Trials and tragedy in 50 years of farming

Life was good for Helen Miller in the late 1960s - she was on a new farm with her husband, had a new home and a boy and a girl under the age of two, but then her life was turned upside down. Shawn McAvinue talks to the Northern Southland sheep and beef farmer about showing fortitude in the face of adversity and celebrating 50 years of breeding Hereford cattle.

Trials and tragedy in 50 years of breeding

After tragedy struck, Helen Miller was left to care for two young children and a new farm in Northern Southland.

Rather than sell the farm, she rolled up her sleeves, hired a farm manager and introduced Hereford cattle to her operation.

Now the 84-year-old runs a Hereford stud and is celebrating 50 years of working with the British beef breed.

In late 1968, Mrs Miller (nee Smith) was in the maternity home with her 1-week-old boy when she learned her husband John was killed in an automotive crash.

Their daughter was 16 months old at the time.

After the crash, the family had no car, so she drove her children around in a vintage Chevrolet farm truck.

The death of her husband "took a lot of getting over" but she never considered giving up on farming.

"It’s all I’ve ever known. You just throw yourself into work."

The couple met at a dance in a local hall.

She recalls their first date at a Gore A&P Show and riding a Ferris wheel together.

"I was treated to the big wheel," she said, laughing.

The couple were engaged when they bought their farm, about 5km south of Riversdale, and began building their farmhouse, where she still lives.

The home was finished in 1965 and they married the following year, honeymooning for a month in the North Island following a rodeo circuit, a sport her husband loved.

After the death of her husband, creditors began to call.

"A few people wanted me out of here, but I was in a new house and I wasn’t giving up my new house."

She hired Geoff Speden as farm manager in 1972, who had experience with Hereford cattle, assisting her decision to buy 10 in-calf commercial heifers at Castlerock Saleyards the same year.

She now runs Perendale sheep and Hereford cattle on her 240ha farm.

At her 27th annual sale of 2-year-old polled Hereford bulls a fortnight ago, all but one of the 26 bulls on offer sold, including two bulls for the top price of $2900.

Before selling bulls on-farm, she sold them at the Southern Districts Hereford Breeders Sale at Charlton Saleyards in Gore.

The money earned from the bull sale this year would help pay for some unforeseen extra costs this season.

"It all helps."

A dry autumn stunted grass growth on farm, allowing only about 400 bales of baleage to be made on farm — about half the amount of baleage made at the same time last year.

Consequently, she spent $32,000 on lucerne baleage to bridge the shortfall in feed.

Her bulls were wintered on the baleage and good kale crops and the bulls were in "good nick" on sale day.

One of her breeding objectives was to use only her own stud sires, rather than using artificial insemination.

She targeted buying the best bulls to sire milk-producing cows.

Consequently, the milk yield data of her herd had "improved no end".

When time allowed, she sold antiques and collectables from the woolshed on her farm.

"When I’m away buying stud bulls, I hunt out all the antique collectable places."

She was "too busy" on farm to consider retiring.

"Life has to have a purpose."

Mr Speden (71), of Riversdale, said he was "working in the tussocks" before he took on his job at Pyramid Downs in 1972.

The intention had been to work on the farm until his team of working dogs had died.

Those dogs were long gone but he stayed on.

Contractors were employed for farm work on Pyramid Downs including making baleage, shearing sheep and tailing lambs.

He recently helped tail more than 1000 lambs on the farm.

The first lamb he docked was nearly 60 years ago and he had no plans of stopping farm work anytime soon.

"You got to have a reason to get out of bed."

shawn.mcavinue@alliedpress.co.nz