52 | The property they part-own, Sevenoaks, is a 110 ha irrigated mixed operation in Hawkesbury. The Baker family say there is plenty more to be done on-farm. MEAT & WOOL » Acorn Partnership Plenty more to be done, say award winners Russell Fredric Despite winning this year’s Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards, Paul and Cath Baker say there is plenty more to be done. They concede they were not too keen to enter the awards, but after some prodding, are pleased they did. The whole process has been enjoyable, positive and beneficial for us. We both would really encourage other farmers to enter in a couple of years’ time. It is good to be able to sing the praises of farmers’ hard work and to showcase the “good stories” amidst a sometimes unfavourable attitude towards the industry, Paul and Cath say. The property they part-own, Sevenoaks, is a 110 ha irrigated mixed operation in Hawkesbury, southwest of Blenheim and they consider it to be very much under ongoing development. It supports sheep, cattle, a nine hectare vineyard, arable and seed production. They moved onto the property, which was owned by Cath’s parents David and Valerie Goulter, in 2010 Paul had been working as an electrician while Cath, who has expertise in soil science, worked for Ballance, experience she notes came in handy on a farm that needed significant pasture renovation, but the capital expenditure required was not available at the time. “When we first came back,we didn’t have grapes in our sights, but it became really clear that with our rates, we couldn’t keep farming as we were doing.” The sheep flock includes 200 Longdown breeding ewes and about 40 replacement Longdowns, regarded as a fecund and robust composite breed. “We switched a couple of years back, we had Corriedale cross ewes; the Longdowns appealed as a really solid composite ewe, they milk well, just a more efficient animal with highgrowth rates which is important in our drought years.” Another change is they previously ran a 12-month dairy heifer grazing operation along with dairy cow’s winter grazing. “It was really tough on the soils, and we would have to grow a forage crop as well. We can irrigate, but our water is horrendously expensive at 25 cents a cubic metre.” The soildamage from the dairy grazing took several years to repair and resulted in reduced crops and yields. The dairy grazers have been replaced with a Murray Grey cattle breeding and finishing operation. These are more compact and are farmed at a low stocking rate. The arable and herbage seed operation comprises 10 hectares of black oats,eight hectares wheat, five hectares of white clover, and 12 hectares of red clover. The farm features two QEII covenants, a significant natural area wetland and two streams. “It’s a really full farming calendar, we have a little window in April for holidays when we can take the kids away, but we love it, we love the diversity and the biodiversity. Both of us truly believe that we are helping the wider environment.” Completing fencing of waterways and environmental weed control, primarily crack willow, are currently the biggest issues being tackled. “We are still developing the farm; we are still nowhere near where we need to be.” “Paul and I love where we live, we want to enhance it leave it in a better state than what it was. As far as farm systems go, I think we’ve changed it to suit our location to suit the soils, we don’t want to push the boundaries.” “LARGE ENOUGH TO DELIVER, SMALL ENOUGH TO CARE” www.renwicktransport.co.nz RENWICK TRANSPORT LTD Cnr Shwy 63 & Hawkesbury Road, Renwick, Marlborough 03 572 9413 spreading@renwicktransport.co.nz For all your General Freight & Fertiliser Requirements throughout Nelson, Marlborough & Canterbury Regions. Timber, Concrete Products, Steel, Bricks, Grain, Hay, Fertiliser and so much more! Our experienced, skilled workforce maintains a high standard of vineyard management. Grapeworx is Proud to support Acorn Partnership. Quality Speed & Efficiency Value Fairness (03) 579 5787 admin@grapeworx.co.nz www.grapeworx.co.nz
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