Winning mix in a harsh environment

Mark and Nicky Morrow, Supreme winners in this year’s Canterbury region Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

12-05-2008 | Sandra Taylor

Having an affinity with their land and stock is enabling Nicky and Mark Morrow to operate a profitable farm business within the confines of an often harsh environment.

The couple's farm productivity, underpinned by a high level of animal welfare and a desire to minimise environmental impacts all contributed to them winning the Supreme Award in this year's Canterbury Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

The judges noted the couple's cost-effective farm management, strong financial planning for diversification and off-farm investment and their contribution to their local community.

Nicky and Mark farm sheep, beef and deer on 1030ha of dryland country near Mayfield in Mid Canterbury - an area known for its harsh winters, often dry summers and the size of its boulders.

Despite the climatic challenges, they have a reputation of strong stock performance from their 5000 ewes, 1220 hoggets, 180 breeding cows, 60 R1 heifers, 122 carryover cows, 1000 weaner deer, 220 R2 deer, 290 R1 bulls and 660 R2
bulls.

Without the security of irrigation, flexibility is key in their farm operation and for this reason they run a high proportion of trading stock of which the weaner deer and R2 bulls are an example.

"We are dryland farmers so that flexibility to be able to have animals ready to send off and kill is very important," says Mark.

Experience has taught Nicky and Mark to plan for drought in summer and snow in winter and for these reasons they have aimed to have two years worth of supplementary feed on hand.

In a particularly big snowfall several years ago they used one year's worth of supplementary feed in just three weeks, hence the need to plan for such events.

Nicky and Mark make all their own supplements, mainly in the form of fine chop silage.

The farm's breeding programme is structured to best match the pasture growth curve, so stock can be finished as early as possible before pasture growth slows down in summer.

Another advantage of having a balanced sheep:cattle:deer ratio is in grazing management.

This was highlighted during the couple's tenure as Meat and Wool New Zealand Monitor Farm owners where driving pasture quality enabled them to increase efficiency and produce more kilograms of product off fewer sheep.

Integrating sheep, cattle and deer also has benefits with internal parasite control.

From a managerial point of view, the couple found the Monitor Farm Programme to have been a positive experience.

Mark says they took on the role to avoid losing direction at a stage in their farming career when they were fine-tuning an already well performing business.

The farm as it stands today is the bringing together of two neighbouring properties, Nicky's family farm Thornycroft and Mark's family farm Monalto.

Since starting out farming together Nicky and Mark have grown their business threefold and while the business is in a strong position now, getting it to this stage has required a lot of hard work and sacrifice, particularly when their three children Ben, Miranda and Sophie were young.

Mark says they went without holidays and just stayed home and worked.

"Part of our stability is the effort and sacrifices we made when we were younger."

In their business Nicky and Mark are continually challenging themselves and have a strong ability to scrutinise and questions their decisions.

"We have a habit of tackling some pretty hard to do ventures so we have to permanently ask ourselves if we are doing the right thing," says Mark.

Farm succession has always been important to them and the couple's son Ben, who will be the fifth generation to work on the farm, has shown an interest in farming.

Recently back from working overseas he is now one of three employees in the business.

What impressed the Ballance award judges is how each staff member is responsible for different areas of the farm and all stock management within that area.

Staff meetings are held regularly and Nicky has compiled a farm manual outlining the farm policies and management strategies.

In receiving the award the
couple acknowledged the generations that have gone before them, all of whom have made their mark on the farm.

In particular Nicky's mother Gwylfa Gerard, who was very enthusiastic about planting trees and her legacy remains is in the large number of trees on the farm that provide both shelter and aesthetic value. Mark and Nicky have continued this tree planting tradition.

Looking to the future, the couple have been frustrated by poor returns from sheep limiting growth in that side of their business.

The return on a $30 ewe held on the farm for six months is not bad, but the return on a ewe farmed for 12 months is terrible, says Mark.

"Costs have beaten us and we have to move on.

"Taking cash out of the system for any period of time has a lot of obvious worrying outcomes with perhaps the biggest one being
that it seriously affects farm succession."

In response to poor sheep returns, and to make use of Ben's experience and interest in cropping, Nicky and Mark have reduced ewe numbers and will be growing 100ha of cereals this year.

Off-farm the couple is active in their local community and in farming related organisations.

This year Nicky is the president of the local A&P show and Mark is a past-president.

Not only do these off-farm responsibilities enable the couple to give something back to the community, but they also provide the opportunity to network for their business.

"If you isolate yourself you miss out on a lot."

As well as winning the Supreme Award for Canterbury, the Morrows also won the PPCS Livestock Award.

In winning this award the judges commented on the integration of cattle and sheep in grazing management and the breeding programmes that allowed stock to be finished earlier.

They also liked the way the farm was laid out to assist stock movement and management and the farm manual, which outlined animal health plans, farming principles and planning for adverse events.

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