Open AccessFarming into the future - innovation technology and efficiency
Author(s) -
Donald Francis McKenzie
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of new zealand grasslands
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.179
H-Index - 2
eISSN - 2463-2880
pISSN - 2463-2872
DOI - 10.33584/jnzg.2015.77.484
Subject(s) - fencing , agriculture , lime , pasture , livestock , hoof , geography , agricultural science , agroforestry , environmental science , biology , forestry , ecology , archaeology , computer science , paleontology , parallel computing
My wife Jo and I are shareholding managers of Patitapu Station at Alfredton in the North Wairarapa. It is a family business consisting of 2550 ha (1760 ha effective) predominately hill country, approximately half way between the Tararua ranges and Castlepoint. It runs 17 500 s.u, 75% sheep, 25 % cattle, predominantly breeding with some finishing. It is highly variable in terms of contour, aspect, soil type, altitude and climate. Patitapu was purchased and developed by my father from 2000. This development has covered all aspects of the farm. With Wairere as an example on our southern boundary, the backbone of the development plan was traditional with the tried and true recipe of fencing/water, fertiliser/lime and hoof and tooth pasture development. A 200 ha block was roller crushed and developed out of gorse and scrub. All of the infrastructure has been upgraded, flock genetics changed and 120 ha of cultivatable ground brought in.