The portfolio of farms includes four stand-alone dairying operations under Oamaru-based company Borst Holdings Ltd which is owned by Five Forks farmer Richard Borst.
In 2014, Borst drove his digger into the Kakanui River to save a woman trapped on the roof of her car, which had been swept into the river by flood waters during a ferocious storm.
He also reached a level of infamy after appearing in the news when, along with his wife Sylvia, he protested the changes to the Otago Regional Council’s 6A water plan by dumping a truckload of cow poo in front of the council’s Dunedin office last year.
The plan introduced stricter rules around sediment and runoff from farms into waterways. At the time Borst said the changes had ruined his livelihood and driven him out of farming.
Combined, the 992 hectares of land produces 1,418,000 kilograms of milk solids a year from a herd of 3380 animals.
Pleasant Creek Farm is a 321 hectare property split into 42 paddocks, milking 980 cows. The farm has a five-bedroom executive style homestead, a four-bedroom manager’s residence, a second four-bedroom dwelling, and a trio of two-bedroom staff quarters.
Kauroo Flats Farm is a 225.4 hectare property split into 32 paddocks, milking 980 cows in an automated 70 bail rotary shed. The farm has a four-bedroom homestead, a four-bedroom manager’s residence, and two adjoining one-bedroom flats.
Kinloch Farm is a 247 hectare property split into 34 paddocks, consented to milk 700 cows in a 54 bail rotary shed built last year. On the farm are a three-bedroom homestead and staff dwellings.
Incholme Farm is a 197.4 hectare property split into 29 paddocks, milking 720 cows in a 46 aside herringbone shed. The farm also has an impressive dwelling collection of a four-bedroom homestead, a three-bedroom residence, and a two-bedroom worker’s cottage.
The portfolio is being marketed for sale by Bayleys Canterbury salesmen Kurt Snook and Noel May – with offers closing on December 15.
Snook said the farms could be bought individually, in any combination of entities, or as one entire portfolio.
«This collection is one of the largest private dairy farming portfolios to have come onto the market since the Crafar and McVitty portfolios some seven years ago».
May said the dairy operation had been strategically built up over years, but a change of personal circumstances by the farmer had meant it was being placed on the market for sale.
«All of the properties are well irrigated – either pumping water from springs or with permits to draw water from the Kakanui River and its tributaries, or the Otekaieke River.»
Each farm grew fodder beet enabling at least 80 percent of the cows to be wintered on the farms, he said.
Kauroo Flats, Incholme and Pleasant Creek farms have supply contracts with Fonterra, while Kinloch Farm has a supply contract to Oceania Dairy.
Borst was unavailable to comment on the sales.
Source: Stuff
Link: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/dairy/87119568/major-dairy-operation-near-oamaru-put-on-market-by-hero-farmer