NZ Dairy Spring 2021

14 | nz dairy “We have residential building taking place right now on the boundary. We will keep farming until town takes us over I think. It has that feeling of inevitability about it.” Justine and Ben Cameron on the farm. DAIRY PEOPLE » Ben & Justine Cameron Town closing in on historic Braemar farm • from page 12 Justine says she has been blessed to have the opportunity to raise their four children, James 19, Izaac 18, Grace 16 and Abbie 14, without the need to balance that with working on the farm. But that changed in 2017. “In 2015, we made the decision to install a ro- botic milking system on the farm because the land area had expanded and we were milking more cows,’ says Ben. “But after installing the system, over a five year period we found that the systems wasn’t for us and have recently replaced it with a new 26 double up herringbone system under the roof of where the robotic system was.” During this time of transition Justine was required to help out on the farm and underwent a crash course on rearing calves. With the help of Grace and Abbie, Justine now rears 350 wagyu and whiteface beef calves each year. Of cultivatable contour, the land is heavy clay country. It can be ether too wet or too dry, with a couple of weeks in between which are pretty good. An autumn calving operation, Ben says the land grows better grass in the winter than it does the summer time. When Charles first bought the land in 1903, the small township of Morrinsville was a few kilome- tres from the farm, now it is right on the doorstep. “We have residential building taking place right now on the boundary. We will keep farming until town takes us over I think. It has that feeling of inevitability about it.” 24 Hour Service - 7 Days PROUD TO SUPPORT THE CAMERON FAMILY Phone 07 889 0598 (Morrinsville) 07 888 8051(Matamata) Email service@mcgregorsfarmservices.co.nz 9 Ron Ladd Place, Morrinsville 3300 Small enough to care, big enough to rely on For Service & Quality Work For all New Installation & Maintenance 31 Studholme, St Morrinsville 07 889 6918 10 Lawrence Ave, Te Aroha 07 884 6521 www.silvesterelectrical.co.nz