Enhancing Soil Health and Productivity in High Country Central Otago.
Carrickmore Station – Merino, Sheep and Beef Station
Transforming High County Farming & Increasing Productivity
Pete O’Malley is the 5th generation of the O’Malley family to farm Carrickmore Station. Leaving it in better shape for the 6th generation, his daughters, is his goal.
Faced with soil structure issues, high input costs, and stagnating productivity, Pete’s father Paul began the search for an alternative method to help the farm deal with the environmental extremes. They began transitioning towards a more biologically focused approach. A key part of this shift has been integrating Fish IT Whole Salmon Hydrolysate into their farm system to improve soil health, nutrient cycling, and pasture diversity.
The Results - At a Glance
Soil Health Improved
Soil health in the 200Ha finishing block improved dramatically, with higher worm counts, better structure, and increased microbial activity.
More Diverse & Resilient Pastures
Transitioning to multi-species pasture mixes boosted nitrogen fixation, reduced reliance on synthetic inputs, and improved stock health.
Extended Growing Season
Allowing higher pasture cover and increased biological activity in the soil helped maintain soil temperature, allowing for longer pasture growth through autumn into winter and through spring into summer.
Reduced Cultivation & Input Costs
Healthier soil structure minimized the need for frequent plowing, while nitrogen-fixing plants reduced fertiliser dependence.
Strategic Use of Fish IT
Applied pre-planting, at early growth, and mid-season, Fish IT enhanced nutrient cycling and pasture resilience without excessive synthetic inputs.
Future-Proofing the Farm
By prioritizing soil health and sustainable practices, Carrickmore Station is building a resilient, productive system for future generations.
Soil Structure and Fertility Issues. Breaking Free from a High-Input Model
5th Generation farmer Pete O’Malley tells of how they have begun to transform 200Ha of K-Line irrigated land of their 4500Ha Station.
Carrickmore Station operates across a diverse landscape, with summit country for summer grazing, dryland flats, and a 200-hectare irrigated finishing block. While irrigation introduced new opportunities, the soil structure was tight, with low biological activity, low worm counts, and declining stock health.
“We needed to get a better return and move away from the high-input model” Pete explains. “The ground was tight, there weren’t many worms, and the inputs were high, but the outputs weren’t there.”
Seeking long-term sustainability Pete’s father, Paul, had noticed the need for frequent plowing and pasture rotations, which wasn’t improving soil function. The conventional system required ongoing synthetic inputs, yet stock performance wasn’t improving. Paul then began looking for alternative ways to get the soil biology working more effectively.
Building Soil Biology and Nutrient Cycling
Integrating Fish IT into the System
Paul introduced Fish IT Whole Salmon Fish Hydrolysate as part of their soil management approach, focusing on building biological function and nutrient cycling. The system also included working with a multi-species approach to pasture. When Pete returned to the farm 5-6 years ago he took up the biological and multi-species approach Paul had implemented.
“We started applying Fish IT across the 200-hectare irrigated block, particularly on brassicas and young grass,” Pete explains. “We saw results early—clover increased, urine patches disappeared, and we were seeing more worm activity.”
Measurable Improvements in Soil and Pasture: Increased Worm Activity and Improved Soil Structure
Before using Fish IT, the farm had low worm counts, was compact, and the soil had an anaerobic, “formaldehyde-like” smell. Over the last five years, soil health has dramatically improved.
“When we dig into the soil now, we see good calcium levels, open structure, and a much healthier worm population,” Pete says. “The soil is working better, and it’s helping keep everything in balance.”
The O’Malleys have begun transitioning to diverse pastures with approximately 40 hectares in a multi-species mix, moving away from a ryegrass-dominant system. They now incorporate prairie grass, Timothy, white and red clovers, plantain, chicory, and vetch, which support nitrogen fixation and improve stock health.
The red and white clover and Vetch are all fixing Nitrogen from the air.
Pete says “There’s so much nitrogen in the air—it feels stupid trying to buy it all the time. We’ve got 40 hectares in a diverse pasture mix now, and the goal is to expand that across the full 200-hectare finishing block.”
Maintaining Soil Temperature in Winter and Drought Resilience in Summer.
The goal with the mixed-species pastures is to grow longer covers, helping to shade the soil in the heat of summer and maintain the soil warmth for as long as possible in the winter. This allows for an increased length in the growing season. Soil Food Web tests also show that active, biologically rich soil can be 1-2 degrees warmer due to the activity of the microbiology, allowing for extended pasture growth.
Standing in a multi-species paddock in the finishing block Pete says,
“In this area, we drop below 5 degrees in early May, which stops growth. But with better soil activity and temperature, we’re holding warmth longer, meaning we can grow more feed”.
How Fish IT Fits into the Carrickmore Station System
Originally stumbling upon Fish IT the O’Malleys started to see positive results quickly. Now they are able to quantify those results with the Soil Food Web testing.
For Pete, Fish IT is a component of their inputs that serves several different purposes for different outcomes. From Pre-Planting to boosting growth Fish IT is now a vital part of the system they run on the 200 Hectare finishing block.
For pre-planting Pete mixes Fish IT with glyphosate as an uptake oil, reducing reliance on synthetic chemicals. Once early growth is established Fish IT is combined with urea and fulvic acid to support the plants and give them a boost of nutrients early on.
As the season moves on a mid-season boost is given to pastures helping to strengthen them against the extremes of the seasons.
Ideally, the entire 200 hectares of the finishing block receive 20-30L of Fish IT per year.
“We’re not just applying it blindly—we monitor results using Soil Food Web tests,” Pete says.
“It’s not like putting on 200 kg of urea where you see an instant spike, but the long-term improvements in soil health are huge.”
Looking Ahead: Continuous Improvement for Future Generations
The O’Malleys are committed to refining their system, reducing reliance on synthetic inputs, and continuously monitoring their progress.
“We’re always trying new things—some work, some don’t, but that’s farming,” Pete says. “If we stay the same, we’re going backward. My daughters are the sixth generation here, and I want to make the land better for them.”
By integrating Fish IT and focusing on soil biology, Carrickmore Station is improving productivity, reducing input costs, and building a more resilient farm system—one that will continue to thrive for generations to come.
Above: Multispecies and high grown covers help to keep the soil temperature under control meaning greater water retention in summer and warmer soils in winter.