Celebrating a lifetime’s achievement

One family’s commitment to 50 years of high-country farming - its challenges and hardships and frustrations - has been recognised by the Marlborough farming community.

Steve Sattherthwaite of Muller Station, was recently crowned the 2023/24 Marlborough Farmer of the year. Some 250 people from the farming community endured the tortuous shingle road from State Highway 1 to Muller Station - 38,800 hectares of High Country at the head of the Awatere River, bounded by Molesworth station.

There are only about 200 High Country stations in New Zealand, 65 of which are in Canterbury and Marlborough. Muller is an amalgamation of properties that came together around 1900, its elevation ranges from 700m to 2100m.

Approximately 28,000ha is leasehold with 10,000 freehold. Climatically, because of elevation and isolation, it is a harsh environment to farm livestock. The growing season is sometimes only 2 months. Winter is frosty with plenty of snow and summers are drought-prone.

The carrying capacity per hectare is 0.5 SU/ha and distance from the market means transport costs are high. For example, it costs more to cart and apply lime than the cost of the product.

The Satterthwaite family purchased the Muller in 1965, Steve first saw the property in that year when he was 13 years old. He now manages the farm with his wife Mary, son Ben and daughter Alice. At the time there were few fences, only native vegetation, scabweed and broom.

Pests and weeds limited production, but income was needed to bring them under control.  A real chicken and egg situation.

In 1970 Steve arrived at the station. He reflected: “I think not being born to this way of life helped me to break the mould of traditional high-country farming.”

Broom and Hieracium were slowly brought under control and productivity and economic performance increased from fencing, fertilising and over sowing the Awatere valley floor to compete with the Hieracium invasion.

At this time ‘user pays’ was in effect and Steve was paying for all the rabbit and weed control, amounting to $200,000 per year, annual financial losses were not uncommon. Relief came in the form of the illegal importation of rabbit calicivirus disease in 1997, resulting in the lowest population of rabbits on the Muller that Steve has ever seen.

“This has resulted in remarkable rehabilitation of plant species in most of the rabbit-prone country since its introduction,” he said, “goat and deer control has seen regeneration of Black Beech and Mountain Totara with seedlings now appearing around parent trees.”

A thousand deer have been taken out in the past year and 5,000 goats have been removed during the last three years. The next environmental and financial threat is wilding pines spreading from Crown land. Steve estimates that within 20 years, Muller could lose its summer grazing Pastoral Lease, due to the pine invasion producing impenetrable forest.

Despite the challenges the Satterthwaite family have increased production considerably since 1965. Wool production has increased from 45,000kgs to 75,000 kgs; sheep meat has grown from 30,000kgs to 130,000 kgs; and beef production has gone from 10,000 kgs to 175,000kgs.

The increase in production has come from moderate subdivision, rotational grazing rather than set stocking, moderate fertiliser application and no spring grazing of the native country, allowing plant regeneration. Store stock are now sent to be fattened at Greta Peaks, a finishing block near Scargill, taking the pressure off fragile Muller Station environments.

The competition judges were impressed with the gross farm income pr stock unit at $140/SU compared to the peer group average of $119. The efficient cost structure resulted in total farm working expenses of $78/SU compared to $92.78/SU of other South Island High Country properties.

Steve emphasised the advantage of securing forward contracts for product, ensuring future financial certainty.  These results have been achieved while maintaining sustainability and biodiversity of native vegetation. Over 8,000 ha of fragile hill country has been retired, while weed control is still maintained in the area.

And the Sattherthwaite family legacy will continue.  Ben and Alice have pledged to continue the commitment and passion for the land and environment of Muller Station, following the example of the stewardship set by Steve and Mary during the last 50 years.