AIM for quality, not quantity, is the lesson Jim Renkin has learned from a lifetime spent farming at Lindsay Park, Lima, east of Euroa.
Mr Renkin's great-grandfather selected the land and successive generations have added to the holding so now the family farms on a 405-hectare home block and another 405ha nearby on which they run about 260 cattle and 3000-plus sheep.
The Renkins are known for their fine-wool Merinos whose 17-micron fleece is sold in Melbourne each year, including to European suit-makers.
And that drive for quality extends to the family's beef production.
The Renkins used to concentrate on producing Angus-Fresian F1 crosses as vealers but Mr Renkin said they could no longer afford to be specialised vealer producers.
Now the family run Angus and Angus-Herefords joined to a Charolais bull.
"Years ago I wouldn't have looked at Charolais but they have improved out of sight," Mr Renkin said.
He has bought Ashley Park and, more recently, Chenu Charolais bulls.
"I had one bull from Rebecca Keeley (of Chenu Charolais, Bridgewater) and his performance has seen me buy another five from her."
Mr Renkin said he liked Charolais' muscle and temperament, which in his opinion provided many market options."They can be very good vealers and if they don't make it, they can be sold as very sought after weaner steers and heifers. Most of our fat cattle are sold over the hooks and the remaining cattle we sent to Euroa and Yea, which is very popular for Charolais cattle."
A pen of the cattle returned the equal-top price of $820 for weaned steers at the Euroa end-of-financial-year steer sale in July.
The Renkins' son Pete, who works full-time on the farm, is a qualified butcher which means "he knows what a good calf is" and through his connections has been able to open up a niche market for select calves: they supply a small number of animals to Donohue Quality Meats at Benalla at certain times of the year.
This arrangement also means the Renkins can get more detailed feedback on the cattle's performance from the butcher.
Mr Renkin and wife Liz's other children, Cathryn and David, work off-farm and help when they can as they all live nearby.
Having various markets for the beef as well as producing wool and fat lambs makes the farming enterprise more resilient.
Each year lambs are classed and those that don't make the cut are joined to a terminal - currently a White Suffolk-Southdown - enabling the Renkins to turn off about 800 fat lambs annually.
"You don't want to have all your eggs in one basket," Mr Renkin said.Mr Renkin has been buying rams from Montrose Hill at Illabarook for about the last 13 years.
"I'm very impressed by the McKenzies' sheep and Helen and George provide unbelievable service."
The species mix also suits the farm's topography.
"The beauty of the property is the balance of flat and bank country that gives versatility in different seasons," he said.
"So if we have a very wet winter, we can get the cattle off the banks.
"We also enjoy a 40-inch (1016-millimetre) rainfall and it's an extremely reliable district - I'm 62 and the creek has never stopped flowing."
Only about 32ha of the farm is irrigated by a gravity system fed by dams.
Although the high rainfall leeches out nutrients from the sandy loam soil that could be acidic, the Renkins conduct a maintenance fertiliser program on their "cattle country" and each year put lime on a couple of paddocks.
A split-calving pattern enabled them to make the best use of the improved ryegrass, clover and phalaris pastures, Mr Renkin said.
"We try to do (renovate) one or two paddocks a year; we sow a summer crop and then sow down pasture in autumn."
The sheep graze the native pastures, which helps to keep their fleeces consistent. Ewes and lambs are put on improved pastures to meet their energy requirements.
"If you're in fine wool it's because you are passionate about it," he said.
"But over the years, sheep have been good to us."
The key to producing a good article - whether it be wool, fat lambs or beef - was securing great genetics and having adequate nutrition, Mr Renkin said.
"Don't overstock, although there is a temptation when there's grass to go out and buy.
"People have been burnt in in drought or dry years, so I think they are more cautious this season, particular with talk of El Niño."
Jim Renkin is one of our "10 of the best" farmers to feature in this week's edition of Stock & Land. Pick up a copy to see farmers from other commodity groups who are also kicking goals.
