Hal's half-century a record?

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 32, 21 January 1986, Page 10

Hal's half-century a record?

Hal Manson, who farms at Mangaone on Pipipi Road, near Raetihi, must have created something of a record. For 50 years he had faithfully attended ewe fairs in the Waimarino until last year when he finally missed one. "I don't think it is much of a record, I only go because I am interested," he said. Hal has been at Mangaone since 1931. The farm was bought in 1907 by his father, who was New Zealand's first trade commissioner to Australia, but he never lived on it and it was managed until Hal took over. Hal has many memories of his 50-plus years of farming in the Waimarino and he particularly recalls the revolutionary advent of aerial topdressing which he says transformed hill country farming. "Before we had the planes we used pack horses to carry in the 180 pound bags of superphosphate which were dumped and then gangs of men would walk over the land carrying manure in sacks over their heads. "It was back-breaking and heart-breaking work and you could never really get to the steepest areas." In fact the first aerial topdressing in the Waimarino took place in 1951 on some of Hal Manson's paddocks. Miles King. one of the pioneers in New Zealand aerial topdressing. was the.pilot in a Tiger Moth. Hal and 10 or so other farmers had started the Mangaone Aerial Distribution association, a syndicate to organise the topdressing. At first they used tractors to cart manure in bags to dump in the planes' hoppers,

but later built a concrete shed where the fertiliser could be stored. The syndicate still exists and owns equipment such as a concrete mixer and seed drill which can be shared as an economy measure. Hal Manson is philosophical about the problems besetting farmers at present. "All off-farm costs are going up and problems with overseas markets and exchange rates have made it really tough on farmers — some will have to walk off their land which is a terrible thing to have to do when you have invested all your capital," he said. Hal feels fortunate that

Mangaone is well-establish-ed which helps in weathering the bad times, but he said he would hate to be starting out now. Will he be at this year's ewe fairs later this month and early February?

"I missed last year because we got tangled up with hay but I will be there this year," he said. Fifty years is a long time but Hal Manson does not intend to stop attending his ewe fairs.