Kale crop above the rest — literally

Otago Daily Times

27-05-2025

Sheep and beef farmer Ken Bain, of Hindon, stands in his kale crop, which won him the top prize at the 2025 Taieri Winter Crop Competition. PHOTO: SHAWN MCAVINUE
Taieri Winter Crop Competition
Strath Taieri farmer Ken Bain's homecoming features an award-winning kale crop.
The Hindon sheep and cattle farmer was crowned the winner of the 2025 Taieri Winter Crop Competition, taking out the section for a kale crop cultivated on a hill.
His kale crop was easily the best he had ever grown but he was surprised to win.
He had expected a farmer growing a crop on flat land to take out the top honour.
"Their ability to grow crop and their tonnages is so much better down there."
He had entered the competition for the past two years and it was first time he had won a prize.
SovGold kale seed from Agricom was sown across more than 6ha at the start of November last year.
Consistent rainfall throughout the season had helped growth.
"This season has been phenomenal."
Dairy bulls and cows would begin eating the kale next month. Sheep would be kept out of the top crop.
"It's not really a sheep crop, it is reasonably high."
The success of the crop was also down to the quality of the paddock, which had not been ploughed for 25 years or more.
"This paddock may be old but it has never faulted in growing grass."
He liked ploughing paddocks and this one was due.
"I'm old school; ploughing has always worked for me."
He was planning to test the soil to find out why the paddock performed better than others on Willowlea.
A shelter belt of pine trees protects the crop from a cold westerly wind and helps keep the soil temperature up.
Mr Bain and his wife Alison bought the 160ha farm Willowlea in Hindon two years ago.
He was raised on the farm, which was then more than 1800ha, owned by the government and called Parero.
His late father Graeme Bain was a manager on Parero, working for a salary from the Department of Lands and Survey.
To buy the farm where you lived as a boy was satisfying.
"I've worked for other people all my life and now it is just Alice and I that I have to worry about.
"You don't have to please anyone else — it is good."
On Parero, his family lived in a house which had since been demolished.
"I used to get on a bus at that gate over there to get to primary school at Lee Stream."
Parero became three ballot farms in 1978.
"When this was settled, Dad drew his own ballot farm at Black Rock."
His mother Lorraine died about two years ago.
"She knew we bought this place before she died."
His path to owning Willowlea included studying at Lincoln University, working as a PGG Wrightson stock agent in Owaka for more than two years, managing Stoneburn Station, in East Otago, for five years and entering an equity partnership in a sheep and beef business in Kyeburn.
The equity partnership ran its course and allowed them to buy Willowlea.
Willowlea was "in good heart" and there were no plans for any major development, thanks to work of past owners including Graham White.
Livestock set to spend this winter on Willowlea were about 200 rising 1-year-old dairy bulls, mostly Holstein Friesian, 120 dairy cows, 750 quarterbred lambs and 200 in-lamb ewes.
"Our system is reasonably simple."
The farm operation includes another 120ha lease block in Berwick.
About 160 rising 1-year-old Holstein Friesian and Hereford cross bulls, weighing about 215kg each, were set to be sold privately to make the most of the buoyant beef market.
Many of the bulls were from dairy farms owned by Mrs Bain's brothers on South Taieri, the Sutherlands.
"There is a shortage of stock out there, that's why we are getting rid of 160 bulls. That's the beauty of bulls, unlike lambs, where you've got a maximum weight you can take them to. With bulls you can keep putting the weight on them."
• The crop competition and auction raised $84,000 for three rural study scholarships ($6000), Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Trust ($27,200), Otago Community Hospice ($29,000), Outram School hall audio visual equipment upgrade ($6100), Outram Historic Path shared pathway ($6600) and Outram Lions and Rotary clubs ($9000).
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