Dairy Focus by Ashburton Guardian

Dairy Focus

An Ashburton Guardian Supplement

June 2012

Hayden and Jessie Dorman have a passion for sharemilking. Pages 2-3

South African farmer Gary Wright learns new skills in New Zealand. Pages 8-9 Photo Tetsuro Mitomo 150612-TM035

Dairy Focus June 2012

Sharemilking the way to go Mid Canterbury sharemilkers Hayden and Jessie Dorman are a hardworking couple. One does the paperwork, the other looks after the cows.

Linda Clarke,

They should be well pleased with their work on the dairy farm too.

rural reporter, Ashburton Guardian

The dairy farmers have been able to call them “their” cows this past season. The variable order sharemilkers achieved a big step toward their dream of farm ownership by buying the 800 Holstein-Friesians they had been milking for farm owner Willy and Jeanet Leferink. It was a big moment, and a big cheque. And there have been no regrets. Sharemilking, says Jessie, is still a great pathway in the industry. She and Hayden are good proof.

The 800 cows are fed a diet of around 65 per cent pasture and 35 per cent supplement during milking season. Half the supplementary feed is grain. The cows, which have electronic ID, are milked on a 54-bale rotary equipped with technology including milk meters that monitor a cow’s individual milk production and deliver feed rations accordingly. The farm milks over winter, with one third of the herd calving in autumn and the remainder in spring.

Jessie said the concentrates were fed in the shed, while grass and maize silage were delivered to a The couple are in their early 30s and have just feedpad. The cows were kept off pasture as much finished their third season sharemilking. Jessie as possible during the winter months to avoid has an academic background and put her animal pugging. science honours degree to good use in Wellington for seven years before she met Hayden in 2007. The couple look forward to January, when calving and mating are over and the full herd is The son of a West Coast dairy farmer (who was originally from Canterbury), Hayden moved to the ticking over. Waiararapa to be closer to Jessie and the couple Their production aim is for each cow to produce made plans to go sharemilking, small time, in the profitably above her bodyweight. This past season North Island. they achieved 595kgMS per cow, pretty good considering the average weight of each animal is Mr Leferink, who Jessie had met through her policy job with Federated Farmers, offered instead around 570kg. an opportunity to take up an 800-cow variable Jessie said their new role as herd-owners was order job on a high-input farm at Dorie. exciting, and gave them hope of one day owning The job – though very different from their original entry plan - stacked up and the couple moved to Mid Canterbury, where they have worked tirelessly on the property and within the dairy industry. Jessie is currently vice-chairperson of Federated Farmers dairy section locally, and vice-chairperson of the organisation’s national sharemilkers’ council.

their own dairy farm.

Sharemilking has worked for them, and she says it is a valuable pathway, most often extended by dairy farmers who progressed themselves as sharemilkers – like Willy and Jeanet Leferink.

As variable order sharemilkers they provided staff and equipment like tractors and motorbikes, being paid under a variable order contract with Mr and Hayden is on the South Island fieldays committee Mrs Leferink. and both say giving back to the agricultural industry keeps them motivated and content. Story continues over page

Dairy Focus

An advertising supplement of the Ashburton Guardian Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Ashburton Guardian Publication date: June 26, 2012 Next issue: July 24, 2012 We welcome any correspondence to either: Amanda Wright, phone 307-7927 email: amanda.w@theguardian.co.nz Linda Clarke, phone 307-7971 email: linda.c@theguardian.co.nz

Photo Tetsuro Mitomo 150612-TM061

Hayden and Jessie Dorman.

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Dairy Focus June 2012

Photos Tetsuro Mitomo 150612-TM010

Red (number 248) is one of the Dormans’ supercows, producing some 12,000 litres of milk during the season. Hayden also has plans to build a small herd of pedigree Jerseys and has just bought two breeding cows from a top North Island herd.

“And then last year we bought the cows off “There is nothing like skin in the game to them and went to a herd-owning contract.” motivate a person.” It was a big purchase – 800 times around $2000 a cow equals $1.6 million. But the pair had saved well in their working lives and had benefited from good returns as variable order sharemilkers.

She has some advice for others who would follow in their footsteps: “Be willing to think outside the square. Be willing to build strong relationships based on a win-win for everyone, it is not just about me.

Jessie has been able to use her officebased skills well. She does the HR work, the “But do your sums and understand what financial accounts, animal records, creates a weekly report for the farm owner, and you are getting into and make sure it is a meets with consultants and nutritionists win-win for everyone. Often we hear of who visit the farm. young people coming in and they have not done their sums and take a contract that is Hayden is the practical person and not beneficial for them.” stockman. “I think it is why he has been a successful farmer. He likes cows and he Some contracts could have sharemilkers is good with them. For him, every cow working for less than if they had been counts.” managing a farm, and on the other hand The couple employ five staff and say they there are some sharemilkers who are not continue to learn and adapt. willing to see it from the farm owners’ point “We have made our fair share of mistakes of view. but we have a great team on board this year Jessie said Federated Farmers could offer and it gets more and more exciting.” help and guidance for those needing it. Similarly, the organisation can help Jessie said telling their story about employers who are looking to take on successful sharemilking was important to keeping the system going. sharemilkers or herd owners.

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Dairy Focus June 2012

Roadmaps for sharemilking progression to farm ownership Federated Farmers Sharemilkers’ and Sharemilker Employers’ Sections, with the assistance of DairyNZ, have jointly released “Ensuring a viable progression path in the dairy industry”. “Sharemilking represents a third of our industry and we want to ensure it has a rich future,” says Ciarán Tully, Federated Farmers Sharemilkers’ Section chairperson.

negotiating agreements. Newer structures, such as leasing For those planning their retirement, sharemilking could farms or buying stock and leasing them back to the farm be seen as part of a farmer’s ‘exit strategy’. owner, could enable the next generation to stay in the job “It’s clear to us sharemilkers need to enhance their while building their equity.” business skill set across the board and as an industry. LifeA level of annual variability aside, sharemilkers generate long learning and mentoring needs to become a firm part something like a 16 per cent return on assets. This of our culture. compares with a farm owner’s 3 to 7 per cent return on assets, plus 5 to 10 per cent annual capital gain. “The report specifically highlights the need for all parties

“While herds have become larger in size their overall number has fallen and with it, the number of sharemilking “I must add in recent years businesses have been more positions.” cash focused. Questions were also asked around the ability of equity managers to grow their share of the With many commenting on the rise of contract milking partnership. and equity partnership arrangements, Federated Farmers, with funding from DairyNZ, commissioned AgFirst’s James “If you compare a career as a waged farm manager Allen and Nicola Waugh to provide a snapshot of career versus sharemilking in today’s dollars, it reveals something pathways. like a million dollar difference over 15 years. That’s huge if people intend to move into farm ownership.” “First up, we found the legal environment we operate in is sound but there’s greater need for herd owning Mr Tully said sharemilkers need to be seen as an integral sharemilkers to become flexible in their approach to part of farm succession.

to carry out due diligence and to learn about negotiating key parts of their agreements. “While the report contains decision trees, tables and even a wealth creation spreadsheet, it highlights the amount of information out there but it’s dispersed. There’s need for a one-stop shop and arguably that’s a role for Federated Farmers.” “Ensuring a viable progression path in the dairy industry” can be downloaded from Federated Farmers website.

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Dairy Focus June 2012

Young Farmers promote careers in dairying A career in dairy farming is among opportunities in the agricultural sector currently being promoted by New Zealand Young Farmers. Young Farmers has joined with DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb NZ to create Get Ahead; a one-stop career hub for young people considering a career in agriculture. The Get Ahead programme encompasses experience days which raise awareness and encourage students to consider an agricultural career. These days focus is on the supply chain story – it’s all about how food gets from pasture to plate. To demonstrate this students participate in 12 practical modules that focus on everything from animal genetics to marketing and exporting, herd management to pasture manipulation. About 1000 students have attended experience days around the country in the past four months.

focus on the supply chain; and how every job in the agricultural industry contributes to the food production in New Zealand,” says Rosie Todhunter, youth development co-ordinator. Supporting the experience days is the Get Ahead website where students and career advisers alike can use the site to learn more about the possibilities in agriculture by exploring career options, education providers and facts about agriculture.

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Dairy Focus June 2012

Looking beyond the dollars Helping dairy farmers Julie has been dairy Contributed by Dairy Women’s Network look beyond the dollars farming since 1990, while at their whole farm system management is the also working as a farm consultant. Together with goal of a series of winter dairy workshops being her husband Brian, Julie runs a 234 hectare dairy held by the Dairy Women’s Network around New farm at Ngatea with 830 cows. Zealand in June and July. “If there is one thing I want people to take away The five workshops are being held in Winton, from the workshops, it is that you simply have Rotorua, Cambridge, Hokitika and Nelson at the to look beyond the dollars at the whole farm end of June and beginning of July and are a great management system to ensure that every aspect follow on from the Essential Farm Finance days is operating as effectively and cost-efficiently as run by the network earlier in the year. possible.” Ngatea dairy farmer and farm consultant, Julie Dairy Women’s Network CEO Sarah Speight Pirie, will lead four of the workshops, with Te Anau says the Winter Dairy Days are part of a calendar dairy farmer Anna Kempthorne speaking at the of events offered by the network to provide Winton event. practical, professional and personal support to Julie Pirie says the workshops will cover a range women in dairying around New Zealand. of different aspects of farm system management “The purpose of the Dairy Women’s Network and will focus on financial control. Ultimately is to expand the potential of dairy women in a attendees will be able to leave the seminar with changing environment and milk price fluctuations an action plan for their own farm for the next 12 are part of our changing environment. Part of months. our role is to enable women to be leaders in their “This is a good opportunity to look back at businesses and communities, as well as the wider the farm operation and consider ideas about industry and to give them the tools and support where costs can be trimmed without sacrificing to succeed in these roles. profitability. “The network’s Dairy Days are a key vehicle for “We will also be identifying what information educating dairying women on a range of topics people need to have to help manage their throughout the year. Our aim is for women to business over the next 12 months. We’ll also walk away from these dairy days with information discuss the importance of maintaining strong they can implement on-farm to improve their relationships with accountants, bankers and farm businesses and lifestyles as soon as they get advisers.” home. If their partners come along then it is going Julie says the workshops will discuss the impacts to be easier to ensure action happens because both partners will understand the context and the of the recent milk price forecast announcement necessity.” and what that will mean for people’s farm operations in the year ahead. The Hokitika workshop is on July 2, the Nelson She says attendees are encouraged to bring their own financial and farm information with them, so they can work with real information that is relevant to them. “Partners are also very welcome.”

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Dairy Focus June 2012

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The cow needs to be comfortable when restrained.

Is your cow restrained correctly? slopes up. No matter what How do you handle your cows individually? always apply: crush you use, a cow does Can you restrain your cow so that she is Fred Hoekstra The cow needs to be Veehof Dairy not like it if she is facing comfortable and you are safe? comfortable. Services downhill and you are lifting This still seems to be an issue on dairy her back feet. She will fight The operator needs to be farms. I went to a farm a little while ago you all the way. safe at all times. to trim some cows. For some reason the Purpose-built hoof trimming crushes farmer had started doing some cows before The operator needs to be in control at all have belly straps to support the cow when I got there. When I turned up he came out times. she loses her grip and falls over. An added and greeted me and helped me set up. benefit of this belly strap is that it calms There was a cow lying down in the vet race. Today I am only able to cover the first point. If the cow is not comfortable she the cow down. Cows relax when you put She had gone down as the farmer was will be a lot more unsettled. This seems pressure on their belly. That is why you trimming her feet. She was still down by always see a cow hanging in a sling rather the time I left and as far as I know she never commonsense but is something that is often overlooked. than standing up. got up again. This is not uncommon and I would like to raise this topic to help you Consider the surface the cow is standing Some well-known crushes in New Zealand avoid such accidents. on. Obviously a slippery surface is not have two belly straps – one under the ideal, but an equally or maybe even more brisket and one just in front of the udder. There is a right way and a wrong way important point is that the cow must be The brisket strap is the best option, because to restrain cows. When a cow is being standing on a flat, level surface or one that if a cow sits down on the second strap she restrained there are some principles that

will be very uncomfortable as there is no rib cage there to support her and all the pressure will go straight onto the gut. Cows tend to kick at it, but will not stand up to release the pressure. Another thing I would like to mention is the fact that most people like to have a leg tied up just above the claw against a bar. It makes the leg sit more rigid but should the cow go down for whatever reason, there is a very high risk of injuries, such as broken legs or dislocated hips - this is what happened to the cow I mentioned earlier. Lifting from the hock is much more comfortable for the cow, and because she can still lean on the raised leg there is minimal risk of injury.

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