Cervena Farmers

Bill Taylor - Lora Valley

Location: Our Central Southland farm is called LORA VALLEY and is surrounded on two sides by the native bush-covered Hokonui Hills, which separate Central Southland from the North and East.  It’s very close to the bottom of New Zealand and the World!

About the farm:  Lora Valley has been farmed by my family since 1870, and is listed as one of New Zealand's "Century Farms." The land has been developed over the years from its native state to the fully developed 450 hectare where my wife and I farm mixed cattle, including sheep, beef, and deer. The rolling nature of the farm, the views from the hills, and the various tree plantings contribute towards making Lora Valley an attractive place to live and work.

Our location ensures excellent grass growth which means all our animals are pasture feed and only receive supplements during the worst of the winter, most of which are produced on farm. To manage the farm and enable us to look after our mix of livestock we employ a full time stock-person and some seasonal help. 

Our 3 children have all worked on Lora Valley during their University vacations and have taken the same pride as their parents in producing annually the 500 or so animals for the Cervena label.

The rewards of deer farming: I gain great satisfaction from working the land that my ancestors first owned, and while farming methods have changed, I take huge pride in continuing to produce high quality food for discerning consumers around the world. Things don't get much better than watching the deer standing magnificently on the hill in the early evening with the native bush in the background, and knowing that they are being raised to the quality standards of Cervena, guaranteeing that someone, somewhere, will have a dining experience every bit as magnificent.  

Favorite Venison Recipe: We enjoy the consistent natural flavors of Cervena and like to keep it simple, favoring back strap or leg steaks cooked on the BBQ. The tenderness of Cervena means there is no need to marinate the meat and I only brush the steak with good quality olive oil, and season with salt and pepper before cooking it to rare or medium rare. We find pinot noir jelly produced in Central Otago to be a pleasant accompaniment.

 

Charlie Ewing - Cattle Flat Station

Location:  Cattle Flat Station is in the southern portion of the South Island near Lake Wanaka.  It is situated in the Matukituki Valley, which was formed by glaciers millions of years ago.

About the Farm:  Our family has owned this farm for 30 years and we’ve farmed deer for the last ten of them.  Among those who work the farm with me is our daughter Pip, making the fourth generation of the Ewing family to farm in this area.  The station is 10,000 acres with about 50 paddocks, the largest ones being up to 500 acres.  It is in a beautiful setting surrounded by mountain ranges with the 10,000 foot high Mt. Aspiring right in our backyard.

Our deer graze on improved pastures and over-sown hill country up to 5,000 feet.  We grow supplemental winter feed on our farm, mainly Swedes – a kind of turnip – and brassicas, which is in the cabbage family, in addition to silage.  We normally “break feed” the deer, allowing the stock a portion of the paddock for part of the day before moving them.

Last year we raised 4,000 deer for the Cervena label.

The Rewards of Deer Farming:  We are proud to be part of such a quality product as Cervena and believe it is a privilege to be able to work outside with our healthy herd in such a beautiful environment.  Originally we farmed just cattle and sheep, but diversifying into farming deer on the hill country where our farm is located seemed a natural fit.

Favorite Venison Dishes:  Our family enjoys the clean flavor of the venison so much that we prepare it very simply.  This also makes it a really easy-to-prepare dinner as well!  Our favorite cut to serve at home is the whole fillet.  Lightly oil the meat and sprinkle well with sea salt crystals; sear the meat and then move to the oven or a covered barbecue and cook to rare. 

Trevor Pierce, Northbank Station

Location:  About 35 miles south of Christchurch on the South Island, near the Rakaia river and 12 miles from the Pacific Coast

About the Farm:  I manage Northbank Station, which is a family-owned farm of 1600 acres, with 1500 acres being effectively farmed.  The farm has about 100 paddocks on which the deer roam and graze.  The deer are grass fed and supplemented with sileage and barley grown on the farm during the winter months.  Last year, 5000 animals were farmed for the Cervena label.

Northbank is beautifully laid out with shelter and fresh clean water available in each paddock.  We feed our deer clean young grass and have initiated a ‘center lane system’ for moving our herds from one paddock to another to graze, eliminating the stress factor that can be associated with that.  And our farm is serviced by an irrigation system that draws water from the nearby Rakaia River, ensuring our animals new grass even during times of drought.

The Rewards of Deef Farming: I enjoy the reward of deer farming and the challenge of raising a new herd of animals to the high standards of the Cervena label each and every season.  I am proud to say that our venison is a lean, clean product based on principles of sustainable farming.

Favorite Venison Dishes:  “One of our favorite ways to eat venison is to marinate thick cuts from the loin in a mixture of plum sauce, garlic and equal amounts of olive oil and orange juice.  A quick 2 to 3 minutes on each side on the barbecue and it’s ready.  Another dish we enjoy is a rolled roast served with fresh home grown vegetables like Kumura pumpkin; we put the roast in a roasting bag so that we have a lovely rich gravy from the juices.”

Andrew and Kim Taylor, Donoughmore Farm

Location:  Named after the Irish town where my grandparents were born, Donoughmore is on the South Island on the Canterbury Plains, about 20 miles south of Christchurch.  We have stunning views of the Southern alps, which are snow capped all winter.

About the Farm:  I farm about 260 acres on my own.  Half the land is irrigated with water from our own well, and we have 25 paddocks that are ten acres each.  The animals graze on a grass and clover mix that I also plant with herbs like chicory and plantain.  I raise between 400 and 800 deer each year for the Cervena label.

The Rewards of Deer Farming:  I was very proud to be awarded Canterbury Deer Farmer of the Year.  I view the Cervena product as the designer meat of the 21st century and take pride in running a streamlined operation that is known for producing a lot of feed that allows the stock to be well fed and ensure optimum growth.  The deer are great to work with and respond well to excellent stock management so you get rewarded when you treat them well.

Favorite Venison Dish:   Stir fry from the leg meat. 

John Mace, Pukeha Farm, North Island

 

Location: 

Pukeha is about 15 miles from Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty region located on the west coast of the north island. 

About the Farm: 

Pukeha is managed by  Stewart Fuller on the breeding farm and Steve Hewson on the finishing farm assisted by John Mace.  It comprises 2 farms which join at a small back boundary with a total of approximately 2500 acres, of which 1500 acres are deer fenced.  The paddocks are generous, ranging from 10 to 25 acres.

Pukeha runs beef, cattle, sheep and deer on its property, operating one farm as a breeding unit and the other as a “finishing” unit.  After the deer are weaned, they are brought to the other farm to be raised.  The farm raises approximately 1000 deer for Cervena each year.

The farm is undulating volcanic ash soil in a region with reliable rain fall.  Our animals are all grass fed on rye, clover and chicory pasture with Brassica crop supplementing winter feed with selected young deer allowed free grazing in the crop paddocks.  Some whole kernel maize is fed to the young deer after weaning, mainly to assist in handling and training for movement between paddocks. 

The breeding farm has considerable pockets of bush which provide natural cover.  We handle the breeding hinds as little as possible, but pay strict attention to temperament in selecting young hinds and also the temperament of our breeding stags. The end results from this regime being high quality young stock of good temperament.

I have been involved in farming deer for approximately 23 years . Both of the farm managers have 20 plus years experience with deer.  Prior to cattle and deer farming, I was involved in sawmilling and logging and often hunted deer, which led to my interest in farming deer.

The Rewards of Deer Farming:

Of the mix of livestock we farm, I enjoy working with deer the most as they are intelligent animals and when handled correctly are easily worked.  I am very proud of the progress we have made with our breeding herd and the skills learned in finishing the young stock for the Cervena label. The pasture that the young stock now grazes is of such a standard that we are able to achieve excellent growth weights.

Favorite Venison Preparations:

We enjoy venison in a variety of ways, from steak on the BBQ to casseroles.  A couple of favorites include Cervena medallions cooked quickly in a little butter or oil; while the meat rests, I make a sauce with brandy, sour cream and whole grain mustard in the juices in the pan.  A casserole of venison with veggies, red wine, vegetable stock, cranberry juice and whole cranberries is a cold-weather favorite.