Blair and Jane Smith - Federated Farmers

2012 OTAGO
Blair and Jane Smith
‘Newhaven Farms Ltd’
SUPREME AWARD WINNERS
ALSO WINNERS OF:
BALLANCE AGRI-NUTRIENTS: NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT AWARD
PGG WRIGHTSON LAND AND LIFE AWARD
OTAGO REGIONAL COUNCIL SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AWARD
MASSEY UNIVERSITY DISCOVERY AWARD
Blair and Jane are fine examples of that old adage,
“do something you love and you’ll do it well”.
The couple have been together at the helm of three North
Otago properties, totalling 1530ha, for the past four years and
they are clearly relishing the life. The award judges described
them “an incredibly enthusiastic young couple early in their
farming careers with an enviable pride and passion for their
business and environment”.
The Smiths themselves explain they view the term ‘environment’
broadly, “not purely in the sense of physical resources but the
team that we build around us along with the community that
we participate in”.
Together, they farm 9500 su of sheep and beef. Home base is
‘Newhaven’, in the Five Forks district west of Oamaru, a 230ha
Perendale stud established by Jane’s parents David and Robyn
Ruddenklau in 1972. Also in the Ruddenklau holding is a 200ha
property at Danseys Pass, 15 kms further inland. Blair and Jane
moved from Southland in 2008 when, with David and Robyn,
they purchased the 1100ha ‘Blairgowrie’ run, five kilometres
southwest of Newhaven.
The three properties are operated together. The work is
undertaken by Blair, Jane, David, main man James Blanchard (who
lives on the Danseys Pass farm) and, sometimes, students
Ballance Farm Environment Awards National Sponsors Regional Partner

Blair and Jane Smith
‘Newhaven Farms Ltd’
SUPREME AWARD WINNERS (continued)
or young people “keen to learn”. Formal monthly management
meetings are held with Blair, Jane, David and any required
professionals.
The couple, described by the judges as “a great partnership”,
have three children; baby George, Henry (3) and Charlotte
(5). They met in Southland, in the course of their work, and
laughingly admit that initially, getting the job done outweighed
any personal attraction. In fact, Blair’s position at the time as
dispatch manager for rural transport company Ryal Bush, and
Jane’s as a key account manager for Ravensdown – intent on
ensuring her clients’ fertiliser got to the right place at the right
time – saw them on “opposing sides” at times, they recall with
grins. “We’re both pretty focused and strong willed.”
Now though this couple are demonstrably travelling in the
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
same direction. Commented the judges; “Blair and Jane have
clear, concise and targeted outcomes for the next 12 months,
two years, five years and 10 years”. Southlander Blair went
shearing for two years when he left school. He continued to
do so on his days off during his five years working in logistics
for Blue Sky Meats, all the while running sheep on up to eight
leased small blocks around Invercargill. “In the back of my mind
I always wanted to go farming,” Blair recalls.
Next, he got the dispatcher role at Ryal Bush Transport “despite
not ever having driven a heavy truck in my life”. After four
years with Ryal Bush, Blair’s capacity to think on his feet, absorb
pressure and achieve was noted and repaid with an opportunity
to become shareholding manager in Heenans Transport. Blair
and Jane, who was working for Ravensdown after graduating
from Lincoln with a B Com Ag, were married in 2005, the year
after Blair began at Heenans.
Rare time off during those four years in charge at Heenans was
often spent up at Newhaven, the couple enjoying helping out
Jane’s parents and finding themselves increasingly interested in
the stud sheep genetics. The fork in the road came for them
when they were given what they consider another pivotal
opportunity – to sell their shareholding in Heenans and buy
Blairgowrie.
Long-term owners at Blairgowrie Bruce and Fay McNab had,
after careful consideration, decided Blair and Jane were the
chosen purchasers of their beloved property, beginning a close
relationship the couple clearly value. “When we first went up
there to look at the property it was almost like an interview,”
says Blair. “We really appreciated that they wanted to sell
to someone who had a shared passion for farming and the
community. When you shook Bruce’s hand you knew that was
deal done, in a traditional, genuine way.”
•
Impressive formal business structure; value and get the best from people in business; growth structured allowing for succession.
•
Strong links with external advice networks; extraordinary commitment to industry and community organisations.
•
Excellent relationship with employees, 2IC James Blanchard involved in management; enduring relationship with Bruce McNab.
Excellent knowledge of nutrient status and characteristics of soil types; management responses to minimise nutrient loss to water.

They frequently see Bruce, he comes out to his old farm every
week or so to go horseriding and is always available to offer
advice, answer questions or help with stock movement. Blair
also seeks advice and insight from his father-in-law David. “He
farmed for 35 years so you know you’re getting that experience
when you are asking him questions.”
The Smiths say they have learnt their biggest challenge is variable
growth. “In any given year you can get 60-80 per cent of your
growth in the space of six to eight weeks, “ says Jane. “This is
vastly different to Southland, so you’ve got to have that inbuilt
flexibility. It’s about catching that growth and making quick yet
strategic decisions.”
Last year they wintered 2700 breeding ewes (including 2000
Perendale studs), 900 stud ewe hoggets, 650 stud ram hoggets,
30 rams, 370 Angus cows, 180 heifer calves, 80 steer calves, 60 18
month finishing cattle and 10 bulls. In addition 400 Southland
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
dairy cows are wintered each year, mainly on brassica crop. “It’s
good having the dairy cows to go on the crop, it helps with our
development and regrassing programme, and we really enjoy
both the animals and the strong relationship that we have with
the herd owners,” says Jane.
Newhaven and the Danseys Pass farm are about 260m asl and
Blairgowrie goes up to 600m asl. Contour on the home farm is
50 percent steep, 40 percent rolling, and 10 percent flat. Danseys
Pass is 60 percent flat, 40 percent rolling and Blairgowrie is 55
percent steep, 35 percent rolling and 10 percent flat.
Of the three, the Danseys Pass farm can have the longest growing
season with its combination of soils and slightly higher rainfall.
Most of the cattle are finished there. 45ha of the property is
irrigated using a K line system that was recently converted from
a big gun, in order to maximise water use efficiency. Newhaven
and the Blairgowrie hill block are the breeding bases.
Planting is long established on these two properties, noted
the judges, and more recent on Blairgowrie. The judges wrote:
“Over 60,000 trees have been established since 1972, often in
harsh climatic conditions necessitating watering in droughts
and sometimes replanting. New shelterbelts established on
Blairgowrie since 2008 consist of three rows. One row of snow
tolerant Leyland cypress, one row of native flax and one row of
mixed native species. A trickle water irrigation system is moved
to each new annual shelter planting.”
Blairgowrie is the current focus of their development work,
under the watchful eye of Bruce of course! There is a policy
of strictly no cultivation on westerly facing blocks, to combat
wind erosion. Gullies and swales are being left in tussock to
provide wide buffer strips alongside developed pastures with
higher stocking rates. “This stops erosion, keeps the stock out
•
Systematic approach to nutrient management; nutrient budget, annual soil tests on transects, herbage testing for trace elements.
•
Impressive integration of stock class and type between properties, optimising soil and climate limitations throughout the year.
•
Focus on reducing effects on water quality; limiting stock access, pond development, careful water management and tussock retention.
Excellent awareness of optimising biodiversity in pastoral landscape; shelter planting and species selection; reintroduction of koura.

Blair and Jane Smith
‘Newhaven Farms Ltd’
SUPREME AWARD WINNERS (continued)
of any water, stops nutrient movement and is excellent natural
shelter,” says Jane. “While we are taking some tussock country
out we are really aware of how far is too far. Our priority is to
keep the whole property in good heart and farm it sustainably.”
The judges were impressed with Blair and Jane’s inherent search
for new and better approaches and ideas. They highlighted the
width of scope of these by giving examples: The planting of a
16ha gully in Douglas Fir last year “to learn about carbon credits
and the emissions trading scheme”; biodiversity in pastoral
landscapes including freshwater crayfish that David introduced;
moving the family-owned beehives on trailers to specific sites
as seasons dictate for optimal feeding and pollination; and
the trial and rapid development of new shelter belts in higher
altitude areas.
The Perendale stud receives the same perpetual scrutiny and
thought. Years of monitoring has resulted in a ‘nil drench’
flock. Eye muscle indexes and CT scanning have also formed
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
an integral part of the monitoring system on the farm along
with DNA testing for ‘cold tolerance’ in newborn lambs and
to identify susceptibility to footrot in sires. Newhaven has
collaborated with AgResearch to investigate the sheep flock’s
trait of having ‘bare breech’, three years ago they established
a Perendale/Texel stud and they’re currently working on a new
Perendale stud joint venture in Australia. “They are making full
use of the technologies available to them, and demonstrating
the value of those technologies,” said the judges.
The judges describe as “extraordinary” the couple’s range of offfarm
commitments to both community and their industry. Jane
works part-time as a Rabobank rural manager. Comments Blair:
“Just like any other rural couple, the busier you get, the more
organised you get.” His voluntary involvements include, Central
South Island Farmer Council for Beef + Lamb NZ, Perendale
Society junior judge, rugby coach and writing for Countrywide.
Jane’s include, Perendale Society branding projects, playgroup
co-ordinator, Plunket, netball, writing for two publications,
and helping organise the Five Forks School Centenary this
year. Daughter Charlotte is the primary school’s first fourth
generation pupil; “it wasn’t something that I ever thought would
happen, but it is really nice to be back in the same district I grew
up in,” Jane says.
Farm succession is, believes Jane, “like a live business plan -
something everyone is constantly working on”. She has two
sisters who are involved in the family succession plan with
opportunities for involvement opening up as the business
grows and changes. And Jane and Blair are already thinking
ahead to their children. “I see it as a moving target – it’s in the
way a business is structured both now and in the future, rather
than how many farms there are to go around.”
•
Clear steps taken to minimise sediment loss through management of winter crops, paddock selection and cultivation techniques.
•
Proactive in continually applying new knowledge to advance sheep stud; DNA testing and collaboration with AgResearch.
Impressive ‘nil adult sheep drenching’ policy, closely monitored; experimentation with pasture mixes to sustainably develop sensitive
•
hill areas.
Awareness and adaptation to market locally and globally; knowledge readily shared and gained via involvement in industry groups.

Doug and Jeannie Brown
‘Punchbowl’
BEEF + LAMB NEW ZEALAND LIVESTOCK AWARD
The Browns were using intergenerational
experience and their own thoughtful input
to maximise their 527ha North Otago farming
business, according to the award judges.
Describing the Brown’s sheep stud and drystock operation as
‘top performing” the judges noted in their feedback report:
“Choice of stock type, system and adaptation of that stock
type and system over time points to truly sustainable use of
land, people and capital resources to increase the financial
stability of the business.”
Doug and Jeannie have two properties south of Oamaru, which
they operate together. The home block, ‘Punchbowl’, is 381ha
(360ha effective) in the Maheno district. Their ‘Totara’ block
(146ha, 140ha effective) is 15kms to the northeast. Both are flat
to rolling in contour, variable soils and summer dry. Rainfall
averages 500ml per year.
The main Romney commercial flock of ewes numbers
approximately 2000. Also wintered last year were 1000
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
recorded ewes (Suffolk, Polled Dorset or Texel crosses of these),
550 Romney ewe hoggets, 350 recorded stud ewe hoggets, 300
recorded ram hoggets, 30 rams and 24 beef cattle. On the Totara
property 400 cows from a neighbouring dairy conversion have
wintered there for the past four years.
Doug, who is a councillor on the Otago Regional Council and
an Alliance Group director, explains his early years shape his
approach to farming. “We experienced some droughts, and
some tough old years financially.That motivates you to want to
make sure you have a sustainable farming system,” he says.
The judges commended this awareness, noting the use of direct
drilling and writing, “much thought has been taken in regard
to countering the usual summer dry, and mitigating potential
losses. A conservative stocking rate, early lambing and the use
of lucerne and rape are examples of this approach”.
Doug happily admits to a partiality for stock over machinery, so
it is no surprise that when he and Jeannie took over Punchbowl
from his maternal grandfather’s estate in 1989 he made
establishing more shelter a priority. Since then they have put
in over 10kms of shelter. Now, every paddock has some shelter
and shade for stock. “The sooner you get shelter growing the
sooner you get value from it,” says Doug. “I always thought other
things, like machinery, could wait, shelter couldn’t.”
Doug’s grandfather HJ (Henry) Andrew farmed Punchbowl for
over 70 years. He established a Southdown sheep stud there.
“He was certainly a legend,” says Doug. The large homestead
on the property is predominantly built of concrete and dates
back to 1876. Doug and Jeannie have recently affirmed their
commitment to their family land by extensively renovating and
preserving the building. The couple have two children, Simon
(21) and Alice (19).
•
Top performing intergenerational dryland property, high per hectare performance over an extended period.
•
Mix of stock class and type well managed and integrated; early and priority focus on planting shelter.
•
Practical choices to farm for the long term; smart prioritisation of capital expenditure, debt reduction, off-farm investment.
Extensive off-farm involvement advancing sheep industry and community (Alliance Group, ORC and previously Federated Farmers).

Akarua Ltd
Matt Connell (General Manager/Winemaker) and Gillian Wilson (Viticulturalist)
WATERFORCE INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT AWARD
HILL LABORATORIES HARVEST AWARD
The award judges found “a clear understanding of sustainable and environmental practise
was evident in all aspects of the vineyard and winery operation” at Akarua, a 50ha premium
wine-producing business at Bannockburn in Central Otago.
Established in 1996 by Sir Clifford Skeggs, on an early wave of
the grape revolution in Central Otago, Akarua is the largest
family-owned single site vineyard/winery in the region. Being all
on one site is a key aspect of the business says Gillian; it allows
maximum control. “Because we are so quality focused, that’s a
really important thing,” she says.
The judges described Matt and Gillian as “hard working,
passionate operators”. They said, “the overall management
structure, the clarity of business goals and objectives, both
financial and strategic, and the communication within the team
were outstanding.”
Oversight of Akarua is by the board of directors, who Matt and
Gillian meet with regularly. In addition to Matt and Gillian there
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
are nine permanent staff, two regular vineyard staff and up to
30 seasonal employees. Supporting Gillian is vineyard supervisor
Marc Cooper who established himself as a key member of the
vineyard team while working at Akarua and studying for his
Diploma in Viticulture.
The judges highlighted the value placed on staff at Akarua
praising, “the emphasis placed on excellent staff management
through training, welfare, health and safety, ensuring retention
of staff enabling them to consistently produce a high quality
product.” The business is a shareholder in ‘Seasonal Solutions’,
a co-operative venture set up to assist in connecting growers
and workers.
Gillian has been at Akarua since 2003 and Matt since 2008.
The judges were impressed with the integration between
the vineyard and winery, noting that the management in the
vineyard flowed into the winery in response to the needs of
the winemaker. They wrote: “The relationship management,
communication and implementation of practise and systems
apparent between the viticulturalist (Gillian) and the winemaker
(Matt) was outstanding.”
Gillian explains: “I appreciate that Matt has respect for what is
going on in the vineyard. What I aim to do each year is present
the winery with fruit that expresses the best of what the site has
done, with minimal need for any intervention in the winemaking
process.”
Between 20,000-25,000 cases of wine are produced annually.
The vineyard has been an accredited member of Sustainable
Winegrowing New Zealand since 2003 and the winery since
•
Top-producing vineyard with a vision and strategy to promote Central Otago and be recognised nationally and internationally.
•
Active involvement in industry groups; focus on supporting local business and education (training Otago Polytechnic students).
Impressive integration between vineyard and winery; hard working passionate operators; clear objectives ensuring long
•
term sustainability.
Careful consideration of varietal plantings; inherent understanding of each variety’s response to soil type and moisture.

2008. Plantings are approximately 75 percent pinot noir, 15
percent chardonnay, nine percent pinot Gris and one percent
Riesling.
Contour and soil type ranges from flat with deep sandy silt
loams, to glacial terraces with lighter alluvial soil and, on the
steeper hillsides, very free draining light top soils overlaying
broken schistose rock. The vineyard site, overlooking the tail end
of the Kawarau River as it enters Lake Dunstan, can be windy,
but Gillian points out this can be beneficial for disease control.
An integrated pest management (IPM) system is firmly
established in the vineyard, minimising the use of sprays and
other chemicals. It is a priority to ensure all permanent staff are
aware of changes and issues to look for as they move about the
vines, says Gillian. “I’m out there a lot, but it needs more eyes
out there than just mine,” she explains.
She takes a holistic approach to vine health, recognising that
“a healthy plant doesn’t have the same stresses or vulnerability
to diseases as an unhealthy plant” and that half the vine is
underground. “Soil health is where it all stems from, so that’s
where we start. And if a plant is healthy, when you ask it to work
it performs better. That’s how we achieve consistent crops of
high quality grapes.”
The judges recognised that soil health was amongst the many
factors “vigorously” monitored at Akarua. Soils and soil organic
matter were tested every two years and plant tissue tests
annually they said, and they noted “excellent understanding of
soils that are light, fragile and prone to erosion and ensuring that
block development and varietal selection is appropriate to soil
type and topography throughout the vineyard”.
A nutrient management plan is prepared and used with test
results to determine nutrient requirements and understand
what is being lost off the vineyard. Fertigation (water and
nutrient combined) is used beneath all vines. Interow natural
cover (thyme, short dry tussock and grasses) is maintained every
row to prevent soil erosion and moisture loss.
Water is a major consideration on this property but Gillian
believes it is on every property. “Water is a scarce resource no
matter where you are,” she points out. The judges said at Akarua
there was, “excellent and careful management of water inputs
and outputs”. Two years ago an audit of the irrigation system
was undertaken and findings actioned.
Gillian is proud that since she has come to Akarua the records
show water use has reduced “significantly”. She says she
has worked hard to drive the roots of the vines deeper in
search of moisture. Neutron probes and a specialist company
‘Hydroservices’ are used for monitoring each week.
Commented the judges: “An excellent and inherent
understanding of the way each varietal responds to each
different soil type and while using recorded monitoring to drive
irrigation scheduling, also adjusts through visual indicators and
communication with winemaker in optimising balance between
flavour and production volume.”
•
Impressive staff retention resulting in excellent canopy management and consistency in producing a quality product.
Vigorous monitoring systems around pest management (IPM), water and nutrient use; excellent management and understanding
•
of soils.
Careful management of water inputs and outputs; proactive leadership and management of water allocated.
strong monitoring and irrigation scheduling; auditing to identify water use areas for efficiency improvement.
• Very
JUDGES’ COMMENTS

Milburn Dairy - Otago Corrections Facility, Tony Russell (principal instructor)
FINALIST 2012
Tony has ample reason to state that running
this 125ha, 347-cow farm just north of Milton
is “challenging above and beyond normal dairy
farming”.
THE AWARDS
FIELD DAY
The field day will be held at the 2012
Supreme Winner’s property.
Name: Blair and Jane Smith
Newhaven Farms Ltd
When: To be confirmed.
Time: To be confirmed.
Where: 457 Dunrobin Road,
Five Forks, North Otago
For details, contact:
Beatrice Lee,
Regional Coordinator
Phone: 03 473 9566
Mobile: 027 2088 305
Email otago@bfea.org.nz
The farm, purchased by the Department of Corrections in 2002
and run by Corrections since 2007, surrounds the prison now
built there. Each day up to 16 prisoners are working on it alongside
the three to four farm staff. Whilst the farm is expected to be
commercially viable the priority is clearly “prison first, dairy farm
second”, explains Tony. Other instructors currently working on
the farm are Willie Seheri and Robert Tamepo.
The award judges commended a number of aspects of the
property including the increasing production utilising pasture
as its primary food source, extensive native plantings, and the
use of the farm to up-skill prisoners.
The judges wrote in their feedback report: “The results that
have been achieved on the property in the past four years are
a credit to the management and staff given the priorities they
have to balance. The staff and management are passionate
about their jobs. The people skills staff have in managing training
of prisoners as well as technical skills in managing a productive
dairy farm are to be admired.”
The Ballance Farm Environment Awards® are designed to encourage farmers to support and adopt sustainable farming practices.
The awards are now held in Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Manawatu/Whanganui, East Coast, Greater Wellington, Canterbury,
Southland and Otago. This is their ninth year in the Otago region.
Ballance Farm Environment Awards National Sponsors Regional Partner