IT’S nearly 30 years since Stephen and Mary Bowerman relocated from the chilly Monaro to the property “Sunnyside” in the Grenfell district, attracted by the possibilities there for year-round crop and pasture growth.
Now the couple are ready to retire, and “Sunnyside” is looking for a new owner – perhaps another who, like the Bowermans, is drawn by the enterprise versatility offered by this well-watered, centrally located mixed farm.
Comprising 689 hectares (1703 acres) including about 240ha of cultivation, “Sunnyside” is likely to have special appeal as a winter feed refuge for Tablelands graziers, or as a handy “inside country” finishing farm for breeders from further west.
The property has been listed for private sale with Ainslie Toole of Landmark Harcourts Forbes with an affordable price tag of $1.158 million – equivalent to $1680/ha or just $680/ac.
At that price, it works out at between $386 and $463 a DSE depending on stocking levels, which typically average 2500 DSE but at times have reached as high as 3000 DSE with supplementary cropping.
After they bought the property the owners for a time were running 1500 Merino ewes and replacements, before scaling back to the present mix of a self-replacing Merino flock of 900 Koonwarra blood ewes plus 300 wethers, and 45 Angus and black baldy cows.
Earlier this year surplus wethers aged three and four years were sold off-shears for more than $100, while weaner calves aged 9-10 months sold for more than $900 a head.
Situated 25 kilometres north of Grenfell towards Gooloogong in the sheltered Warraderry Valley, “Sunnyside” is a property of mostly soft red loam soils rising from creek flats to open, arable slopes and about 200ha of hill.
Original timber consisted of yellow box, kurrajong, pine and ironbark and the hill country remains mostly timbered (but used for grazing with wethers), leaving a scattering of shade trees over the remainder.
The 240ha of cultivation country is used mostly for winter fodder cropping, although cash crops have also been grown successfully, including an opportunity crop of sorghum.
A 24ha crop of Naparoo dual-purpose wheat is included in the sale.
Recent rains have provided good flows in the Native Dog and Peaks creeks which flow through the property from catchments in the surrounding hills, and stock water is further underpinned by 10 dams.
Average rainfall is about 600mm.
The property comes with a tidy three-bedroom clad home set in an established garden with valley views, and an original weatherboard homestead of three bedrooms partly renovated, and well suited to farmstay usage or guest accommodation.
Working improvements include a large machinery shed, near-new portable steel Kattlecare cattle yards with crush and loading ramp, an older-type two-stand shearing shed and assorted storage sheds and two silos.
The property is subdivided into nine main paddocks with fencing described as “good to fair”.
While fully productive and boasting all necessary working improvements, the property also offers scope for further investment if desired, through upgrading of existing infrastructure and high-performance pasture establishment.
The livestock on hand together with plant and equipment are available for optional purchase, and the vendors would consider a walk-in, walk-out sale proposition.