Christopher Sparks can be counted as one of the top cattle stud producers in South Africa after having claimed two prestigious national titles last year. Sabrina Dean visited him at his Mount Olive Brangus Stud in the Free State to find out what it is he is doing right.
The bakkie bounces along through the sourveld grazing camp. The prevalent red grass, Themeda triandra, looks lush and healthy, thanks to the mist belt conditions on the farmland surrounding the tiny village of Swinburne in the Free State.
Ahead is a cow with her young calf. Stockman Bongaan Ncama jumps off the bakkie and quickly gets hold of the calf, only a few hours old but already strong and lively.
This ritual takes place at the birth of every calf on the farm. The colour is recorded and the animal is sexed, tagged and weighed. Within hours of its birth, breeder Christopher Sparks will have laid hands and eyes on the latest addition to his award-winning Brangus stud herd. Sparks, one of the top Brangus breeders in South Africa, won two awards in 2018: the Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC) Beef Improvement Herd of the Year, and the Breedplan Stud Producer of the Year.
BUYING BACK THE FAMILY FARM
Sparks grew up riding and hunting on the rolling hills surrounding Swinburne. His family owned most of this farmland, as well as the village itself, until his grandmother sold it off following her husband’s death. In the late 1990s, Sparks bought back his first plot of this land, a 1,8ha smallholding called Mount Olive Stables, where he kept his beloved Arabian horses.
Over the years he gradually acquired additional pieces of the farmland, and today has reclaimed much of the farm that once belonged to his family. An architect by trade, he runs his firm from an office he has established in the town.
His cattle component consists of the Mount Olive Brangus Stud and a Nguni conservation breeding and weaner production operation utilising stud-quality cows. In addition, he has his Mount Olive Arabian Stud and has recently purchased a herd of Xhosa Lob Ear indigenous veld goats.
MEASURE FOR SUCCESS
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 18, 2019 من Farmer's Weekly.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة January 18, 2019 من Farmer's Weekly.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
