Job Description
If you enjoy working in a high performing sheep and beef breeding/finishing system and being part of a progressive, growing, consumer focussed farming business, we’d love to hear from you.
Manuka Gorge is a 1600ha, 16,000SU integrated breeding/finishing operation in the reliable farming district of Lawrence, Otago. After recently purchasing a neighbouring farm, we have grown our business and are now looking for an experienced shepherd to join our team of four full time staff. We offer a variety of daily work, a genuine opportunity for growth and development, the integration of new technologies into daily farming operations and a great community and rural lifestyle.
Start date: Flexible. Immediate start not a problem.
We run:
7,000 breeding ewes, 2300 hogget replacements, 245 breeding cows and 80 heifers (PTIC). We target and usually achieve 150% lambing, 95% calving and plan to finish all stock on the farm with a range of innovative finishing systems.
The property:
Consists of rolling/medium steep hill country, well subdivided, watered and laned. We have approximately 200ha of forestry on the farm (pigs and deer to be caught for the freezer) and approximately 4% of the farm is covenanted in bush reserves under QE2.
You will:
- Be able to demonstrate 2-3 years shepherd experience in a sheep//beef breeding/finishing operation.
- Be interested in genetics, target based finishing systems including fodder beet, technosystems and elite mob monitoring and management, autonomy and accountability in daily work activity but work well as part of a close knit team.
- Enjoy stock work, which is the main component of the role. It will also include some tractorwork, fencing, weed and pest control, silviculture and data input and management/analysis.
- Be interested in using technology. The farm runs Resolution and uses it heavily. Some ability to use tech (smart phones, weighing systems, pasture monitoring) will be useful.
- Need to be used to handling vehicles including quad bikes, utes and tractors on medium/steep hill country and working safely.
- Have a team of 3-4 well trained dogs.
- Be able to be flexible – a small amount of rostered weekend work is required over the winter, shared across the team.
- Possess a clean and current NZ drivers licence, and if a hunter, a clean and current gun licence.
We want:
A reliable and accurate team player who is looking to step up from a junior shepherd role into a full shepherd/senior shepherd general responsibility set. You will be reporting to the Farm Manager. We are open to someone who will commit to this role for a period of 3 or so years and we like people who are self starters and want to pursue extra development. We will help you prepare for career advancement while you are here with us.
We offer:
- A very competitive remuneration package with attractive cash and non cash benefits, based on experience.
- Opportunities for professional development through AgITO and other industry training.
- A four bedroom, double car garaged recently refreshed house on the farm. Wheelie bin at the gate.
- There is a school bus at the gate and the choice of three primary and 2 high schools in the district.
- The community is very active, with a large range of sports clubs and other activities are available in the district for extra curricular activity, including hunting on the farm.
- Employment opportunities for partners around the wider district are also likely available.
- A very convenient location – on State Highway 8, 10 minutes from Lawrence, 1 hour to Dunedin.
Interested? Email your CV to jobs@erhb.kiwi We’d love to hear from you.
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