('COUNTRY CALENDAR' THEME) - (WHISTLES) - Always a favourite on every rural road... (DOG BARKS) - They're transforming the way they farm - The birds have done their job. - This is a big step forward for this piece of bush. - In the last couple of years, we've had no bobby calves. - Come on, guys, on the bus. - It's been a fast transition from a bobby-calf system to a 'raise everything you possibly can' system. (COW MOOS) Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2024 (BIRDS CHIRP) (GENTLE PIANO MUSIC) - It's early summer and weaning time on Waytemore Farm in the Paparimu Valley near the Hunua Ranges in South Auckland. (DOGS BARK) After months of wet weather, there's still plenty of grass around, as farm manager Todd Linkhorn brings in the last of the season's ewes and lambs. - Our lambs are probably about 120 days old now, so it's a good time to wean. I like to wait a couple of weeks just to let the lambs settle after shearing before we wean. (DOG BARKS, TODD WHISTLES) We like to handle stock quietly and confidently; we don't do anything too rash. We like to keep things simple, which means you've got calm, settled animals. There's no stress on them. By the time they get to this time of the year, they've been in and out, like, four times since docking, so they just move so well. They know where they are going. - This is not your typical farm manager job. Todd oversees 15,000ha of farmland, including two dairy farms and the sheep and beef farm at Paparimu. - I was managing an operation for Tainui in the Waikato. We, as a family, were looking to move back into this region. I thought it might've been a little bit big for what I was capable of doing because it involved looking after the dairy farm side of things as well. I milked cows a long time ago, but I'm definitely not a dairy farm expert. But in the last few years, I've certainly learned a lot. It's been a challenge, but I've enjoyed it. (CALLS SHEEP) - Todd runs the farms for owners Rick and Shirley-Ann Mannering. They're no longer hands-on around the farms these days, but they enjoy rural life and keep a close eye on how their farming operation is run. - RICK: We like to say, 'No one works for us; they all work with us.' We are there to be a sounding board and add some advice if we can, but we like people to take responsibility for their positions. Hi, Todd, Josh, how are we going. - BOTH: Hi. - First drench? - Yeah, this is their first drench. They're good weights, actually. These guys are averaging 34 kilos now. I'm lucky that Rick and Shirley-Ann let me take the reins. There's a lot of autonomy, and I enjoy that because, yeah, I like to make decisions and to manage projects. It's something I'm passionate about. We make decisions together, of course, but I'm left to just get on with the job. - Shirley-Ann inherited the sheep and beef block and a dairy farm from her father. Together, she and Rick also look after a number of QEII-covenanted bush blocks and wetland areas. - You can be anywhere on the farm and feel you are really in the middle of nowhere. - Out the farms most days, they describe their role as 'management by wandering'. - The trips normally start with a discussion about who is going to drive, because obviously, the person who is driving doesn't have to open gates. So once we got that out of the way, we set off around the farm. - Usually, it starts off around breakfast with a bit of a chat about what we wanna do. - There is always a list of things we have to go and do, but one of the things we really enjoy is just coming to look at the stock and seeing how well they look and enjoying the fact that they've been raised on the farm from our own cows. These are looking great, aren't they? - Yeah, look at the shine on them. - The guys have done a really good job I think each year we are getting better R2s. We're not expert rearers of stock. I think if you look at these heifers and see the shine on their coat and how happy and quiet they are, you can see that someone is doing something right, and its not us. It's the people who are running the farm that are doing it, and that's, I suppose, what we are keen on looking at and seeing, is that ethic that we have is being carried through. (ENGINE STARTS) (TRANQUIL PIANO MUSIC) - With three farms and a huge environmental footprint, there's a lot to keep on top of. - Good morning, Vicki. How are you? - After years of owning and managing companies, Rick and Shirley-Ann have introduced a business approach to the way staff and management are updated on the farming operation. - It just helps everybody understand everybody else's role on the farm and what's involved in that as well. No silos. We don't want silo'd thinking. - Could be useful, those five that we bought. - Once everybody knows what involved with everybody else's role, then if there is something going on, if there is an issue with something, you get a whole team approach to solving that problem, because they understand what's involved with different aspects of the farming. - In total, the amount of calves reared, I think we're around the 515... - It's quite a rewarding thing when everyone gets behind an issue. - And while farm business is on the agenda today, protecting the bush is also a major focus. (BIRDS CHIRP) (GENTLE MUSIC) (COW MOOS) - Kauri Hiwi is one of two dairy farms owned by the Mannerings at Paparimu in South Auckland. - (CALLS COWS) - They've owned the property for 30 years, converting the sheep and beef country into a dairy farm and eventually buying the milking herd off their retiring sharemilkers. These days, Warren Burke and his family are employed as contract milkers. They milk the farm's 400 cows twice a day and treat the farm like it's their own. - We certainly encourage people to feel that they're part of a team and that they have an important part to play in the decision-making process. The thing about farming is it's an ever-changing environment, so you need people who are adaptable. You can start off in the morning doing one job and end up at the end of the day doing a completely different job. (RELAXED ACOUSTIC MUSIC) - When we come out and ride around, quite often it ends up talking about things that need to be done. (RELAXED ACOUSTIC MUSIC CONTINUES) - Those Californian thistles just keep popping their heads up. We quite often have board meetings on horseback... - Yeah. - ...while we're riding around. - Yeah. - And my list gets longer and so does Shirley-Ann's. - Morning, girls. How're you going? You know, we live in a pretty special place here. It's quite nice when you're riding a horse ` you don't want to rush around, and it just creates a sort of different pace, and I always find when I am sitting on a horse, I don't really think about all the other problems that we might be coming across. It just sort of takes you away a little bit to a slightly different place. - The farm borders the Hunua Ranges, 400km2 of mountainous regional park that forms the border between Auckland and Waikato. - We are within what's called the Hunua halo, which is a protective area for pest control and activities, to protect the Hunua Forest. We've got this 64ha covenant just here, and that includes these fingers that come down into the paddocks, which are really good connectors and corridors for the wildlife coming through over to neighbouring bush. There are birds like the kaka that are in the ranges, hopefully be able to hop across and end up on our properties, where we are doing the pest and predator control. Here's Todd. - Hey, Todd. - Gidday, how're ya going? - Good, and you? - Good, good. - Good day for a ride. - A bit of wind today, isn't there? - Yeah, got under their tails a little bit out the back. - Farm manager Todd Linkhorn also has a Batchelor of Parks and Recreation Management. It's the perfect mix for managing a property intertwined with protected native forest. - Todd came on board when we were planning the change for how we farmed. He was really the guy that was able to push through us that change. - Shirley-Ann and Rick have been recognised for the way they've transformed their entire farming operation. - This is one of the best pieces of bush on Waytemore. All the bush here did have stock going through it. - With large protected bush blocks, they're safeguarding everything, from endangered stands of mature kahikatea to regenerating bush and bird life. - When I was a kid, I was always in the bush with my dogs, walking up streams and just seeing where tracks and things led. - This looks like it might be a good one for you, Shirley-Ann. - Lucky I've got my gloves then. - I'll stand back while you take it out. - I'm sure you could squeeze in. - Give me the bait. - Are you upwind or downwind? - I'm in the wind. - This has been fenced off for probably about 10 years, but it really was when we started the predator control, about four and a half years ago, that we really started to get the movement in natural regeneration. The seedlings have come up really well the birds have done their job, haven't they? - Yeah, it looks like we've come in and planted it, but we haven't, and you get young rimu and all sorts of things coming through. - Yeah. - Well, we have to keep on top of these possums, cos you can see where they are starting to chew into them. Shirley-Ann is infectious in a good way with her passion for the bush. You just stand here, and you look around you, and you see the difference you make, you know. You feel good about it. It's easy to be passionate about it; it's not a struggle. (SOFT PIANO MUSIC) - Hi, guys. - Hiya. - All right? - How are we going? - Good. - Are you finding those little ones from the most recent planting? - Uh, they're the hard ones to find. - They've had such a good growing season. This long grass pool over particularly smother the smaller more recently planted little ones. This guy's pretty good. Just give him a bit more breathing space - Wetlands across the three farms are now protected by 35km of new fencing. Many wetlands like this newly created one can take five or six years to establish. - We have a gully that we fenced off a while ago that has the nationally significant swamp mairie, mairie tawake, and it could be sensitive to myrtle rust. We want to sort of help make it as resilient and robust as possible by getting a bit of a buffer around it and the connectivity between that block and this block here, which is also fenced off. Both of these are covenanted blocks because they're forest remnants. - Maintaining the wetlands is an ongoing task that still has to be accounted for in the farming budget. The Mannerings use farm workers to help in the bush blocks. Todd Linkhorn is in the weeding crew today, along with gardener Penny Gross. - We're just pushing all this grass back, and it's quite exciting finding them, (CHUCKLES SOFTLY) see how much they've grown. - Unfortunately, when you fence off an area to plant natives, all of the weeds keep taking over as well. It's OK to get people to fence off their riparian areas and their strips, but there is a lot of cost associated afterwards, and farmers are pretty busy. They're seven days a week, working long hours. They don't have a slot in there to go out and pull grass away from trees. So it's a challenge. - And when the weeding's complete, there's forward planning to be done for the farm's livestock operations. - AUCTIONEER: Anyone wanna start him away? It could be 15,00; 12,000. Who's got 10,000? - AUCTIONEER: Anyone wanna start him away? It could be 15,00; 12,000. Who's got 10,000? (GENTLE MUSIC) - Each year, Waytemore Farms in the Paparimu Valley raises its own Friesian replacement stock for future milking herds. Many of these younger cows joined the milking herd as first-timers after calving in spring. - Hey, Warren. How're you going? - Not too bad. yourself? - Yeah, pretty good. - With a mix of male and female calves, not all their offspring can join the milking herds. These calves are taken off the dairy farms and raised on the sheep and beef country. - On the bus. We have a policy now of no bobby calves. Whereas in the past, bobby calves would've been sent off to the two dairy farms and not reared on farm. These calves are 4 days old. We usually pick up twice a week ` Tuesday and Fridays. So that gives them a good opportunity on farm to make the most of make the most of the good cow's milk. Cool, excellent. Another pickup done. (ENGINE STARTS) We'll take them back to the polytunnels, and they start their life on the dry stock side of the operation. (COWS MOO) This is our main calving facility here at Waytemore. The idea of the polytunnels is it gives them heaps of natural sunlight. It keeps them warm. Come on. There we go. Heifer. 40 kilos. They're a good weight, aren't they? Off to a good start ` 40 kilos. As far as the calf is concerned, it's are all part of the system now until the day they leave the farm, which could be a couple of years away. Let's go, little fella. Atta boy. - The Mannerings feel raising dairy beef cows, instead of getting rid of bobby calves, is more humane. And since they changed their approach, it's more than paid its way. - We had 489 calves that we could have grown on that went as either as bobbys or to the works. The following year, that number had dropped to 110. And then two years after that, we were down to single digits. And the last couple of years, we have had had no bobby calves at all. - So there's one that probably traditionally wouldn't have got raised, but we'll see that grow through. (ENGINE SPLUTTERS) - We thought it was a bit of a waste on the dairy farms when we went through successful mating and calving to then have a 40-hour calf that went off the farm. - It's been a relatively fast transition from a bobby-calf system to a 'completely raise everything you possibly can' system. - Yeah. - And that's pleasing we've managed to do it so fast and sort of testament to the guys on the farm. - The Mannerings went looking for ways to enhance their dairy herd and found answers just south of the Bombay Hills at Glen Murray. - Just on our way to the annual Mahuta yearling bull Hereford sale. We are just going to select our yearling Hereford bulls to go over our R2 dairy heifers. It's awesome day out. There's always a good crowd there. There's a lot of bidders. John's got some great bulls ` they're in top 5% in Australasia, So it draws a big crowd, so it will be a big day. (COWS MOO) - Shirley-Ann has a keen eye for stock. - You can just see with us walking around them how relaxed they are, and that's really important to us on farm, especially with them going through the dairy farms. Some of them just wander through the shed as well when the cows come in, and others stay in the paddock. - It's now common for dairy farmers to mate their milking herds with young Hereford bulls. They impregnate cows who don't conceive through regular artificial insemination, and the calves are then reared as dairy beef cattle. Choosing the right sire takes some skill. - Awesome low birth weight and still a 600-day weight of plus-58. So actually, on paper, he is a very good bull. - Yeah. - On behalf of John and Mary and the whole family at Mahuta, we'd like to extend to you a very, very warm welcome to this, their annual yearling bull sale. Anyone want to start him away? Could be 15,000; 12,000. Who's got 10,000? - There's strong competition at today's sale. While Rick and Shirley-Ann are writing the cheques, they're happy to sit back and let Todd seal the deal. - Look at that big, big calving. He carries one of John's A's there. He has as it in spades, a lot to like about that bull. You'll be the judges. I bid 2. 3200 going in two. 3200 going in three, two. Chris, you've under-valued that bull. 3-2, 3200. 3. I like that. 3-7. 3700, hammer's up. All done. (BANGS HAMMER) 3-7, there it goes, ladies and gentlemen. That is a quality sire. Thank you there, Ricky and Shirley, again, long-, long-time supporters here. - That was a good result. We got the bulls we were after. - Definitely, yeah, yeah. Good bull. Top bull in the catalogue is with us. - We've done well, I think, today. (GENTLE ACOUSTIC MUSIC) I think we just did what most farmers do, is look at what you have and you maximise the opportunities. We've tried to add value with what we've got on the way through, and it is important that it's economic, because you can't farm if you're going broke. That just doesn't make sense. - Come on, boys. Hup, let's go. - We get a lot of pleasure out of seeing a number of the ones that definitely would have been on the bobby calf truck. - Good lads. Well-behaved boys. - You see them when they're rising 2-year-olds or rising 3-year-olds, and they have caught up, and they're good animals. - Come on, guys, push up. Come on, guys. Hup! - We do it because we think it is the right thing to do. I think what will happen is it will become more of the norm, and more people will do this sort of thing, and more areas or more wetlands and more bush will be fenced off, and it'll become the norm as time goes on. (GENTLE ACOUSTIC MUSIC FADES) (HORSE WHINNIES) - Next time ` two former vets return to the land... - My favourite place in the world. - Yes, we came back to farming, and I saw less of you, really, but, you know... - (CHUCKLES) ...and now they're selling their lambs' wool direct. - Beautiful New Zealand throws from wool from our farm. We really wanna take it overseas and show the rest of the world what New Zealand wool has to offer. - That's next time on Hyundai Country Calendar.