Grassland awards

Press, 26 November 1982, Page 22

Grassland awards

Five Marlborough farmers received Grassland Memorial Trust Awards this year for their contributions to the advancement of grassland farming. They are Mr Graham Black of the Upper Awatere Valley (for high country farming); Mr John Peter of Cape Campbell (dry hill country farming); Mr Martin Shand and Mr Timothy Shand of Pelorus Sound (moist hill country farming); and Mr lan Jordan, the principal partner of Willowhough Enterprises (mixed farming.)

The awards were announced by the trust chairman, Dr R. W. Brougham, at the New Zealand Grasslands Association conference held in Blenheim from November 1 to 4.

Mr Black farms Awapiri.

7000 ha of Crown lease land fronting the Awatere River and extending eastwards over the northern end of the Inland Kaikoura Range to a height of 1600 m. He also farms River View, a 380 ha block adjacent to Awapiri.

His stock includes a. Merino flock and stud flock totalling 5000 sheep, and 130 Hereford cattle.

The significant features of his farming are the development of high country through oversowing and topdressing, stockmanship and animal breeding, and management. These have resulted in an increase of wool production from 128 to 207 bales in 16 years, and high production per animal. Mr Peter farms Dashwood, an 860 ha, extremely dry and exposed property on Cape Campbell.

When he took over 12 years ago, the farm was nearly all scrub and noxious weeds, stock performance was very low, and the property had a poor reputation. Now the farm carries about three stock units per hectare, with a 112 per cent lambing and gross return per ewe of about $46.

The farm’s operation is noted for its high animal performance, the excellent development of difficult country starting from a very low equity base, a tendency

to use unconventional methods such as oversowing with lucerne, and a carefully thought out animal breeding programme. These have been synthesized into a farming system that is very profitable while in a very difficult environment, Dr Brougham said. Mr Martin Shand and Mr Timothy Shand have farmed Port Ligar, an 1147 ha sheep hill country property in the outer Pelorus Sound, for 12 years. During that time, the carrying capacity has doubled to about 6 s.u. per hectare. This has been the result of good development management and intensification, and the maintenance of stock performance during development in a difficult and ex-

pensive environment where performance is normally low. Dr Brougham said. In addition, good use has been made of forestry plantings and catchment board assistance programmes. On the 180 ha farm of “Willowhough,” Mr Jordan runs a Corriedale x Border Leicester ewe flock, a Southdown stud, a pedigree Jersey stud, a cash cropping programme, a small seeds operation, an oats chaffing operation, a conservation programme of 8000 to 10,000 bales a year of lucerne meadow hay v and

green pea vinings, and supplementary cropping. Lambing percentages are regularly at least 140 per cent. Dr Brougham said that many innovations in land preparation, sowing and cropping systems had been developed from Mr Jordan's ploughing skills. Mr Jordan has qualified for the New Zealand Ploughing Championships 12 times, and will be managercoach for the New Zealand team in Zimbabwe next May. A special award went to Mr Oswald James, the founder and president of James Aviation, Ltd, for his ■services to agricultural flying. Mr James, who was born in Tolaga Bay, has been in agricultural flying for 33 years. His contribution to flying safety, his help with farmers’ airstrips, and his contribution to the stability and growth in the industry, through his involvement in the Aviation Industry Association of New Zealand won him his award. He has a large aerial work operation throughout New Zealand and is involved in the development of Fletcher aircraft, and loader development. He won an 0.8. E. in 1968 for aviation services to New Zealand.