Canterbury farmers David and Mavis Bennett have farmed sheep on their Mid Canterbury coastal property for almost 40 years.
In 2009 the passionate sheep breeders took up an opportunity that required huge changes to the way they farmed.
Seven years on, their new farming journey has earned them international honours.
In the United Kingdom last week the Bennetts were named as the global winners of the Waitrose Farming Partnerships Innovation Award 2017.
Modest about their accolade the couple were literally blown away on getting the news.
“We couldn’t have done this on our own. We have a great team working alongside us,” they said.
“We were humbled to be nominated but to win – it’s quite amazing. We never expected this and many thanks go to the Anzco team of Alan McDermott, Julia Galwey and Cameron Millar who work very closely alongside us.
“It’s a whole team effort. We need their assistance for the technology and recording and they need us for the land to run and manage the flock. It’s all about the partnership,” David Bennett said.
The Bennetts began farming on their own account on their 360 hectare property in 1980.
A third generation Mid Canterbury farmer, David Bennett grew up on the nearby family farm and went on to take over his grandfather’s Glenmoria Poll Dorset Stud.
“We gained a lot of knowledge and experience with stud sheep from that while we also ran a Corriedale ewe flock.
“I grew up showing sheep at A&P shows and going to ram fairs. We had a lot of fun,” he said.
As a hobby they still ran a small flock of English Leicester stud ewes and rams and returned home from the recent Canterbury A&P Show with the 2017 champion ram and ewe.
“And it’s still a lot of fun.”
Farming through the 80s was tough for the young couple but, as they could, they developed the original dryland farm to now being 66% irrigated.
In the 2000s, as water developed, land use changed in Mid Canterbury and there was less demand for rams, which had been a cornerstone of their sheep operation with the Poll Dorset stud.
“The local demand we supplied diminished and while we enjoyed the stud it was not very profitable any more.”
Timely as it was, life on the farm then took a new direction when Waitrose and Anzco were discussing ways to create a superior lamb brand.
Aware of their passion and expertise in sheep breeding, Anzco offered the couple the chance to manage the Longdown stud ewe flock.
Longdown lamb was bred exclusively to produce sensational lamb with unparalleled quality and taste.
Waitrose was so passionate about its product that it and Anzco invest significant time and money, constantly innovating to remain flexible and responsive to the ever-changing consumer demands.
That was the venture the Bennetts would be entering.
“We thought long and hard and eventually decided there were some big opportunities here and we really weren’t going that well with our own sheep.
“We decided we could do it – at least we should try it,” Bennett said.
In 2009 the meat line of the Longdown ewe flock was moved from South Canterbury to their farm and they took on its management.
By 2010 they had phased out their own flock ewes and the Poll Dorset stud and for the past seven years have worked solely with the Longdown flock that started with 230 and had now grown to 470 mixed-age ewes plus 240 ewe hoggets.
“We knew about looking after sheep but this was one challenge after another and we did begin to wonder with all these targets to meet.”
The focus of the stud was to produce lamb that met the Waitrose specifications, determined by the company’s customers.
It was precision and data from woe to go.
New innovation in muscle density and eating quality aimed to produce a superior product.
“We were used to knowing our own farm management but the progress, innovation and technology Anzco has brought to the programme have meant huge changes for us.”
One of the biggest changes to their sheep policy had been keeping all the new season’s lambs through to late February when the selection of replacements and sale rams was complete.
“That’s different compared to fat lamb production when we could have them gone by Christmas and perhaps buy in some stores.
“But then irrigation has helped that too and showed me you can carry lambs over summer – but it’s been a big change,” Bennett said.
“A huge learning curve that’s for sure – new challenges and a big workload but we have enjoyed it.
“There’s been a lot more to it than we anticipated but the sheep have improved and we have helped with that so that’s pretty satisfying.”
The sheep operation was just part of the business the Bennetts ran in partnership with their son Andrew.
“She’s a big jig-saw here. Every bit has its place.”
Andrew’s focus was on the arable operation, working closely with the feeding requirements of sheep, beef and dairy grazing.
“Crop varies from year to year. This year it’s more simple than normal with more early cereals and mainly spring barley, with a return to growing potatoes.
“The plan is to get as much crop in the ground in autumn and early winter while also factoring in the needs of all stock classes.”
And with regular international visitors these days there was always something to do to ensure the farm was presented in tip-top order.
“We are conscious we have to keep farm appearance as best we can all the time as we can get notice at any time of people coming onfarm.”
That means when he wasn’t working with the sheep Bennett would likely been found spraying fence lines or helping with irrigators – if he hadn’t managed to slip away to pursue his lifelong interest in hockey and A&P show involvement.
