Matriarch leads way

Glenville with its mature exotic and native trees and well-fenced lush pasture has a long-established look - but just 55 years ago the Katikati dairy farm presented a very different picture.
"My dad talked of taking 2 hours to walk what is a relatively short distance from one part of the farm to the road because he had to battle through rough scrubby re-growth," says Val Baker, who manages the property on behalf of the family-owned company, Glenville Properties Ltd.
The Baker family bought the run-down farm and felled trees for its saw mill before beginning the arduous task of clearing the land.
In the 1960s Doug (who died in 2006) and his wife Florence bought out other family interests, fulfilling a long-held dream.
"Dad always dreamed of owning land and holding on to it. Ever since the Bakers came to New Zealand from UK in 1815 they have bought land but few have been able to hold on to it," she said.
Doug knew plenty about timber milling but not so much about farming, although Florence did. It was her knowledge and understanding of milking cows, in particular, which helped guide the property in its early years.
Florence remembers teaching one young sharemilker how to manage his heifers into the routine of milking. "He hadn't weaned the calves and the first time it took 3 hours to get them milked, they were so flighty," she said.
In the late 1880s Glenville belonged to a man named Yorke "I think he was a remittance man from England. He built a home which would have been quite something for the time, with chandeliers and marble fire surrounds. Unfortunately, by the time we bought it the house was in disrepair and it was dismantled," said Florence.
Doug and Florence ran the farm alongside their two other businesses, timber milling and property management, and in 1993 Doug handed over farm management to Val.
"I'd spent a lot of time on the farm but didn't really know much about farming. However, I've discovered the best way to learn is to ask questions and take advice from successful farmers," she said.
"Mum's knowledge is invaluable too. She always said you could make hay on the lower paddocks but not at the top end of the farm because it would always rain at harvest time. She's right - there's a boundary through the farm where the rain in Rae Rd always seems to stop in summer."
Val's talent for record-keeping, and her natural affinity with livestock have helped the farm increase production year on year with its herd of 135 cows producing 310kg of milk solids per cow this season.
Light cultivation and planting a crop such as turnips before sowing with a mix including three parts white and one of red clover has proved a successful method of pasture renewal.
"Our focus is very much on caring for the land and the animals. If you take care of them, they will take care of you in return."
Glenville stopped inducing cows many years ago. Bobby calves are sold to other farmers or grown on and farm workers have strict instructions about how to treat stock. "I will not tolerate anyone hitting our cows," Val says.
Farm staff Audra and Des Thomson have been there two seasons and their sensitivity to the animals and skill for farm management fits well with the Glenville philosophy.
"The heifers Audra and Des reared are so quiet Audra can walk up to them in the paddock and stroke them which is great to see."
The Uretara Stream which passes through Katikati township to the sea, and a tributary of the Rereatukahia Stream called Ngututura both flow through Glenville. "We have fenced off most of the streams. We don't drench our cows but put supplements in their water troughs so we don't want them drinking from the streams and we don't want them fouling them either."
The farm has one of the two Uretara Stream Bay of Plenty Regional Council water testing sites and figures for desirable aquatic life are among the highest in the district.
The old Norfolk pines, planted by early settlers, are a favourite haunt of kaka and existing stands of native bush plus new plantings of native and exotic trees and flaxes are providing habitat and food for other birds too.
Glenville is a finalist in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards, announced on February 22 at a function in Te Puke.