Peter Eccles (left) and Stuart Robbie at Otapawa.
Nestled in the Foothills of the Puketoi Ranges is not your typical Stud farm location.
"Full credit to the generations before, it must have been a real challenge living out here. I still think it's the middle of nowhere today!" explains Maria Robbie. Otapawa Station is a 3500ha Sheep and Beef Breeding Property in Tiraumea and is home to the Otapawa Poll Hereford Stud.
Brothers Stuart and Douglas Robbie have been bought up on the Tiraumea Property and are still here farming the original family block within Otapawa Station today, and wives Maria and Dara are part of the everyday running of the property.
"Yes, we are the quiet workforce." laughs Maria. Dara is the office administrator and looks after the 30-bed Backpacker Lodge and Maria assists with the Stud Cattle, and farm work.
"We all work well together, everybody has their strengths and also a lot of respect for each other."
Parents Donald and Marlene are in semi-retirement from the farm and enjoy days spent between the farm and garden and remain a great source of knowledge and experience. It was they who founded the Hereford Stud in the 60s.
The 250-cow Stud is run commercially within the Station. Cows are rotated through the hill country from five days post calving until calving starts again in September.
"The only time the girls spend on the flats is behind a wire at calving time. Birth weights are recorded, and calves are tagged, and a DNA sample is collected. Then they are sent back up into the hills," Maria says. "That includes the old girls too. We still have cows 12 years-plus in the herd doing a superb job weaning top calves."
Otapawa Poll Hereford breeding programme is built on Keeping it Simple — the best returns for the least inputs. Important traits are productivity and longevity.
"At Otapawa we have a very focused approach to breeding principles, aiming to produce the best structurally sound easy doing cattle that thrive on the hill country while retaining maternal ability and fertility."
"We hear of farmers replacing bulls every year due to breakdowns. That's not right, not only is that a waste of money, but it is also creating issues within your female herd.
Longevity is paramount. It's your return on investment." Stuart says. "Visiting bull clients each year we see Otapawa Bulls up to 11 years old still sound and still working. We guarantee our bulls to do the job and do the job well. It has been pleasing to see our clients continually topping the weaner fairs with Hereford and Hereford Angus Cross progeny. That is a benchmark for our breeding programme." The adage that muscle weighs more than fat is very true at Otapawa.
"Carcass quality is very important. It is proven that the Hereford is the most efficient converter of grass. We are always refining and testing that in our breeding programme."
New genetics are carefully considered before filtering into the Otapawa stud. Stuart is always researching bloodlines and progeny of any new prospect sire.
"There is a lot of 'in the moment' trends in cattle breeding around the world and our objectives are to find what will work for us in New Zealand."
Otapawa is gaining a lot of International attention. With Brexit and the possibility of removing heavy subsidies to farmers, it is creating a push towards a search for a better, more efficient animal.
"Our emphasis on commercially run, purely grass-fed systems with our Herefords provide an objective for UK breeders. We have flushed embryos from nine females for export to Denmark and UK and Ireland."
Peter and Eilidh Eccles from Rockness Herefords in Scotland recently visited New Zealand with the purpose of finding genetics to add value to their cattle in the UK.
"Identifying and selecting the genetics which thrive in the environment you are farming in makes way more sense to me than trying to manipulate the system and/or the environment to suit the stock," Peter says.
"As the UK enters a new era with reduced government support it was with great excitement and a little trepidation travelling out to meet Kiwi farmers who have over the last 35 years worked to overcome many of the challenges we may now face in the UK.
"Cattle in New Zealand which range far and wide on open exposed and often steep hill country have been subject to pressures from their now natural environment for generations. Where sound feet and legs are essential to survive, so are the moderate structures and robust constitutions, to handle the extreme fluctuations in weather and feed availability. Their ability to utilise rougher grazing and convert it efficiently to milk and flesh with little or no fuss or reliance on expensive concentrate feeding is a core feature."
"I am grateful to be expecting embryo transfer calves at Rockness having purchased embryo's from Otapawa Herefords. I am confident the Hereford genetics I witnessed in action in New Zealand will have a huge impact on my herd and throughout the UK."
Breeding quality functional performance driven Herefords is the purpose at Otapawa. Visiting clients and keeping informed with the needs of their breeding operations is paramount.
"Watching a herd improve by introducing Otapawa Sires into the breeding programme is a reward and affirmation that we are going in the right direction. Minimal input but getting the maximum returns on the ground," says Stuart.
The Robbie family looks forward to catching up with clients and friends at their on-farm bull sale, June 4. They say it's a great day to talk bulls and enjoy some refreshments. Auction starts noon. They are also open every day for anybody wishing to talk to them about their requirements.
Matariki hākari is the time to celebrate the kai that comes from the land of Kiwi farms.