Page 127 - NZ Herefords Magazine 2019 Edition

“We have 261 stags and are aiming to be much the same “We love the native birds and have ongoing pest control.
this season, sold to Silver Fern Farms in Rotorua between There are no wild dogs any more but we do try to keep on top
November and March, with the same cut-off weight.” of the possums, stoats, wild cats, pigs and goats.”
The farm has 479 mixed-age hinds, 122 two-year and 215 The station’s average rainfall is 1200mm average (ranges
one-year hinds, 261 stags and 20 sires. from 862mm to 1540mm).
The sheep side of the business has both maternal and In March 1988, the farm sustained damage in Cyclone Bola.
terminal. In 2018, the farm wintered 1347 mixed-age Romney But with the farm being in the headwaters of the Wairoa River,
ewes, 919 two-tooths and 1139 ewe hoggets. Romney rams not a Gisborne catchment, Phillip’s father recognised the threat
are put out with the Romney ewes and two-tooths on 1 April of their rainfall to Hawke’s Bay and phoned ahead (Wairoa later
(lambing end of August) and 905 older ewes are put to terminal lost its bridge to the floodwater).
sire Suffolk rams on 15 February (lambing mid-July). “The storm added two metres of silt to many places on the
Lambs are finished from both sides of the sheep operation flats,” Phillip says.
on 6ha of plantain clover, 6ha of chicory clover and 6ha of pasja. They’re going through the farm environment plan process
They go at 40kg live weight and above to Ovation in Gisborne with Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
every two weeks (approximately) from mid-November to June. “We’re part of the Gisborne District Council and follow its
Another 4ha of short rotation ryegrass has been added to rules, even though we’re part of the Hawke’s Bay catchment.
help winter and finish the stags. We have to be mindful of our stocking rates next to waterways
“We are limited to where we can run a tractor. We have 50ha to meet Gisborne’s limits. We’re working out how to effectively
of Waikura River flats but they flood regularly.” fence the waterways, particularly this main stream that’s prone
Te Aroha is 1200ha (1100ha effective) with 40ha of native to flooding. It’s very fertile and valuable to us, but it does flood.
bush protected under three QEII National Trust covenants. The We don’t get enough warning, sometimes none.”
bush – preserved since the late 1800s, fenced since the 1970s The couple say the best thing about their current operation is
and registered since 2006 – includes kahikatea, totara and stock manager Nathan Twigley, who joined them three years ago,
matai, and is home to the rare pittosporum obcordatum, which and full-time casual fencer, Butch Raukawa, who started shearing
they believe is only found in about five places in the wild. there about 15 years ago. The holiday workforce includes Phillip
“In the old notes, they talk about the pigeons being so fat and Minna’s two daughters, Topsy, 22, and Pippa, 19.
they were no sport,” laughs Minna.

125