Focus Groups grow knowledge and networks

Being part of three Beef + Lamb New Zealand Focus Groups has given North Canterbury farmers Bridget Banks and Chris Pennell the opportunity to extend both their knowledge base and their networks.

Bridget Banks and Chris Pennell farm Spurtleton Downs, an 800ha predominately rolling hill country sheep and beef property in Omihi. The farm also has heavier flats and some irrigation which allows the couple to finish most of the stock bred on the farm, but they will also sell store if necessary, depending on markets and the season.

Their capital stock includes 170 breeding cows, 3,200 mixed-age and two-tooth ewes and 600 hoggets.

Bridget and Chris are also part of the Headwaters programme which means they finish their own lambs, plus 1,200 Headwater store lambs, on chicory and clover every year to produce Lumina lamb.

Bridget says they were encouraged to join a local Focus Group by a Hurunui District Landcare Group advisor, and this opened their eyes to the benefits offered by farmers learning from each other’s experiences as well as subject matter experts.

They have subsequently joined both an Animal Production and a Lamb Survivability Focus Group and the couple say these groups, which are funded by B+LNZ levies, give them the opportunity to visit other members’ farms, learn about their farm systems and see for themselves the outcomes of different management practices.

Bridget says they have also really enjoyed hosting Focus Groups on their farm and appreciated the feedback they have received.

“We’ve been really open to suggestions and had the benefit of subject matter experts who would usually be beyond our normal reach – and we’ve had them on our farm looking at our pastures.”

The couple say they have learnt something new at every Focus Group meeting they have attended, typically management tweaks they have or will consider implementing in their own business.

“Priority feeding those in lower condition will be key if the summer is as challenging as current forecasting suggests.” – Bridget Banks, North Canterbury

Making changes

Thanks to their involvement in B+LNZ’s Focus Groups, the couple have an even greater understanding of the benefits of Body Condition Scoring and now feel very comfortable scoring their ewes.

“Priority feeding those in lower condition will be key if the summer is as challenging as current forecasting suggests,” says Bridget.

They have also been encouraged by others’ success with DNA testing heifer calves to better understand the genetic merit of their own animals. This testing has been particularly valuable as a replacement heifer selection tool and as an indicator of bull performance.

The couple are also looking to use AI in their cows as a tool to fast-track genetic improvement and production.

Goodness Mix impresses

Bridget and Chris have been particularly impressed with a high yielding, low-cost, high-performance forage mix that one of their Focus Group members swears by.

The mix of Upbeet fodder beet, red beet, kale and swede was developed by Methven-based Grant King and is finding favour with both livestock and growers as stock don’t need to be carefully transitioned onto the crop.

“At a recent Focus Group meeting we were able to stand in a paddock and see how well it was performing and how much the stock loved it – and these were in conditions similar to our own. It was impressive,” says Bridget.

  In the near future, Bridget and Chris intend on establishing a crop of Goodness Mix for finishing lamb and cattle. They are also considering a trial of straight plantain to drive pre-weaning growth rates and maximise their weaning draft.

B+LNZ’s Focus Groups are a small group learning initiative which are topic focused and outcomes driven. Run over a two to three-year period, they give farmers the opportunity to learn from each other and subject matter experts. A Focus Group is free to all B+LNZ levy payers and their employees.