On moving to the 703ha mostly flat land farm midway between Ranfurly and Naseby in 2000 they started replacing run-out pastures with the coastal ryegrass-based mixes they were familiar with.
When they didn’t persist Geoff started asking around for alternatives and turned to lucerne at the suggestion of a local weed sprayer.
“He said, ‘why didn’t you do what the farmers at Gimmerburn do and grow lucerne’,” Geoff says.
The first lucerne pastures were sown in 2003, since when 750ha of mixed pastures and 80ha of pure lucerne for balage has been established using what Geoff describes as “old-school” methods.
Paddocks are soil tested to assess the lime requirement that is cultivated in during spring. After fallowing over winter the paddock is spring-sown.
A typical pasture is a Wairau lucerne, Rohan ryegrass, Apex white clover, Goulburn subterranean clover, Ella cocksfoot and Maru phalaris mix that works out at about $300kg/ha.
But Geoff is quick to point out that cost is not really an issue – it’s all about getting the right mix that will persist in their environment.
That’s required a lot of tinkering with sowing rates to come up with a pasture where the ryegrass and cocksfoot don’t overrun the lucerne in the wetter years.
Some of the earliest lucerne pastures will be due for replacement in about three years. Geoff’s thinking that with farm pH levels now in the lucerne-friendly 6.3-6.5 range, he’ll side-step the cultivation with lime and instead spray and direct drill.
Whether continuing with the standard practice of following the old lucerne with a brassica crop before drilling in the new lucerne mix is yet to be decided.
The Shaws have a succession plan that will give Bradley, 9, the opportunity to go farming.
The importance of learning through experimenting is a Shaw thing, thanks to Geoff Shaw’s parents who often set-up their own farm trials – such as experimental plantings of brome and prairie grasses – when their potential was unknown.
Geoff and wife Lauren’s biggest and most successful experiment was contract grazing. It was new thinking especially for a drought-prone dryland farm but worked because of the gradual transition process.
Not all their experimenting has been successful, a good example being the Mediterranean tall fescue pasture trialled despite warnings from a neighbour.
“We couldn’t get it to strike but when it didn’t we had a back-up – the lucerne and cocksfoot pastures. We always have a plan B,” Geoff says.
Even with the contract grazing system embedded there’s a plan B in the wings should they be unable to source stock or are struck by drought.
“We’ve worked it out so that we know we have enough capital stock to take us through a season.”
FARM FACTS
Geoff and Lauren Shaw – Ranfurly, Otago
- In 2009 changed from traditional sheep breeding-finishing, brassica and ryegrass pasture to contract grazing and downsized sheep breeding-finishing on dryland, lucerne-based pastures
Area
- 702ha home block (480-560m asl)
- 128ha bottom block (410-430m asl)
- 8ha of lease land. There is 80ha of pure lucerne with the remainder lucerne-mix pastures.
Rainfall – 450-500mm
