From Crimp to Crosshairs : Mount Campbell Station

A merino farming legacy sits at the end of one of the most unique gravel roads in New Zealand. Amongst the stark and striking rocky landscape in the mountains bordering Alexandra, you’ll find Mount Campbell Station, home to Merino sheep and beef farmers Steve and Vicki Sanders, their daughters Alice, Olivia, Virginia and son Ben and their wider family.

With their roots stretching back a century, farming, for Steve and Alice, is as much about honouring the past as it is about shaping a sustainable and diverse future. “My father purchased the farm in 1958 with the help of his grandfather,” Steve said. “We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to buy this place in 1958. My father ran it up until about 1990, then my brother for about 20 years. And now I’m home and running it with my family.”

Steve, who returned to the farm in 2020 after years away, finds humour in his late-career restart. “I’m 65 years old, and I’ve started a new career. I got the pension in October, purchased the farm in November, and was certified insane in December,” he laughed.

The station stretches across 8000 hectares of leasehold and 265 hectares of freehold, with irrigation development a recent game-changer. Steve explained that they already have 120 hectares under irrigation and plans for more. “The irrigation’s given us a hell of a lot more options,” he said. “It’s taken that weakness out of our system.”

Merino wool is seen as the backbone of the farm. “There has always been a Merino farm here, which seems to suit this area,” Steve said. “Some of the finest wool comes out of this area, and the environment helps us with our slow rainfall.” The Sanders run 2600 ewes, wintering their lambs and fattening them through to spring. Alongside sheep, the station also supports 135 Angus cross and straight Angus cows, which are bred to Angus bulls.

Environmental care underpins their approach. Alice believes thriving stock depends on a thriving landscape. “It’s really important that animal health remains at the heart of our business, and that is best done when the environment thrives,” she said.

“So everything that we can do – fencing the swamps and waterways, planting – that’s all part of what we’re trying to achieve. If the environment thrives, then the farms thrive.”

Shearing time is a good reminder of how closely wool quality is tied to stock health. “Every fleece is classed,” Alice explained.

“The classer looks at the staple – how white it is, how clean it is, the crimp, the strength. If an animal has had a hard season, you’ll see a break in the wool. That’s why animal health is so paramount – because it has a direct impact on profitability.”

Wool quality remains central to their reputation, with much of their clip heading to Italian mills on longstanding contracts. However, Steve emphasised that meat is also important to farming operations at Mt Campbell. “We’re not solely focused on the wool – we focus on the carcass and make sure that it’s going to produce a 18 to 22 kilo lamb in the spring.” Animal genetics are carefully chosen, with rams purchased from Benmore and Earnscleugh Stations. The goal is to balance growth with fineness. “We’re trying to grow more weight at the moment and keep our fineness as well,” Steve said. “You’ve got to be a very patient man to be a farmer. Genetics take time – 20, 25 years before you actually see the full benefit.”

To strengthen the business, the family has embraced diversification. The farm now supports dairy grazing, trading livestock, and new ventures like a wedding venue and agritourism. “People would flock to experience this place given the chance – walks, horse riding, agritourism,” Steve said. “We’re very fortunate to be in this part of the country. It’s quite unique.”

Alice has added her own enterprise to the mix with the Mount Campbell Hunting Club. She offers Learn to Hunt workshops, guided hunts, and trophy experiences. Alice’s Learn to Hunt programme is designed to give people the skills and confidence to hunt, especially those who may not have access or experience.

“I thought, I have this opportunity, I’m going to start with workshops, and it’s just grown from there. We off er two-day workshops, covering everything from starting to handle a fi rearm all the way through to taking an animal on your second day, if conditions permit and people are interested. It’s to really build confidence in people who want to go hunting who maybe feel out of place or unsure, or they want to feel comfortable handling a fi rearm,” she said. It also has environmental and financial benefits. “We’re utilising the pest species on the farm to make a positive environmental impact and let people see this beautiful place,” she said.

“It’s important that it’s not just solely farming – to keep relevant we need to diversify.”

A strong network supports the operation. “It’s a team operation, really. We have a stud breeder, an agronomist who does all our pasture and crops, a farm consultant, our accountant, and of course the bank. We’ve got a team which we trust and utilise as much as we can,” Steve said.

The climate is one of the biggest challenges. “We have mid-30 degrees in summer, and we can have minus 10 to minus 20 in winter. The seasons are very defi ned – summer will stop, and then autumn comes in. Autumn stops, and winter is winter. One doesn’t drag into the other,” Steve said. Irrigation is key to managing this challenge, with the implementation of a man-made lake in the surrounding unproductive land.

For the Sanders family, heritage runs deep in Little Valley. “The Sanders family have been here for over 100 years,” Alice said. “There are three, technically four, farms in this valley owned by Sanders. This farm is a huge legacy – not just for Dad, but also for my uncles and my grandmother and grandfather. My grandmother was so instrumental in this place. She lived here until she was 91, and her ashes are scattered up on the hill. To carry on that legacy is something we don’t take for granted.”

Mount Campbell Station today is both a working farm and a family legacy, sustained by fine wool, beef cattle, and new ventures that keep it relevant for the future. “We’re always looking for the best way to be sustainable, to diversify, and to keep this place thriving. These are the wide open spaces that are left, and we have to preserve that.”