ABOUT
The Farm
Altrive is a 160Ha fully deer fenced dedicated Velvet antler breeding farm on the outskirts of Riversdale, Southland. We fawn approximately 300 hinds, and keep 150 spikers, 150 2 year old and 60 3 year olds through for sale. We have two annual sales, a winter hind sale where in-fawn MA hinds are sold online, and the January sire stag, velveting stag and yearling hind sale which we host on farm.
Geoff Elder
Geoff took over the family sheep farm in 1979 and started performance recording 200 of their commercial ewes which resulted in selling rams and starting a registered Romney stud as well.
In 1985 Geoff bought his first hinds and naturally recorded them too. After five years he was running approximately 200 share farmed hinds, all recorded, as well as his own small herd of around 50 hinds.
During the early years he selected on growth rates and velvet, keeping 2yr old stags that cut a minimum of 1.3kg. Now the two-year-old keepers average over 5kg.
Geoff enjoys managing the breeding program and passing on his knowledge to the next generation.
Andrew & Samantha Elder
Andrew and his wife Samantha are both deeply passionate about deer, even meeting in the deer shed when Samantha turned up as a Veterinarian to velvet some stags. Andrew enjoys all aspects of deer- including working with them, hunting them, and of course eating them- he is a very good cook!! In his spare time Andrew is- you got it- Hunting somewhere, and is very passionate about conservation and wildlife. He has made 20 traps of which he has around the farm and volunteers his time for the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation where he frequently is involved in the predator trapping project. Andrew manages the day to day operations on the farm, particularly enjoying working with his bunch of three year old potential sire stags and getting to know their personalities and potential.
Samantha is a Veterinarian with the local clinic and enjoys following her personal hunting guide Andy in the great outdoors, but lacks the patience required for fishing! She sits on the Southland DFA as their Veterinary representative and the New Zealand Veterinary Association Deer Branch committee. She enjoys planning and implementing animal health on the farm and the administration behind the scenes.
