Piquet Hill Farms relocates to the Waipā district

Will Jackson and Nicola Bradstreet of Piquet Hill Farms.

After more than half a century on Te Akau hill country, Piquet Hill Farms is relocating to the Waipā district.

Will Jackson and Nicola Bradstreet’s seed stock operation includes Romney, Suffolk, and Sheddmaster sheep studs, an Angus cattle stud and dairy service bulls.

By the end of March, their new home will be 1364 hectares on Duncan Rd, Wharepūhunga, about half an hour south of Te Awamutu.

“It’s a beautiful property bounding the Pureora Forest park with plenty of native bush, two significant rivers running through it and plenty of scope for development,” Jackson said.

“We’re delighted to be taking our three staff with us from Te Akau to the new property, and starting a new chapter of the Piquet Hill Farms history book.”

The Te Akau farm was originally part of Greenhammerton, bought in 1950 with a return servicemen’s grant by Jackson’s grandparents, Hughlings and Margaret.

It was taken over by Jackson’s father Peter who founded the stud in 1966, focusing on ground-breaking facial eczema genetics, then by Jackson and his brother Tom in 2003, before Jackson bought the entire operation in 2018 by which time it encompassed 1576ha.

About 1100ha of the old farm will be planted into production forestry after failed attempts to keep it in sheep and beef production.

“Having to sell to forestry was a decision we didn’t take lightly,” Jackson said.

“It was obviously a tough one because we’re extremely proud of what we had achieved at Te Akau but after unsuccessful attempts to sell it as a single holding or divide it up amongst the neighbours, we made the best decision for our young family, and for the future financial health and long-term sustainability of our business.”

In addition to the Duncan Rd property, they will also lease a further 380 hectares nearby owned by Bradstreet’s parents to be run in conjunction with Piquet Hill, enabling them to maintain their stud flock numbers at 2500 recorded ewes and 150 recorded cows.

Piquet Hill Farms will have a new site at this year’s National Fieldays to showcase its Sheddmaster rams which have been developed over the last six years.

The Sheddmaster composite combines Wiltshire, Meatmaster and imported shedding composite genetics, resulting in a low-maintenance, high-performing breed that’s highly tolerant to facial eczema.

The annual Angus yearling bull sale will be held in late August.