The newborn lambs use gorse bushes to shelter from the wind on Alistair and Genna Bird's 560 hectare farm near Oxford in North Canterbury.
It's the only upside to the fast spreading perennial that's a thorn in the rear of many a farmer.
A ewe and her twins stay close to the gorse for protection Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
"If only we could gain some income out of gorse we'd be rich!" Alistair says.
Seriously. They've looked into it.
"We even researched if there was such a thing as gorse perfume, because I love the smell of gorse, it's like a honey vanilla scent!" Genna says.
The idea was chucked into the too-hard basket but perhaps that was a bit premature.
Country Life checked online and found a gorse-inspired Eau de Toilette.
So perhaps there's hope for Genna's gorse flower perfume range after all.
Genna and Alistair Bird on a hill on their farm Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Poplar poles on slip prone hill country Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Halfway up a steep track that leads to the top of the couple's rugged property is a hillside dotted with new poplar poles.
"I got my gym work in for a week after planting the poles!" Alistair says.
He got the young trees through Environment Canterbury's Soil Conservation and Regeneration or SCAR programme.
"It's the first time the scheme's been in the Waimakariri District as a funding option, so ECAN subsidise the poles and then we've got to go out there and plant them," he says.
The programme aims to retain productive soils while delivering benefits to water quality, biodiversity and building on-farm resilience to climatic effects.
Alistair has already ordered 200 more poplar poles for planting next year.
Sheep and cattle share a hilltop paddock Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
After following the Bird's farming journey since September 2022, Country Life's A year on the farm series is winding up.
Keep watching their progress though on Alistair's KiwiFarmingNZ YouTube channel.
He normally adds a couple of videos to it every week.
In terms of the future, Alistair says continuing their lives on the farm is not a foregone conclusion.
"We jokingly say this but it's no joke, we want to be here in two years time, that's kind of how tight things are in the Ag industry at the moment."
To supplement their farm income Genna works as a fill-in teacher while Alistair makes some extra money from his popular YouTube videos.
The couple have also built a scenic hilltop cottage for people seeking a tranquil, rural retreat.
A calf keeps close to mum Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
The early lambs are achieving good growth rates Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Rams enjoy an extended break once the breeding season is over Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
