Dairy grazing R1s and R2s is vital for cash flow for Chris and Jaimee Pemberton.
Jaimee and Chris Pemberton bonded over a love of farming. Now they’re grazing dairy heifers and running Fresian bulls on grass supplied by PGG Wrightson Seeds at Becks, Central Otago. Story and photos by Karen Trebilcock.
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t must be close to the perfect match – an agronomist passionate about growing pastures and brassicas and a farmer with a contracting business. Jaimee Pemberton met her husband Chris when she was working for Ravensdown. He was farming with his parents in Millers Flat in Central Otago and she was his fertiliser representative. With Chris’ parents retiring and the sale of the farm, plus Jaimee beginning work for PGG Wrightson Seeds, the couple went looking for a new property and a long 18 months later found Clynelish – 170ha at Becks on the road to the Blue Lake. Now, a year later they’re grazing 200 R1 and R2 dairy heifers and about 100 of their own Friesian bulls on some of PGG Wrightson Seeds’ newest grasses as well as kale, rape, fodder beet and swedes.
“One of the great things about working for PGG Wrightson Seeds and being on our own farm, is that I can be the first to put my hand up to test out the latest cultivars,” Jaimee said. One of these is Vast, PGG Wrightson Seeds latest tetraploid perennial ryegrass which has a heading date of plus 35 days, keeping its feed quality going longer into summer. “Vast has been very impressive so far. However, I’m excited to see how it recovers after a winter with the minus eight degree frosts we get here.”
CHALLENGING BUT REWARDING Jaimee grew up in Timaru and was planning on studying a Bachelor of Arts at Massey University but a summer of rousing changed that. Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | June 2021
