North Waikato organic beef farmers dedicated to working in harmony with the land

Hamish Browne and Robyn Budd have an organic, mainly shorthorn beef herd. Photo / Catherine Fry

North Waikato organic beef farmers, Hamish Browne and Robyn Budd, are now in their eighth year of farm ownership and bring very different skills to their new roles as farmers.

Brought up on a dairy farm, Browne took a farming course but couldn’t see a path to farm ownership and changed to a mechanical diesel apprenticeship.

He made a successful career from that and also worked as a contractor, never giving up on his farming dream.

He still runs his mechanical engineering business with his son, Luke.

Budd’s grandparents were farmers and she had always longed to farm.

She ended up having a long and successful career in advertising, living the city life and jet-setting all over the world for her work.

The pasture

Hamish Browne and Robyn Budd have cultivated a diverse pasture mix at Black Pond Farm. Photo / Catherine Fry

Every last acre of Black Pond Farm is important, and the couple are passionate about understanding its ecosystem and how they can provide support for nature to cohabit alongside their farming activities.

“We started the organic conversion process straight away and after the standard three years for land, and several more for animals, we are now fully certified with BioGro,” Budd said.

Organic farming practices and a diverse pasture mix of 15 to 20 species enrich the grass, and the cattle are moved to new pastures daily.

Each pasture plant shoots its roots to a different depth, providing a variety of tolerances to different temperature and moisture levels, aiming for year-round grass growth and availability.

“We aim for the cows to eat a third, trample a third and leave a third, so the pasture has good residual to regenerate during the 45-60 days we allow between grazings,” Browne said.

Browne and Budd introduced dung beetles to the farm in 2023 and believe the concept of how they work complements the couple’s ideals.

“They clean up the dung and bury it deeply back into the soil,” Browne said.

“It’s a great way to replenish carbon levels in the soil.”

The beetles have been released in the centre of the farm and are expected to spread in all directions, slowly but surely working their magic all over the farm.

The bush and waterways

Black Pond Farm owners, Hamish Browne and Robyn Budd, with their dogs. Photo / Catherine Fry

Black Pond Farm is one of the farms at the head of the Mangatangi-Maramarua Catchment and Budd is the catchment coordinator.

“We are very aware that how we manage our waterways has an impact on waterways downstream from us,” she said.

The main bush area includes a diverse mixture of mature native trees.

Robust and successful pest control of possums and rats, and continuous manual removal of noxious weeds allows the bush to become home to an abundance of native birds, lizards and the endangered long-tail bat.

Around 24 hectares of waterways have been fenced off with the majority placed under QEII covenants.

There have been 25,000 trees planted throughout the gullies, acting as a filtering system to help improve the water quality of their portion of the Ruaotehuia Stream.

Robyn Budd and Hamish Browne's farm has a native bush backdrop. Photo / Catherine Fry

Hamish and Robyn have been working with freshwater ecologist Merrin Whatley to measure the biodiversity of their farm’s waterways.

Recent eDNA testing and sample nets have revealed the presence of kōura (freshwater crayfish) and healthy populations of both short-fin and long-fin tuna (freshwater eels).

“It’s so rewarding to see the health of the bush and waterways improving, and the presence of these species is the ultimate proof of everything starting to work,” Budd said.

The beef

Hamish Browne and Robyn Budd have an organic, mainly shorthorn beef herd. Photo / Catherine Fry

“We run 150 mainly shorthorn cattle. They are a calm-natured, heritage beef breed that grows well but are smaller than some breeds which suit our soils,” Budd said.

The farm has a closed system with its own bulls and all calves are kept on their mothers until they naturally wean at around nine to 10 months old.

“We have one herd where the cows lead a stress-free life eating good nutritious pasture and natural community dynamics thrive with friendships and family ties maintained,” Browne said.

Robyn Budd and Hamish Browne work together on their farm. Photo / Catherine Fry

The cattle are managed organically, promoting health from the inside out, with a natural immune system boosted by a nutritious, balanced pasture-based diet.

“This is supplemented with freely available minerals and homeopathic products that each animal can individually take what they need. We don’t use steroids, antibiotics or hormones,” Budd said.

Every so often new bulls are introduced to the farm to diversify the genetics.

Beasts are regularly selected for killing and sent to Ngatea Prime Meats for processing.

Products such as sausages and salami are made with gluten-free, nitrate-free and preservative-free seasonings, in keeping with the meat’s organic status.

Frozen meat cuts and products are sent to select retailers and restaurants around the country that seek organic, sustainably grown, and ethically sourced beef.

Budd and Browne have chosen to bring their product to market themselves and organise the distribution.

They want to ensure that the meat reaches the organic market demand.