Regenerative Farming | Farm Hamburg

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Farm Facts

DESCRIPTION

Northern Thornveld.

ENTERPRISE

Cattle and some game.

PROPERTY SIZE

6830 hectares.

FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF AREA

Heavily encroached with aggressive bush; high rainfall with some frost.

AVERAGE ANNUAL RAINFALL AND VARIABILITY

Average: 524 mm; lowest: 220 mm; highest: 1180 mm.

ELEVATION

1520 metres above sea level.

OWNED OR RENTED

Owned; full-time management.

MOTIVATION FOR CHANGE AND APPROACH

Bush encroach ment rendered livestock farming no longer profi table.

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MAIN INNOVATION

Bush control and planned grazing.

Key Results

Over the period of 28 years (1987-2014), the cattle production has increased by 60% (8 kg/ha to 13 kg/ha) and the stocking rate has increased by 52% (23 kg/ha to 35 kg/ha). These results are all management, bush-thinning and rainfall related (the rainfall increased by 21% over the same period).
Fighting bush eff ectively remains the key priority.
Peter has moved away from heavy cows with estimated breeding values (EBV) for high growth as they require you to stock lighter and they produce fewer calves, which results in a decrease in production per hectare. He now uses bulls that give fat, early-maturing animals.

Farm Hamburg

Peter and Sieglinde Zensi are withdrawing from active management of the farm but sees a future in good rangeland management with bush control and aftercare and planting 10% of the land to Bloubuff el (Cenchrus sp.) grass for grazing and baling for drought conditions. Peter says that if you aim for nothing, you will hit it every time. In the future we will need to intensify management.

Key Tips

If you do not deal with the bush effectively in these high-potential areas with good soils and high rainfall, you will go out of business.
The future lies in intensifying management, for example what is being done in the Farm Venus Case Study for high potential farms. Other farms will need active bush control, good rangeland management and 10% of the farm planted to Bloubuff el pastures.
Move away from heavy cows with ‘good’ genetics. Instead, use bulls that give fat, early maturing animals.
Many farmers have pushed animal density too high and have stocked too heavily. Consequently, they have gone out of business due to poor animal performance. Never compromise on animal performance.
The choice of production system is also market related. If markets remain difficult, then more farmers will move to weaner production, which involves a higher risk.
Ox production involves a lower risk. It allows for better drought planning and easier destocking by monitoring the rainfall season and the availability of grass. A cow-ox production system must be conservatively stocked.
A weaner production system is more diffi cult because it requires good cow management. It also involves a higher risk because it is difficult to sell off cows during a drought.
Analyse your farm’s seasonal rainfall data. If the amount of rainfall by end of January is less than 50% of the average, sell now.
At current costs, you need 1000 ha on a cattle farm to meet one child’s needs. This illustrates that we need to become more intensive and we need to focus on regenerative measures that complement one another. Bush will remain a problem unless it is dealt with.
Game numbers pose a real problem to management and their numbers need to be kept low.

Approaches

RESILIENCE OF THE FARM

Ecological and financial resilience from 1987 to 2014: The stocking rate increased by 52% from 23 kg/ha to 35 kg/ha.

MONEY-MAKING POTENTIAL OF THE FARM

From 1987 to 2014, animal production increased from 8 kg/ha to 13 kg/ha which indicates a healthy, viable business.

The rainfall increased by 21% over the 28-year period.

CHOICE OF ANIMAL/S

With the farm’s improved resource base, stocking animals with a heavier frame is possible. Hendrik aims to wean calves that are 50% of the cows’ weight. If you achieve this, you have well-adapted animals on your farm.