About Us
Our Story
The Totaranui yarn involves history, tradition, technology and generations of hard working good buggers that have got the operation to where it is today. With history that dates back to 1937, when Norm and Gweneth Hoggard started Totaranui Stud, a passion for quality takes pride of place.
Now run across three properties; Waipori in Makuri, Puke Te in Masterton and Totaranui in Pahiatua, the Angus and Dorset Down studs are key parts of a large scale commercial operation.
11,000 odd sheep are run across the 2,600 effective hectares of farm land, which varies from easy flats right through to steep, unwelcoming hill country. In winter the sheep go first, followed by the 480 Angus stud cows who clean up the pastures, just as they would in any other commercial environment.
As far as the story goes, let’s get back to the hard work and results…
Tally Jackson grew up at Totaranui and after marrying Daimien Reynolds, the pair left their corporate jobs in Wellington and moved home in 2006 to work alongside Tally’s parents John and the late Mary Anne Jackson.
It wasn’t long before Damien and Tally had children of their own and they took the reins, bringing new ideas to the table. They did however, share a great passion for improving the quality of grass fed, pasture raised beef with Tally’s father John, who is wholeheartedly behind the work done by AngusPure in improving carcase attributes and consequently eating qualities for the end consumer.
John’s passion evolved into a quest to build more IMF and EMA into the Angus herd back in the mid 1990s, which has seen profitability increase significantly for both Totaranui and our clients, as meat processors began to reward farmers for those carcases that qualified for the premium grades.
The Angus sires bred by Totaranui today stand as strong at the native trees around them, but it’s what’s under their black hides that counts.
We must never forget of course, that the environment is a big part of our operation — not only must we contend with all the curve balls it throws at us throughout the year, but we must nurture and improve it in order for our future generations to have a running chance at carrying the torch.
Daimien Reynolds, Mary Anne Jackson, John Jackson and Tally Jackson at Totaranui.
Our Team
The valued team here at Totaranui is long standing and committed to best farming practice, as well as ensuring our clients receive a premium service and the best bulls possible, each and every year.
Daimien Reynolds & Tally Jackson
Since moving to Totaranui in 2006, Daimien and Tally now run the cutter and both play integral roles within the operation. Having grown up on the property, Tally knows it all too well and sticks to the stud books, leaving Daimien to weigh the calves in the rain as winter draws to a close.
Their three teenage children all love getting amongst farm life at any opportunity.
John Jackson
‘Jacko’ as most know him, has been instrumental in the Totaranui Studs as we see them today. He’s been on bull scouting trips to the USA with Guy Sargent since they began in the early 1990s and so long as the internet is beaming into Picton, he’ll be involved with our sire selection.
Maurice Prince
Cow herd manager Maurice has been in the business for over thirty years. He’s out of the old mould that never stops working.
It’d be fairly certain that he’s dropped blood in every paddock at some time or other…
Mark Hanley
Mark is the manager at Totaranui and has been within our business for over thirty years. He started at Waipori, our block at Makuri and came back to Totaranui in 2009.
This tough old Totaranui bull has weathered a fair few storms.
