Dairy Focus OCTOBER 2016
EMPLOYMENT PROBE Time for dairy farmers to shape up
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Susan Sandys
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SHAPE UP OR ELSE
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A PRICELESS ASSET
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Most dairy farms don’t have the luxury of having their own HR department. Purata Farming Limited in Canterbury does have this, with the person in charge being the general manager of people and performance. It may well be a fancy title for a department representing high ideals, but the philosophy behind good staff management is actually quite a simple one. I’ve never worked on a dairy farm, so would have no understanding of the incredibly hard work required of people there day in and day out. But I have worked hard in a variety of industries, and do know that managers who work hard themselves, while valuing and recognising the contributions staff make, are the most successful managers, and generate that success not only for themselves but also for the organisations they operate. DairyNZ has listed 10 keys to success for dairy farms, gleaned from some of New Zealand’s top operators. And good people management is one of these. The Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment is undertaking a probe into dairy farms throughout the country, conducting random visits to see if farmers are meeting their obligations in terms of keeping accurate employment records and ensuring staff receive their minimum entitlements. As well as these legal obligations, dairy farmers, and in fact all employers, need to take their lead from some of New Zealand’s top performing farmers. They need to make sure staff are valued and recognised, seek ideas from them on how to improve the efficiency of their operations, and keep open communication lines.
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MBIE urges farmers to shape up or else It is time for dairy farmers to shape up on the employment front, says the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. And there is no better time than the present, as the Labour inspectorate prepares to hit the South Island. Susan Sandys reports.
South Island dairy farmers need to ensure their employment records are in order as the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) launches a nationwide probe. continued over page
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From P3 The ministry is preparing to visit South Island farms after launching the probe into the dairy industry last month. Labour Inspectorate regional manager Natalie Gardiner said all South Island dairy farmers should be prepared for an inspectorate visit. “A number” of farms would be visited. In the past, the inspectorate had been disappointed to find about half of the farms visited in the South Island in breach of their obligations as employers. She said dairy farmers need to keep written employment agreements and time records. “While farmers will not be warned ahead of the inspectorate visit, for farmers who are compliant, this is nothing to worry about,” Gardiner said. Previous to announcing the nationwide probe, the inspectorate visited 28 farms in the Waikato. In a twomonth period they found there had been 21 employment breaches across 14 farms, with the inspectorate issuing seven improvement notices and three warnings in addition to $9000 in infringement notices. Of the six farmers issued infringement notices, three
Make sure employment contracts are up to date and all signed off
received fines of $2000. Gardiner said all employers should have written employment agreements in place, keep proper records, and be able to prove they are providing employees with their entitlements, such as minimum wage and public holiday pay. “Employers who aren’t meeting their obligations will face penalties, with Labour
inspectors able to issue infringement notices for $1000 per breach, up to $20,000.” “There is a lot of material out there from industry bodies to help farmers get it right, so we advise farmers to take advantage of it.” The costs to farmers not complying can climb into tens of thousands of dollars. Last month the Employment Relations Authority (ERA)
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found Allan Marx and Paul Roberts of Vintage Farm Trust in Taranaki had failed to keep records of employment contracts, working hours, public holidays, leave and pay. The trust was ordered to pay more than $87,000 which included $64,000 in arrears and a $23,000 penalty. An MBIE labour inspector visited the trust’s two farms
in 2014 as part of a routine audit, and found two couples employed were receiving less than the minimum wage when the long hours they worked were taken into account. The ERA ruling triggered a warning from Federated Farmers of New Zealand, for its members to comply with the law. Taranaki provincial president Bronwyn Muir said getting the basics of employment law right was the foundation to building an attractive work environment. Legally compliant contracts and employment agreements were available for purchase from Federated Farmers for members and non-members. “Legislation does change over time and it’s important to keep on top of changes and keep everything up to date,” Muir said. Meanwhile, staff turnover in the dairy industry is considered to be quite high. The Federated Farmers Remuneration Survey 2015 found 38 per cent had less than one year with their current employer, and the average length of service was 2.6 years. DairyNZ data shows 15 per cent of the core workforce leaves the industry each year.
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Strong team a priceless asset Staff feeling valued and recognised is crucial to business success, say some of New Zealand’s top performing dairy farms. Susan Sandys reports.
Purata Farming Limited team members include (from left) unit manager Sam Brooker, assistant herd manager Brian Bueno, farm PHOTOS SUSAN SANDYS 171016-SS-064 manager Russ Young at B24 Dairies, and Purata general manager, farm operations, Andy Millar.
Do not mention the s-word if you ever happen to visit Purata Farming Limited. The enterprise has about 80 permanent employees across 13 farms, mainly at Te Pirita, and also including one at Ashburton and three at Dunsandel. The s-word is staff. “It’s a bit of a no-no,” says general manager, farm operations, Andy Millar. “We don’t have staff, we have a team.” The wording is representative of a drive at the business to have all the team engaged in their roles, and in the process to increase team retention. continued over page
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From P5 Purata has targets under the four Ps of People, Profit, Production and Pride, the latter relating to animal welfare and environment. The main metric under People is retention. Retention from one season to the next has improved at Purata from hitting a low of about 60 per cent several years ago to about 85 per cent this year. The main driver of retention is engagement, and communication is key, says Millar. Team members need to have a clear description of what a good operation looks like, there needs to be a high degree of transparency with descriptions of how their work contributes to targets, and a clear understanding of the achievements required at a farm, team and individual level. “What they have to do every day to be successful … and we celebrate that success,” Millar said. “We are looking at ways to make the business more efficient, but also looking at ways to make team members’ jobs safer, better, easier and faster.” Purata holds “show days” for all team members approximately every six weeks,
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Targets are outlined under people, profit, production and pride at Purata.
where various teams share their successes, challenges, expertise and ideas. The days are held on one of the properties at 11am to 12.30pm, enabling a good turnout each time. Senior team members and farm managers contribute to the overall strategic direction
of the business and hold regular management meetings. An emerging leaders group for 2ics and others in the business meets at least every two months to ensure engagement of up and coming talent. Feedback from team members across the whole business is sought on a regular basis, and
171016-SS-074
time is taken to set clear goals, and these are reviewed at least quarterly. “It’s all about making people aware of how well they are doing. Everyone, or at least everyone as far as I can observe, wants to do a good job,” Millar said. Career progression is
an important factor in engagement, and where possible Purata aims to ensure there is development of people so they can grow within the business. The longest serving team member on the farm has been there about 15 years and progressed to a share-milking arrangement, while there are
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PEOPLE KEY TO SUCCESS DairyNZ features some of the country’s “top operators” on its website, outlining their budgets. Good people management is listed as one of the top 10 keys to success.
Senior team members contribute to the overall strategic direction of the business at Purata Farming Limited. Pictured are Russ Young 171016-SS-088 and Brian Bueno.
other long-serving members who have progressed to contract milking arrangements. Annually team members have their performance and salary reviewed. While not the most important thing, salary is one aspect of engagement. “It’s disheartening and disengaging to feel you are
getting a poor deal compared to your neighbour.” Engagement is a key driver of performance, because many business improvements are instigated and carried out by team members. “It’s not a top-down thing, engagement is crucial for leadership to be shown at all
levels. Engagement in the business is essential for people to give total attention to what is required of the job,” Millar said. “People in the industry are under pressure to do more with less, to have a team that’s engaged, you cut out waste from the system.”
Purata’s 80 team members include about 15 business support personnel, including a health and safety manager, general manager of people and performance, and technical, financial and accounting personnel, based in head office at Darfield, as well as two veterinarians.
■■ Staff are valued and recognised. ■■ The current economic situation is well communicated and farmers seek ideas from the staff on ways to improve the efficiency of the farm. ■■ Sharemilkers have open communication lines with farm owners. ■■ Staff must take holidays to ensure they get rest and minimise liability.
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Migrant worker uncertainty Farmers are facing new challenges when it comes to employing and retaining migrant workers. Earlier this year Immigration New Zealand (INZ) removed beef and dairy occupations from the skills shortage list, creating uncertainty for farmers who supplement their workforce with migrant workers. I believe these occupations were removed as a direct result of INZ’s investigation into a substantial number of Filipino workers who entered New Zealand using false employment certificates to obtain visas. Consequently, a number of migrants were shown the door. The crackdown on visa application processes has left farmers in an ambiguous situation, with limited staffing options and sometimes through illinformed information. Engaging a professional, such as a licensed immigration adviser who is familiar with the somewhat perplexing visa application process, can guide employers onto the right path. It is beneficial for both parties;
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ensuring that highly skilled, productive migrants currently working in New Zealand’s agricultural industry can continue to do so. The INZ changes require farmers to prove that no New Zealand workers can do the job before they employ a migrant, even if the position has been filled by a migrant worker for some time. Current guidelines mean that the position has to be advertised and be subject to a Skills Match Report from Work and Income. The farmer must then prove why any potential candidates referred by Work and Income were unsuitable for the position. Canterbury farmers who supplement their workforce with migrants must ensure
that information, job titles and skill sets are absolutely correct at the time of visa application. This is where a licensed adviser can guide farmers through the process, ensuring the correct information is submitted in the first instance to offer the best chance of a visa being granted. Many applicants inadvertently make mistakes throughout the INZ application process. The most common reasons for a declined application is not
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applying for the correct visa, the inflation of workers’ skills, not applying early enough or the pay rate not accurately reflecting the position being offered. Once a visa application has been declined it results in a “black mark” against the applicant and you (as the employer), which creates issues with future visa applications. Licensed immigration advisers possess the knowledge and experience to
assist with visa applications for new and existing migrant workers. They can advise on the most appropriate visa type for each situation and simplify what may appear to be a complex immigration process for either a short-term stay in New Zealand or a pathway to residence. As an employer, I don’t do anything without engaging a third party licenced immigration adviser. Matt Jones is managing director of Agstaff
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INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS
WA dairy farmer Graham Manning.
Ireland’s special brand of green All of Ireland’s dairy farmers have signed up to Origin Green. Ireland is the first country with such a scheme, now envied and lauded by many countries including New Zealand. The Irish have stolen a march on “clean-green” New Zealand, by using an extensive, evidence-based science programme. Origin Green is voluntary and the audit encompasses food safety, traceability, animal health and
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WA farmers dumping milk
welfare, a range of environmental considerations and has recently added biodiversity and water conservation. Founder Aidan Cotter said the scheme was carbon foot-printing every farm in Ireland every 18 months, and no other country was doing that. Cotter said Ireland as a nation understood that it lived or died by global markets, and that to be successful it needed a point of difference. - Rural News
Dairy farmers in Western Australia’s south-west have begun to dump milk after being unable to secure supply contracts. Earlier this year, nine farmers from the state’s south-west were told by milk processors Brownes and Harvey Fresh their produce was no longer required due to a global oversupply. Farmer Graham Manning’s two-year contract with Brownes expired on September 30, but he was given an extra two-week reprieve in a mystery deal struck by lobby group WAFarmers. However, that arrangement has also lapsed, and with no foreseeable home for his product, the fifth generation dairy farmer said he had no choice but to sell his cows
and tip the milk out into an effluent pond. He now intended to become a beef farmer. “It’s been a pretty rough time, but we’ve got to get through this,” Manning said. WAFarmers dairy section president Michael Partridge criticised the parent companies of the two processors for their handling of the global oversupply issue. For farmers to take the brunt of the industry problem was “absolutely disgusting”. “In the past, we’ve had contract volumes drop before across the board to all the farmers supplying a processor and everyone cuts a bit of a loss.” - ABC
American government to buy $20m of cheese For Americans who want to see their values reflected in their government – values such as freedom, justice and an intense devotion to cheese – recently there was welcome news. After meeting beleaguered dairy farmers in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilscack made a proposal: We, the government, shall buy your cheese – a lot of it. The Department of Agriculture offered to buy $20 million of cheddar cheese to cut back on a record-level cheese surplus that has plagued dairy farmers
this year, with plans to distribute the coagulated gold among foodbanks and other food assistance programmes. “While our analysis predicts the market will improve for these hardworking men and women, reducing the surplus can give them extra reassurance while also filling demand at food banks and other organisations that help our nation’s families in need,” Vilsack said in a statement.
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NEW ZEALAND BRIEFS
Above - Sandra (left) and Stuart Cordell.
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Awards encourage excellence Entries for the 2017 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards have opened. The awards encourage best practice, the sharing of excellence and promoting the industry’s future leaders. Winners of the 2016 sharefarmers of the year section, Mark and Jaime Arnold, were encouraged to enter by their employers, farm owners Stuart and Sandra Cordell. Mr Cordell said he wanted other
Beef genetics improving dairy
dairy farmers to follow suit, and put forward their employees for the awards, which has a range of categories from trainee and farm worker through to management roles and share milking. “We need to encourage the next generation and make opportunities as none of us are getting any younger,” Mr Cordell said. Entries close November 30, with early-bird entries closing midnight November 9.
Findings from a five-year-study on the use of quality beef sires has confirmed the potential benefits of breeding to proven beef genetics. The Beef + Lamb NZ Dairy-Beef Integration Programme was led by AgResearch. Minimal calving problems resulted from the use of proven sires with high Estimated Breeding Values for calving, and higher growth rates resulted from sires with high EBVs for liveweight. Dairy Beef Integration Programme
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manager, Doug Lineham, said the findings provided the research validation for what was happening in the market right now. “Farmers who bred tail-end cows to proven beef semen last year are being paid two to three times more for four-day-old calves than they would for straight-bred dairy calves. The difference can be anything from $40 for a bobby calf to $200 to $300 for a dairy/beef animal,” he said.
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Emergency department doctor, motivational speaker and author Dr Tom Mulholland addresses a Farmstrong workshop in Ashburton in July. PHOTO AMANDA KONYN 070716- AK-004
Milk price challenges to be addressed at AGM It is vital to ensure the New Zealand dairy industry remains competitive internationally, says DairyNZ chairman Michael Spaans. Spaans was commenting in the lead-up to the annual meeting of the industry body in Ashburton on October 27. The meeting will address low milk price challenges of the 2015/16 season, and discuss DairyNZ’s highlights for the year and future direction.
Dairy farmers had adapted and remained competitive internationally, Spaans said. Next season would continue to be challenging and the goal to support profitable farm systems had not changed. “Being more efficient and utilising pasture is key to locking in the gains in operating costs, as milk price moves to a more sustainable level,” he said.
Farmstrong helping farmers live well Farmstrong has supported about 1000 people per week in its first year. The organisation has received 51,451 unique visitors to its website, 6205 Facebook followers and 1100 on Twitter, 1122 farmers and agricultural professionals attending 31 Healthy Thinking workshops, as well as people participating in other initiatives and attending rural comedy shows.
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Farmstrong’s Gerard Vaughan said the results showed there was a real need for this kind of support across farming communities. “Before we launched Farmstrong we asked farmers what they wanted from a wellbeing programme – and we’re delivering on their requests with a focus on topics such as sleep, nutrition, exercise and ways to get off the farm more,” he said.
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Around the traps Farmers and dairy industry professionals from throughout Canterbury, North Otago and the West Coast attended a Lincoln University Demonstration Dairy Farm (LUDDF) focus day this month. Photos Susan Sandys.
Above (from left) Nicole Wheadon, Lisa Chapman 131016-SS-047 and Sonya Perkin.
Above - Tjarko Edzes and Gordon Barrett. 131016-SS-049 Left - Ron Pellow, executive director of the South Island Dairying Development Centre addresses a crowd of about 225 at the focus day. 131016-SS-064
Above - Lucy Wright and Michelle Knight. 131016-SS-061
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Big benefits
Below (from left) Andy Fairweather, Michael Edmondson and Reuben van 131016-SS-045 Ameyde.
Above (from left) Michael Dalley, Sara Westwood, Penny McIntosh and Noel Dalley. 131016-SS-053 Left - Lincoln University Demonstration Dairy Farm farm manager Peter 131016-SS-082 Hancox.
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Below (from left) Ian Cohen, Conor Gorey, Sean Dempsey and Cillian Tuohy. 131016-SS-054
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With the dairy industry operating on slim margins the key to long term viability hinges around four key factors. • Sustainability – The dairy operation must be sustainable within the environment over the longer term. • Animal welfare – Animal welfare is paramount to maintaining high production as well as access to international markets. • Work environment – The work environment must be clean and pleasant to attract and retain top level staff in the dairy industry. • Profitability – All dairy inputs including feed, staff and fertiliser must be kept at a minimum to maintain sustained long-term profitability. These four key factors have manifested into the growing demand for wintering sheds for cows. It is recognised that herds wintered inside consume much less feed and stay in better condition.
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Hard yards set up district winner By Susan Sandys Leaving school half-way through Year 12 and going straight into milking cows may not sound like it bodes well for a bright future. But for 27-year-old Simon Ferguson of Rolleston, he can look back on such a move and say it has brought him a long way, including setting him up for a recent win in the Christchurch District Young Farmer of the Year competition. His dairy assistant job at the age of 16 at Taupo threw him into the hard work required of the dairy industry, including 3am morning rises. “I loved it,” he said. He grew up in the Matamata and Tokoroa towns, and would enjoy spending time on a friend’s dairy farm, and also with his granddad who was a dairy farmer. His first after-school job led into another at a 4500 cowfarm at Taupo where he stayed for three years, before going to a Landcorp new conversion at Taupo and being appointed herd manager.
Leaving school at 16 ended up being the right decision for Simon Ferguson. PHOTO SUSAN SANDYS 131016-SS-098
He headed off to Western Australia to drive tractors, and after enjoying the stint across the Tasman planned to get back into dairy farming in New Zealand. But he then
suffered a broken back from a tree felling accident at home. So he instead went into packing and operating a UHT plant at the Tatua dairy factory, before heading
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off to Massey University at Palmerston North at the age of 23. He obtained a degree in agricultural sciences and was once again planning to get
into farming when he spotted a job available at FarmRight. He successfully landed the farm consultant position, which brought him to Canterbury, where he has now been for almost one year. He is working in a farm advisory capacity mainly for dairy farms. “It’s been interesting, getting around and meeting all the farmers and learning how it’s done down here,” Ferguson said. He said he had always been keen to the do the Young Farmer competition, but had never had the chance, generally being too busy cutting silage or with other jobs. “This year I gave it a nudge to see what happens,” he said. “I was definitely surprised to win, I knew quite a lot of contestants in there, and there were some amazing contestants, I was stoked just to make the top eight.” He is now through to the Tasman regionals, to be held in March next year, alongside the other top two placegetters from the competition.
Irrigation Pump Sheds/Storage
CROP STORAGE AND HANDLING SYSTEMS
WE ARE BASED IN ASHBURTON COVER THE WHOLE SOUTH ISLAND
PMR are able to supply total feed delivery systems through our supplier GSI into both rotary and herringbone dairy complexes. PMR offer
• Site Consultation
• Supply
• Design
• Installation and Repairs WAKELY ROLLER MILLS Suitable for processing a wide range of crops. From 1.5tph through to 30tph plus.
These sheds are made to be easy to install with the middle piece of roof iron having been left off for easy Hiab onto your concrete pad. A 50mm overhang has been allowed to fit over your concrete pad so that you have no leaks. There is hex bird netting over the ventilation gap across the front. Made from quality H3 90x45 framing timber and finished with either zincalume or your choice of colorsteel. Sheds can be made standard or to your individual requirements. All sheds are made to order and individually priced - large & small we make them all!
Adams Sawmilling Co Ltd ISPM 15 accredited for Export Pallets
Malcolm McDowell Drive, Ashburton Ph (03) 308 3595 Fax (03) 308 5649
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SILO LADDER SAFETY CAGE Cages, platforms and handrails can be ordered to meet AS/NZ Standards. Can be designed to suit seed cleaning equipment, breweries and all manner of on farm or factory sites.
Dairy Feed and Crop Storage Specialists
The all round mill for the grinding of grain and crops. Low power consumption, quiet operation and minimum dust levels. Superior to mill grain.
Dairy Feed and Crop Storage Specialists
TEL 03 303 7266 MOBILE 0275 146 607 EMAIL steve@pmr.co.nz MOBILE 0274 151 390 EMAIL paul@pmr.co.nz www.pmr.co.nz
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Want to keep your clover in clover? Insist on Pulsar®. Visit agro.basf.co.nz for more details or visit your local distributor.
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Farming Dairy Focus
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Age no indicator for pasture replacement By SuSan SandyS Pasture renewal can be profitable, but it can also be a complete waste of money. This was the message from results of a study presented to about 225 attendees of a Lincoln University Demonstration Dairy Farm (LUDDF) focus day this month. Dairy sector representatives from throughout Canterbury, North Otago and the West Coast attended the focus day, held in fine weather. Farmers often re-grassed because of a pasture’s old age, or its ugliness, but these were not reliable indicators, attendees were told. They were standing on 15-year-old pasture, which was one of the farm’s top performing grazing platforms. AgResearch research associate Anna Taylor presented the results, from a trial with 10 irrigated dairy farms throughout Canterbury and North Otago. Farmers selected one runout pasture and one top-
AgResearch research associate Anna Taylor talks pasture renewal at a Lincoln University PHOTO SUSAN SANDYS 131016-SS-091 Demonstration Dairy Farm focus day.
producing pasture, and one half of the run-out pasture was unrenewed and the other half renewed. While some individual farms saw a production benefit to pasture renewal, when averaged across all10 farms,
there was no difference in herbage production between unrenewed, renewed and topproducing pastures. The results suggested farmers should only renew pastures which were performing poorly, and only
then once the underlying poor performance issues had been determined and addressed, Taylor said. Attendees also heard the 578-cow farm had had a good season with a mild winter contributing to good
growth rates and enabling the farm to get through spring without the need to feed any supplements. Both cows and heifers calved in exceptionally good body condition scores, with cows at an average of 5.3 and heifers 5.6. Cases of clinical mastitis were down compared with the two previous seasons. Unfortunately, lameness had been the opposite with cases climbing over 500 lame cow days this month, almost doubling the rate at the same time of two years ago, and compared to less than 100 at the same time last year. The straight part of the farm’s lanes had been rolled and relevelled, which would have been expected to have the opposite effect on lameness. The cause of the lameness was thus undetermined, however having the cows being less settled around the milking shed due to more people in there, undertaking intense sampling as part of a research trial, could be one of the factors.
Visit our website for more on how the
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Mating and lameness How is your preparation for mating going? As this will be the focus for most farmers at the moment I thought it would be a good idea to talk a bit about lameness that is more specific to this time of the year - that is lameness in front feet as well as lameness in bulls. It is normal to get more lameness in the front feet at this time of the year. Cows are bulling and when they come off the ridden cow they land on their front feet. This produces more traumas to deal with than normal walking. There is not really any suspension in the front feet just like there is no suspension in human feet. People can create suspension by bending their knees, but a cow can’t do that with their front feet, which puts an enormous amount of pressure on the locomotion apparatus when they do land on their front feet. Did you know that you could break your legs if you jump off the back of a truck and you keep your legs straight? The amount of pressure that
Fred Hoekstra
VEEHOF DAIRY SERVICES
the average person puts on their feet by jumping off the back of a truck is about 1000 kilograms. So it is no wonder that you do major damage if you keep your legs straight. In the same way there is a lot of force going on to the front feet of a cow when they ride another cow. A lot of the lameness in the front feet is ligament damage but we do get more hoof problems as well. This does not mean that this sort of lameness is purely caused by physical force. Again, the cow must have weakened claws from laminitis and then physical force will make the problem worse resulting in lameness. If it was purely caused by physical force, we would see a lot more problems because most cows do come on
heat but in comparison there are not many going lame on their front feet. We can’t stop cows from riding each other and we actually don’t want to stop it, so we have to look at minimising the stress levels on the cows and make sure that our tracks and holding yards are stone free. Lameness in bulls is slightly different. A few things are happening with bulls when they arrive on the farm and when they go with the cows.
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For one, the environment is totally different - different food, different routines and different lifestyle. I don’t think the testosterone levels will have an effect on laminitis but all the other changes do. We do have some physical problems as well. The wear pattern in animals that only walk on pasture is different from animals that walk on hard surfaces. When bulls all of a sudden walk on hard surfaces their hooves wear faster, and it will take about
six weeks for the bull to adjust the growth rate to the wearing rate, so a lot of bulls end up with thin soles. I think that the key is to have enough bulls to be able to rotate them and make sure that you use them in short bursts. Should you be interested in learning more, come and join us on one of our training courses. For more information about our courses or to book yourself on a course, just contact us on 0800 833 463!
Introducing The decision to amalgamate the Polaris franchise with our Marine division was an easy and exciting one to make. By bringing these two divisions of our business together we saw an opportunity to create a new retail environment for this specialised “outdoor equipment”. This new division of our business will be known and branded as D&E Outdoors and is located at 153 Moore Street.
combination of strength, stability, safety, comfort, performance and unbeatable usability, Stabicraft prove their worth no matter what’s thrown at them. Our long and successful association with Polaris sees us in a position to show case NZ’s largest range of side by side’s and NZ’s#1 side by side seller, in a retail environment that will be setting the bench mark for NZ Polaris dealers nationwide. D&E have experienced 4 years of rapid growth with Polaris and the continued commitment from Polaris shows with the introduction of new products every 12months. Polaris is the world leader in ATVs and Side x Sides with more choices for more applications with a 30 model line-up. Work or play, there is a Polaris for everyone with features and options a mile long. From the ever popular Youth range starting from 50cc through to the lifestyle, commercial and recreational vehicles up to 1000cc. D&E prides itself on providing quality product along with quality backup of service and parts well after the first initial sale. For D&E Outdoors this will be no different, we have specialised marine technicians that are qualified, with great workshop facilities to carry out any marine job no matter how big or small. It won’t be until early 2017 that we will have the opportunity to have the Polaris service department being able to work out of the Moore St workshop, this also includes the large range of Polaris parts that we have in stock.
Currently we are sharing our retail space with the Gluyas Motor Group until the new home for Nissan is developed and ready for them to move into in early 2017. This will then give us the opportunity to expand our retail space to create one of the largest “outdoor equipment” shops in the South Island.
So call in and see the team at D&E Outdoors, 153 Moore Street for all of your marine requirements and for your Polaris sales enquiries. For Polaris parts and service enquires please continue to call in and see the team at D&E, 832 East Street.
Look forward to seeing you soon!
Having such a great retail space available to us also gives us the chance to expand on our product range to help support our growing Marine business. The introduction of a new range of Lowrance GPS and Fish finder products will soon be available in store. Lowrance is one of the most innovative companies in NZ for electronic boating equipment and we are very pleased to have them on board. We have a fantastic range of Hutchwilco products, ski biscuits, water skis, wakeboards, ski ropes, life jackets + much more and if we don’t have it in stock we will happily get it in for you. D&E Outdoors has a large selection of Yamaha outboard engines, the Yamaha outboard range comprises of over 100 engines which range from 2.5hp right through to 350ph. D&E Outdoors also has the largest range of New and Pre Used boats in Mid Canterbury. We have the franchise for Stabicraft boats which are NZ owned and manufactured in Invercargill so we have fantastic backup and aftersales support from them. Stabicraft are considered one of the world’s best designed aluminium chambered boats for business and leisure. The first to pioneer positive buoyancy life-ring protection, Stabicraft boats are a triumph of kiwi ingenuity over the elements. A breakthrough
Marine Contacts
Polaris Contacts Sales 153 Moore Street Parts 832 East Street Service 832 East Street
027 535 3538 307 9911 307 9911
Sales 153 Moore Street Parts 153 Moore Street Service 153 Moore Street
027 535 3538 307 9911 307 9911
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Danny King 027 535 3538 153 Moore Street
www.dne.co.nz 0800 432 633
Farming Dairy Focus
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HEALTH AND SAFETY FEATURE
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Be pro-active with staff safety Keeping staff informed and giving feedback is essential over the busy and stressful calving to mating period. A brief weekly meeting may be all that is needed to ensure there is time for staff to discuss any health and safety concerns they may have. Don’t stop team meetings and catch-ups when things get busy, they are more crucial than ever and will actually save time by everyone knowing what the priorities are. It is important to encourage a safety culture on the farm, and make sure staff have the necessary resources and the opportunity to talk about health and safety on a regular basis. Accidents increase significantly when people are tired and busy, so put precautions in place to minimise hazards. Every year farming accidents cost New Zealand $136.6 million, and the dairy shed is one of the most common places for slips and trips. Staff need to know
expectations for working safely, and even employers working in an off-farm role still have responsibility for the safety of others on the farm. If a staff member has an accident and doesn’t report it, the employer needs to deal with the issue up front. Sitting
down with the employee to let them know you have heard about the accident is advised. Employers need to keep an open mind and encourage employees to talk frankly about what happened in such situations. The accident needs to be
We are the experts in:
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Phone Dave Rowlands 027 484 1114 Diesel Workshop direct line: 308 7400
recorded in the accident and incident register, and investigated to find out what caused it. Generally accidents are not caused by a single factor, but by a chain of decisions and events. Identify the steps needed to prevent the accident
from happening again. Watch for signs of stress or people not coping – the health and wellbeing of staff is important at all times of the year, but the pressure of the spring period can accentuate problems. – Source DairyNZ
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HEALTH AND SAFETY FEATURE ADVERTISING FEATURE
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ADVERTISING FEATURE
Bikes and safety Serious cautions Maintenance
These are currently being used on some Landcorp farms and Ngai Tahu dairy farms. Honda Country have a fully equipped workshop and two On Farm Service trucks covering Mid Canterbury. We can either come to your property as requested, or put farmers on a programmed maintenance system where we will contact you on a predetermined schedule.
Like all machinery used on farms, farm bikes, both two and four-wheeled, need to be well serviced and kept in good working order. Simple washing and cleaning will help identify potential problems and a system of regular maintenance will reduce large repair accounts and the risk of injury from mechanical failure. We can also fit speed limiters to quadbikes and side x sides which will increase the safety of operators, and reduce repairs and maintenance costs. These speed limiters still allow full power for hills and towing up to the preset speed where it will not allow the bike to go any faster. The speed can be determined by the farm manager owner, but most people set at 40k/ph.
Training
Staff training to choose the correct vehicle for the job, and use the vehicle competently is available through organisations such as Primary ITO and Farm Safe. Ensure farm workers have reliable means of communication when working out on the farm.
Extremely worn drive sprockets and brake pads worn down to the metal that were take off a farm bike serviced yesterday. Potentially, serious injury could occur from brakes being worn out.
PHOTO SUPPLIED
Many people see safety management as paperwork and compliance. Our own experience managing farms and agricultural businesses has taught us it’s really about looking after people and running a good business. When considering financial impacts on a business, we calculated the cost of a skilled farm employee being off work injured for just two weeks at tens of thousands of dollars. We also surveyed our team to understand what our employees placed the greatest value on. We found that number one was safety, and that they valued the fact we cared they were safe at work. The primary sector is desperately short of skilled people. When
competing for the best in a competitive labour market, businesses that take safety seriously attract and retain the best people. This impacts many aspects of farm performance, not least the bottom line. Managing risks on a farm shouldn’t be costly or complex. Often simple, smart, practical management is all that is required. People need to know where risks are, what they need to do to stay safe and with a little effort, many risks can be eliminated all together. Safety isn’t about paperwork and compliance, it is about doing what you can to prevent people from being killed and injured and running a good business.
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Farming Dairy Focus
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SOIL MANAGEMENT FEATURE
Results from targeted fertiliser use Fertiliser costs are a major investment, and they require careful use to optimise economic return.
A robust soil fertility monitoring programme is required, taking into account that plants require a range of nutrients for growth, and five of these need to be applied in fertiliser. They are nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K), Sulphur (S), and Mg (magnesium) for pumice soils. Carbonate in lime reacts with and neutralises acidity in the soil, thereby overcoming aluminium toxicity and increasing molybdenum, and increasing P availability on some soils. On pasture, it encourages more productive pasture species such as legumes and ryegrasses at the expense of low fertility species. Soil microbial activity is optimized at pH levels around 6.0. Thus liming soils can increase the biological activity and hence nutrient cycling in the soil. For example it has been shown that liming enhances the breakdown of organic N in the soil, releasing a flush of plant available N. However, over-liming can have detrimental effects on plant growth, particularly on coarse soils, because increasing the soil pH on some soils can decrease the availability of zinc and manganese. N fertiliser can be used to overcome seasonal pasture deficits, but requires careful use to optimise economic return.
The amount of additional pasture grown in response to the application of N is influenced by climate, with a low response from cold temperatures, waterlogged soils, and dry conditions. The largest and most reliable response to N is when the growth rate of pasture is greatest, that is in midlate spring in most regions. Mid to late summer applications are not recommended where low soil moisture limits growth. However, good
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Nutrient budgeting | Farm mapping | Farm environmental planning Your independent, qualified specialists We tell you the facts, not the jargon
Justin Birdwww.harperagri.co.nz 021 103 6680 Stu Husband www.harperagri.co.nz www.harperagri.co.nz 027eve@harperagri.co.nz 2529040 9040 david@harperagri.co.nz Eve236 027 236or3428 or eve@harperag David: 252 or or david@harperagri.co.nz | Eve|027 3428 eve@harperagri.co.nz www.harperagri.co.nz justinmtspreading@gmail.com 021 292 3642 David: 027 252 9040 or david@harperagri.co.nz | Eve 027 236 David: 3428027 or David: 027 252 9040 or david@harperagri.co.nz | Eve 027 236 3428 or eve@harperagri.co.nz
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SOIL MANAGEMENT FEATURE
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ADVERTISING FEATURE
Know your soils
All farming starts with the soil. Often the farmer knows he has a poor patch in one part of the paddock while another can produce very well. But really knowing their soils, the type and amount and their actual place in a paddock, which come from Electromagnetic (EM) soil surveying, can be the game changer in improving the profitability and environmental impact of farming. With the big focus on water and nutrients throughout the country, farmers are now looking at ways to ensure and prove they are using best practice, improving their application systems and spreading their water resource further. By EM soil surveying the farmer gets an in-depth look at what his soil is like in both the top and subsoil, with readings taken at depths of 0.5 metres and 1.25 metres. The EM soil survey provides a precise map
responses can occur on irrigated farms or regions which have reliable summer rainfall. K fertilisers applied to crops usually remains in the root system during the growing season, and it is best to apply when clover growth is increasing after calving. Clover has a higher requirement than grasses for all nutrients including S. If a soil is S deficient the clover vigour and abundance will be poor.
P is a key nutrient for the successful growth of pasture and crops. Soil phosphate moves slowly through soils, reducing opportunity for leaching losses. If the soil test levels are low and an immediate increase in production is required, the sooner P is applied the sooner there will be benefits.
CATERING TO ALL YOUR SPRAYING REQUIREMENTS
CONTACT DAN FOR A FREE ON-FARM CONSULTATION 0275 121 999
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– Source DairyNZ
9 Professional and friendly service 9 Over ten years experience 9 Servicing Canterbury 9 Very competitive per hectare rate 9 Prompt, efficient service 9 Owner operated
of a farm’s soil types and conditions. They’re a one-off map which has multiple uses, year on year. Many use it as a base for variable rate irrigation and the correct placement of soil moisture probes, varying application rates, matching them to specific soil types across their farm, typically achieving water saving of up to 30%. Added benefits include reduced power costs and improved environmental management through reduced leaching. Similar techniques are being used for effluent dispersal. The same information can be used for identifying soil testing areas for variable rate fertiliser and other field inputs. If you want to know more about your soils, contact the team at Agri Optics NZ, New Zealand’s leading Precision Agriculture Specialists. www.agrioptics.co.nz
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Farming Dairy Focus
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SOIL MANAGEMENT FEATURE
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Bringing a halt to the vicious circle By John K Morris CEo of AgrissEntiAls While we continue to use chemical fertilisers, we will need to continue with chemical toxic sprays, which will keep us on a chemical treadmill; down the road to soil erosion and environmental destruction. For approximately 400 million years our planet has supported many forms of life without exhausting any reserves and the main reason for that is Mother Nature’s recycling system which keeps production sustainable year in, year out. After only a hundred odd years of chemical production we are going backwards. Chemicals have stifled and choked nature’s natural recycling system to a point that pollution on the planet is a major problem and increasing. Here at Agrissentials Research Centre we have the answer to the problem. The first step is to stop using chemicals, they increase their own market, but in reality
they don’t work – chemicals are causing the problem! We have reached the point where large pharmaceutical companies have run out of chemicals to fight pests, diseases and weeds, and even today antibiotics are losing their power to keep people alive. The ultimate point to start a renaissance is first and foremost the top soil – to bring health and vitality back to the soil. When the soil is right, everything above and below the soil falls into place,
the sustenance of all life is taken care of. That’s how Mother Nature’s systems work. A hundred years of pest, disease and weed eradication has not only failed, but it has increased the immunity of pests, diseases and weeds. So, in reality, that is the answer. We need to strengthen the immune systems of plants, animals and people and to do that, we need to have a full array of minerals in our diet to strengthen and build our
Roksolid Full Spectrum Fertiliser
immune system – it’s no big deal! It is the deal! However, the corporate food industry and the agriculture food industry, over the past 50 years or so, have taken the important minerals out of our diet, in particular the trace elements which are an essential part to building immunity. Here at Agrissentials we recognise that all health problems indicate a mineral deficiency, the hard part is trying to find out what mineral or minerals are missing in the diet. To cover this scenario, Agrissentials have developed multi-mineral, microbial rich BioGro certified natural fertilisers that contain a full array of minerals to cover all bases. All the mineral immunity and health is designed to come through the food chain. That is not happening and the fast food chain is a clear example of that. To grow a strong healthy plant you need minerals, microbes, sunlight and water. Agrissentials fertility system
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is based on a multi-mineral, microbial rich method. The first creatures at the mineral dining table are the microorganisms. They convert the natural minerals to a plant available form. They lock the minerals in humus (organic matter), so they won’t leach from the soil. The plant takes up the minerals when needed. The minerals are recognised by the plant at the cellular level – the ultimate level for plant uptake. The plant converts the minerals to an animal and human available form where everything is aligned to health and vitality. This is a beautiful system containing all the checks and balance for a healthy life and healthy planet. Call us today on 0800 THE KEY for a FREE INFO PACK, that’s 0800 843 539 to find out how we can partner with you to find a better way of farming. Alternatively you can contact your best on earth fertiliser representatives Murray Nichol 027 655 4360 (Waimate), Tammy Wright 027 205 0874 (Ashburton) to grab your special deal today.
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SOIL MANAGEMENT FEATURE
ADVERTISING FEATURE
Facts or fiction In recent publications, the Albrecht system of soil fertility has been questioned, quoted and referred to, as the “basic cation saturation ratio” theory (BCSR). In my nearly 20 years as a consultant using the Kinsey Albrecht system of soil fertility I have never once heard anyone from Neal Kinsey, (Kinsey Agriculture Services) conducting introductory and advanced classes, or leading overseas soil scientist, or consultants with an in-depth knowledge of the Kinsey Albrecht system of soil fertility, talk about, or use the term ratios, or indeed, find that term, used in any Kinsey workshop manuals or publications in the last 30 years. I am familiar with the term BCSR, but the Kinsey Albrecht system of soil fertility model does not use ratios. The Kinsey Albrecht model uses the relationship between the physical structure of a soil and its cation exchange capacity/base saturation percentage, and this is different for every soil.
In a recent Ballance fertiliser publication, it suggested that according to the Albrecht theory, the actual quantities of the basic cations present in the soil are less important than the ratio in which these cations occur relative to each other, which is simply not
“
It’s very sad, when people resort to mistruths in an attempt to ridicule an alternative science based soil fertility system
true, and in fact the opposite is correct, we believe that the percentage of each cation and actual quantities of that cation, is important for each and every soil based on the TEC of that particular soil. It was further suggested
that lime should not be applied for any reason other than to correct soil PH, and if liming was used to correct Ca levels in the soil, over liming may occur. I do see over liming, partially when lime is applied to only correct the PH. The article demonstrates a lack of understanding of science, PH is a measure of the hydrogen ions content of the soil. And it is all the cation ions of the soil, calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium that have an influence on the PH of the soil, not just only calcium. The Kinsey Albrecht system of soil fertility uses specific formulas for calculating the exact quantities of Ca based on the effective Ca per tonne of lime to be made available over three years, to make sure that over applications of liming doesn’t occur and induce trace element deficiencies. Similar formulas, with a combination of per cent sufficiency and yield goals are used to determine the economic valve of all other
added nutrients. It’s very sad, when people resort to mistruths in an attempt to ridicule an alternative science based soil fertility system. Do they feel threatened? It’s also an insult to the thousands of farmers and consultants who are making a
real difference demonstrating productivity gains, with positive results being achieved in yield and quality, enabling farmers to be both economical and environmentally sustainable. D L Hart, Top Soils, Biological Farming & Soil Fertility Consultant.
Top Farming through Top Soils Every field, every farm and every farmer is different. We can unlock your farms potential by increasing and balancing plant available minerals in the soil. We use the Kinsey-Albrecht proven system of soil fertility that measures and manages to provide customised solutions. We supply and blend only the soil fertility nutrients needed for growing healthy, high- yielding and profitable crops and pastures.
AVAILABLE HERE
Demonstrating a fertility system that doesn’t compromise yield with a reduction in applied nitrogen.
Enquiries welcome Don Hart - 027 432 0187 Biological Farming & Soil Fertility Consultant
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Lydia Gundry - 027 698 9907 B.Sc Plant Science & Horticulture
Are you going to be compliant with the new milk cooling regulations? Sign up for a free milk cooling assessment to get the real answer.
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Tru-Test Milk Cooling Assessment Continuous monitoring over a minimum of four milkings with data loggers of: • vat temperature • milk entry line temperature • plate cooler water entry temperature A summary report including: • analysis and comparison of your plant performance with the new NZCP1 milk cooling standards • recommendations tailored to your individual dairy refrigeration needs No obligation to proceed with recommendations Report and recommendations from experienced dairy refrigeration experts.
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Making a stand important With a predicted dry season ahead, irrigating farmers are turning up in droves to training opportunities which will help them achieve efficiency of water use. In Canterbury, IrrigationNZ has just partnered with Environment Canterbury on a series of short, overview workshops across the region to get irrigators thinking about good management practice. These workshops complement the full day training IrrigationNZ already provides, as they give attendees a taste of what is needed to help eke out supply over the months ahead. We have full-day courses coming up in Cromwell (October 27), Nelson (November 3), Renwick (November 4) and Rangiora (November 22). Further details can be found on our website. Commissioning is a process by which agreement is reached that an installed irrigation system meets its design performance specifications. There’s been growing tension around the commissioning
Andrew Curtis
WATER WORKS
of irrigation systems. To be frank, it’s something that’s been done poorly in New Zealand for a long time. After four months of consultation with industry, IrrigationNZ has reached an agreement on the minimum expectations for commissioning a piped irrigation system. A document detailing these expectations is now available on our website, alongside the recently-released Best Practice Guide to Commissioning Piped Irrigation Systems. If our guidelines are followed it should avoid future angst. Some of you may have seen or heard about advertisements we placed up north to counter anti-farming messages circulating around the proposed Ruataniwha water-
storage scheme. Making a stand was important, as misinformation was rife about irrigated agriculture’s role
in the Havelock North water crisis, as well as the future benefits Ruataniwha will bring the region. IrrigationNZ
believes strongly we need to tackle incorrect perceptions head-on, as they have the potential to grow and affect irrigation schemes and developing schemes in other regions. Finally, SMART Watering relaunched this month in Canterbury with a new district, Mackenzie, joining the fold. Additionally, several districts in the Bay of Plenty will activate the public awareness campaign, focused around wise water use, next month. It’s very exciting for IrrigationNZ to now be working with more than 10 territorial local authorities to spread the water efficiency message. Our membership can rightly be proud that technologies, practices and insights developed by irrigating farmers and industry are now educating our urban cousins. They are wanting to achieve irrigation efficiency in their home gardens and business and amenity settings. Andrew Curtis is chief executive officer of IrrigationNZ
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Farming Dairy Focus
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Phone switched to silent I’ve just come back from a three-week holiday on an overseas school trip with my son. It was a fantastic opportunity that I couldn’t pass up, but it was also the longest amount of time I’ve spent off farm since I broke my leg eight years ago. It’s fair to say this break was much more pleasant. Taking that much time away from a dairy farm isn’t easy and the farm owners, while supportive, understandably had some reservations. I was nervous too and came close to cancelling the trip on several occasions, so I spent a lot of time making sure everything was in place to keep the farm running smoothly in my absence. Competent and reliable people that you can trust are the key. I’ve been lucky enough to retain nearly all the staff from the previous season and they’ve proven again and again that they’ve got what it takes, even when a spanner gets thrown in the works. We also have an excellent consultant who, since he came
Craig Hickman
ELBOW DEEP @dairymanNZ
on board, has guided the farm to two record seasons in a row; he’s the man with a plan. Supportive farm owners, excellent staff and a consultant with a proven track record to steer things; what more could I need to be comfortable going away? Technology of course! Oh. My. God. The technology that’s available to us now is just amazing! I would be able to check production every day, keep an eye on the cell count, compare production to previous seasons and current targets, monitor pasture covers and growth rates, email the consultant and be instantly contactable anywhere in the world any time of the day or night!
Exciting stuff ! So, armed with a shiny new phone of the non-exploding variety loaded with all the latest versions of all the apps, I boarded my flight confident my bases were covered. During my first week away I checked the production figures daily, took note of the pasture cover and even emailed the consultant before something dawned on me: what was the
point of employing engaged and skilful people if I was just going to monitor them from afar? More to the point, why was I spending so much of my holiday time thinking about work? I turned the Fonterra notifications off, switched my phone to silent and set about using my data plan for something far more productive: tweeting my every
move to an audience that was no doubt thankful I was in a different time zone. For someone who loves gadgets and whiz-bang apps as much as I do, this was a real revelation: just because the technology is available it doesn’t mean we should always use it. Sometimes you’re just better off trusting the people; it makes for a much more relaxing holiday.