The Rural Voice, 1992-11, Page 37course that average income can
change dramatically, dictated by
weather and markets, Sowden points
out. A drop of a few cents per
kilogram in wool
prices represents
hundreds of
thousands of dollars
for Glenaray and
with current prices
for the finest wool
down to $4.50 (NZ)
per kilogram from
near $6 a few years
ago, Sowden admits
his job becomes
even more
"challenging".
Lambing begins
by mid-September when the new
grass begins to grow, but winter can
still deliver a costly parting shot.
With the numbers of sheep involved,
there is no consideration of moving
animals indoors should black clouds
suddenly drop over the mountain
tops, drenching new-born lambs on
the hillsides with a cold, driving rain.
"You don't count the cost of each
lamb that dies. That is all part of it,"
said Sowden, repeating that all one
can do is let nature take its course.
Many New Zealand farmers
contend that assisting sheep at
lambing doesn't pay in the long run.
To farmers in Ontario the "easy -care
lambing" popular in Southland may
appear like don't -care lambing but
Sowden suggested the 1.28 lambs
weaned per ewe is as good as many
lowland farmers attain while trying to
give nature a helping hand.
The 2,300 Hereford beef cows on
Glenaray fare little better in attracting
individual attention. They are
banished to the high country to
survive all winter on tussock, the
high clumps of dryland grass that
colour the landscape a light brown.
Periodic checks may be taken to see
how cows are surviving but that is
more to satisfy your curiosity than
anything, admitted Sowden. "What
can you do up there anyway?" he
added shrugging his shoulders.
When cows are returned to the
lower pastures for calving, they soon
gain back condition. "They just
explode on this grass," said Sowden.
Yearling cattle are given access to
the lower fields or paddocks all
winter. The object is to maintain
them through the winter, not put on
any body weight, said Sowden,
pointing out an electrically fenced
portion of a field, referred to as a
break, containing a group of 900
young Herefords.
They will be
finished on grass at
two and a half years
of age.
Sowden explained
that the six stock
units (equivalent of
six ewes) per acre
the improved
pasture is capable
The station has its own helicopter
with pilot Graham Allan (right) and
station manager Ian Sowden.
of carrying for a
year could be
increased. But
current prices will
not justify spending money to do so.
In New Zealand, cost of production is
the key to surviving rather than
production itself. "Some farmers
here forgot that for a while," said
Sowden adding many of them are no
Developed pasture (foreground) rises
to the Garvie Mountains.
longer farming as a result.
Important decisions affecting
Glenaray, operated as a limited
corporation, are made by a board of
directors consisting of Pinckney
family members (two
brothers, a sister and
an uncle) and outside
appointed directors
chosen for their
expertise related to
agriculture. Sowden
observed that the
arrangement has
helped the Pinckneys
avoid confrontations
often spelling the end
of many large
family -operated
businesses with the outside influence
of the appointed directors adding a
steadying influence.
He is usually in daily contact with
the owners — vacationing in Fiji
when this interview took place —
who live on the station along with
about seven of the married couples
who work at Glenaray. There are
also accommodations for shearing
gangs (shearers and helpers) of over
40 and up to 14 single permanent
employees.
Sowden receives great satisfaction
in transforming the rather significant
decisions made by the Pinckneys into
tangible results with the co-operation
of those under his instructions. He
views the breaking up of the
sprawling paddocks of hundreds of
hectares into smaller units then
grazed in rotation as the biggest
advancement in agriculture here in
the last 20 years, allowing higher
stocking rates. Currently the station
is expanding its deer operation.
"Deer require even less attention
than sheep," said Sowden giving
reasons for the addition of deer
handling facilities. And they have
little trouble dealing with the mud
which often covers swedes in the
winter from a combination of rain
and heavy animal traffic.
A mature stag will produce a set of
antlers worth up to $1,000 annually
for the Korean and Chinese markets.
A few years ago when breeding hinds
were selling for $3,000 a piece,
Glenaray parted with every animal
possible. Now that they have
dropped to around $400, the herd is
being expanded. Sowden remarked
that it is important to be in harmony
with the markets as well as nature.
Nature certainly has blessed
Southland stockmen with perhaps the
best conditions in the world for
pasturing: grass that provides tucker
(fodder) almost
year round, ample
water, just an
occasional heavy
frost in winter at
lower altitudes
and no natural
predators. Gold in
the mountains
near Glenaray first
attracted
Europeans and
Chinese to the area
before shepherds
moved in. But current farmers
deeply regret that their predecessors
did not remain satisfied with the
surroundings.
Ian Sowden, station manager, looks
over yearling females (hoggets).
NOVEMBER 1992 33