appreciate being part of a great rural community. I have also got to hang out with the kids more so that’s a positive.” They are looking at other ways to simplify their sys- tem and get the most out of their land. Unproductive hill country is being assessed for suitability to plant more Douglas Firs (they already have 30ha planted). Covering Otago & Southland 0800 227 226 www.advance-agriculture.co.nz Proud to support Cromel Valley Station Specialist Suppliers of Agricultural Chemical, Seed, Spray Equipment & GPS Precision Ag For more information check out our website www.kelsokontracting.co.nz Or call/email us, Hamish: 0274 306 869 Office: 03 204 8112, office@kkcl.co.nz • Stabilising • Rock Crushing • Stump Grinding & Mulching • Reefinator • Earthmoving & Excavation · Pick-up & delivery service · Open Saturday til 12 noon · Loan bikes available · PLUSwe service other brands · For after hours enquiries, phone Dwain or Glen XU 23,999 Dwain 027 220 6844 Glen 027 220 6834 Run a smarter, better business with tools to help free up your time. Talk to us about Xero and Figured today. mmca.co.nz | 03 214 4166 They also want to increase their capital stock so they can employ a stock manager. The farm runs 1500 Perendale ewes under a terminal system. They use Suftex rams with the ewes and typically finish all of their own lambs. There are also 280 Angus breeding cows with the calves sold off as weaners. The farm winter grazes around 1600 dairy cows and grows about 100ha of brassicas as winter feed. The Drummonds are targeting raising stock numbers to 350 beef cattle and 3000 sheep, winter grazing sufficient numbers to utilise any spare feed. Profile your farm with Business Rural