Page 68 - Hereford Magazine 2021

reeding cattle that are profitable and enjoyable to
farm is at the top of the wish list for Whanganui
farmers Mike and Cath Cranstone of Riverton
Herefords.
B “We have great relationships with our clients
and are fortunate to have clients who have been with us for a
long, long time,” Mike says.
“I want to breed cattle that I’m confident, and they’re
confident, will perform. They’re trusting their livelihood –
their cows – to our bulls. We take that responsibility pretty
seriously to provide the right bull for them.”
Mike says they’re focused on cattle that dairy or beef
farmers can be confident using over their heifers. Sophie, Hamish and Sam Cranstone. Like the photo on the
“That’s why calving ease and low birth weight are non- previous page, they’re always keen to help on the farm, especially
negotiable. Without that, our target market, mainly dairy if they’re on their motorbikes.
farmers, will not go anywhere near a beef bull unless they
have complete confidence it’s not going to wreck their heifers.”
The Cranstones farm 2000ha at Fordell (1850ha effective,
including a lease block). The original 470ha farm, which
includes the homestead, sale ring and a 12ha QEII National
Trust block, has been in the Cranstone family since 1905.
“It’s well developed and a good mix of country from hill to
fertile river flats,” Mike says.
“That’s the family silver, it’s the hub of the whole operation,”
Cath adds. “It’s humming and has been for some time.”
Four neighbouring farms have been added to the original
block in the past 23 years.
“Some have hard, undeveloped gorse hill country that fits Yearling heifers on the Cranstones’ Fordell farm.
perfectly as a home for our breeding cow herd, then we rely
on our warm microclimate and fertile river flats to get our worked alongside each other to launch the Ezicalve brand and
bulls to 400kg,” Mike says. market bulls focused on dairy heifer mating.
“It’s intensive work to get those bulls up to a target of 400kg “We were of the opinion, here’s a stud half an hour from
in less than a year, which we were stoked to manage this year us, we can either compete for the same market or we can join
despite the tough summer and autumn. It is high pressure forces and grow the market.
and every day in winter has to be a growing day.” “We’ve always worked alongside our fellow breeders. We have
The couple has been fencing off native bush blocks on the our own breeding programmes and our own clients, but we share
new farms and has retired a paddock called The Canyon. the brand and the marketing and focused breed objectives – high
“After spraying it three times for gorse, I accepted defeat calving ease, low birth weight, good growth rate and high carcass
and planted it in pine trees about four years ago. We’ve taken quality, combined with a quiet temperament.”
out the worst 50ha of the farm and haven’t altered farm All Riverton and Ardo bulls are marketed as Ezicalve bulls,
production at all,” Mike says. but Cath says bulls with several generations of top breeding
The Riverton Hereford Stud was registered in 1905, the same are marked with an extra ‘Ezi’ logo in the sale catalogue,
year Mike’s great-grandfather bought the home property and identifying them as the best of the best bulls for dairy heifer
started the stud with purchased females. mating, and gain a premium under the hammer.
“We’re proud of that 115-year history and the fact that every “Producing beef-cross calves is not a dairy farmer’s core
year, we increase it by one,” Cath says. business. We’re trying to add value to their by-product,”
“That history is irrelevant if we’re not progressing with our Cath adds.
breeding programme, so it’s nice to build on what previous “It’s exciting when we have a new client where we can add
generations have done,” Mike adds. real value to their bottom line. Shifting their calves from the
“Back in the day, they sold maybe a dozen bulls, then two bobby truck at negligible value to providing a high value calf.
dozen bulls. We were selling 60 bulls when Cath came 15 We’re giving them something that is more sustainable in the
years ago and now we’ve more than tripled that. Previous long term. It’s good to be part of the solution to the sensitive
generations would be proud of that. Each generation has to issue of bobby calves.”
have their focus, whether it’s developing and growing the Genomics also allows the stud to identify homozygous
farm or doing the same with their product or with the stud. polled genes so calves don’t need to be dehorned any more,
My grandfather enjoyed showing cattle and breeding a quality and the stud has a new AI programme aimed at identifying
breeding herd. While we still strive for a quality beef animal, short gestation genetics so clients’ dairy cows don’t have to be
we are making sure they suit the dairy market.” induced – two other social issues within the dairy industry.
Mike says his father, Les, who is still active on the farm, Previously part of the CD Beef Breeders combined sale,
saw future opportunities in the dairy market 30 years ago Riverton started running its own on-farm sale in 1991.
and started moving the breeding focus to low birth weight. Geographically, Riverton clients come from Kerikeri to
Together with the Morrison family from Ardo, they have Ashburton.

66 HEREFORD MAGAZINE Year 2021