Sustainability in Every Post: Taimate Angus - Marlborough

At Taimate Angus near Ward, Marlborough, the Hickman family’s farming story stretches back more than a century. Since the first settlement in 1905, the land has steadily expanded into what is now an operation spanning nearly 1,500 hectares across three properties. Under the stewardship of Paul Hickman, the stud continues to grow while embracing practical, future-focused solutions like EverpostTM across the farm.

The Taimate Angus stud was established in 1956 by Paul’s grandfather and great-uncle, and later passed to his father and eventually to Paul around 20 years ago. While the stud remains the core focus, the business has diversifi ed to refl ect both opportunity and necessity. Alongside breeding Angus cattle, the operation trades between 5,000 and 8,000 lambs annually, winters dairy stock, runs additional cattle trading, and maintains a vineyard covering approximately 85 hectares of canopy.

Seasonality defines how the business operates. Paul describes the system as feast or famine, with stock numbers peaking at close to 2,000 cattle over winter. Rather than pushing against the land, the approach is to farm with it, adjusting stock policies depending on the conditions each year brings. This same practical mindset applies to infrastructure, where EverpostTM enables development to continue cost-eff ectively and sustainably, particularly across such a large and varied property. Through work by Steve McCabe and the team at McCabe Fencing, EverpostTM has been used to fence along the tops of hill paddocks housing sheep and cattle.

“What Goldpine is doing with the retreatment and repurposing of posts, I think it’s great, and it’s certainly a good way to do a large spread of area that you may not have been able to aff ord to do otherwise,” Paul said. “It just ticks every box. With the wood retreatment, we know we’re pretty much going to get just as long out of the posts as we would with new ones.”

Taimate Angus focuses on performance-driven breeding, sourcing genetics globally to meet client needs for longevity, productivity, and temperament. This year, new Australian genetics enhance the blend, maintaining tradition while improving outcomes. Although most bulls are sold in New Zealand, exports to Australia, the US, and Canada are increasing, attracting strong interest.

Sustainability sits at the centre of every decision on farm. For Paul, it is not a trend but a necessity. Looking after the land, water, and animals is fundamental to staying in business long term. The adoption of EverpostTM fits naturally within this approach. By reusing and re-treating existing timber, EverpostTM reduces waste while still delivering the durability needed for large-scale farming. It also allows more development to be completed within budget, which is critical across 1,500 hectares.

“Sustainability is everything. I think reusing materials is absolutely the way forward,” Paul said. “Unfortunately, we obviously all live in a throwaway society. We, as farmers, are at the forefront of showing people that you can repurpose and reuse as much as you can.”

Paul sees real value in this kind of innovation. Farmers have long repurposed materials where possible, and EverpostTM builds on that mindset at scale. The ability to reuse resources, extend their lifespan, and reduce overall costs aligns with both environmental responsibility and good business practice

Looking ahead, Paul is confi dent about the future of beef farming in New Zealand. Global demand for protein continues to rise while supply tightens, creating strong conditions for producers. For the fi rst time, beef farming is becoming a highly profi table standalone system, off ering farmers new opportunities to simplify operations while maintaining strong returns.

At Taimate Angus, that future is being shaped through a combination of proven genetics, careful management, and practical solutions like EverpostTM. It is an approach that refl ects the realities of modern farming while staying true to the principles that have guided the business and family for more than 100 years.