Page 13 - OurStories-2022_Preview

OUR STORY: POCOCK | 13

HISTORY: Lampata’s Poll Merino flock has been a staple
of the farm throughout its history.

private selection, which was very time consuming.
“We had people say to us they wanted to have a
crack at the top ones, so that led us to having an
auction,” he said.
“When we first started we were selling about
300-plus rams.”
The crash of the wool market was a major
setback for the stud, but Bruce said persistence
was key, and the farm always overcame the tough
times.
“In 2003 we set an Australian saleyard record
price for 1.5-year-old ewes at the Lameroo
off shears sale, which is one of our biggest
highlights,” he said.
“We sold for $178, which was unbelievable.
“I’d never seen anything like it, there were $5
bids happening - it was massive.
“There are always tough times but we’ve had
good, loyal clientele who have been here year in
and year out and without them we wouldn’t be
where we are today.”
Almost 40 years on, the stud is still operating,
but Robert said he wanted to bring it into the 21st ▲ DOUBLE DELIGHT: In 2021, Thomas, Robert and Bruce Pocock and Luke Sparks topped the Lameroo off shears
sale, with a pen of May/June 2020-drop ewes, which made $385 and was also named best presented pen.
century.
“The stud has always been run as a fairly low
key operation with my Dad,” he said.
“In the 20 years I’ve been home I’ve probably
“He hasn’t tried a lot of self-promotion, which is
seen more below-average, drought, hard seasons
challenging for a lot of farmers and I find that a bit
and low commodity prices than optimistic ones,”
challenging too, but with everything moving online Robert said.
we need to move with it.”
“Last year we had a similar rainfall pattern and
Agtech has always been at the forefront of
effectively had 20 times the yield we had in 2002
the operation, with the family eager adopters of with the same amount of growing season rainfall.
electronic data management, pregnancy testing
“The system is now not a credit to me or my
and Australian Sheep Breeders Values, according
father, but it’s the way farming has moved and
to Robert. developed over the last 20 years.”
“Since the late 50s and early 60s we’ve been
Bruce said the differences in farming throughout
measuring animals’ individual characteristics and
the years were phenomenal.
breeding from them which has built us a highly
“I would love to see Robert out on a tractor in a ▲ THROWBACK: Bruce and Robert Pocock set a state
productive flock,” he said. coat at night time without a cabin and doing what
This year, Lampata displayed at Agfair Broken record in 2003 of $178 at the Lameroo off shear sale.
we used to do,” he said.
Hill, NSW, for the first time, and although
“I never sprayed a weed until the middle of the
daunting, Robert said it was an important step ‘80s - they weren’t a problem because we used
towards the future of the stud with the South East
the old style of cultivation.
Merino Field Days the next opportunity.
“Now it’s one pass with the boom spray, one
“I want to do that now because we’ve just had a pass with the seeder and the job’s done.
DNA flock profile result and the result came back
“The grain handling has also changed, I can
amazingly solid,” he said.
remember as a kid stamping the bags as they
“What we’re trying to produce is a maternal
were being loaded on the elevator at the bag
component in the sheep with good growth
stacks at the railway sidings.
ranked in the top 10 per cent and our profile
“We had to go and get our fertiliser off the
results have shown that.
railway trucks and bring it home and that was all
“I figured I’ve got something here I can show in bags.
that’s not just our stud sheep, but our flock as
“When my father used to talk about horse and
well, which gives people more insight into what
carts it was amazing, so to think of it now is
kind of impact our rams will have. massive change.”
“We had a great response from the crowd (at
This year, many across the state were faced with
Agfair) and I think it’s something we’re going to
the unknown.
keep doing from here on.”
Rain hadn’t fallen in months, paddocks were
Into the 21st century bare and farmers were seeding dry without any
indication of what was to come.
Systems have developed immensely on the In the nick of time, a rain break made its way ▲ NEXT GENERATION: Robert Pocock said raising
cropping side of the operation as well, despite through SA and into the Mallee, ushering in what his children, Hugo and Thomas (and Ruby, not
challenging years. may be a record-breaking crop. pictured), on-farm was of high importance.