Central Districts' "farmer of the year" Andy and Barbara Russell, say that with the dollar up, prices down and the climate heading east, 2003 is proving a difficult year on the land.
Running a diverse operation alongside the Rangitikei River, the couple are coping with an unexpected drought which forced them
to significantly cut back on stock.
"This drought has cost us, because we haven't had any growth," Mr Russell said.
Usually in April, the region would receive rain and have a period of spectacular autumn growth but Mr Russell said he was worried that now it was not going to rain until temperatures were too low for significant grass growth.
Running trading stock on their 500 hectares, half of which is a leased farm on near Bulls, and the rest in two blocks on the opposite side of the river, towards Tangimoana, the Russells would usually have on around 3500 lambs at this time of year and be wintering 1700 deer.
Instead they currently have 345 lambs and 260 deer, though cattle numbers are up from 90 to 150.
Leased from his uncle, Ratahi, the Bulls farm, has been a saviour.
"There's a cost in having three separate blocks of land but this year Ratahi has had a little more rain, plus it's Rangitikei silt and more low-lying," he said. "The grass has kept growing and saved our bacon as we've been able to shift lambs and cattle over there". The two other blocks on Tangimoana Rd had basically been stripped of their stock.
Mr Russell was raised on one of those blocks, known as Clydesdale, and completed a bachelor of commerce (agriculture) degree before working on an angus stud, as well as dairy and mixed cropping operations.
The couple, who have three children, run a partnership in which Mrs Russell, the "conscience", leaves the hands-on work to her husband, but is heavily involved in the planning and direction side of the business, also taking care of the time-consuming farm accounts.
A professional with an honours degree in biochemistry and experience as a financial planner and journalist, Mrs Russell's income provided the means of purchasing their first farm in 1993.
The acquiring and sharing of quality information and knowledge is a constant theme, leading the Russells in 1987 to take on their farm advisor Will Wilson, and to also become involved in a farm discussion group.
They took a gamble in 1996 by setting up a deer unit after having previously moved out of breeding ewes and almost entirely into finishing bulls. The move allowed deer to be fattened from April to October, when they were destined for the German market, and left the spring and summer growth for cattle, as "deer can't cope with the spring flush of grass."
"We went from strength to strength. I had no experience of deer, but Willie (Wilson) had a plan and it was our job to implement it. And we did."
While the deer market has under-performed over the past year -- he predicts the schedule is close to bottoming out -- he has discovered a passion for working with deer, enjoying the challenge of the flighty animals and saying it is necessary to be patient and to "out-think them."
Mr Russell said tight margins when running trading stock emphasised the importance of having high quality feed. To ensure this, he has contractors re-grassing the farm in stages.
Last autumn 220ha was re-sown, much of it in biennials. Around 60ha of this was due to drought damage, some replaced cash crops, and the bulk was straight grass to grass.
"It's all about the quality of the feed. With some nice warm rain this country will explode.
- WANGANUI CHRONICLE
Central Districts' "farmer of the year" Andy and Barbara Russell, say that with the dollar up, prices down and the climate heading east, 2003 is proving a difficult year on the land.
Running a diverse operation alongside the Rangitikei River, the couple are coping with an unexpected drought which forced them
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