‘Real cracker’ of a fleece wins competition

Shane Sanders, from Little Valley Station, and the winning fleece in the Child Cancer Foundation fleece competition. PHOTOS: NATALIE SYMONDS/RUN IN THE SHADOWS

Excellence in merino wool growing was celebrated recently in Wanaka at the Otago Merino Association’s annual awards function. Business and rural editor Sally Rae reports.

It was a proud moment for Lindon Sanders when he watched his sons receive accolades at the Otago Merino Association’s merino excellence awards.

The family’s Little Valley Station won the Child Cancer Foundation fleece competition, an initiative which has long been a highlight of the evening.

For more than 30 years, farmers have been invited to give a fleece which was then graded and sold and all funds were given to the foundation.

To date, more than $380,000 has been raised.

Mr Sanders’ late wife Jenni, who died three years ago, was secretary of the association "for years" and organised the annual celebratory function.

She would have been "absolutely thrilled" to see her fourth-generation farmer sons Garth (27) and Shane (25) pick up their awards.

But win or lose, the best part was making a donation to the Child Cancer Foundation to help children and their families affected by cancer, he said.

Lindon Sanders’ grandfather J.C. (Jack) Sanders bought Matangi Station in Little Valley, behind Alexandra’s famed clock on the hill, in 1923.

Lindon’s parents, Alec and Stella, bought two more properties in the same valley during their tenure on the land.

In 1997, the land was divided between Lindon and his two brothers; Lindon and Jenni taking over Little Valley Station, next door to Matangi.

It had been some years since the family had entered the competition — they won back in the 1990s — but they made a concerted effort this year. "Usually I’ve taken fleeces out to put in it and forget to get them there," he said.

Mr Sanders classed the station’s wool clip at shearing and took out 20 to 30 fleeces every year so there were fleeces on display for visitors to the shed.

This year, he told his sons to each pick a fleece to enter and he knew the one chosen by Shane was "a real cracker". But Mr Sanders also did not know who the judge was and what type of wool they would be after.

The fleeces made it to judging, having been picked up by PGG Wrightson wool representative Graeme Bell during a visit to the woolshed.

Garth’s pick was second in the up to 16.2 micron category, while Shane’s fleece won the 16.3-17.3 micron category and went on to be named overall winner.

Garth has worked on the property since he left school at 18 while Shane returned home after a stint at Lincoln University.

Mr Sanders said the boys were involved whenever he was classing wool or selecting sheep and he knew he could walk away from the wool table and the fleeces were in good hands.

It appeared his own passion for wool had been transferred to the next generation and he was delighted that they had chosen to make farming their career.

Otago Merino Association outgoing chairman Justin Willson addresses the crowd watched by (from left) secretary Lesley Muir, Clip of the Year winners Andrew and Bill Sutherland (Benmore Station) and incoming chairman Will Gibson.

Asked who was the boss, Mr Sanders said that title still sat with him; the intention was for him to step back as the boys took on more responsibility.

Wool continued to fascinate him, particularly at shearing time when he watched it come off the sheep — "it’s pure white and sound and long and stylish".

Yet the sheep that produced it had been running in the environment for the previous 12 months, weathering rain, snow, frost and drought.

"It’s a privilege to work with them," he said.

Most of the Little Valley wool clip was destined for Italy, where he had been selling to for more than 20 years. He had the opportunity to meet the owners of the mills which were using his wool which was special.

Still passionate about farming, Mr Sanders said it was the "bureaucracy" involved that he disliked. He had been previously spoilt as his late wife did all the paperwork and paid the bills.

Now he was spending more time inside "pushing pen and paper" while his job was outside. And the rules and regulations were being imposed on farmers "by someone sitting in an office pushing pen and paper".

When he did manage a day off, more often than not he could be found out in the hills driving around the sheep.

"And actually, I like it. People go tripping all around the world. I think I live in the best part."

In his address, outgoing OMA chairman Justin Willson spoke of the challenges the farming community faced.

"Environmental and animal performance challenges have always been there but now there is the constant outside noise we get.

"This generation of farmers are experiencing on-farm inflation of 16%, more than double that of the general population and not seen since the early 1980s.

"Emissions and fertiliser taxes will have a massive impact on food production but, above all that, the uncertainty of what farming in the future will look like is quietly sitting in the back of all our minds," he said.

Fortunately, farmers were a resilient bunch and would "tackle life head on". On the brighter side, there were some very good wool contracts on offer.

The Sutherland family, from Benmore Station — a property synonymous with high quality fine wool — won the overall Clip of the Year title.

Liz and Will Gibson, from Foulden Hill at Middlemarch, won the top commercial clip at the Otago Merino Association’s merino excellence awards.

Brothers Bill and Andrew Sutherland, along with their families, are passionate merino growers and have enjoyed considerable success in the competition over the years.

They farm Benmore, a 5400ha property between Omarama and Twizel which has been in their family for more than a century, and Ahuriri Downs, a 3800ha property.

The Gibson family, from Foulden Hill, near Middlemarch, won the top commercial clip.

Will Gibson is the new chairman of the Otago Merino Association.