Integrated Farming in the High Country by Julia

After stepping off the steps of the bus at Bluff Station I was in utter awe of the vast land that laid in front of me, as far as the eye could see. No poultry or dairy farm in Delaware could ever compare to the mountainous terrain. I had never seen a farm quite like the one that Hamish Murray owned. Spanning about 34,500 acres and measuring 35 kilometers long, Hamish’s station takes roughly two and a half hours to cross and is home to sheep, beef cattle, and bees, as well as a variety of crops. Pictures really don’t do this place justice just as Hamish said, “you can’t truly know what it’s like until you’re out here on the farm”.

Throughout our time in New Zealand we’ve seen a wide variety of farms in the low country and hill country. But in my opinion, high country farms take the cake. They are by far the most impressive as farmers in this terrain are tasked with raising and producing livestock in steep mountain ranges. High country farms are known to utilize extensive farming systems that produce fine wool sheep and hearty breeds of cattle. When we talked to Hamish about some of the differences between high country farms and other stations, he explained that growth rates of animals are better in flat terrains with irrigation but the high country stations provide legumes to supplement. The animals expend more energy walking around but they seem to enjoy it.

Due to the vast size of the property, it is common to find mustering huts throughout the station. When we visited Hamish at Bluff station, his farm had six different mustering huts for him and his shepherds to reside in. When we asked Hamish about his biggest challenge that comes with running a high country farm, he said that just getting from place to place can be a pain. In order to get from one end of the station to the other, farmers and shepherds will use different modes of transportation such as walking, horses, trucks, and all terrain vehicles. 

My time at Bluff station will be a memory I will never forget. Having the opportunity to hear from Hamish about how proud he is to maintain such extensive land and to be able to give back and share with others was incredibly memorable. I take inspiration from Hamish and I hope that one day I will also be able to give back to my community in a way that is just as meaningful. 

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