2009 Winners

2009 Silver Fern Farms Livestock Farms Award

Colin and Hilary Guild

Quartz Hill Station

By integrating livestock, machinery and labour, Colin and Hilary Guild have developed a well-managed pastoral farming operation which maximises the strengths and weaknesses of three properties.

The Guild’s own Quartz Hill, a 2800ha high country property at the head of the Selwyn River, as well as two Canterbury Plains blocks of 237ha and 120ha, 15km away near Windwhistle. Colin says that although the country is difficult to farm it has a lot of potential. A measure of what can be achieved is the diverse range of products coming off the land which include lamb, wool, beef, venison, velvet, and crops.

Quartz Hill was subdivided from the family-owned High Peak Station 22 years ago when Colin and his brother James decided to go their own ways. The Windwhistle properties were added in 2001. Quartz Hill is difficult country, rising to almost 1000m. It is cold in the winter and that is exacerbated by heavy clay soils. It is exposed to strong nor’west winds, and seasonal flooding.

The Guilds run a 4500 Perendale ewe flock and try to finish all their lambs. Some of the ewes are mated to a Suffolk terminal sire for lamb production, and the remainder to a Perendale ram to breed replacements. The true lambing percentage is 120 to 130 percent, which is very good for such difficult country, and the Guilds have a good reputation for their Perendales.

Ewe numbers have been much higher, but in recent years have reduced in response to low lamb prices, and in an attempt to get better performance from lower numbers. Angus cattle have replaced Herefords on Quartz Hill, which now runs about 450 Angus and Angus-cross breeding cows. Some are mated to Charolais bulls, which Colin says are "an excellent cross especially from a first-cross Angus-Hereford dam". Calves are wintered at Windwhistle and sold in the autumn at 18 months and close to 500kg liveweight. "We could never do that at Quartz Hill, it’s too summer dry, but down there with better summer rain, and with improved grasses and better fencing we can."

The deer operation produces both venison and velvet. The property produces about one tonne of velvet annually. Of 650 hinds, about half are mated to Wapiti stags as terminal sires with the aim of selling 60 to 70kg weaners. They are sold together with some of the straight red deer weaners at an annual sale held in conjunction with Colin’s brother James.

For the first time this year, wheat and barley have been grown because insufficient money was being made out of sheep. On Quartz Hill, red tussock has been used in riparian strips to control water run off, in association with a large number of stock water dams that have been created. As well, Colin has installed three gravity-fed reticulated water supplies.

A big area of gorse and broom has been ring fenced and that will be allowed to revert to native bush. Outside of that, woody weeds on the hill country are controlled vigorously. Because the area is windy, extensive shelter belts have been established. On Quartz Hill, 27km has been double fenced for shelter belts, with another 19km on the two down country properties.

Over grazing is avoided. "It’s summer dry here so we always try to leave a bit of top on our pastures," Colin says Colin and Hilary are both heavily involved in community activities, and they have a staff of four on the farm. "We’ve got very good staff and they are a vital part of the operation," he says.

Judges' Points:

• Very good integration of sheep, cattle and deer help preserve the unique environment.
• All stock are able to be fattened year round with the purchase of a down land property.
• Animal welfare is well catered for through very good shelter and plans are in place to minimize the effect of adverse weather.
• Stock health, quality and production were a feature of the property.

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© 2009 Environment Canterbury