4
August 2018
HAWKE’S BAY FARMING LIFESTYLES
Robbie Hill is the third generation working on his family’s property where they finish 1,000 bulls, 10,000 lambs and run 250 velveting stags.
“M
y brother and I returned to work on the home farm — we also do cropping and tourism,” says Robbie. “We have our own velveting certificate and collect the product ourselves. Velvet is cut twice a year, in spring and summer. Antlers don’t go straight to hard bone — it goes to velvet first, which is soft. The rag stuff you often see falling off is the outside skin of the velvet that the deer rub off. “At present, velvet is worth approximately $140 a kilo, and an average stag can cut 4–5 kilos a year. We have always had deer and used to just grow them for venison, but to diversify our business velvet is another product we can sell.”
Robbie’s parents are involved heavily on the farm — the property originates from his mother’s family. “We are very fortunate and live in an awesome part of the world. My parents are open-minded and have the entrepreneurial streak in them. That comes from my grandfather who was a visionary; he built a yacht on our lawn, brought kiwifruit to Hawke’s Bay and had an orchard here, but due to health and safety employment issues we removed that. “Our land is suited for finishing, and we buy in lambs to fatten, predominantly over the winter time, which is when the money is best, and it is easier, as we don’t have to bother with lambing. “I have spent time working in Australia
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PART
TWO
Robbie Hill helps farmers to understand the importance of running their systems in a biologically healthy way