Cath Goulter 
DRY, DRY, DRY! Marlborough has entered its drought season well and truly, but this is the norm for Marlborough, and we have had some lenient moist summers for the last couple of years. It is in a year like this that the use of drought tolerant grasses, legumes and herbs really pays dividend. Warwick has … Read more
Warwick estimated that the carrying capacity of this paddock has been increased by 200%. By renovating the areas that were able to be drilled by tractor (approximately 12ha, 55% of the total paddock area), the quantity of pasture on offer within this block has been greatly improved. The increase in pasture quality is also a … Read more
It’s been a slow spring at the Pyramid. Chris has said everything seems to be slow this year (both animals and pastures), and is a common comment for most farmers up here. The place was still looking green at my last visit (14th November), with most grass species only in the very early stages of … Read more
Glen Erin was being spelled from grazing at my last visit (19th November). The mob of cull ewes and their twin lambs that were being grazed here last time are being grazed elsewhere and were to return on the 20th November. The rotation length was 34 days for this round. You can see that in … Read more
Jeffries Front Flat is being grazed again with 350 ewes and their triplet lambs. This mob will be removed from Front flat once they had been weaned (end of November). The plans for this paddock is to have one more graze within the rotation, and then it is shut up for certified seed production. There … Read more
North Face was direct drilled on the 17th October in perfect sowing conditions. You can see in the photos below the slight dust coming off the back of the drill indicates that the soil tilth is perfect for maintaining seed to soil contact through the use of the chain harrows behind the drill. Maintaining good … Read more
I visited the Tempello site (Bottom Tomlinsons) again on the 24th October. David and Jo had just put some trading cattle on the block to graze. They were hoping to be able to shut this block up and allow it to set seed, and replenish the sub clover seedbank. This was the plan early on … Read more
Warwick and Lisa Lissaman’s farm (Breach Oak) is located just out of Seddon, Marlborough. Warwick has chosen two annual clover species: Gland and Balansa for us to focus on within our blogs. We will discuss the various management issues and techniques he uses to maximise production from his hill country using these two legumes, both … Read more
The Pyramid is owned by Chris and Julia Dawkin’s, who have kindly agreed to let us visit their property on a regular basis to report on their management of Arrowleaf clover mixed species dryland pastures. The Pyramid is a 415 ha dryland farm in the Waihopai Valley, Marlborough, and is situated at the confluence of … Read more
Fraser and Doug have got the cull ewes and their lambs grazing on Glen Erin at the moment, plus a handful of Friesian bulls. The paddock is currently split into two with an electrified break-fence. The Avery’s are developing their stock water system to increase trough numbers, so that they can subdivide paddocks by break … Read more