Locharburn Herefords owners set for retirement after over 50 years breeding cattle

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.

Neighbours kept telling him he would get more money for his flat land if he had sold it to a grape grower.

“I tell them you have to have a bit of beef with your wine,” he said, laughing.

The McRaes would continue the stud Locharburn Herefords and have bought 215 Hereford stud cows, 55 in-calf heifers and 60 bull calves.

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

About 120ha of the farm was irrigated.

When Joyce became the secretary of the Pisa Irrigation Scheme nearly 30 years ago, there were 16 members.

Now the scheme had about 80 members.

To prepare for retirement, the Browns had paid a deposit on a house in Bannockburn.

The property was big enough for his working dogs to retire with them.

“They’ve all worked hard and I’d hate to give them away and think someone wasn’t looking after them - I’m a bit of a softy.”

He and his dogs would help out on Locharburn when needed, he said.

Brown (70) was born and raised on Locharburn.

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When his father Russell bought the farm in 1947, it ran only sheep.

In the early 1960s, his father bought Hereford heifers to form a commercial herd.

His father then bought Ben Nevis Station in 1964.

“It’s good cattle country.”

He and his father bought their first stud cattle from a breeder in Kawarau Gorge in 1972.

A year later, he met his future wife Joyce, who was working as a teacher in Cromwell.

About 1600 fine merino ewes were run on Locharburn, the breeding based on Earnscleugh Station blood, he said.

When Southern Rural Life visited Locharburn, sheep were being mustered by Otago Polytechnic students to put through a trough containing formalin.

Something he would not miss in retirement was the rising cost of products, such as formalin, Brown said.

“It’s dearer than whisky now.”

Locharburn had been involved in a partnership with the polytechnic for about four years.

The partnership allowed students to do practical farming, as part of a one-year high-country farming course.

Students were available to work four days a week if needed.

Brown was on the Hereford Council for 10 years, including as president for two.

Asked if he had his time farming again, would he do it the same, he replied: “With the Herefords, I would.”

Joyce was sure her husband would stick with the breed.

“You are so enthusiastic and passionate about them.”