The Hammonds debate their future

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 46, 7 May 1985, Page 16

The Hammonds debate their future

Bob and Eileen Hairini ond are relative newcomers to the dairy milk industry having bought their 140 acre property on the Raetihi Road in September 1969 from Duncan Poppe. They and their four children. Michelle 9. Stacey 7. Robert 6. and Brian 3. are now faced with a difficult decision. whether to stay on their farm and diversify into bull-beef or sell up and move to the Waikato area taking their 110 head of Friesian cows and their milking equipment with them. The dilemma for the couple is, a very real one. Bob was born and bred in the area whilst Eileen arrived here when she was quite young.

Both readily admit that it would be very difficult to leave their family and friends and move away but they love dairy farming so much that they may be prepared. to make the sacrifice. They have been very successful with their Friesian herd which has figured in the top 12 Friesian studs in the North Island for the past seven years. It is a herd that they have built up along with the property itself into a viable dairy operation. They currently milk fifty cows throughout the year and will continue to do so until May 1988 when the Milk Board will no longer collect their milk. Already they are having to make changes as their milk is collected daily at present, but from July will be picked up every second day. Fortunately the Palmerston North Dairy Company is putting in extra storage vats in their milking shed. The couple spend a great deal of their spare time helping out at the Ohakune Primary School. Bob is chairman of the school committee and Eileen is secretary of the parent teachers' association. Their children are very important to them and it is their future that will figure in the final decision which Bob anticipates they will make in about twelve months. "We are 75% sure that we will be leaving the area but land in the Waikato is about twice the price it is here so it really depends on what sort of price we can get for our land here." Their property extends from brother Peter Hammond's carrot shed to Smith's Road and is predominantly flat.

This is the second in a series of feature articles by MaryAnne Gill about the men and women on the Waimarino 's dairy farms, who now have just three more years of milk production before they are "phased out." The Raetihi milk station will cease processing on 30th June, after which Waiouru, Ohakune and Raetihi milk will be supplied from Palmerston North. National Park milk will be supplied from Taumarunui. Waimarino dairy farmers will have their milk collected by a tanker from Palmerston North after June.