• 615 ha of steep hill-country ridges and gullies, easy sloping intermediate terraces to river flats and fans. 490 hectares effective.
• 5500 Livestock Units – 2150 Breeding Ewes, (Since 2015/2016) replacements are bought in;
120 cows, with total cattle wintered 350, including finishing bulls.
• Employs Farm Manager, and casual General Fencer; Supervised by a consultant in association with a farm management committee consisting of experienced local farmers and the Board chair and farm manager.
• Beef fattening unit and crops on flats and rolling pumice fans
• Over 70 fenced paddocks with central lane
• Soils:
Majority Steep land - Mahoenui & Hangaroa silt loam, very affected by past land-slide producing storms
Hill country - Poukawa silt loam, Gisborne loam sand
Intermediate terraces – Mohaka loamy sand
Flats - Waihirere silt loam, Waipaoa sandy loam, Awamate silt loam
• 3.5 ks roading tracks, Northern lanes access, main ridgeline central lane
• Water scheme from Waitahora stream to central tanks, and Clydebank Water Supply Scheme Member (Kauhauroa paddocks)
• Mean rainfall: 1450mm p.a., summer temps ave.19°C, winter 9°C
• Lambing 115-140 percent; terminal/blackface sires over whole flock; most lambs sold store.
• Calving 85-95 percent; about 20 weaner heifers are sold and the remaining weaners kept as herd replacements or finished.
• Trading bulls are generally purchased as yearlings with the aim of finishing before their second winter (at 18-20 months). Often some are replaced with lighter cattle of the same age to kill the following year.
