Justin Thompson never complains about the view from his office. Farm Manager of Ōtakanini Tōpū, a Māori incorporated farm located on the South Kaipara Peninsula in Northland, Justin loves farming; it’s in his blood.
Predominantly running sheep and beef, along with some forestry, the farm is set on 2,674 hectares. The tōpū is owned by shareholders, with decisions affecting the farm made by an advisory board. On-farm Justin’s team includes three shepherds and a farm worker.
“The land means a lot to its shareholders, their whanau and local iwi; it is treasured,” says Justin. “I’m the caretaker of the land, responsible for bringing a profit to the farm while also looking after it. I’m passionate about farming and pride myself on producing quality crops and healthy stock.”
With around 18,000 stock units, Ōtakanini Tōpū is a store-fattening operation with the majority being sheep, though store cattle are brought in and finished. “We’ve moved away from a bull finishing farm to a more traditional style sheep and beef property, creating our own replacements which has allowed us to be self-sufficient.”
To help manage stock performance, Justin asked PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative Sophie Holst to formulate a year-long animal health plan for the farm. Sophie consulted with Andrew Dowling, PGG Wrightson Technical Expert – Animal Production, who provided feedback.
Having previous experience working with PGG Wrightson, Justin says he knew the technical knowledge and expertise that was available to him through the company. “It’s a real bonus and I can’t ask for more than that.”
Justin says he and his team have valued the comprehensive nature of the plan as it has led to greater efficiencies on-farm. The plan details the conditions to look for, what drenches and vaccines to use along with the recommended products and quantities required. The plan covers both sheep and beef cattle.
As Justin explains. “The plan lays out the animal health requirements for lambs from the day they are born, from 5-in-1 vaccines and their first drench, to dipping using specific pour-on drenches and through the electronic jetters. As we sell store lambs while also keeping mixed-aged ewes, the plan covers each growth stage. This is the same for our cattle, with the plan covering the specific products required for controlling liver fluke, ticks and lice.”
Justin and his team have found the plan to be an effective tool, allowing them to organise the stock’s movements so they are not being moved unnecessarily. It also has aided Justin with the financial aspects of an animal health programme.
“I am aware of costs ahead of time as the plan sets out the products and quantities needed. This has allowed me to present the animal health budget to the board and obtain the funds needed to purchase the product in bulk. By doing it this way, I have been able to secure good prices.”
“Andrew and Sophie did a great job with this plan. It sets out what I need and what I don’t, so I’m not wasting any money,” says Justin.
Arriving at Ōtakanini Tōpū last year, Justin met Sophie and he says she provides an outstanding service. Along with formulating the farm’s animal health plan, Sophie offers advice and recommendations on the farm’s cropping and fertiliser programmes as well as conducting soil testing. “When we need a product, Sophie will place the order and deliver it to the farm. She goes out of her way to help us. We appreciate her technical knowledge; if there is a better product coming to market, she’ll let us know,” says Justin.
Sophie’s assistance with the farm’s cropping programme has enabled Justin to provide his stock with feed over summer.
As with most Northland farms, Justin says the land is dry from December to March making growing crops for feed challenging. “When I arrived here, there was no supplementary feed on-hand,” explains Justin. “Sophie and I discussed different options. Though sorghum had not been grown here much in the past, it was last year to help farmers in the region cope with the drought.”
“As we don’t have grass that persists through summer, we needed a crop to fill this gap to feed the cattle and to keep the ewes in good condition ready for tupping in late January/early February. We planted 30 hectares of sorghum and it exceeded our expectations, turning a bad situation into a good one.”
Having planted the sorghum in October, the crop was ready by summer and was placed in the silage pit while also being grazed three times. Justin was impressed by the crop’s versatility and planted 40 hectares in late spring of this year.
Looking to the future, Justin says the aim is to improve the farm infrastructure and continue developing their fertiliser programme and cropping rotation so quality feed is grown. Currently only the most productive paddocks are being fertilised, with the intention of assessing the more difficult paddocks next year based on results from soil tests. To complement this plan, Justin is keen to grow newer varieties of drought-tolerant grasses to help produce enough feed to fatten the stock as their numbers increase.
PROFILE:
TYPE: Sheep and beef breeding and forestry operation
SIZE: 2,674 hectares
STOCK: 18,000 units (approximately)
CROPS: Sorghum, chicory, ryegrass, clover and plantain
LOCATION: South Kaipara Peninsula, Northland
