Page 25 - OurStories-2022_Preview

OUR STORY: MAY | 25

then 2017-19 were again pretty poor,” he said.
Paul said wheat averaged about 1.2 tonnes/ha
when they farmed conventionally, while in the past
20 years the average has increased to 2t/ha due
to better varieties and moisture conservation.

Expansion plans
Paul and Helen had four children, with son Ash
the only one remaining on-farm, with wife Anna.
They have continued to grow the property,
with another 526hac bought in 2001, while Ash
has more recently bought 1620ha in 2018 and
another 810ha in 2020.
“We’ll be paying those last two off for
generations, with the way prices have been,”
Ash said.
“But the parcels all join, which made the
purchases worthwhile.”
Ash’s sons Jacob and Hamish will both be
back working on the farm so expansion was
required.
Paul ‘retired’ to Wudinna six years ago, but
still helps out on-farm, along with Ash’s father-
in-law Ted Beattie, in the busy times.
The Mayome property comprises 6000ha and
runs 900 breeding ewes. ▲ ON FARM: Paul, Jacob and Ash May with their new CASE track tractor.
The ewes are joined to Calcookara and
O’Brien Poll Merino rams on March 17, before
being containment fed in June for four to six during harvest however, “wrecked all our “But more recently, we’re focused on paying off
weeks. wheat”), while another 120mm fell prior to debt during some pretty bad years.”
“This gives the medic a chance to get going seeding. The most recent purchase was in 2019 - their
before we put the ewes on there to lamb,” Ash “We normally start seeding around Anzac Day, first-ever CASE tractor with tracks, through
said. whether it’s rained or not,” Ash said. Ramsey Bros.
“We’ve run it that way the past 20 years,” Paul “But this year we had a lot more confidence to “We delve a lot of hills, and it gets over soft sand
said. just put it all in. We finished seeding early on May well,” Ash said.
“We found that if you put sheep on medic 13.” “We have been delving for 10 years, more
early, it will never come to anything. But if you recently with our own equipment, which we share
can get it up a bit, the sheep won’t hold it back Succession strategy with our cousin Trevor (May).”
afterwards.” While the farm handover from Paul to Ash Ash and his cousin Trevor are the only two May
The ewes lamb in mid-August to fit into the happened six years ago, succession continues families left farming in the Koongawa district.
cropping schedule. today, with the next generation now being
The wethers are fed up on medic, then cereal considered.
stubbles, before being sold on the hooks by “Back in my day, the older generations didn’t
March, while the hogget ewes are mated as think of it at all,” Paul said.
1.5-year-olds. “But you have to these days, otherwise it can
Shearing is once a year, in the first week of get really ugly.
March, but the family are considering going to “That’s why we have been very transparent with
twice a year. Ash’s succession.
“It’s just a matter of finding the time,” Ash said. “You never want a family bunfight after you’re
“But buyers are looking for shorter wools, plus gone.”
it saves on crutching, and shearers probably Jacob returned to work on Mayome three years
prefer the shorter wool. ago, after working on farms elsewhere, while
“We’re trying to breed easy care sheep that we Hamish presently works on another farm locally.
don’t have to manage too tightly.” Their sister Montana works as a nurse at
This year, 4210ha was sown - 3000ha wheat, Wudinna, while Willow, 16, is a student at
670ha barley, 300ha peas, 180ha vetch and 20ha Westminster.
oats. Ash said the recent property acquisitions
Paul was on the boomspray, Jacob did the night have meant any new machinery was on the
shift, Ted did the day shift, and Ash covered in backburner.
between. “From 2001-16, we did turn over a lot more
There is some confidence in the season after machinery as we didn’t have as much debt,” he
100mm of rain in November (not convenient said.
▲ GRANDPA: James May holding his grandson Paul.

▲ SHEEP RIDE: Ernest May bought this 1963
International when he first started buying the farm
outright, which has been used for many tasks
▲ FINAL CLEARING: The last of the May property to be cleared in the late 1960s. on-farm.