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Farmers: Dennis and Trish Meade, “Brahill”, Matariki, RD 2 Wakefield, Nelson
Facilitator: Ian Lyttle, phone 03 545 1948, mobile 027 445 1948, email ianlyttle@xtra.co.nz
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"We see being Monitor Farmers for the Nelson area as a challenge and a means of keeping our interest in farming.
"It is an opportunity to find out what others feel about what we have been doing, and what we should be doing to improve our profitability, with the proviso that we make our farming enterprise simpler and needing the same or fewer labour inputs."
Dennis and Trish Meade |
Useful Documents
‹ Nelson Monitor Farm Newsletter June 2010  (128 kb)›
‹ Nelson Monitor Farm Newsletter April 2010 (246 kb)›
‹ Nelson Monitor Farm Newsletter February 2010 (553 kb)›
‹ Nelson Monitor Farm Field Day Report December 2009 (184 kb)›
‹ Nelson Monitor Farm Newsletter December 2009 (114 kb)›
‹ Nelson Monitor Farm Newsletter October 2009 (63 kb)›
‹ Nelson Monitor Farm Field Day Programme July 2009 (111 kb)›
‹ Nelson Monitor Farm Business Plan July 2009 (32 kb)›
‹ Nelson Monitor Farm Newsletter May 2009 (223 kb)›
‹ Nelson Monitor Farm Moving Forward Plans May 2009 (179 kb)›
About the Farm
| Location |
Hewitts Rd, Sherry Valley, Tasman District |
| Area |
432 ha total, 68 ha improved flats, rest rolling to steep hill country. |
| Average Rainfall |
1250 mm/annum |
| Altitude |
150-300 m asl |
| Soils |
Sherry sand and sandy loam on flats; Tadmor hill soils – silt loam on hills; prone to wetness and pugging. |
| Sheep Policy |
Composite: Perendale/Texel/Finn breeding flock, 1870 ewes breeding own replacements (ewes and rams). Lambing second week September (ewes) and second week October (hoggets). |
| Cattle Policies |
Breeding herd 100 cows of mixed breed – mainly exotic, bulls Murray Grey and Limousin. Cows mated December and heifers mated January. Selling surplus heifers as R2s and steers as R3. |
| Deer Policies |
Breeding herd 190 red hinds and red stag. Hinds mated April. Selling surplus young hinds in summer/autumn and stags from November to April. All deer will be sold by autumn 2010. This will reduce complexity, free up capital for development and remove the need to invest more capital in deer facilities. |
| Pasture Renewal |
Pastures have been progressively established from when development started 30 years ago. No pasture renewal since pastures have established and no crop used. 100 round bales of baleage made annually and fed to cattle late June through to September. |
| Production Levels |
Sheep: Ewes scan 175% and lamb 156% as measured ewes to ram and lambs tailed. Hoggets lamb 67%. Weaning January and lambs progressively sold over the season. May carry 200-600 lambs into winter or quit some as stores if feed is short. 1422 lambs average at works 16.84 kg killed, net price $90.28; 558 store lambs average $78.88.
Cattle: Calving at 94%. Cull cows sold May (250kg). Surplus heifers sold as rising 2 year olds pre-spring (230-250 kg). Steers sold February on as rising 3 year old (300kg+). |
| Stock Numbers at June 2008 |
1870 ewes, 585 mated hoggets, 60 store lambs, 30 rams; 20 in-calf heifers and 80 breeding cattle, 96 R1 calves; 38 R2 heifers, 39 R2 steers; 192 hinds, 177 weaners. Say 5,291su / 440ha = 12su/ha. Sheep numbers to be increased for winter 2010 with deer sold. |
| Stock Numbers at June 2009 |
1870 ewes, 600 mated hoggets, possibly 240 store lambs, 30 rams; 20 in-calf heifers and 80 breeding cattle, 113 R1 calves; 35 R2 heifers, 49 R2 steers; 3 Bulls; 192 Mixed age hinds; 172 weaners, 5 stags. |
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