Country-Wide Sheep 2021

Page 152

WOOL

Profile

WOOL’S COLOUR AND FUTURE IS BRIGHT After a lifetime working with strongwool sheep, Dan and Barbara Ramsden are moving on from the family’s farms. Terry Brosnahan reports. Photos supplied by Ravensdown.

152

D

an Ramsden is a wool man. He has grown and worked with wool all his life. It has been a major focus of his farming of Moanaroa and Ware Ware stations, near Dannevirke. The two stations produce about 70,000kg of strong wool. Dan and his wife Barbara have retired from farming and are moving to Havelock North. Son Hugh manages Moanaroa and daughter Fiona is managing Ware Ware (1215 hectares effective). There is a 400ha finishing block at Pongaroa. They also run cattle and sheep studs. The land is in trust and the farms are run under a family company structure. About 23,000 stock units are wintered over the three blocks, 60% Romney sheep, 40% Angus cattle. Dan may have given up control of the cheque book but will still be involved with farming, especially wool. Born in Dannevirke on the last day of 1939, Dan grew up on the family farm at Kumeroa near Woodville. In 1959 Dan gained his wool diploma through Massey University, just in case he had an accident and had to take a new direction in life.

Country-Wide

October 2021


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Articles inside

Calculator works out the numbers

2min
pages 172-173

And now, Freshwater Farm Plans

3min
page 171

Fewer but better sheep needed

8min
pages 166-170

Capturing the swing to natural fibres

3min
page 157

Profile: Wool’s colour and future is bright

5min
pages 152-156

Finding the winners

6min
pages 148-151

Obituary: Holmes Warren

5min
pages 146-147

Ram selection: Value in taking your time

2min
page 141

Breeding low-methane sheep

8min
pages 138-140

Condition major profit driver

11min
pages 129-133

What is wool’s future in NZ?

9min
pages 134-137

Reversing triple drench resistance

3min
pages 117-118

Plus equals assurance

2min
page 119

Shedding sheep: Reducing the workload

3min
page 116

Drenching: Achieving balance

2min
page 115

Pre-weaning treatments can be crucial

6min
pages 111-114

Mixing it with sheep and cattle

6min
pages 108-110

Resistant, resilient lambs make similar gains

6min
pages 90-91

What will the sheep of tomorrow be?

5min
pages 96-97

Post mortems: Get your knives out

8min
pages 102-104

Progeny testing: Resistant rams top performers

3min
page 63

Focus on timeless principles

6min
pages 42-45

To B12 or not B12 at tailing

4min
pages 105-107

Strong demand from China

2min
page 41

Succession: Clear vision, robust plan needed

6min
pages 26-27

High hopes for UK Christmas lamb

7min
pages 38-40

Testing time for new wool particle products

3min
pages 28-30

Super star status beckons for strong wool

4min
page 31

Sheep dairy full on

3min
page 25

Inverary Station scrutinises its business

9min
pages 18-21

India and Middle East: Good things take time

6min
pages 36-37

A niche sheep of the future

5min
pages 22-24
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