Inside New Zealand

16/06/2026

The Farm Walk
Time out walking the farm is a important part of my work with clients. Pasture covers are measured and I'm noting any changes between what I saw last month and what I had planned for this month. It's also a time to look at the composition of the pasture and assess any pest or disease pressure and damage. One of my favorite pasture plants is clover, lately its been looking a bit ragged. The damage I was seeing wasn't really typical of any one thing - the pasture was patchy and hard to graze effectively and the clover leaves looked like they had been under attack, but it was hard to decipher just what making a meal of it..

16/06/2026

Does anyone want to let us know what these wee guys are and why I’m worried about finding them ? 🤔

16/06/2026

Does anyone want to let us know what these wee guys are and why I’m a bit worried about finding them ?

12/06/2026

Sue McCoard from AgResearch came out to spend the day at Rewa Rewa today. Sue reviewed my Aug-Oct farm plans and shared findings from her research on improving survivability and lamb growth rates, through good nutrition.
We compared planned covers and intakes against her data to see where I can apply the science to my systems. It’s given me plenty to think about for the critical 4 weeks pre- and post-lambing.
I’m always looking for ways to lift production, performance and profit — especially if it comes through better management with the same or fewer inputs.
As a small consulting operation, getting one on one time with scientists to challenge my thinking is gold. Huge thanks to Sue for sharing her time and knowledge today. 🤩
Here is a link to some of Sue’s work:
https://www.agresearch.co.nz/news/keys-to-lamb-rearing-success/

10/06/2026

Fabulous initiative from the team at RST and Farmlands. Make sure to share with your family, farm team and neighbours.
It’s not always easy to down tools and get the support you need, when you need it, support like this makes it that little bit easier 💖

We’re thrilled to announce a new way for people who live and work rurally to access wellbeing support.

Rural Support Trust, Farmlands Co-operative and Ignite wellbeing have teamed up to provide free, confidential wellbeing support for rural communities, designed to fit around the realities of rural life.

✅ No referral
✅ No waitlist
✅ No cost

Sometimes a good yarn with the right person makes all the difference. Whether you’re facing challenges, feeling under pressure, or simply need someone to talk to, support is available - on your terms.

Learn more at:

https://ruralsupport.ignite.org.nz

Please share with your rural networks to help spread the word 💚

09/06/2026

Beware the winter clean up.
With new tools and techniques allowing you to better utilise stock for cleaning up pastures, it's worth remembering a few fundamentals to avoid loosing productivity through your cattle at this time of year.
1. Ideally your cows will be in good condition (BCS 5/6) heading into winter — and your job through the next 12 weeks is to maintain that and meet their energy requirements as pregnancy progresses.
2. A 500kg beef cow on hard hill country needs 75 MJME/day just for maintenance. Right now, at 12 weeks out from calving, she needs another 9 MJME/day on top of that for pregnancy — 84 MJME/day total.
3. Any condition lost through this window is hard to recover before calving — calf birth weights are lighter, weaning weights are lower, and you risk your in calf rate the following season. These are your key profitability drivers.
4. Cows need pasture covers over 5cm (1,500kg DM/ha) just to get enough of a mouthful. Managing your post-grazing residuals and feed quality is key to hitting that level of nutrition through winter.

And if you're running young cattle — growth rate efficiency matters too. At 0.5kg/day, approximately 70% of feed intake goes to maintenance and only 30% to growth. At 1.5kg/day, that shifts to roughly 50/50.

Teagasc (Ireland) trials make the residual case plainly: yearling beef steers grazed to a 3.5cm residual were 30kg lighter at slaughter than those grazed to 5cm.

Summary:
➡If you push your cattle too hard through winter, you lose on three fronts: production, feed conversion efficiency, and pasture recovery.
➡Clean up — yes. But know what residuals you should be leaving, measure them post-grazing, and don't push it too hard.

🌿 The theory is easy. The hill country is not.
Source: Nicol and Brookes (2007) — Tables 1.1 and 1.2

04/06/2026

This would be an amazing role and opportunity for someone who wants to make a real impact and be a valued part of a wider team.
Rewa Rewa is in a growth phase, looking for fresh ideas and a commitment to improving production and profitability. There is an infrastructure development plan in place and owner commitment to support that.
It has been a traditional hill country breeding property and is working towards finishing more stock giving a nice balance to the work.
The property has won an array of awards and has a genuine commitment to provenance and excellence. Give Patrizia a call to find out more…⬇️

Farm Manager
REWA REWA STATION

JOB DESCRIPTION
Rewa Rewa Station is a 1,000ha hill country breeding property (650ha effective) in an active growth and development phase. Alongside the traditional sheep and beef operation, the farm runs an on-farm wool mill producing yarn and fabric from a purpose-bred coloured flock, and welcomes visitors year-round through farm stays, craft days, and guided tours.

We’re looking for an experienced Farm Manager to take full operational leadership of the sheep and beef side of the business as it continues to develop and modernise.

The Operation

650ha effective of mostly steep Wairarapa hill country, running:

• 2,400 Romney breeding ewes plus replacements

• 110 Angus breeding cows plus replacements

• 350 coloured sheep — Corriedale, Polwarth, and Gotland breeds, farmed specifically for fibre

• A small number of alpacas and cashmere goats

Farm records and day-to-day management are run through FarmIQ. Business planning and setting performance targets is carried out in conjunction with the farm consultant using Farm Focus and Farmax.

The Opportunity

This is a genuine leadership role for a proven and capable manager, ready to take ownership of a well-resourced property in an exciting phase of growth and development.

You will work directly with the farm owner and farm consultant, driving production performance and contributing to the farm’s longer-term development. Your contribution, results, initiative, and judgement will be valued.

About You

You are an experienced hill country operator who takes real pride in the stock, farm performance and property presentation.

You bring:

• A calm, consistent nature and a reliable approach to farm routine

• Strong communication skills — with owners, consultants, contractors, and visitors

• Confidence working across a variety of animals including the coloured sheep flock

• A willingness to work in with the mill and tourism team when needed

• A respectful, inclusive approach to working alongside others — how you work with people matters as much as what you know

• 3–4 well-trained working dogs under good control

• Competence operating quad bikes, side-by-sides, and tractors on steep hill country terrain

• An absolute commitment to health and safety

Responsibilities

Working in conjunction with the farm owner and farm consultant, you will take ownership of:

• Stock performance — condition scoring, weighing, animal health, and KPI’s

• Feed planning, pasture allocation, and seasonal decision-making

• All main stock events: shearing, drenching, dagging, docking, weaning, trucking, vaccinating, scanning, and TB testing

• Stock preparation and marketing in line with farm policy

• Fodder crop establishment and management

• Contractor coordination and operational delivery

• Planning and organising maintenance and repair of fences, gates, yards, buildings, and machinery

• Record keeping — stock performance, FarmIQ records, and monthly tallies

• Staff leadership, daily work planning, and health and safety standards

• Weekly written report to the farm owner covering the previous week and forward planning

• Input into longer-term planning and system improvements

What We Offer

• Real autonomy in day-to-day farm decision-making

• A high-standard working environment where performance and presentation are valued

• Well-maintained four-bedroom home

• School buses at the gate for Tinui Primary and from Tinui Hall carpark to and from Masterton high schools

• A strong local community — Tinui Café and Bar, East Coast RFC, Castlepoint and Riversdale beaches 30 minutes away

• Hunting on property; fishing 30 minutes away

• Masterton, Wairarapa’s main service centre, 45 minutes away

Remuneration

A competitive remuneration package will be negotiated based on experience and skill level.

Requirements

• New Zealand citizenship

• Full New Zealand driver’s licence

• CV including two work-related referees

How to Apply

Send your CV and a brief cover letter to: [email protected]

Questions welcome — contact Patrizia Vieno directly for a conversation before applying.

30/05/2026

Rewa Rewa Station is looking for a new Farm Manager. 🤩
This is an exciting role for an experienced operator ready to lead the sheep and beef operation through an active growth and development phase.
It’s a great opportunity for someone who works well independently and wants a role where they can have a real impact on farm production and performance.
Details in the post below 👇

Farm Manager – Rewa Rewa Station Tinui, Wairarapa | Full-time, Permanent Rewa Rewa Station is a 1,000ha hill country breeding property (650ha effective) in...

25/05/2026

Love this post ! So good 🥰
If you want to be a part of the Spring Valley team, they are recruiting a shepherd general at the moment. The SG role covers all three blocks and is a fabulous opportunity to learn and grow. You’ll get to experience Agtech being used on farm to full effect and be a part of a high performing team culture. There is plenty of variation with steep hills and flats, breeding and finishing systems. If you’d like to have a chat about the role, or you know someone who would - please feel free to give me a call 📞

22/05/2026

Drenching ewes…
I want to offer a practical framework for thinking about ewe drenching decisions, because the decision isn't straightforward and there is plenty of pressure to not drench them.
Farmers and advisors are more than capable of making this call — and often have a much better understanding of the grazing management and production impacts surrounding it.
- If you are seeing a light or dirty tail in your ewes, consider giving those ewes a drench. A drench now can stop those ewes losing more condition as they head into winter and then come under pressure with lambing.
- If the farm is aiming for good weaning weights, don't compromise that by leaving ewes that need it undrenched. You might only be drenching 20% of your ewes — which means you have left 80% undrenched. However 20% of your ewes underperforming is a big deal when it comes to your lamb crop and weaning weights.
- A FEC test is a great tool, but working on an average count doesn't help us make the best decisions for our bottom 25%.

A drench now and a recheck at scanning or shearing, gives you information on those ewes that isn't skewed by lambing. At scanning I'm recommending a monitor weigh to check mob liveweight and BCS for all ewes. Ewes should be in top condition at scanning — if not, marking them then helps you make decisions at weaning.

If ewes you are drenching now are still not right at scanning or shearing, they may have something else going on. At weaning you might think they are light because they have looked after their lambs, when the reality is they have been light all the way through.

EID is a great way to mark these ewes, otherwise they need tagging. Depending on numbers, you can cull, or just know these ewes need a bit more support from you ongoing around worms. Leaving them now can create a real challenge when their immunity is down through lambing and they are trying to feed their lambs.

This is all valuable information for your farm and helps you make better decisions in the future.

FEC tests are a great way to look at trends for mobs and see challenges at different times of year. Getting an accurate picture does require a number of tests, and the FECPAK system is worth considering if you are committed to actively managing resistance on your farm.

Drenching the ewes that need it, using a correct protocol, is not blanket drenching. It's simply Targeted Treatment. It carries far lower resistance risk than blanket drenching — and the production and welfare cost of leaving ewes that need it undrenched needs to be considered.