Regenerative Cattle Grazing at Mangaroa Farms

A few shots from out in the paddocks last week, where our Stock Manager Gav has been busy caring for our young calves / yearlings as they begin their journey in the world. Every day, new life emerges, bringing fresh energy to the herd 🌱

Stock management at this stage is crucial to ensuring our young ones grow to their full potential before they mate. Proper nutrition is key, and we make sure that each calf gets what it needs through a technique called break feeding. With break feeding, we open up fresh areas of pasture and fence off the sections they’ve just left, to provide fresh food for the cows, while protecting the land they’ve just grazed. By doing this, we’re ensuring our whenua doesn’t get worked too hard, while ensuring a steady supply of nutrient-rich kai for the herd.

It’s a balance – making sure they’re well fed while keeping the land in a state of regeneration. Like much of life on the farm, it’s a slow, thoughtful process. And sometimes, we’re faced with tough realities. Unfortunately, we lost one calf in birth last week – a natural but sad part of working with animals. We do our best to look after each new arrival, but nature can be unpredictable.

While it’s not always easy managing weather fluctuations, invasive species, and keeping up with the needs of our growing herd, we believe that with careful planning and respect for the land, we can create a system that supports both our animals and the whenua. What this results in is restored biodiversity, a healthy ecosystem, and ultimately nutritious meat products that are produced with care, in alignment with nature.

Ngā mihi to our crew for their mahi out on the land – and to the calves, for reminding us of the beauty in new beginnings 🧡