Shaun and Vanessa Russell started looking for a farm two and a half years ago.
“We wanted to find something to suit what we want to do. We couldn’t find anything that was any good,” says Shaun.
On their six-hectare Wainui lifestyle property, and at a 100-hectare Waitoki lease block, the couple raise and finish beef calves, while Shaun runs his civil contracting business, and Vanessa manages an early childhood centre. They needed a larger property to increase the scale of their farming operation.
In May Scott Tapp of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Wellsford listed a 137-hectare Tomorata finishing unit, 29 kilometres north of Warkworth and 86 kilometres north of the Auckland CBD.
“Ideally located and conveniently close to the beautiful Mangawhai and Te Arai beaches, this farm features fertile soils growing easy rolling clean pasture, subdivided into 65 well-maintained paddocks.
“Equipped with excellent stock yards, including a covered vet race and crush, the farm also features fenced and covenanted stands of native bush, which enhance its natural charm, and a large four-bedroom homestead sitting on an elevated platform,” says Scott.
Shaun and Vanessa immediately recognised the farm’s merits.
“We walked over it once, looked at it, and realised straight away it was what we were looking for. Although it didn’t tick every single box, you will never do that, and since this matched what we wanted by more than 90 per cent, we knew we weren’t going to do any better.
“We aim to rear calves and carry them through to finishing. This property has suitable sheds, the water source is reliable with excellent reticulation through the farm, it is well raced, and is a good winter farm, so well drained, enabling us to confidently finish stock.
“Everything is bang on, and it’s nice and private,” says Shaun.
As an extra benefit, Vanessa’s employer is building a new centre in Wellsford, 14 kilometres away, where she will be able to transfer as the manager.
Shaun is looking forward to spending more time on the farm ‘doing something I love.’
“We aim to rear 300 to 400 calves per year, we sell around 100 as yearlings, then carry the rest through. Until we fully work out what the farm can handle, we are going to put around 200 dairy grazers on, at least for the next year to 18 months, until we increase our stock numbers.”
Shaun notes that Scott’s assistance was crucial to secure the property.
“Without him we wouldn’t own that farm. He provided us with the introduction we needed to secure finance. After our existing banker was unable to support us, and we tried various avenues elsewhere with no luck whatsoever, Scott pointed us in the right direction. From that point the process became unbelievably easy. If not for Scott, we wouldn’t have purchased the farm.”
Shaun and Vanessa take possession in late October, and in the long-term the plan is to upscale their beef finishing operation yet further.
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