Kouratahi

 

Kouratahi - Finding the Perfect Balance

Mike Cammock is a busy man.

The team at Atkins Ranch recently caught up with Mike at Kouratahi, the property he leases from his father in-law Mike Murray - an original supplier to Atkins Ranch. As we sit down in the woolshed for a cup of tea and a chat, you get a sense that if the walls could talk, they’d have a few stories to tell.

Originally built in 1984, the woolshed is the central hub of Kouratahi, which comprises 1771 acres of rolling hill country in Wairarapa, New Zealand.

Mike is at pains to ensure his father in-law gets due credit for all of the work he did whilst at the helm of Kouratahi. Mike Murray put in place a lot of the environmental plan that is now coming to fruition across Kouratahi. This has led to a thriving, healthy ecosystem that helps Kouratahi produce some of the best lamb in the world.

If the woolshed is the central hub of the property, the waterways are the life force. Kouratahi has fenced off waterways across the property. The results are clear for all to see. Literally, with crystal clear water Mike often uses to quench his thirst during the long, hot, dry summers.

Mike highlights there are always unintended consequences to the work you do to make the ecosystem healthier. One of these is the return to the waterways, in vast numbers, of the property’s namesake, the Koura, a native species of freshwater lobster.

As we travel across the vast property, which at its highest point sits roughly 1,700 ft above sea level, it is hard not to be drawn to The Glade. Which as the name suggests, is a beautiful clearing with ancient native Totara trees towering above, neighboured by 74 acres of native bush.

As we wander through The Glade, there is a cacophony of insect and bird life. You get a sense this is Mother Nature doing her thing, the way she always has. The spectacular native bush area serves as the lungs of the property, helping Kouratahi to sequester carbon out of the environment, whilst breathing life into the broader ecosystem across the entire property.

Mike’s eyes light up when he talks about the role the tract of native bush plays in the overall health of the property. It is clearly a point of pride, not only for him, but for his father in-law also. He talks passionately about getting out of the way and letting mother nature do her thing. A theme that seems to be common across many Atkins Ranch farmers.

Mike is very conscious of the work that has been done before him. Naturally the history of the property informs his vision of the future for Kouratahi. Like many New Zealand farmers, Mike is very humble, not wanting to take credit for the work of those who came before him.

It is this Kiwi humility that drives the vision for the future of Kouratahi. Mike is clearly very passionate about carrying on the work of his father-in-law in establishing a sustainable business. Sustainability means many different things on Kouratahi.

The work they have done to plant natives and fence off waterways, the carbon sequestration from their vast tract of retired native bush, to a conscious move away from crops that require more intervention are all building an ecosystem that Mike will be able to pass to the next custodian with pride.

But sustainability means more than that at Kouratahi.

Mike feels a very real sense of duty to demonstrate to his children Kouratahi is a longstanding, future facing sustainable business. By looking after the land, he believes, you will produce a better product, which in turn will help establish a sustainable business. This sense of guardianship is a common thread through Atkins Ranch farmers. It is ingrained in their sense of duty to the land they have the privilege of overseeing. Like many other Atkins Ranch farmers, when you speak to Mike you get the sense he is only just getting started.

But for now, his passion for his little slice of paradise is evident for all to see, as the next generation enjoy themselves chasing Koura in the stream that meanders in front of the homestead. This really is a well-balanced ecosystem.