CROPPING is the main focus of the Hazel family's Kapunda farm, but it also helps them get the most out of their prime lambs.
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Robert Hazel said while beans would not stack up on their own as a cash crop, with decent yields hard to come by, they are worthwhile for the weight gains that come from running sheep on the stubbles.
Grazing crops also helps provide an excellent feed source throughout the year.
And it helps with the 1050-hectare cropping program, as it means seeding can start early.
“We sow Naperoo wheat in early April – it’s a crop that you get more bulk from grazing than if you hadn’t grazed it,” he said.
Sheep usually go into the Naperoo crop this time of year, but growth has been slow so far this season because of the dry start.
But after receiving more than 40 millimetres of rain last week, crops should now shoot away.
The Hazels lamb three times a year – the crossbreds in April and September and the Merinos in August – so they have year-round lambs for the trade.
Lambing is onto a mixture of vetch and cereals, as they produce the greatest bulk.
The majority of sales are made over-the-hooks and sometimes through the Dublin market.
Hawkers Creek Farm branding is also used in the restaurant trade, with lambs going each week from the farm to one of Adelaide’s best-known and most awarded restaurants, Africola.
By providing lambs to the restaurant trade, the Hazels get regular updates on how their lambs are performing in terms of carcase quality.
