Established as a sheep station in the 1850s after the land was allocated by ballot to a returned serviceman, it has been owned by the Bell family since 1966. Today, the property has evolved into a sustainable deer farm, combining traditional farming with tourism experiences, farm tours and a technology-driven approach to land management.
When Jerry Bell and his wife Mandy succeeded his parents, Hector and Joan, in 1993, they converted the sheep station into one of the country’s larger deer breeding and finishing farms. The couple have continually reshaped the face of their farm through technology as well as side tourist ventures featuring one of the best views of Lake Wānaka.
It has proven productive for their 2000-hind operation, which Mandy has been at the forefront of. The farm runs Eastern European red deer and elk.
“The industry is smaller than what it was, which is happening across the red meat sector. There is always more to learn, but generally if you have good systems and awareness of animal health and genetics it’s a very intelligent animal to farm,” Mandy said.
The former vet and daughter of Canterbury sheep farmers in the Lincoln Hills said the Kiwi venison industry is in good shape, but not without challenges.
She said the biggest threat to the niche product is the wild venison market.
“There is the wild deer issue. It isn’t good for our DoC estate, it’s not good for other farmers and it isn’t good for the industry.”
Since the 2020 covid lockdown there has been a higher proportion of wild deer reported and the Department of Conservation has, she said, lost control of those growing numbers (estimated to be as high as 1.8 million), contributing to severe damage to native forests.
This wild meat is sold under the Kiwi venison name and has had a roll-on effect of the more regulated NZ-farmed venison market.
“The quality of that compared to farm venison is very different, as you can’t guarantee the age of the animal. We need a solution where there is incentive for these animals to be culled.”
The Criffel property runs as four farming operations – hill breeding, venison finishing, velveting and a stud operation.
Now managed by Jerry and Mandy’s son Henry, the farm uses time-saving technology, such as helicopters and more recently a drone, to round up the deer.
“They are less stressed with the drones, there are so many upsides. We don’t use bikes, and we hardly use dogs,” she said
The farm was home to a pilot for the artificial intelligence-run FTP pest traps, and since using them for five years, Criffel has reintroduced its native bird life in numbers.
“They have cameras in every trap, they recognise each pest and will go off for the right pest and they will leave the native birds.”
Criffel Station has much of its native vegetation fenced for regeneration and has gone through a rigorous planting process to assist its biodiversity.
They have monitored for half a decade, taking soil samples, and conducting water quality testing, bird counts, eDNA testing, and vegetation monitoring.
Aside from farming, in the 2000s Criffel Station started to enter the tourism market. They began by opening historic Criffel Station Woolshed to weddings.
There is also an increasing demand for a rural experience in central Otago, so the farm often hosts international tourists.
The farm’s adventure tourism facility, Crossfire, sits on the main highway between Luggate and Wānaka and contains a rifle shooting range, clay bird shooting, a golf driving range, mini golf and archery.
Right beside the range is the specialist nursery, which nurtures hedges from seedlings to mature hedges to go straight into the ground.
In a region built around the rural sector, the expanding development below means Criffel Station is one of around 40 land holdings of reasonable size around the basin.
The family is proud to hold onto the farm’s rural heritage as well as develop new ideas for it.
“The farmers here are very passionate about the land they live on and looking after it.”