March 2024

It was a mad scramble during November and December to get jobs ticked off the list before a good summer break.

I ran a series of roadshows, with Liv, across the centre North Island in late November – one in Hawkes Bay, Owhango and Whangamomona. With a great turnout of interested farmers across the 3 events and since a few new growers locked in too!

While we planned to get our flash farm gate / fence signs and a copy of the grower handbook to all our current growers before Christmas unfortunately production delays didn’t allow this to happen. So, I have been working my way around to drop these off over the past couple of months. It has been great to see the benefits goats have on our growers farms in terms of weed control and pasture improvement.

January started off as hectic as December finished, with a couple of trips taking qualified prospective growers down to visit our exemplar farm of David Shaw in Otago

In late February I exhibited at the East Coast Farming Expo in Wairoa. NZ Cashmere sponsored a team in the Cadet Challenge held on the first day of the expo. Whilst the team of 3 young ladies from Woodford House didn’t place in the challenge they did prepare, cook and plate a rather nice, barbequed lamb meal. I also had good discussions with a number of farmers about the benefits of farming cashmere goats to their farms and business.

Looking forward, I am excited to be exhibiting at the Central Districts Fieldays at Manfield Park, if you are attending, pop into the Agricultural Pavilion, site AG3, it will be great to see you (and bring a friend that is interested in New Zealand Cashmere too!)

With your flocks weaning should be completed by now and focus turns to setting the does up for mating and buck selection. David Shaw will be in contact with those requiring new bucks this season. Please let me know if you have surplus animals, that are suitable that could go to new growers.

On a personal note, my family has been busy successfully competing in Wake NZ wakeboarding events this summer as we head towards North Island Champs and Nationals in March and April. Also, as we lose the heat of summer with cooler nights in autumn soon the stags will be roaring and shortly after, ducks become endangered.

Cheers

Duncan.