Argentinians enjoy tour of Millers Flat farms

Teviot Valley farmer (left) Peter Macdougall, two Argentinian visitors, Pat Garden, Marcelle Garden and Jude Ormond sort out the refreshments and home baking. Photo / Yvonne O'Hara

A group of farmers, veterinarians and consultants from Argentina had the opportunity to explore three properties in the Teviot Valley recently.

The group of 38 were part of CR McPhail Ltd's farming tours, and arrived to have a look at the Garden family's Avenal Station, the Pannett family's Limehills' Herefords and the Hore family's Beaumont Station, during Otago Anniversary weekend.

Mr McPhail said the tour party had visited farming properties in the North Island, as well.

He said the tourists were interested in farming and shopping, rather than the usual tourist sights.

''We went to PGG Wrightsons at Geraldine and they bought heaps of boots and jackets and one guy bought an electric fence system.

''They are harder to muster than rams,'' he said.

While at Millers Flat the hall committee provided lunch and dinner to raise money to fund the hall's recladding.

Pat Garden was the tour guide for the party during their time in the valley.

Nick Garden, who now runs the station in association with Austin Garden, provided information about the property's sheep and beef operations.

The visitors were bused to the top of the property and had a look at a block of Lotus, a legume, also known as Birdsfoot Trefoil.

Before getting there, the bus driver made an unfortunate gear change and stalled the bus.

Avenal Station farmer Nick Garden works out how to put chains on the tour bus, which got stuck while transporting Argentinian visitors. Photo / Yvonne O'Hara.

The visitors had to disembark and walk to their next stop, while chains were added to get the bus moving again.

Pat Garden said they had planted a block of Lotus as part of a trial in association with AgResearch about two years ago.

Lotus was a legume species high in tannin, and did well in infertile soil.

''We want to determine its advantages for high country farmers,'' he said.

''The cultivars can also exist in soils with very low pH levels as well high levels of aluminium, which is normally toxic to red and white clovers and lucerne.''

He said they could see significant potential in Lotus.

''Lotus has advantages and disadvantages and can enhance livestock's digestion process, although the tannin can be quite strong and takes a bit of adjustment for stock to eat it.

''We are running trials with fattening lambs and cattle and looking at what sort of growth rates we can get, and measuring performance.''

Once the visitors had their evening meal at the Millers Flat hall they spent the night in Alexandra and then went to a Tarras property the following day.

Mr Garden said one of the attractions of the tour for the tourists was the connection with the local community.

''That is makes it quite different from what other groups do elsewhere in New Zealand, that community overlay or community focus.

''The Argentinians loved it and they are a very warm people who enjoyed getting to know people in the Millers Flat community,'' he said.

Southern Rural Life