This Unit is operated by share farmer Brandon Schrader and his Team.
Below is the 60 ha beef finishing unit not far up the Waitotara Valley.
Situated on the coast near Waiinu Beach, this is a finishing unit consisting of 200 hectares of fertile finishing country and 1,755 hectares of flat to rolling coastal sands. The light soils mean grass growth is very variable over the summer. The soils are best suited to cattle pastures with a high proportion of trading stock to give flexibility with stock numbers. Stock and grazing records are captured by Agriwebb.
There is an ongoing development program of improving soils and pastures with fertiliser and subdivision. Small amounts of fertiliser are applied several times a year to maintain the fertility. These dryland pastures are managed by adaptive multi-paddock grazing with long rest periods and short grazing intervals. This is increasing the storage of carbon in the soil.
On this unit we winter 15,000 stock units predominately cattle. The farm participates in Meat Company quality assurance programs and is New Zealand Farm Assurance Plus certified.
Spread over this unit are pinus radiata plantations totaling 340 hectares.
The most common bird on this part of the farm is the skylark. Twice a year, the Egmont - Wanganui Hunt Club hunt for hares with horses and hound dogs over the farm and in the late autumn many pheasant shooters enjoy trying their luck on the coastal part of the farm.