VERN Mueller is well-known for selling quality lambs and milk vealers at the Mount Pleasant saleyard, highlighted in 2011 when he set the joint State record for suckers at $170.
Farming at Cromer, in the Adelaide Hills, with his wife Margaret, they run 150 Polwarth ewes, 120 Polwarth-Border Leicester ewes and 26 Murray Grey cows.
Once common in high-rainfall zones, these days Polwarths are found in far less Australian flocks.
But for Vern, the decision to continue with Polwarth bloodlines is based on their suitability to the area.
He also had two Polwarth studs nearby. Only one, Bel-Antha, is left for the Muellers to source stock.
"Polwarth is a Corriedale-Merino cross so they're a breed suited to wetter country, which is what we have here," Vern said.
"They're basically three quarters Merino and have the same frame as a medium wool Merino.
"When I first bought the land here I had Merinos and I was trying to breed crossbred lambs.
"Sometimes this worked and sometimes it didn't, so I went for something a little more suited to where I am."
Growing up on small acreage, Vern got his initial start in agriculture working as a beekeeper after leaving high school.
"I caught two or three swarms the first year and went on from there," he said.
He also worked as a fencer and shearer and shared a farm with his brothers in Victoria, before they split the partnership in 1978.
"I used to shear from the end of August up until Christmas," he said.
"I shore in one shed every year for the past 43 years until I had a hip replacement and had to stop."
The Muellers bought 48 hectares at Cromer - 28ha is arable - in 1982. They also lease another 34ha.
Vern's Polwarth ewes produce 22 micron to 23M wool.
"They have pretty clean wool," he said.
A run of Strathdown-blood White Suffolk-Polwarth-Border Leicester sucker lambs set the record price, with Vern saying the Strathdown-blood White Suffolk ram that sired the top price lambs had continued to produce some excellent progeny.
"I sell at Mount Pleasant because prices are just as good as Dublin, and it's not as far so there's less freight to pay," he said.
"(Landmark Anderson & Fawcett Mt Pleasant agent) Colin Fawcett comes and has a look at the lambs and cattle before they go.
"I think he's very good."
Vern said he was thrilled with the $170 price tag.
"I was pretty happy," he said.
"I wasn't at the sale, but Colin did give me a ring to let me know what they made."
Ewes lamb in April-May with lambs then sold in October.
Vern said lambs were sold when they "looked good enough" - and when there were enough buyers about.
"I'll have a look at them and send in a first draft to the sale," he said.
Lambs are run on improved pastures of clover and phalaris, with home-produced hay comprised of clover, phalaris and ryegrass and Laucke ewe and lamb nuts fed out when needed.
This year, the Muellers sold prime lambs to tops of $98, averaging $88.
The Murray Grey herd calves in March, with Margaret saying she chose this breed because they were so quiet and easy to handle.
*Full report in Stock Journal, July 4 issue, 2013.
