Coopworth Genetics 2013 Annual Conference

Southland were host province this year.
Did a few days 'road trip' for this one, about a 1000km drive to Invercargill, starting with a 5am traffic-free run to Wellington to catch the Interislander Ferry, and including an overnight stop in Ashburton to get there.
Took a leisurely enough pace to be reminded what a down-home friendly mob Southerners are.
The loss of sheep country to dairy over recent years, Canterbury to Southland is startling, while the area gone over to vineyard Blenheim to Nth Canterbury is also very noticeable.
Day one started with a trip around to Riverton, mini-Riviera seaside community and fishing port on the south coast, and a visit to Templeton's Flax Mill. The flax industry had closed down around the 1970's, but this place has been kept operational as a tourism venture. Flax would have lost ground to synthetics as raw material for roping, furniture stuffing, and woolpacks, with just a bit going these days to craft people. These days too, there'd be environmental problems to overcome, waste discharge, and the machinery is noisy and possibly an OSH risk.
Raewyn and Graeme Black's 'Lawson Lea' stud offered the first Coopworths sighted.
Set piece discussion centred round succession of the recorded flock and the thought breeders needed to give to future-proofing ram breeding, all sorts of challenges, dairy, composites, non-rural careers pursuit for young country folk, or even whether they simply dont find interest in flock recording at the Coopworth level of intensity.
The Black family stand out as one that has grown and endured, from Bob's early days spent bulldozing and breaking country in, to the 490 ha breeding/finishing unit it is today, supported by a further 572 ha tussock hill country breeding block. Peter and Leon's renowned flock and block next door is further testimony to this family's grit.
Should have been obvious what's needed to meet the challenges of a changing world.
Grit. Focus, (as in not getting side-tracked by the "changing world").
Like a lot of us sheep people, theyre now surrounded by dairy. I suppose you could say a bit pariah in the circumstances, but, to bastardise a phrase, 'who's going to come, if you dont build it'.
Well done Blacks anyway.
And specially for the gourmet lunch organised at the local hall, oysters, whitebait, cray.........
plus an exhibition of local artist's work.

To be continued.......