| 17 Size does not dictate farming success Stags in wintering shed. Karen Phelps For Bruce Allan, the strength of Grandview Deer lies not in scale, but in strategy. “You have to make the most of your opportunity instead of wishing you had a better one,” says Bruce who runs the third-generation family farm just south of Gore. At 75 hectares effective, Grandview Deer is modest by industry standards but Bruce is clear that size does not dictate success. “Small doesn’t necessarily mean uneconomic,” he says. “There are things you can do on a smaller farm that you simply can’t on a larger unit. You need to turn being small into a strength.” That philosophy has shaped the evolution of the business. Originally a dairy and sheep farm, the property changed direction in the late 1970s when the closure of the Mataura Dairy Co-operative forced a rethink. Bruce returned home in 1996 after completing a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture, a postgraduate Diploma in Agricultural Science at Lincoln, and even a theology degree. With his father running a contracting business, the shift into deer farming began with fencing the property. “It was an industry trying to be innovative with a progressive vision and taking control of its destiny,” he says. “That really appealed to me.” The first 100 hybrid weaners arrived in 1997. Initially the focus was on finishing, alongside sheep and crops such as oats. Within a few years, however, the system intensified, with sheep phased out and more land converted. At its peak, the farm was finishing over 1,000 weaners. Today, Grandview Deer has transitioned into a velvet-focused operation, wintering around 700 animals, including 360 mixed-age stags and 180 breeding hinds. All are Red deer. Bruce manages the day-to-day operations and stock while his wife Robyn supports feeding and planting. A key feature of the system is the use of wintering barns, an uncommon approach in the deer industry. “My take on it is deer are high value animals and therefore economic to winter inside,” says Bruce. The farm now has four barns, developed progressively over eight seasons. The benefits have been significant. “We’ve noticed there is a good opportunity to improve stock performance, reduce feed costs and intensify because we can preserve pasture cover,” says Bruce. “There are also environmental benefits.” On heavy Southland soils, the ability to remove stock from paddocks in late autumn helps protect RURAL PEOPLE » Grandview Deer pasture for spring growth. Stags are wintered indoors, while hinds and younger stock graze crops such as swedes and fodder beet grown on-farm. Genetics and nutrition are also central to performance gains. “The focus with velvet farmers is always genetics,” says Bruce. “We’ve seen big productivity gains in recent years from better genetics and feeding animals well.” Despite these efficiencies, he acknowledges the challenges facing the sector. Velvet prices are currently under pressure due to oversupply while rising costs continue to squeeze margins. “It’s going to be a challenging year,” says Bruce. “But we’re in this for the long run. You have to weather the bad years with the good.” Alongside farming, Bruce maintains a strong connection to the wider industry. He is a director of Provelco, a farmer-owned velvet marketing company with strong links to China and Korea, and works as a Sustainable Dairying Advisor with Fonterra. More recently, he has co-founded ARC Agribusiness, a consultancy aimed at helping farmers make practical, informed decisions. “We work alongside farmers to strengthen their systems, improve profitability, and plan for the future,” says Bruce. For Grandview Deer, the focus remains on refining a system that plays to its strengths. In Bruce’s view, scale is only one piece of the puzzle. “If you can be efficient, innovative, and disciplined,” says Bruce, “being small can actually put you in a very strong position.”
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