This morning we started our day by visiting the Kairuru Polled Hereford Stud, owned by Kevin and Jane McDonald. Kairuru is a 450 acre farm with about 100 stud cows, as well as young stock and replacements, 30 two year old bulls. Their main revenue comes from their annual bull sale held in June. They have raised and sold multiple champion bulls in New Zealand, the U.S., Canada, and Australia. We got to see their herd sire and yearling bulls, visited their sale facility, calf sale barn, and were welcomed into their home for morning tea and scones. Kevin and Jane have three sons, Jeff, Scotty, and Graham. Scotty and Graham have special needs, and we really enjoyed talking with them and learning about their passions for agriculture. We appreciate the McDonald family for their hospitality and for welcoming us on their farm so we could learn about the Hereford and beef industries in New Zealand.
We wrapped up the afternoon with a tour at Foothill Orchard by manager Russell Barnes. This orchard grows a variety of produce ranging from stonefruit (plums, nectarines, and peaches) to apples and kiwis. Russell explained that by growing a variety of products, he lowers his risk of weather or disease ruining his entire growing season. Within the last year, the orchard began growing a new variety of kiwi. The orchard decided to make the switch to Gold Kiwi Fruit because a disease wiped out the last variety of kiwi. We are very grateful to Russell for meeting us at the hotel to give us a brief history of the Hawkes Bay region, giving us the opportunity to visit his orchard, and letting us take home some of the amazing fruit grown at Foothill Orchard!
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