Each year, local farmers Mike and Cath Cranstone of Riverton Ezicalve Herefords auction a special Hospice Bull at their annual on-farm sale, raising funds to support hospice care. This year’s Lot 76 sold for $5,600, with proceeds shared between Hospice Whanganui and Arohanui Hospice – a generous tradition that blends farming legacy, community spirit, and aroha in action. 🌿
Each year, local farming families and businesses across Aotearoa find unique ways to give back to their communities. For Mike and Cath Cranstone of Riverton Ezicalve Herefords, that generosity takes the shape of a bull – a very special bull, auctioned annually to support hospice care.
On Thursday 18 September, Riverton Ezicalve Herefords held their annual on-farm sale – a proud tradition that’s been running for generations. The Cranstone family has been breeding easy-calving bulls for dairy and beef heifer mating for over 40 years, continuing a legacy started by Mike’s great-grandfather, Ted Cranstone, in 1904.
This year’s event once again featured the highly anticipated Hospice Bull, with proceeds split evenly between Hospice Whanganui and the buyer’s chosen hospice.
“Having a bull in the auction for Hospice annually, gives our clients a chance to support Hospice alongside us,” says Cath. “Hospice provides such a special service to the community, supporting so many families in their time of need. There are many ways that farming families can support Hospice, and this is a way that works well for us and promotes the amazing work that they do.”
Lot 76, this year’s chosen bull, fetched an impressive $5,600, with half donated to Hospice Whanganui and the other half to Arohanui Hospice in Palmerston North – nominated by the buyers, Jason and Anne-Marie McKewen, long-standing clients and sharemilkers in the Manawatū.
Both PGG Wrightson and NZ Farmers Livestock kindly waived their commissions to support the donation, while Cath brought extra excitement to the catalogue with a nod to her win in this year’s Dancing for Hospice event – slipping her “People’s Choice” photo in alongside the bull’s listing.
With 140 bulls sold on the day, Riverton Ezicalve Herefords continues to demonstrate how community, legacy, and aroha can make a lasting difference – one bid at a time.
💛 Hospice Whanganui is deeply grateful to Mike and Cath Cranstone, their whānau, and everyone who supported the sale – including this year’s successful bidders – for helping keep hospice care free for patients and whānau.
👉 Learn more about ways to support Hospice Whanganui.