Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Although I want to expand my herd as quickly as possible, quality is equally important.
For Diana Arnold of Glenhope farm near Bathurst in the Eastern Cape, farming has always been a lifelong ambition. Her parents Richard and Helena Glennie farmed in the Swaershoek district near Somerset East, and Diana grew up immersed in agriculture. Although her father was initially hesitant about her career choice, he soon recognised her determination. After she completed her university studies, he helped her acquire Glenhope.
However, Diana’s path didn’t lead straight to the farm – she spent a year in Australia managing a herd of 16 000 cattle alongside four other people. That experience, she says, proved invaluable. Today, she lives at Glenhope with her husband, Cullen, an agronomist and technical advisor at Summerpride Foods, and their two-year-old daughter, Sophia.
Starting from the ground up
Starting a farming business from scratch is no easy task. The farm is owned by a trust, from which Diana leases the property. When she started farming in 2019, she had a mixed herd of around 150 cows, but little else. With an empty bank account, an overdraft facility and rent to pay, she had to build a viable business from the ground up.
Since then, she has acquired the farm Grove, situated some 10km south of Glenhope, and together the two properties now span 1 340ha. Over the past seven years, Diana has more than doubled her herd to just over 300 cows. She also runs a small Meatmaster flock of around 60 ewes, which she says makes a valuable contribution towards covering lick costs.
She initially retained every heifer in order to build the herd. Over time, however, she realised that rapid growth should never come at the expense of quality. “I currently use Beefmaster bulls, but last year I also bought a Brahman bull because of his hardiness in our tick-prone environment. Although I want to expand my herd as quickly as possible, quality is equally important. These days, I apply much stricter selection criteria to my replacement heifers. There is no point in keeping an animal that lacks the potential to improve the herd.
“One day I realised I was tired of looking at poor-quality cattle. I decided to cull every animal that wasn’t contributing, or never would, including mature cows and heifers. The additional income also helped improve the farm’s financial position.”
The grazing system
One of the greatest lessons Diana learned from her father was to never stop learning. He believed that the moment a producer thinks he or she knows everything is the moment everything starts to go haywire. That philosophy led him to enrol Diana in Neil Evans’s holistic management course in Cathcart, where she was introduced to the principle of high-density grazing.
One of Diana’s first projects at Glenhope was redesigning the grazing system. Using Google Maps, she converted the existing camps into a wheel-and-spoke layout centred around existing water points. Rather than investing in permanent fencing, she installed infrastructure for movable electric fencing.
“The improvement in grazing quality has been remarkable, but the system has also made herd management much easier. The original 17 camps were divided into 62 paddocks, each between 10 and 12ha, with each paddock grazed for only about 15 days per year. During the growing season, paddocks rest for between 60 and 92 days, while winter rest periods range from 90 to 120 days. This makes it much easier to estimate available grazing accurately and to act well before drought conditions are forecast.”
Although Glenhope and Grove are only 10km apart, the farming environments differ. Glenhope receives an average annual rainfall of around 670mm, while Grove averages around 720mm. At Grove, the average camp size is 13ha and rest periods vary from 50 to 65 days. The original 13 camps have been expanded to 30, and all water points are supplied by boreholes to minimise reliance on earth dams.
“I regularly assess every paddock, so I know exactly which areas are performing better than others and adjust my grazing strategy accordingly. The benefits have been extraordinary.”
After six years at Glenhope and four years at Grove, the improvements are evident. “Grass density has improved considerably, and plant diversity continues to increase. Where Sporobolus species once dominated, we now see Smutsfinger grass, redgrass, paspalum, and an increasing number of legumes. The carrying capacity of both farms is steadily improving.”
Managing a challenging environment
Both farms are situated in a high-tick area, requiring intensive parasite management. During summer, Diana dips her cattle twice a month and once a month during winter. She also applies Ivermax twice annually on Grove (in December and March) and once annually on Glenhope (December).
Interestingly, she has noticed a decline in tick numbers, meaning she doesn’t have to dip cattle as frequently anymore. She suspects the movement of cattle between paddocks has something to do with this. The growing guinea fowl population is also helping by feeding on the ticks.
The vaccination programme is managed in close consultation with her veterinarian in Alexandria, who advises her of disease risks so that preventive measures can be taken in advance. Annual vaccinations cover the area’s common diseases, while cattle are also vaccinated against botulism after chicken litter was used during a difficult period.
Diana identifies drought as her greatest challenge. “In this part of the country, drought isn’t a question of if, but when.” Ticks and insect pests are also constant concerns, while bush encroachment and invasive vegetation, such as black wattle, pine and thorn trees, require ongoing control. She regularly budgets for drone spraying to contain them. Security is another challenge, with the theft of solar panels and pumps, as well as illegal hunting with dogs, posing risks.
Although the farms have several dams, Diana places great emphasis on water quality. She has invested heavily in pipelines connecting boreholes to reservoirs and watering points throughout the paddocks. This not only provides livestock with clean drinking water but also reduces the risk of liver fluke.
Improvement as a way of life
Her dedication to sustainable farming was recognised in 2025 when she received the Bathurst Conservation Committee’s award for the most improved farm. “The judges didn’t only assess the quality of the veld, but also looked underneath the grass. It was incredible to see how much life had returned to the soil, from dung beetles and earthworms to insects and microbes. It opened my eyes to the indicators that truly measure progress.”
That same year, Diana was also the first woman nominated by Agri Eastern Cape for its Young Farmer of the Year award. The judging process was an incredible learning opportunity, and while she did not win, she found the experience immensely valuable. – Izak Hofmeyr, Stockfarm
For more information, contact Diana Arnold at 078 664 7372.
