Central Otago sheep and beef farmers, and Locharburn Herefords owners, Geof and Joyce Brown. Photo / Shawn McAvinue
Central Otago sheep and beef farmers, and Locharburn Herefords owners, Geof and Joyce Brown. Photo / Shawn McAvinue
Central Otago sheep and beef farmers Geof and Joyce Brown have sold their farm and are set to retire, ending a career of more than half a century breeding Hereford cattle. The owners of Locharburn Herefords talk to Shawn McAvinue about their passion for the cattle breed and sticking to sheep and beef as the surrounding landscape was planted with grapevines and cherry trees.
Hereford stud owners Geof and Joyce Brown are set to retire and have been ignoring neighbours’ suggestions to sell out to grapes, so their sheep and beef farm in Central Otago can stay in the family.
The couple have sold their nearly 2000ha farm Locharburn in Queensbury to their daughter and son-in-law Allannah and Duncan McRae, who farm at Alpha Burn Station in Glendhu Bay.
The McRaes take over Locharburn on July 1.
“It was important to keep it in the family,” Geof said.
The Brown family celebrated 50 years of breeding Hereford cattle last year.
At their 28th annual bull sale earlier this month, they offered 37 bulls and sold 26 for an average of $6452.
Gordon Shearing, of Otautau, paid the top price of $12,000 for a bull.
At the sale, Joyce spoke and thanked her husband for sharing with her his passion and enthusiasm for breeding horned Herefords.
The highest price paid for one of their bulls in the history of their stud was $37,000 in 2019.
Genetics from their bulls had been used across New Zealand and Australia.
Locharburn had been farmed by the family for more than 75 years.
The land use in Queensbury had changed dramatically during their tenure, Geof said.
“There’s not many sheep and cattle, it’s all grapes and cherries.”
Locharburn Herefords’ owners Geof and Joyce Brown, with heading dogs Mist (left) and Fe, are set to retire from farming at Queensbury in Central Otago. Photo / Shawn McAvinue