Despite producing several winners at the South Island farm competition level, Marlborough had never had its own sheep and beef farmer competition.
A committee of willing organisers stepped up and in December the 2016 Westpac Bayleys Marlborough Sheep and Beef Farmer of the Year trophy was awarded to Merino farmers Simon, Lynda and Tom Harvey.
This month the 1931 hectare property was open to view, with 170 farmers and other interested people taking the tour.
“Wow, what a place and what a business team,” vet and consultant Chris Mulvany summed up the day.
He described the performance by the Merino flock as startling, saying the Harveys’ ability to get genetics and management right allowed them to extract good production from a challenging breed.
Only 8% of the property was flat to gentle hill.
The flock lambed between 121% and 126% with 45% of ewes going to a terminal sire producing up to 60% prime at weaning. Last season the B mob scanned 168%. Ewes clipped 6.5kg of 20-micron wool and the beef cows typically weaned 92%.
Competition committee chairman Chris Dawkins said the Harveys were winners who showed where the future of agriculture had to be.
They won the sections for stock performance and financial returns and were high-performing in the finish/store/trading, land resource management, community involvement and governance categories.
“In the year where drought knocked income, it didn’t for the Harveys because of their forage management.”
Their effective farm surplus of $55/stock unit topped the competition and they were third on a per hectare basis ($207/ha) because of a lower stocking rate associated with farming hill and high country.
That was exceptional for a hill/high country property, Dawkins said.
Their ability to pay back debt (measured by times interest covered) was 2.5 and the top farm of the six entries.
Key to producing a surplus was the low farm working expenses at $47/su three-year average compared to $84/su for the competition. Expenses were 43% of total income.
Judge Greg Shepherd, of Sheppard Agriculture, said the Harveys invested in fertiliser and feed but kept a lid on costs. Their vehicle and repairs and maintenance bill was well under half that of the other entries but everything was tidy and weeds were controlled.
“They don’t have heavy metal disease.”
Judge and vet Peter Anderson said Simon Harvey was one of the first to use faecal egg count reduction tests to look at resistant parasites following vineyard grazing.
“He has one of the most inquiring minds I’ve worked with.”
Simon said that if he had a production problem, like low scanning, he combated it from as many angles as possible. He acknowledged the contribution of Lynda and their son Tom, who was an equal partner.
The future would see the Harveys introduce better fat, growth and muscle characteristics to their Merino flock via new two-tooth rams, Simon said.
“They are not as good in the wool but we will carefully build in these genetics as the positives in the meat will outweigh negatives in the wool.”
They would continue their focus on increasing legumes in hill pastures.
“Finding a legume that will thrive is the difference between a reasonable living and just scraping by.”
Sponsorship funded a $63,000 prize package. Feedback from key sponsors on the day indicated support would be ongoing.
Second place was awarded to Doug, Wendy, Fraser and Shelley Avery and third to Paul and Muff Newton.
The aim of the competition was to promote and raise the profile of the sheep and beef industry in Marlborough. Entries for the 2017 competition closed in July.
