Don Nairn’s new Texel stud enterprise kicks off with first offering of rams at Northampton and New Norcia

Horrocks Beach farmers Don Nairn and partner Joanne Loftus will launch their first Texel ram offering this year at two venues and the couple are excited about the prospects of adding another element to sheep farming in WA. The couple will first offer 12 Terara Texel rams at the annual Northampton Merino Breeders’ Ram Sale on Monday, September, before penning up another 12 rams at the Boorabbin Merino Ram Sale on Thursday, September 21. Mr Nairn said his was drawn to breeding Texels because of their early maturing growth rates and well above average dressing percentages plus their genetic anomaly from the myostatin gene that affects double muscling. “I bought my first Texel flock at the end of 2017 and introduced them to the tranquil but sometimes arid conditions of Terara Farm in Binnu,” he said. “The Texels adjusted to life in this environment with no issues and began to thrive under the grain and graze and Enrich principles. “I wanted to retire from cropping and grain production and focus more on the genetics and nutrition of my Texel flock — to continue what I really loved.” In 2021, Mr Nairn acquired the complete Edmund Rice College Texel stud, at Bindoon — all bred from Te Rakau bloodlines. One year later, in 2022, he purchased Whitecliff farm at Horrocks Beach — the new home to Terara Texels. “This is the only farm that I know of where the sheep enjoy a sea view whilst watching the annual whale migration,” he said. Adding to his stud, Mr Nairn purchased the Te Rakau Texel stud from his mentor, Maria Wood, at New Norcia. Whitecliff farm is located on one of the most fragile coastal environments in the Midwest and it is also very wind prone. “I am a big believer of supporting the environment and in June in conjunction with Northern Agricultural Catchment Council, I started the first round of a regeneration program with 17,000 mixed fodder and native plants,” Mr Nairn said. “I am looking forward to seeing the outcomes from our lambing season this year along with the first offering of our Terara Texels rams.” Mr Nairn said he had been a farmer since leaving school at 16 — more than 50 years ago. “I helped my father, Ian Nairn, and three brothers — Colin, Jack and Bugsy — clear most of the land from the original Terara farm in Binnu,” he said. “Due to the growing size of our respective families, we expanded from a mixed cropping farm to include a stud piggery — Terara Pastoral Company. “We also continued to farm Merino Sheep on the property, as a continued practice from my father.” In 2000, Mr Nairn took the complete management of Terara. “I am a big believer in mixed farming enterprises.” he said. “I got involved in Grain and Graze, a program to boost the profitability of mixed crops farms, and Enrich programs — a multi-purpose grazing system using perennial fodder shrubs.” At the time, Mr Nairn’s Merino sheep were his pride and joy. “I like wool and I love fine wool,” he said. He faced a challenge to produce the best fine wool for the industry. “It is the best fibre in the world and the Australian wool industry is the best in the world — it took me most of my working life in Binnu to obtain accreditation from Organica Precious Fibre from farming company Control Union Uruguay,” Mr Nairn said. “The accreditation was focused on land management, environment, animal welfare, corporate social responsibility and the chain of custody. “A fashion brand called ASKET was looking to source exclusively from two of Chargeurs Group’s NATIVA regenerative farms — one from Tasmania and one from WA.” Mr Nairn said Terara was chosen because the farm managed to meet all the accreditation processes of the program .