Dairy Farmer November 2020 by AgriHQ

NOVEMBER 2020 I $8.95

Best of the best Waikato share farmers win coveted award

PLUS:

Ahead of the game  Building a bright dairying future  Top dairy woman makes history  From the cow shed to the altar

YO U PROV E I T E V E RY DAY

Now it’s our turn True partnerships are defined by trust and commitment. As you know – all too well – the business of milk can be volatile, with supply and demand rising and falling with market pressures and global events. It’s in these moments that proving ourselves matters most. That’s why we think now is a great time for us to come together and talk through the most recent data and reports for your farm, so that you can plan your future with confidence.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time t i to prove Go to fonterra.com/proveit to request a face-to-face meeting at a time that suits you

CONTENTS NEWS NOVEMBER 2020 | $8.95

16 Milk Monitor Season off to a good start

GlobalHQ is a farming family owned business that donates 1% of all advertising revenue in Farmers Weekly and Dairy Farmer to farmer health and wellbeing initiatives. Thank you for your prompt payment.

17 DairyNZ AGM Statistics show industry news coverage not all bad

ON FARM STORY 8

Award-winning duo up for next challenge Waikato farmers Aidan and Sarah Stevenson are the 2020 Share Farmers of the Year

20 Ahead of the game Canterbury farmer Peter Schouten emigrated from Holland for better dairying opportunities

FARMING CHAMPIONS 7

Guest column Andrew Hoggard

28 Dairy champion Ash-Leigh Campbell

FEATURE 50 Effluent and summer management A focus on effluent systems, water and summer management

REGULAR FEATURES 32 38 40 44 46

20 Editor

SONITA CHANDAR 06 374 5544 / 027 446 6221 sonita.chandar@globalhq.co.nz

Publisher

DEAN WILLIAMSON 027 323 9407 dean.williamson@globalhq.co.nz

Sub-editor

CARMELITA MENTOR-FREDERICKS editorial@globalhq.co.nz 06 323 0769

Production

LANA KIESELBACH Production Manager production@globalhq.co.nz Advertising material adcopy@globalhq.co.nz

027 739 4295

Contributors ROSS NOLLY ross_nolly@yahoo.co.nz TIM FULTON timfulton050@gmail.com

Sales 027 332 6867 027 087 16027

GERALD PIDDOCK 027 486 8346 gerald.piddock@globalhq.co.nz

STEVE McLAREN – Auckland steve.mclaren@globalhq.co.nz

027 205 1456

JODY ANDERSON 027 474 6094 Waikato/BOP jody.anderson@globalhq.co.nz DONNA HIRST Lower North Island donna.hirst@globalhq.co.nz

027 474 6095

SAMANTHA TENNENT sommer.limited@gmail.com

021 217 3590

CHEYENNE NICHOLSON offthehoofmedia@gmail.com

021 044 1335

ERNEST NIEUWOUDT 027 474 6091 South Island ernest.nieuwoudt@globalhq.co.nz

TONY BENNY troutstream@farmside.co.nz

021 383 156

CLINT DUNSTAN – Real Estate 027 474 6004 clint.dunstan@globalhq.co.nz

GERARD HUTCHING gerard.hutching@gmail.com

027 836 2051

ANNE BOSWELL 027 394 3904 anne@anneboswell.co.nz

www.farmersweekly.co.nz ISSN 2624-0939 (Print) ISSN 2624-0947 (Online)

Women in agribusiness Catherine Newland Industry good DairyNZ Research Technology Farmstrong

Printed by Ovato NZ Ltd Delivered by Reach Media Ltd

ELLA HOLLAND – Livestock livestock@globalhq.co.nz DEBBIE BROWN – Classifieds classifieds@globalhq.co.nz

06 323 0761 027 602 4925 06 323 0765

GRANT MARSHALL 027 887 5568 AgriHQ Partnership Manager grant.marshall@globalhq.co.nz ANDREA MANSFIELD 027 446 6002 Salesforce director andrea.mansfield@globalhq.co.nz

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

COVER STORY Waikato share farmers win coveted award

8 7

What can you gain from using less? Research shows that feeding minerals in a natural form close to nature delivers better performance from less minerals, compared to inorganic options.

• Effective adsorption and utilisation of Bioplex® trace minerals • Lower inclusion levels, less waste to the environment • Optimum animal health

MINERAL MANAGEMENT

RAVNOV2020-DF

Effluent treatment. The solution is clear.

A fully automated system for treating farm dairy effluent (FDE). Award-winning ClearTech produces clarified water for yard wash-down and reduces environmental risks from land application of effluent. Able to be retrofitted between your dairy shed and effluent pond, ClearTech is the future of FDE systems.

Smarter farming for a better New ZealandÂŽ

To find out more call the Customer Centre or visit ravensdown.co.nz/cleartech

0800 100 123 ravensdown.co.nz

GUEST COLUMN

Congrats, Labour – let’s keep moving By Andrew Hoggard

The president of Federated Farmers of NZ takes a look at the election results and what it will mean for farmers.

e can pick over the what-ifs and whys of the election results till the cows come home but the fact is, the people have spoken. Now, we all need to get on with it, and seek the best for New Zealand and New Zealanders. Congratulations to Labour; it was a very comprehensive victory. It was particularly pleasing to see existing MPs such as Jo Luxton, Kiri Allan and Kieran McAnulty do well in provincial seats as well as some others with a strong rural background becoming MPs. They have been positively engaged with Federated Farmers and farmers over the last three years, gaining significant respect from the primary sector. If they are rewarded with more responsibilities this is likely to strengthen the voice of rural communities within government. There have been a number of significant “casualties” from the vote. Our commiserations and thanks for all of those who sought office and missed out. It’s no small undertaking to represent a community in Parliament. I’d especially like to single out NZ First agriculture spokesperson Mark Patterson, who put his heart and soul into working for rural NZ. So, what does the election result mean for farmers and Federated Farmers? Firstly, it’s important to remember that we have increasing demand from overseas for our agricultural products and we have world-leading environmental sustainability for our production, on top of no government subsidies. We have a fantastic story to tell. For most of 2020, and for each of the next few years, there will be a $10 billion-plus hole in the economy left by disruption to international tourism. The primary industries will be key to export earnings and our ability to start paying

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

back some of the billions borrowed during the pandemic response. Those simple facts mean the incoming government will need to be pragmatic around how they proceed. They need the primary sector to be prospering, not bunkering down for three years. Federated Farmers is committed to a positive working relationship with the new administration. We share the vision for sustainability and environmental stewardship, now we have to work together to find the best and most practical way to achieve it. The election result has given the Labour Party opportunity to work with farmers from the ground up, catchment by catchment, not with blanket rules that don’t take account of the particular topography, geography and production characteristics of different districts. Our message to Jacinda Ardern and her new Cabinet is that the more your Government is able to minimise disruption to farmers’ livelihoods through smart and targeted regulations, or indeed staying out of it and letting current sustainability momentum continue, the better placed we will be to support regional economies and the national economy. Significant changes, not mere tinkering, will be required if the freshwater regulations are to be fit for purpose and are to achieve the environmental improvements we all seek, in a way that enables the primary sector to prosper. Federated Farmers’ two other top priorities are sensible policies to do with the RMA and climate change. We seek a complete overhaul of the cumbersome and costly Resource Management Act, but with retention of the effects-based ethos, and the requirement to balance economic as well as environmental, social and

Federated Farmer president Andrew Hoggard says the organisation is committed to working with the reelected government to ensure the agri sector prospers.

cultural wellbeings. Regional and District Plans should provide a smoother and less expensive pathway for activities to occur, with any requirements for resource consent to be better aligned with the scale of the activity’s potential environmental impact. Given that both main parties signalled a desire to completely replace the RMA, then hopefully we will see action – and maybe even bi-partisan action – here. We also want to see progress – but also recognition of the science – on greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Latest scientific modelling concludes that biogenic methane reductions of 10% by 2050 are more than enough for NZ’s net livestock methane emissions to no longer contribute to additional global warming. On these fronts and others, we need policies that are achievable, practical and well-grounded in science. Once again – congratulations to all those who have gained office. We look forward to working with you in the three years ahead. There’s a mountain of work to do if we’re to achieve the right settings and certainty the primary sector needs to invest in the technology that will drive gains for production and the environment. n

Award-winning duo up for next challenge Waikato share farmers win coveted award Waikato sharemilkers Aidan and Sarah Stevenson are the 2020 Dairy Share Farmers of the Year. Photos: Stephen Barker 8

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

By Gerald Piddock

After winning the 2020 Share Farmer of the Year title, a Waikato couple is now focusing on achieving their goal of farm ownership.

idan and Sarah Stevenson like to be challenged. It pushes them out of their comfort zone and allows them to turn challenges into opportunities. It’s helped them secure employment and win the 2020 Share Farmer of the Year title. The couple 50:50 sharemilk at Ngarua, north of Matamata on a 100 effective hectare farm owned by Sarah’s mother Sue Williams. They also lease another farm and own a residential investment property at Mt Maunganui. They hope this income diversification will reduce the time it takes to reach their ultimate goal of farm ownership. Aidan always wanted a career in dairy farming, despite being raised in a nonfarming household in Morrinsville. He did not go straight into the industry after leaving school, instead opting for a trade where he qualified and worked as a builder for five and a half years. From there he switched to dairy farming in 2011, starting as a farm assistant on a 470-cow farm in nearby Wardville. The couple had met as teenagers and married in 2012. That same year, a position opened up on Sarah’s parent’s farm at Ngarua to contract milk. The meteoritic rise from dairy assistant to contract milker was due in part to circumstance.

Sue was looking for somebody to take over the day-to-day running of the farm and Aidan and Sarah were unsure when another opportunity similar to this one would come their way. Aidan believes his building experience held him in good stead because it taught him the work ethics required to learn quickly and succeed in dairy farming. He also had great bosses to watch and learn from and soaked up that information over that first season while working as an assistant. “I came here with the mentality of sink or swim basically,” Aidan says. “Everyone said to my mum, ‘don’t do it, it will be a disaster’,” Sarah says. They employed a close friend who had grown up on a dairy farm and relied on the advice of farm consultant Wayne Berry. “He’s still involved with the business to this day and I sort of look at him as a farming dad. He’s always been available on the phone either for a quick chat or if I needed help on something, he was there,” Aidan says. The couple have remained on the farm since then, and are now into their ninth season. Aidan also purchased a house in Hamilton during his time as a builder. That first season on the farm coincided with a drought causing the cows to be dried off by March. He took advantage of that early finish to the season as an

FARM FACTS • Farm owner: Sue Williams • Sharemilkers: Aidan and Sarah Stevenson • Location: Ngarua, Waikato • Farm size: 100ha (effective) • Cows: 330 Friesian and Jersey • Production: 2019-20: 133,000kg MS • Production target: 2020-21: 135,000kg MS

opportunity to renovate that house and sell it. The money from the sale was used to buy the herd, enabling them to be 50:50 sharemilking by their second season, which they have kept doing since 2013. After nine seasons, they felt like they needed another challenge, having secured a lease on a 72ha 230-cow farm located nearby. It is run by a full-time manager with Aidan helping out with milking in the morning.

Thinking outside the [tree and fence lined] box

Continued page 10

Dung beetles will deliver upon the promise to restore and protect our freshwater while increasing production and drought tolerance. We need to be smarter than just focusing on planting and fencing. MPI supports planting, fencing and “other initiatives to prevent farm runoff ”. Without question that is where dung beetles fit in.

Thinking outside the [tree and fence lined] box

There is absolutely no better scientifically proven way of reducing overland The solution is right under our feet thanwill dung beetles. Theythe deliver an up 80% reduction in overland Dungflow beetles deliver upon promise toto restore and protect our freshwater while Dung increasing beetles offer a remarkable natural flow. This in a tolerance. 97% reduction in sediment, and equally includes production andresults drought sustainable solution to revitalise our soils and reduced e. coli and phosphorus. pastures, and can rehabilitate New Zealand’s There is absolutely no better scientifically proven way of reducing overland Farming For Our Future Generations Seed dung beetles to fix the broken nutrient cycle and boost production. flow, fixing the broken nutrient cycle, and boosting production than dung beetles.waterways – if we act now.

Dung beetles will deliver upon the promise to restore and protect our freshwater while Contact us Dung Beetle Innovations increasing production and8685 drought tolerance. Shaun 021 040 | shaun@dungbeetles.co.nz

ORDER NOW

10%

For more information or to order online go to www.dungbeetles.co.nz

We need to be smarter than just focusing on planting and fencing. MPI supports planting, fencing and “other initiatives to prevent farm runoff ”. Without question that is where dung beetles fit in.

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

There is absolutely no better scientifically proven way of reducing overland

DISCOUNT* *FSP orders placed *FSP orders placed before 30/06/20 before 30/07/20

The solution is right under our feet

Aidan rolls out a temporary break fence for the herd.

The Stevensons own the farm’s cows and Fonterra shares, get 100% of the milk cheque and pay the farm owner the cost of the lease. It averages 78,000kg MS, running as a low input system 1-2. “We run the farm as if we own it, except we are not paying a mortgage to the bank, we’re paying a lease to the owner,” Sarah says. “Our end goal is farm ownership and we realise that milking 320 cows isn’t going to get us there quick enough in our age.” They also own a residential property in Mt Maunganui to diversify their income.

“Ideally, the goal would be to continue sharemilking and buy a farm of a similar size,” he says. Aidan says the biggest challenge in taking on the second farm was the potential of spreading themselves too thinly across the two properties. “But it was what we were after. We wanted to push ourselves outside our comfort zone,” he says. “We’re in our ninth season now and we know this property pretty well,” Sarah adds. This is the first season that Sarah has taken on a more active role in the farm

business after being the self-described “backstop” for Aidan over the past nine years. This was in part because of the decision to take on the second farm and the potential for Aidan’s time to be stretched. Up until that point, Sarah had been on maternity leave after having her third child Zac 18 months ago. Her parents moved from Waihi to the Ngarua farm when she was 10. After school, she went to Victoria University where she majored in accounting and commercial law.

8000m3

• Rolls up to 15m wide, therefore fewer joins which means less risk, faster installation and shorter good weather window required. • Design assistance and volume calculations available. • Material warranty from global company – Firestone Building Products.

• Nationwide Firestone trained and accredited installation contractors. • Future proof – dependable performance, 50 year life expectancy even when exposed, 20 year Firestone material warranty. • Over 120 million square metres installed worldwide. • 30 years in the NZ lining business.

LK0103745©

EFFLUENT PONDS

For your nearest installation contractor call

0800 109 093 7400m3

or 021 280 7266

AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTOR

Authorised importer and distributor of Firestone Building Products

Email: vaughan@cosio.co.nz www.cosio.co.nz

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Aidan carries out maintenance on the feed wagon.

Sarah then worked at KPMG in Hamilton until she had her first child Emily in 2014. Since then, she has continued to work part-time. They also have a full-time farm assistant and Sarah has been rearing calves and milking cows in the morning since calving. Sarah’s father passed away when she was 12 and her mother has retained ownership of the farm, which remains today.

“We run the farm as if we own it, except we are not paying a mortgage to the bank, we’re paying a lease to the owner.” She describes her mother’s involvement as being very hands off, while at the same time running major decisions by her. Berry also acts as Sue’s eyes and ears on the farm, she says. “Mum loves the farm, but she’s happy for us to have guardianship and look after it on behalf of the family and we really take on that ownership role on her behalf. “We run this farm if it was our own farm,” Aidan says. While it is run as a System 3, this can vary depending on how the season is tracking and they utilise their feedpad according to the seasonal conditions.

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Aidan monitors the pastures weekly by plate metering. The cows eat grass if there is enough in the paddock. If there is a shortage, the diet is supplemented with maize silage and palm kernel, which are bought in. They also grow 5.5ha of turnips as a summer feed crop. They retain the calves on the farm until near the end of the season on May 1, when the young cattle leave for the grazier. While it does create some challenges around feed after Christmas, it gives Aidan peace of mind that he knows for sure that the calves are being fed properly. “We like to preferentially treat them because our average (cow) weight here is 500kg and to grow an animal to 500kg in two years, you really need to be poking that feed into them for their whole life,” he says. “They’re our babies – they are our next best genetics,” Sarah adds. Calving runs from July 20 to September 20, during which they feed out 3-4kg of supplements per cow per day until balance date around September 10. The herd is then fed grass until supplements are again needed when the summer heat starts to affect pasture quality. They try to milk the herd twice-a-day (TAD) for as long as they can and hold out for autumn rain, but the hot Waikato summers mean they have had to switch to once-a-day (OAD) milking for four of the eight seasons they have been at

the farm usually in late February to early March. He also has set aside a paddock close to the shed with plenty of tree shade to act as a sacrifice paddock for the herd in summer. While last season’s drought was the worst Aidan had ever experienced, the farm has bounced back well, thanks in part to its excellent sandy loam soils, which are capable of growing as much as 80,000kg DM/ha at the peak of the spring flush. The crop paddocks are rotated back into grass after they are eaten in February and the herd are fed maize until they are dried off. Effluent is stored in a clay-lined pond that has been drop-tested to ensure it is sealed. They have a sump at the cowshed and they pump the effluent either straight to the irrigator and out onto paddocks or store it in the pond. They empty the pond onto the new grass paddocks in autumn. They keep all the stock on the farm over winter, and utilise the feedpad to get the cows off the pasture and prevent pugging if it gets extremely wet. Through autumn and spring they use slow release nitrogen and also apply urea

Continued page 12

Cow Manager helps guide decisions around animal health and mating. They are into their third season of using the software system, which monitors all of the milking herd’s general health and heat detection via an ear tag sensor.

The farm is run as a System 3 with maize and palm kernel supplements bought in as required.

The Stevensons are sharemilkers on a 330-cow farm at Ngarua near Matamata. Sarah with Zac, Aidan with Jacob and Emily amongst the herd.

during spring, applying 155kg/ha in total. This year they are trying chicken manure to reduce their chemical fertiliser usage. A farm environment plan has also been completed through Tatua, which will see them look to establish a 0.2ha wetland on the far end of the farm that borders the Waitoa River. It will be fenced off and planted with native trees and shrubs to act as a filter for nutrients flowing into the river from the farm’s various drains. Aidan plans to fence the area off over the summer and they are in the middle of working on a planting plan and hope to start this coming autumn. Once complete, it is hoped it will lead to a reduction of their leaching rate, which currently sits at 24kg N/ha. “If we did the wetland, it would benchmark us in the top 10% and for us, that’s a massive motivator to do that,” Sarah says. There’s a long list of improvements to the farm they have made over the past nine years as Aidan’s building skills have been used to modernise the farm. They have constructed a feedpad, a supplementary feed bunker, a vat stand and a new waterline system. All of these projects Aidan has either done himself or overseen the work, which helped keep their costs to a minimum. The work has future-proofed the farm.

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Sarah believes the transformation of the farm helped them secure the lease because it showed to the farm owner they were able to successfully run the farm on behalf of an absentee owner. They use technology to help guide decisions around animal health and mating. They are into their third season of using the software system Cow Manager. This monitors all of the milking herd’s general health and heat detection via an ear tag sensor. It monitors heat detection for mating,

as well as alerting them if there are any temperature changes in the cow, which can be an early warning sign if the cow is unwell. For example, if Aidan gets an alert that one of his springer mob’s temperature has dropped, he knows the cow could have milk fever and can take the appropriate preventative action. “It can act like half a staff member because it can tell you when a cow’s sick before she gets sick by giving you temperature alerts,” he says. “Without Cow Manager, we would need more staff,” Sarah says. It also drastically cuts the mental fatigue that comes with AI, which the Stevensons do for 100% of their herd. Cow Manager tells Aidan which cows are on heat for that day, he can then draft them and inseminate them. The result is a big saving of their time as well as a reduction in their animal health costs and the costs for heat patch equipment, which they no longer need to use. It also meant they no longer required three people in the shed during milking over that mating period, freeing up labour costs. Supplements, animal health, breeding and labour are their biggest on-farm costs. While labour is fixed, they keep a lid on supplement costs by using grass first and maize and PKE only to fill any feed deficits. Sarah estimates those expenses would sit around $2.30/kg MS. They also love being a Tatua supplier, being one of a handful of sharemilkers for the small supplier.

Aidan heads off to bring the herd in for afternoon milking.

“We are very fortunate with what our company does with our product,” she says. The Stevensons have invested heavily in cow breeding over the past few years, especially in embryonic transferring.

“It can act like half a staff member because it can tell you when a cow’s sick before she gets sick by giving you temperature alerts.” The bottom third of their herd on BW values are mated to Hereford genetics and sold as four-day-old calves, while the rest of the herd are utilised in their breeding programme. The key traits they look for in their bull semen are udder health, capacity, confirmation and protein values. Protein is particularly important because Tatua pay their suppliers more for protein than fat. So far, they have grown two bulls LIC have purchased for its sire proven scheme. The first is a Crossbred bull and the other is a Friesian, which will get daughter proven status next year, has been marketed in LIC’s premier sire group last year and is one of its A2 premier sire bulls this season. “It’s been a five-year process of putting a lot of money in and we’re only just

Continued page 14

Aidan Stevenson came from a non-farming background and was a builder before going into farming.

“It’s been a five-year process of putting a lot of money in and we’re only just starting to get those benefits back.”

starting to get those benefits back,” Aidan says. The original herd was a premier herd with many of its cows contracted to LIC. That had fallen on the wayside during the 12 years prior to Aidan and Sarah coming onto the farm when it was farmed by contract milkers. They arranged for LIC to inspect their herd soon after starting on the farm. LIC identified a couple of cows that with the right mating, it would be interested in contracting the daughters. One of those cows LIC had identified

was born in the first few years when they arrived at the farm when their focus was purely on farming rather than breeding. At that stage, Aidan favoured big Friesian cows with a large production output and used a bull with those traits. “It was definitely strategic breeding with a lot of luck thrown in,” Sarah says. The cow’s genetics are now heavily imprinted into the herd with it providing 30 embryos last season alone when it was flushed. Another unexpected bonus was every one of the resulting calves born were heifers. This season, more embryonic transfer work saw 40 contract calves born, If the calf is a heifer, the Stevensons get to keep it, if it is a bull, a DNA sample is taken and analysed. LIC or CRV then decide whether to purchase the bull based on that analysis. If the genetics company wants the bull, Aidan and Sarah are given the

option of buying the bull outright or taking royalties from the sales of its semen straws. The Stevensons decided on the latter option. “It’s kind of like winning Lotto, but with better odds,” Sarah says. This year, LIC are screening eight bull calves and CRV are screening six from their herd. Over the years, Aidan’s preference has changed from big Friesians to an 80:20 split between Friesian and Jersey that focuses more on efficiency. They have simplified their mating this year because of the work involved in looking after the second farm. Still wanting to push themselves, they entered the Dairy Industry Awards for the first time in 2019, finishing runners up in the share farmer category. “We were getting pretty comfortable and we thought, let’s see what we can do better,” Aidan says. “I was looking for that mental stimulation as well,” Sarah says. “And we learned heaps – about the dairy sector and each other.” Finishing second in their region hurt, Aidan says. Not perturbed, they tried again this year and won the Waikato regional title and finished second behind Nick and Rose Bertram at the national awards. The Bertrams then had the title revoked after an inquiry into offensive social media posts Nick Bertram made on Twitter in 2016 and 2017 that were brought to light by animal rights group SAFE. The Trust then awarded the national title to the Stevensons. They believe their success in the Awards helped secure the lease farm after two years of trying and being turned down from similar opportunities. “We got offered five 50:50 jobs last season and the only difference was us winning it,” Aidan says. The Stevensons are not resting on their laurels after the win, with their focus now on farm ownership, which they hope to achieve over the next five to 10 years. Their first priority is to reduce the debt they accumulated from purchasing the herd on the lease farm. They will also sell their investment house in Mt Maunganui once it is clear they will receive a profit. The future dairy payout will also be factored into the decision, and of course taking advantage of any challenges they can turn into opportunities. n

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Aidan Stevenson with team member Rebecca Fabish-Donovan discuss what paddocks need weed spraying.

#FIRST ON

4 WHEELS

MILK MONITOR

Great start to season By Gerald Piddock

Each month the milk monitor delves into the dairy industry and gives us the low-down on the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between.

he 40c lift Fonterra dairy farmers received last month has put the icing on the cake for what has been a great start to the season production-wise. The latest data from the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand showed production was up 1.6% on a tonnage basis and 1.8% on a milksolids basis in September compared to the same month a year ago. For the season to date, NZ milk production was up 3% on a tonnage basis and 2.9% on a milksolids basis. The country’s production for the 12 months to July was up 0.1% and up 0.9% on a milksolids basis. Global analytics company Fitch Solutions forecasts a modest growth in New Zealand’s dairy production this season, while Rabobank senior dairy analyst Emma Higgins believes it could range between a flat growth to a modest 2% lift compared to last season. “We are anticipating a new production record to be set for October, the peak month of milk collections – a culmination of the warmest winter on record and largely benign spring conditions,” she says in the bank’s latest dairy quarterly. Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says the stronger forecast had been largely driven by improved demand in China. “Despite the initial impact of covid-19, we have seen demand for dairy in China recover quickly,” he says. “In particular, demand for whole milk powder, which is a big driver of milk price, has been stronger than expected.” Likewise, Fonterra’s head of commodity trading David McGowan told a recent NZX Global Dairy seminar that the dairy market outlook “remains really strong”. He says while there have been disruptions, the market has moved through them “remarkably well”. China, he says, will remain the “import powerhouse,” with dairy imports lifting 4% a year. The most recent GDT events have

backed this with demand out of North Asia for most commodities increasing over the past two auctions. It prompted Westpac to lift its forecast from 6.50-$7/kg MS due to better than expected dairy demand. “In particular, the Chinese economy has rebounded strongly post-covid. The Chinese economy is on track to post modest growth over 2020, the only major global economy likely to do so,” Westpac senior agri economist Nathan Penny says. “In addition, economies in other key dairy markets in Asia are also faring better than expected. “More broadly, New Zealand agricultural exports, including dairy, have proved more resilient than we expected earlier in the year. “In this vein, we now expect global dairy prices to hold at or around current levels over the remainder of the season.” Contrasting this mostly bullish outlook towards China is Rabobank’s report on Southeast Asia. In it, RaboResearch senior dairy analyst Michael Harvey says dairy companies will be pushed towards dairy export opportunities into ASEAN-6 countries by rising geopolitical tensions and receding demand tailwinds in China. He says while dairy trade has largely been immune so far, there has been a notable deterioration in trade relations, which has the potential to reverberate far and wide. “Slowing Chinese dairy demand is a further factor which will prompt dairy exporters to look at markets outside China, with this expected to ease over the next decade as the rate of growth in per capita income slows,” Harvey says. He says these factors would likely compel dairy exporters to reassess their export growth strategies and consider increased investment in the ASEAN-6 region. “This is particularly relevant for New Zealand dairy companies who are more trade-exposed versus their peers and, consequently, have the highest level of

Things are looking rosy for the dairy industry as farmers head into peak milk.

market concentration risk,” he says. Now was a good time for dairy companies to evaluate their portfolios to determine if they are overweight in China with over 35% of NZ dairy trade bound for China and less than 20% heading to Southeast Asia, he says. Closer to home, all eyes will be turning to the sky over the next month to see if the weather Gods are kind as farmers hit peak milk and into early summer. South Island farmers should be less affected by the forecasted La Nina pattern expected for summer thanks to their ability to irrigate. Its impact on North Island farmers could be both positive and negative. While some parts of Waikato and Northland are already looking dry, La Nina could see widespread rain in the northern and eastern parts of that island keeping production ticking over nicely. If other dairy producing areas turn dry, farmers still should have the cash to buy in feed thanks to the decent forecast. Most have already planned for their summer. Anyone who has driven around Waikato in the past month would have seen contractors and farmers on their tractors getting feed crops sown and silage cut. It also looks as if the concerns many had over labour shortages among contractors have largely been avoided, meaning there should be plenty of homegrown feed for autumn. It’s been a great start to the season so far and a continuation of a great spring will top it off. n

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Negative perception of dairy misplaced

NEWS

By Gerald Piddock

he perception that the media’s coverage of the dairy industry is wholly negative is not backed by statistics, DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle says. It is an issue constantly raised by farmers during the organisation’s levy roadshows, Mackle told farmers at its annual meeting in Ashburton. While not dismissing farmers’ feelings about the subject, DairyNZ’s monthly media analysis data showed it was not as bad as what people thought. “It’s actually not as bad as what it feels like. The number of negative articles that come out every month is probably 6-7%. Everything else is either neutral or positive,” he says. The issue of the industry’s image was raised by a farmer during general business at the meeting. Mackle says public perceptions of dairying had swung upwards on the back of the covid-19 lockdown as people understood the importance of food production. Mackle earlier said the Vision is Clear media campaign had led to 220,000 people visiting the campaign’s website. He says it reached 500,000 people on social media every month and 70% of people who had seen the campaign said they felt more positively about the dairy industry compared to 59% who had not seen the campaign in DairyNZ’s most recent public perception survey. “It is making a difference,” he says. DairyNZ chairperson Jim van der Poel says it had been the subject of “robust discussions” around the board table. “It’s always easier to get bad news out there than good news,” he says. Van der Poel says it was an “absolute truth” that for members of the public who do not see or understand the good work many in the industry often felt the

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

need to express that view at electiontime. “And then of course you have governments that come in and feel they have a mandate to then follow through on that,” he says. That was not to say the industry was perfect. It still had lots of work to do. While the industry was trying to make that impact around changing people’s mindsets, it was probably not getting the cut-through it had hoped. The organisation was reviewing whether it was using its resources effectively, he says. “Could we do better? Absolutely. And is this a collective industry issue? Absolutely,” he says. Van der Poel says they will wait and see what the formation of the new government is before deciding on its strategy.

“Could we do better? Absolutely. And is this a collective industry issue? Absolutely.” Jim van der Poel

The organisation had spent the past three years building up relationships with key government people to make these people understand the implications of its policy particularly around freshwater on the dairy sector. He says they have been told there were still opportunities to tweak those rules and DairyNZ will continue to work on that. He also reflected on the 2019-20 year, calling it a busy and challenging year for the sector with the covid-19 pandemic. “This also provided the opportunity to

DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle says the perception that all media coverage of the dairy sector was negative did not match their analysis.

highlight the value and importance of our sector to New Zealand’s future,” he says. “Last year we made good progress towards Mycoplasma bovis eradication and in a world-leading emissions programme, He Waka Eke Noa, to collectively build a farm-level emission reduction framework. DairyNZ also advocated for pragmatic essential freshwater rules for farmers.” Van der Poel and Colin Glass were both re-elected onto DairyNZ’s board. The pair will be two of five farmerelected directors and three boardappointed directors who contribute to DairyNZ’s strategy and priorities on behalf of dairy farmers. The results of several resolutions were also announced. These included the ratification of board-appointed directors Peter Schuyt and Mary-Anne Macleod, and a resolution on director remuneration. Macleod replaced Dr Helen Anderson, who is stepping down from the DairyNZ board after 10 years. “Helen has been a huge contributor to the board on your behalf. Helen brings that Wellington perspective to us and helps us to try and understand what drives Wellington and what makes it tick,” he says. n

NEWS

RWNZ Category Award winners

ural Women New Zealand (RWNZ), together with premier partner NZI, are pleased to announce the Category Award winners of the NZI Rural Women NZ Business Awards 2020. “The NZI Rural Women NZ Business Awards provide an opportunity to celebrate and showcase excellence in business, entrepreneurship and innovation by rural women,” RWNZ national president Fiona Gower says. “In deciding to hold the awards this year, we realised that there has never been a better time to recognise and support women who own and operate rural businesses.” Executive manager of commercial underwriting Christina Chellew represented NZI as one of the judges on the panel. “The judges were highly impressed with the calibre of entrants in this year’s awards, especially in the innovation and resilience each has shown against the background of covid-19,” Chellew says. “It was extremely difficult to select our category winners as there were so many incredible entrants.” In 2018, RWNZ refreshed its Enterprising Rural Women Awards to become the NZI Rural Women NZ Business Awards. By broadening the award categories, updating the application process and strengthening the judging criteria, RWNZ and NZI have ensured that the awards provide rural women business owners with an outstanding opportunity to showcase the diversity of their rural businesses. Presentation of the awards to the Category winners and the announcement of the overall Supreme Award winner will take place on November 20 in Wellington. The Award winners for each category are: – Creative Arts - Farmers Daughter Design Studio - Rebecca Tosswill, Wairarapa Becks Tosswill owns and operates Farmers Daughter Design Studio from

a sheep and beef farm in the Wairarapa hill country. Farmers Daughter tells rural stories, and Becks is deeply committed to bringing her clients’ passion for their businesses to life through creative design and strategic thinking. – Emerging Business - Grass Roots Media; Chelsea Millar, Manawatu Chelsea Millar is the Boss Lady and owner of Grass Roots Media. Chelsea and her team of four staff members draw on their rural roots to create and manage social media communications and campaigns for the food and fibre sector. They are hashtag Agvocates for the primary sector from the grassroots up. – Innovation - Purvis Feeds; Henrietta Purvis, North Otago Henrietta Purvis and her husband Graeme came up with the idea of a lucerne chaff business due to their involvement with horses. Now, Purvis Feeds is recognised as a leading brand of animal feed and the first brand in New Zealand to infuse premium lucerne chaff with cold-pressed rapeseed oil to create a premium product. – Love of the Land - Higgins Shearing; Sarah Higgins, Marlborough Sarah Higgins owns Higgins Shearing, which she operates in sunny Marlborough. In an industry where there are stereotypes of what shearers look like and behave, Sarah and her team are a breath of fresh air. Their passion for their work and commitment to producing quality results while having fun doing it is what makes Sarah’s brand stand out. As a competitive and world record holding shearer herself, Sarah encourages her team to develop their skills by participating in shearing and woolhandling competitions. – Rural Champion - SMW Design & Events; Sue Wilson, Wairoa Sue Wilson has been a champion for her rural community for decades, much of it as a dedicated volunteer who embraces new projects and knows how to turn community dreams into reality.

Rural Women New Zealand national president Fiona Gower says the awards celebrate excellence in business, entrepreneurship and innovation by rural women.

SMW Design & Events grew out of Sue’s passion for her community and “piece of paradise” in Wairoa. – Bountiful Table - The Baked Dane; Lisa Brink, Horowhenua Lisa Brink’s business, The Baked Dane, creates Scandinavian-inspired baked goods that are almost impossible to resist. Lisa draws her inspiration from her childhood in Denmark where she was surrounded by family and people who loved working with food. – Rural Health and Wellness Excellence - Kate Ivey Fitness; Kate Ivey, Mackenzie District Kate Ivey’s business was born out of her own struggle to consistently live a healthy lifestyle, despite having qualifications and extensive experience in the health and fitness industry. After the birth of her third child, Kate finally realised that she knew exactly what to do to look after herself, as well as being a mother and wife. n

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Feed & furniture

All-in-one has always made sense.

Hay bales, they’re not just for feed. They make pretty good seats and the occasional rugby stand. Finding multiple uses for the same thing has always been our way and the same practicality is true with your LIC herd test. While you’re checking their BW and PW, you may as well do an animal health test. From a drop of milk*, we can check for the possibility of Johnes disease, BVD and Staph aureus. Tests that can help you identify health problems in your herd early. You could call it a convenient, all-in-one solution. And that doesn’t just make sense, that makes good farming practice.

Ask your Agri Manager about booking an all-inone herd test today, or visit lic.co.nz/dropofmilk

KINGST_1245_DF_A

There's always room for improvement *A minimum 20ml sample is required to carry out health tests from herd test milk samples.

Peter Schouten milks 2200 cows on two farms near West Eyreton, North Canterbury. Photos: Tony Benny

Ahead of the game Irrigation is an essential tool on Canterbury farms and getting in early has paid off for one farmer.

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

By Tony Benny

A Canterbury farmer who installed irrigation early in his farming career, relies on it to farm successfully.

mbracing technology to get an accurate picture of soil moisture in the variable soils on his two farms has allowed Canterbury dairy farmer Peter Schouten to maximise production at the same time as minimising his environmental footprint. Schouten milks about 2200 cows on the two farms near West Eyreton, North Canterbury, relying on irrigation to grow pasture and crop to feed them. “We were a little bit ahead of the game installing moisture metering because we saw some potential benefits in having that for ourselves.” he says. “We have 16 individual moisture metering sites on our dairy platform and that gives us quite an accurate idea of all the different soil types’ moisture levels versus, I guess, the minimum specs required under the regulations.” Born in Holland, Schouten came to New Zealand with his family 20 years ago, after his parents decided there was a better farming future for them on this side of the world. “Me and my brother were actively helping mum and dad on the farm (in Holland) from the day we could walk

FARM FACTS • Farm owners: Peter and Kristy Schouten • Location: West Eyreton, North Canterbury • Farm size: Eyrewell 382ha (360ha eff), Waipapa 191.5ha (180ha eff), lease 540ha • Cows: 2000 Friesian • Production: 2019-20, 1.18m kg MS • Production target: 2020-21, 1.2m kg MS

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

basically, and that grew into pursuing it as our future career,” he says. “When we were 15 and 16, our parents sat us down with the big question, ‘How committed are you to becoming dairy farmers?’ We answered, ‘It’s 100% what we want to do’.” But on their 91ha farm, milking at most 135 cows, their parents knew that would be hard to achieve without making some radical changes. “We were quite landlocked where we were and for us to grow we would have to move within Holland. That seemed like a step sideways rather than forward so they made the call to start looking outside the borders and they looked in Germany and France, they were talking about Canada, Argentina was mentioned, and so was New Zealand,” Schouten recalls. His parents wanted to visit a close friend who was sharemilking in NZ, so they came out for a look and after that visit they were certain they wanted to come here, but it took another half dozen trips before they found a farm to buy. “They decided fairly early it had to be Canterbury and I don’t know how many properties they looked at, but I think they’d just about had a gutsful and were about to pull the pin when a real estate agent came up with this property on South Eyre Road that we are still farming as a family now,” he says. The 500ha farm was bigger than they really wanted and was still running merinos with some beef and cropping and had limited irrigation, but his parents bought 430ha and leased the remaining 70ha and set about having the farm converted. “Our family friend acted as our conversion manager and, alongside him, we had some absolutely fantastic people who were key to the evolvement of our farm in the first couple of years – farm advisors, bank managers, accountants, we managed to get the right people in – and looking back now, they were absolutely key to our success at the time,” he says.

Later, they bought the remaining 70ha plus some more land, including a lifestyle block, bringing the total to 685ha. Eleven years after that, the two sons bought their parents out and then split the farm, which by now supported two sheds, between them. “The land was laid out in such a way that there was an easy line to be drawn halfway through the farm, so basically we bought one dairy farm each and for the first couple of years we just went as hard as we could, trying to get the most out of those farms,” he says.

“We were a little bit ahead of the game installing moisture metering because we saw some potential benefits in having that for ourselves.” “I was just 29 years old, I had to go in pretty deep to buy my parents out so, yeah, we were pretty committed at the time.” In his first two years in charge, Schouten increased production by 40%. There was still some degree of intensification possible at the time. “When we bought the farm I think there were only 1100 cows milked, so we boosted numbers at the time and got a little bit more production per cow as well, just trying to dot the i’s and cross the t’s where we could.” Five years ago, Schouten and wife Kristy bought another nearby farm, which they converted a year later and this season they’re milking a total of 2200 cows (1350 on their first farm and 800 on the other). That’s about 200 more cows than Schouten wants but he was caught out, mostly by the effects of covid-19 on agriculture. He wanted to send cull cows away in

Continued page 22

Peter checks out the meal fed to the calves in the paddock.

February, but priority was being given to North Island stock because of drought and in March, when the lockdown came in, he couldn’t get cows into the works. With an extra 200 mouths eating their way through his feed reserves, Schouten looked for a way to make the best of the situation. “Just to sit on these cows and then have nothing at the other end of it – and

prices were terrible at the time – we decided to put those empty cows back through a mating season,” he says. “By the time the market started to open, we were committed – we had all these cows that had got back in calf – to see it through.” Those cows will calve in February, but that’s not as disruptive as it may be for other farmers because he already has

a split calving to fit in with his winter milking contract. With two farms, two runoffs, nearly 2000 cows at the time and a team of 15 staff, the pressure started to weigh on him and three years ago he took on two contract milkers to run the dairy farms and he’s very happy with the “two fantastic teams” now in place. He’s still closely involved with the dairy

On the new farm (Waipawa), the herd is fed on the feed pad before milking. They are also fed in the shed during milking.

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Team member Liam Gray brings the herd in for afternoon milking.

platforms and manages the runoffs – and he’s still very fond of his cows. “I’m probably the world’s worst farmer when it comes to cull cows,” he says. “Historically my staff would have told you to avoid me that day because I’d be as grumpy as all hell when cows have to go to the works. “Some of them are your pet cows, some of them are your top breeding cows, and it always seems to be your best cows that for some reason have to go. “I don’t do too well under that sort of stuff, but that’s alright. I guess it’s also because of that that I’m in the dairy industry. It was my passion for cows that made me want to make this my career.” HFS - Dairy Farmer Nov 2020 - 210x86mm 5mm bleed Back in Holland, farming on heavy soil,

with a short growing season and usually reliable rainfall, irrigation wasn’t needed but since coming to Canterbury, he has had to rely on irrigation to keep pastures growing even as the region sizzles in the hot, dry summers. He gets some irrigation water from the Waimakariri irrigation scheme, but that’s often unreliable because if the Waimakariri River is too low, or in flood, the supply is shut off. For that reason, he has reliable supplies from bores on the two dairy farms. About 85% of the original farm’s irrigation needs to come from bores and 100% on the new farm. The leased runoffs are supplied by the irrigation scheme and when supplies PRINT.pdf 1 15/10/20 4:51 PM from that dwindled last summer, he

was caught with 400 Friesian bulls he’d decided to keep because he was unhappy with calf prices being offered. “I thought I had plenty of feed at the runoff and the bulls were meant to go to the North Island at 200kg in February/ March. That never eventuated and we didn’t grow any grass, so a double whammy there,” he says. “I guess the way around that is to make sure you have enough of a feed buffer or summer crops in the ground, but I didn’t have that leading into this problem. Anyway, that bit me in the backside a little bit – but we’re past that now.

Continued page 24

TALK TO THE EXPERTS FOR FARMING SUPPORT 07 858 4233 farmservices.nz info@farmservices.nz

HERBAL DIGESTIVE DRENCH

Supports a healthy faecal egg count for intestinal health

HOMEOPATHIC FARM SERVICES

@HomeopathicFarmServices

Irrigation is an essential tool on the North Canterbury farm. Water is drawn from the Waimakariri irrigation scheme and bores on the two dairy farms.

“I had to buy a lot of feed this winter that I didn’t really want to.” On the dairy farms, that problem’s

unlikely to arise because the supply is reliable and Schouten makes sure he makes the most of the irrigation water,

Contract milker Kieran McDonald in the milking shed.

mostly using centre pivots, backed up with 16 separate moisture meters, up to four of them under each of the large pivots and one or two beneath the smaller ones. “I think your soil types could be so variable throughout the property, just to have one probe in one spot, I would find it really dangerous to put all my money on that one giving me the full picture of what the farm’s doing,” he says. “Where we don’t have soil probes, where we have a crop paddock for instance, let’s say the probe is in a pasture paddock alongside it and you have a crop paddock that has very different moisture requirements through the different stages of growth, I can’t use that moisture data for the crop without some level of scrutiny.” In the corners where the centre pivots don’t reach, Schouten has had fixed grid irrigation installed, which can be controlled via smartphone or laptop. He says the system is growing as much grass beneath it as the centre pivots – a huge improvement on the long-line lateral system he used to have, which involved regular shifting of guns hooked into a central hydrant. “That was almost a game of chase

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Peter’s farming heritage goes back hundreds of years and for his 40th birthday recently, his family gave him a plaque that tracked his forbears back to 1620. Mijn Boeren Achterground translates to My Farming Background.

the brown spots and we’ve definitely improved on that and we’re definitely not using any more water, but we’re growing a lot more grass,” he says. The posts, each topped with a sprinkler, are laid out in straight lines and spaced to allow for efficient mowing, rolling, cultivation or spraying. The contract milkers have access to all the moisture meter data on their computer screens and it’s up to them to make decisions on when to irrigate. They know my expectations around efficient water usage and the band of soil moisture I want to work towards,” he says. “In its simplest form, it’s a green band drawn on a picture and they’ve got to stay within it, it’s really quite easy to follow. “We’re trying to use technology to our advantage, but I still go out with the spade every now and then and dig a hole and have a look at the soil. “Some of the old technology, like a spade comes in handy and I think it should be valued and not underestimated.” Schouten says he takes the Farm Environment Plans in place for the two dairy farms and the two runoffs very seriously and expects to get top grades

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

for recently completed environmental audits “We do try quite hard to do right by those plans and they’re well laid out,” he says. “Consultant Dave Ashby helped us with that and they are really quite comprehensive. I think we’re tracking pretty well with those.”

“Just to sit on these cows and then have nothing at the other end of it – and prices were terrible at the time – we decided to put those empty cows back through a mating season.” The farms are high-input, highproduction operations, with total production last season of 1.18 million kilograms of milksolids from 2050 cows – 719,000kg MS on the South Eyre Road property and 468,000kg MS on the Two Chain Road farm. This season they’re budgeting for 1.2 million kg MS and so far they’re

comfortably tracking ahead of that target. “To be honest, I still believe that last year we missed the mark. I was new to feeding fodder beet and got the diet wrong,” he says. “In hindsight, last autumn we were pushing the envelope a bit with rumen health and with that we probably lost a little bit of production towards the tailend of the season.” He says he didn’t feed enough fibre with the high digestible fodder beet, which led to some subacute rumen acidosis that affected both production and body condition late in the season. This season, he’s reduced the amount of fodder beet sown to 17ha from 56ha last year and that will all be lifted, cleaned and chipped and then fed to milking cows, not dry cows. He doesn’t like feeding fodder beet in the paddock because of the mud that creates. “As a farmer, I seriously dislike seeing cows in mud and then you go to a crop like fodder beet, well, it’s almost impossible to get away from cows in mud,” he says. “With the high-yielding fodder beet,

Continued page 26

Peter Schouten and one of his contract milkers Kieran McDonald discuss production.

you give them such a small area per day compared to other crops and you only need a couple of millimetres of rain and you’re going to have a muddy mess. “I don’t like to see cows eating something in the mud, standing in the mud, lying down in the mud.” Most wintering is done on kale where the breaks are bigger and mud is less of an issue and young stock is generally kept on pasture. “Depending on the winter and the weather, if I can get the crop in early enough, the yearlings might get an offering of forage rape mid-winter and a bit of baleage on the side. The rest of the silage all goes to the milking platforms and that will be done in the form of barley whole-crop, maize silage, fodder beet as lifted beet and pasture silage,” he says. Spring calving is slightly later than most of his neighbours, with heifers in the first week of August and the cows four to five days later. “Because we’re already milking cows through winter, we’re already putting pressure on that pasture cover, so we don’t really want to have them calving any earlier because it’s too early,” he says.

“You’re just going to end up feeding out more silage as the pasture demand and pasture growth curves won’t pair up nicely.” The cows wear AllFlex collars for heat detection and now all mating is done with AI, with no bulls being used except with the yearling heifers.

“I think your soil types could be so variable throughout the property, just to have one probe in one spot, I would find it really dangerous to put all my money on that one giving me the full picture of what the farm’s doing.” “The last day of AI is planned to be December 23. I didn’t really fancy the idea of the boys doing stuff like AI on Christmas Eve,” he says. “With that date, we should be finished calving before the end of September and

that means there is a good clear month between the last cow calving and having to worry about AI, which means a lot of the other stuff on-farm can get ticked off. “If you’re still calving in November and you’re starting to mate in late October, everything overlaps and you’re busy the whole time and all the little jobs are forgotten about.” One of the reasons Schouten has split calving and winter milking is because he hates the idea of high-producing cows being culled because they didn’t get in calf. He prefers to give them a second chance. “If they miss that second time, yes they will go but most of them actually get in calf that second mating. We only have a really short mating in autumn – I think last year it was six weeks,” he says. The second calving is at the end of the first week in February and over by the end of March. Calves are weaned at 120kg. It’s a complex operation and technology plays an important part in keeping the farms running efficiently and profitably, but Schouten says oldfashioned farming instinct is just as important. “A farmer’s on-the-ground common

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

About 2200 Friesian cows are milked on two farms producing about 1.18 million kilograms of milksolids.

sense on the day goes a long way in my books. I’ve farmed here for 20 years, but I’ve farmed all my life,” he says. In fact, Schouten’s farming heritage goes back hundreds of years and for his 40th birthday recently, his family gave him a plaque that tracked his forbears back to 1620, all of whom were

dairy farmers. It’s titled Mijn Boeren Achterground, which translates to My Farming Background. “This doesn’t include my son. I’m hopeful he will consider it as a career and it doesn’t show any generations leading up to it, which I believe more likely than not were dairy farming as well,” he says

“This is 400 years, this is pretty bloody cool if you ask me. I’m really proud of this. It shows the depth of involvement we’ve had in the agriculture industry and I have no desire to stop that.” He says it’s that heritage which makes him determined to look after it to protect it for future generations. n

Why do NZ dairy farmers love the land? Is that a trick question? When you look after your land it’ll look after you, and that comes with its fair share of challenges. But we’re dairy farmers, and we rise to a challenge. And it’s in these moments we shine.

Riseandshine.nz

DAIRY CHAMPION

Ngāi Tahu farm manager and Dairy Women’s Network member Ash-Leigh Campbell is the 2020 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year. Photo by Tony Benny

How a car started a farming journey By Tony Benny

The 2020 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year had a shaky start to her first full-time job as a dairy farmer, but has stood firm to build an outstanding career.

hen she took an afterschool job relief milking, Ash-Leigh Campbell’s only interest in dairy farming was to earn enough money to run the car her parents had given her. But less than 15 years later, she’s been named Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year, the youngest ever recipient of the award. Campbell is technical farm manager for Ngāi Tahu Farming, assisting with the oversight and performance of 8000 cows on eight dairy farms and five support units, at Te Whenua Hou (Eyrewell Forest), North Canterbury. “The role has grown and expanded as I’ve grown and expanded in the past four

years, and I feel it’s constantly evolving. It has been a really exciting journey,” 30-year-old Campbell says. Growing up on a lifestyle block at Greenpark near Lincoln, she had a pony and a pet lamb, but the closest she came to cows was on the town supplytype farms scattered around the district. When she was 16, her parents gave her a car. “But there was a catch to it. They said, ‘If you want to drive it, you’ll need to pay for fuel, registration, WOF and tyres’,” she says. “I didn’t want to be a supermarket check-out chick like a few of my friends were doing for something like $6 an hour back then and there was a job advertised

in the high school newspaper for a relief milker three days a week.” When she turned up for the interview, farm owners Darryl and Sue Petheram, confused by her name Ash-Leigh, were expecting a boy. “They were like, ‘We’ve never had a female before’,” she recalls. But they showed her how to put the cups on in the 24-a-side herring bone shed where they milked their 200 pedigree Holstein Friesians, and then she washed down the yard. “Darryl said, ‘We won’t be offended if you don’t want to come back, we completely understand’,” she says. “I said it was fine and I’ll be back tomorrow.”

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Pleased to be earning $14/hour rather than $6 in a supermarket, she kept the job for two years before enrolling at Lincoln University. But that didn’t go well. “I basically just enjoyed the freedom, socialising, partying and after a year I thought ‘I don’t want to be here’ and the university didn’t really want me to be there either,” she says. Keen to travel and needing funds to do that, she took a full-time job calf rearing for Trevor and Harriet Hamilton in Dunsandel and discovered she liked that much more than being a student. “I think it was my care and attention to having healthy, thriving calves that led into a full-time opportunity as a dairy assistant,” she says, adding that her first day in that job was a lot harder than she could have imagined. “September 4, 2010, the day of the first Canterbury earthquake, was my first day of full-time employment and we were pretty close to the fault line. “We were herd testing that morning, but one of the workers had slept in and we couldn’t start without them so we

Continued page 30

At the age of just 30, Ash-Leigh Campbell is the youngest ever recipient of the Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year title.

YO U PROV E I T E V E RY DAY

Now it’s our turn You measure your own performance at every milking. Our performance should be measured by our ability to support you, today and tomorrow. That’s why we’d like to meet, face to face and talk through the most recent data and reports for your farm, so that you can plan your future with confidence.

It’s time t i to prove Go to fonterra.com/proveit to request a face-to-face meeting at a time that suits you

Ash-Leigh Campbell’s first day of farming full-time was the same day the first Canterbury earthquake struck and she ended up working for 23 hours straight, but it didn’t deter her.

were all standing there in the shed at 4.30am and the earthquake hit at 4.35am and the lights and everything went out and we got thrown around.” They couldn’t use the shed because the power was off and it took until 6pm to get things sorted and walk the herd down to a neighbour’s farm 6km down the road for milking and back again. “So on my first day, I worked 23 hours. I always knew it would be tough entering the dairy industry, but I didn’t know my first day would be that hard or memorable,” she says. She became part of the Dunsandel community and joined the local Young Farmers club and through the connections she made was offered a sole-charge job managing a 500ha dairy support unit near Sheffield. “That’s where I think I found my grittiness,” she says. “When I was a dairy assistant, out of 20 staff, I was the only full-time female when I started. “I just kind of kept my head down and got on with it and it wasn’t until I moved into this next role, managing the young stock that I realised that I needed to work smarter not necessarily harder. “So, playing to my strengths and seeking support where I had weaknesses, normally around that mechanical and physical side. “I’d have the odd casual worker who’d come in to help, but I was looking after 100s of young calves and yearlings with

long days in the yards drenching and vaccinating by myself. Everything fell back on me, so if it wasn’t going to work, I had to fix it, I had to use my brain.” At 24, she found herself at a crossroad. In her heart she wanted to go to Australia to work on a cattle station, but her brain told her that maybe she should go back to university – and then she was given some sage advice.

“I had to write a letter to the university to be let back in because I’d been excluded. They let me in after they saw I’d grown up.”

“A wise, old farmer next door, Peter Hedell of Glen R Angus stud, sat me down and said, ‘Look, the industry’s changing. Historically paperwork might not have been necessary but the way the industry’s changing you probably do need paperwork to back yourself’.’’ Campbell took the advice and returned to Lincoln University – once she’d convinced them she deserved a second chance there. “I had to write a letter to the university to be let back in because I’d been excluded. They let me in after they saw I’d grown up,” she says.

Through her Ngāi Tahu heritage, Campbell was awarded a Whenua Kura scholarship, a scheme to encourage young Māori into land-based career paths. “I’d grown up knowing I was of Ngāi Tahu descent through my mother’s side, but I had no active connection so now I know where I come from. I whakapapa to Puketeraki Marae, just north of Dunedin at Karitane,” she says. Not only did she complete her studies for a Diploma in Agriculture, she also did a Diploma of Farm Management and then decided to study for a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Agriculture as well. “I worked out I could complete the BComAg in 18 months if I went straight to summer school because of the previous papers I’d done in my dippies, so I could walk away with two dippies and a degree after three-and-a-half years,” she says. But by now she was being noticed and Ngāi Tahu Farming suggested that instead of going to summer school, she take an internship with them as their sustainability coordinator. She intended to go back to uni full-time after that summer job, but was persuaded to work part-time for Ngāi Tahu Farming and attend Lincoln part-time as well. “My grades actually improved a lot when I had a foot in the university door and a foot in the real world because I was crossing everything over, I was doing real

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

life scenarios and then taking that back to the classroom and vice versa,” she says. “And because of the role I was in, there was a lot of industry exposure and I started making connections and it started snowballing.” Since her employment with Ngāi Tahu Farming, Campbell shifted roles and became their technical farm manager, working alongside the dairy operations manager in an increasingly complex business. “It’s a cool role. I can be on the tools one day, like working in the yards with our heifers, (and) the next day I could be helping a farm manager prepare for an upcoming environmental audit.” She’s also a member of the Dairy Women’s Network and chairperson of Young Farmers. When she was nominated for the Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year, Campbell was flattered but had no expectations and was surprised to be named a finalist. With the country under covid lockdown, the awards event was held online. “I made the effort to put on a dress, but actually I was sitting there with my woollen socks on, I didn’t need heels,” she says. “My flatmate and I were sitting in front of the computer and then my name got called out. It was so crazy because here I was winning this prestigious award, just me and my flatmate in our house, in our bubble, during lockdown, in our nice dresses and our socks.”

Her prize is a $20,000 scholarship sponsored by Fonterra, but in a covidaffected world she is yet to decide what to do with it. She’s toyed with studying at an overseas university, but has come up with another idea. “I’ve pitched the idea that I’d love to be dropped into one of our international markets – whether it’s China, Indonesia of Malaysia – and put on a lens looking back at New Zealand dairy; who really is our consumer, what do they think about NZ dairy products, what is their perception of NZ as a country? “It would be a ‘money can’t buy experience’ at the age of 30 and to then return home and have the privilege of sharing that message with NZ dairy farmers and be like, ‘Stop giving yourselves a hard time, we’re actually doing really well’.” As for the future, Campbell’s not making any plans. “I wouldn’t be where I am today if I’d been set in my ways,” she says. “I think in today’s environment you need to be as agile as possible, so I don’t know what the future holds and that’s really exciting because the world’s my oyster. “I don’t want to say I’m going to be the CEO of a farming business or I’m going to go sharemilking with 1000 cows. I’d be happy with either of those options, but I think it comes down to where you are at that point in time, the people around you. You have got to be flexible.” n

Rethink how you milk With the new revolutionary iCR+ Intelligent Cluster Remover from GEA.

Perfect for rotaries, herringbones, retrofits and new installs, the new iCR+ with EasyStart lift or pull vacuum activation helps you save time and labour, all while providing a consistent milking routine for both cow and operator. Ash-Leigh Campbell missed out on the glitz and glamour of the awards night because of covid-19 but was presented with her award later.

Quick and easy to install, maybe it’s time to rethink how you milk? Call 0800 GEA FARM, or your local dealer for a quote. gea.com/new-zealand

Drive dairy efficiencies? We can help.

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

WOMEN IN AGRIBUSINESS

Love what you do, do it with love By Cheyenne Nicholson

As Mark Twain said, “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” This is particularly true for a Matamata dairy farmer whose life may be hectic, but says she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Waikato farmer Catherine Newland wears several hats, including being a marriage celebrant.

sk anyone who knows Catherine Newland and they’ll tell you the same thing, she loves being busy. With several different caps to switch between, and another being added to the mix in November with the arrival of her first child, Catherine says the key to juggling it all is making sure you’re doing things you enjoy. “A lot of people would call what I do work. I don’t think of it like that. On the weekends when I’m out with my husband Rhys doing farm jobs it’s not work, it’s just us out there getting things done and enjoying ourselves. It won’t feel like a juggle if you’re enjoying what you’re doing,” she says. Along with farm ownership, she works a 40-hour week as an Agri-Manager for LIC and on weekends switches her gumboots for her party shoes when she’s on the job as a marriage celebrant. “I think as so often happens with kids who grow up on a dairy farm, I didn’t immediately consider dairy farming as a career option. My parents encouraged us to look at all our options and try other things as we always had the option of coming back to the farm. Because of that, I studied teaching then went to Europe for a year,” she says. Her job with LIC was largely inspired by her mum, who also worked for the company. She instilled a passion and interest in herd improvement and genetics in Catherine. “At the time, we were also sharemilking and had our own herd, and seeing the difference that herd

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Catherine and Rhys own their 179ha Waikato farm in equity with Rhys’ parents.

improvement could make on our farm and our business, it made me want to share that passion with others,” she says. “I love crunching numbers and seeing how quickly and significantly we can find change within any given farm system and then presenting that to a farmer.”

“I love being on the farm and working in the industry and wouldn’t want to do anything else, but it’s nice to switch off sometimes, swap my gumboots for a party dress and do something else.” Having decided LIC was where she wanted to be, she got busy applying for jobs and quickly landed a role. Six years later, while it can sometimes be a juggle to fit everything in, it works well alongside the farm and means she gets to connect with her local farming community every day. Catherine does a lot of volunteer work in the primary industries too and currently sits on the Dairy Industry Awards committee, among others. “It’s my way of giving back to the industry that’s given me so much,” she says. When it comes to her eventual return to the land, her husband Rhys had a big

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

part to play in this. A farm kid himself, she says he reignited a passion for farming in her. Having worked their way up the sharemilking ladder, the couple now own their 179ha dairy farm in equity with Rhys’ parents. Located at the foot of the Kaimai Ranges the farm was once a smaller part of a larger farm, meaning a lot has had to be done from scratch and time taken to build up data. “We’re in our fourth season here now, we’ve been pretty consistent with production but still figuring out the farm a bit. It’s around 145ha effective with the rest being steep country, which we have beef cattle on or is planted in natives and pines,” she says. The 450-cow Jersey herd has some outstanding genetics. One of their biggest goals is to purchase or lease a run-off block to give them the ability to have a closed herd and look after all stock classes themselves. “Profitability is another key focus of everything we do. It’s not about pushing production – unless it’s profitable,” she says. “We’d love to do more per cow production but only if it will be more profitable in that system or given payout.” “We’d like to work towards having a more resilient business that can ride the highs and lows of the industry as well. I think that’s an industry-wide goal.” It’s not all work and no play though.

Continued page 34

Rethink your routine Milk your cows quicker, with less staff, thanks to the new iCR+ Intelligent Cluster Remover.

Taking away the need to push a button to activate cluster vacuum and the requirement to manually remove cups makes for an efficient, consistent milking experience. Plus, post-teat spraying can be taken care of, too. In fact, one operator can milk more cows in less time thanks to the new iCR+ Intelligent Cluster Removers! Time to rethink your milking routine? Call 0800 GEA FARM, or your local dealer for a quote. gea.com/new-zealand

Drive dairy efficiencies? We can help.

Catherine inherited her passion for herd improvement and genetics from her mum. The 450-cow jersey herd on the Waikato farm has some outstanding genetics.

Tauranga city is a short drive away, which means they can get off the farm and enjoy some time in the city to recharge their batteries.

“It might sound silly, but the dairy farmers I come across every day in my job inspire me.”

Having the opportunity to connect and engage with farmers from all around the area through LIC, Catherine has picked up tips and tricks from other farmers she’s been able to integrate into her own business.

“It might sound silly, but the dairy farmers I come across every day in my job inspire me. I constantly see things I think could work for our farm or simply

in her family, she likes to have a full calendar. “Dad’s like that, he has a bad habit of doing too much, and we kids are the

get to have some really engaging conversations with people. It helps drive me,” she says. “We also are so lucky to have some incredible people in the dairy industry who are so selfless and will down tools in a flash to help someone – that’s the sort of person I want to be for others in the future.” You’d think that with a full working week plus a farm to run, Catherine’s schedule would be pretty full. Add to the mix her job as a marriage celebrant, and you can imagine how full her calendar looks. But as seems to be a tradition

same. We’re all just 100 miles an hour, making the most of every moment,” she says. “I’ve realised it’s important to focus on one thing at a time. I’d be lost without my calendar though, that’s for sure. “I schedule everything from work appointments to time with friends, then during that time that’s blocked out, that activity gets my full attention.” Her entrance into the world of being a marriage celebrant started after her own wedding. Having enjoyed the experience so much, she chatted to her own celebrant about pursuing the relevant qualifications to be a celebrant herself. With a firm belief in what marriage stands for, a love of talking and a love of love, the job suits her to a tee. “The rest of my life revolves around dairy farming but as a marriage celebrant, it’s just so different. It’s often a much-needed mental break from farming too,” she says. “I love being on the farm and working in the industry and wouldn’t want to do anything else, but it’s nice to switch off sometimes, swap my gumboots for a party dress and do something else.” The business started as a hobby with a wedding here or there. Through word of mouth, the business started ramping up. She’s nearly fully booked for the summer ahead and already has bookings for the summer after. “It’s grown very organically, if you do a good job at whatever you’re doing, the work will come. Doing a good job is the n best form of advertising,” she says.

Catherine does a lot of volunteer work in the primary industries and currently sits Dairy Industry Awards committee, among others. on34the

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

NEWS

PINZ puts spotlight on sector

he Primary Industries New Zealand Summit will once again shine a spotlight on the important role the primary sector plays in the economy and honour the most successful and innovative primary industry producers and supporters. The Summit brings farmers and producers from across the broad range of NZ’s primary industries together with policy makers, regulators and other key sector stakeholders from the primary industries value chain, from iwi through to research and science communities, technologists and agribusiness marketers This unique event provides a forum to hear a selection of world-class, global and local experts delivering insights that will support and enable the sector to plan and prepare for its transition and adaptation to a sustainable future. Themes for Summit include: the implementation of the vision of the Primary Sector Council by Food and Fibre Aotearoa; analysing the global trade and export environment and markets for NZ produce; exploring global food trend – developing high-value products aimed at international consumers that care; achieving sustainable land use and

identifying practical actions to address agricultural emissions and exploring the latest technology led food disruption trends; and assessing the potential risks and opportunities presented by alternative proteins. The 2020 Primary Industries New Zealand Awards will be presented at the awards dinner. Judges faced tough decisions choosing finalists for the awards due to the large number of entries. The six independent judges deliberated over 40 nominations across the six award categories for the second annual PINZ awards. “More than ever New Zealand needs the primary sector to be innovative and enterprising,” Federated Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland says. “For our farmers, growers, foresters and fishers to continue to be at the top of their game as producers of quality goods exported to the world, we need suppliers and support agencies of the calibre of these finalists who can help us with cutting-edge technology and back-up.” The Primary Industries New Zealand Summit and Awards will be held at Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington on November 23 and 24. n

Rethink how you milk With the new revolutionary iCR+ Intelligent Cluster Remover from GEA.

Perfect for rotaries, herringbones, retrofits and new installs, the new iCR+ with EasyStart lift or pull vacuum activation helps you save time and labour, all while providing a consistent milking routine for both cow and operator. Quick and easy to install, maybe it’s time to rethink how you milk? Call 0800 GEA FARM, or your local dealer for a quote. gea.com/new-zealand

Drive dairy efficiencies? We can help. Federated Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland says now more than ever, New Zealand needs the primary sector to be innovative and enterprising.

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

CALF CLUB

Calf Club NZ judge Braydon Schroder has been involved with calf club for nearly 20 years, and is now giving back to help young children with their calves. Braydon Schroder judges Aria Abrams, 7, on-farm.

Giving back to Calf Club By Anne Boswell

raydon Schroder has achieved a lot in his 23 years, and now he’s helping Kiwi kids follow in his footsteps and develop a passion for the dairy industry at a young age. The Bay of Plenty farm consultant is an integral part of the Calf Club NZ judging team, bringing almost 20 years of calf club, judging and cattle fitting experience to the table. “As a child, I loved calf club and if I can share just a few tips, tricks or techniques with the kids then that’s great,” Braydon says. Calf Club NZ judging took place over the October school holidays, with judges visiting kids on-farm to assess them and their calves in rearing, leading and type categories. Braydon judged not one, but two regions – East Waikato and South Waikato – giving him the opportunity to assess 30 calves and their handlers. He says the kids that entered the

competition and registered an animal really went the extra mile to build a close relationship with their calves. “They have put a lot of time and effort into the care and attention of their calves, as well as leading,” he says.

“If they take only one or two pieces of advice away from what I’ve told them, then that’s awesome.” Braydon Schroder

“It makes judging a lot more interesting and requires more time with each child when the quality of entrants is so high.” Braydon also took two trainee judges on the road with him, teaching them cattle judging skills along the way.

“Teaching other people to judge has been a big bonus of being involved in Calf Club, and it’d be great to see more judges training others,” he says. “People are often interested in the ins and outs of judging cattle, but few have the confidence to take it to the next step and actually become a judge. “The easiest way to learn is to come out with a judge and get that experience first-hand.” Braydon started competing in school ag days as a primary school student, entering a pet lamb before moving onto calves. By the end of primary school he was rearing two calves each season, and had started competing at regional A&P and national agricultural shows, winning several awards at the New Zealand Dairy Event. His interest continued to evolve and after overseas opportunities in Australia and Canada as a cattle fitter (prepping stock for the show ring) and handler for a number of breeders, he now prepares

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

and shows his own cattle, and others’, when time allows. Braydon has also competed in judging competitions overseas, as well as having judged over 10 school-based agricultural group days at home. “It’s hard to balance competing/ showing with a busy full-time job, so judging Calf Club has given me the opportunity to see more calves, hone my skills and build my confidence,” he says. Braydon says the main reason he started judging Calf Club was to give back to the event that has given him so much enjoyment. “I’ve picked up so many little tips and tricks along the way, I thought it would be great to pass these on to kids, which the Calf Club NZ format allows to happen,” he says. “To be able to see such a minute amount of detail, like what brushes the kids are using or where on-farm they are leading their calves … you can’t go past that level of attention. “Hopefully I can encourage kids to move through the competitive levels at an earlier age, which is a good experience for them. “If they take only one or two pieces of advice away from what I’ve told them, then that’s awesome.” Braydon says there are also learning opportunities for adults who become Calf Club judges. “There are practical skills you learn that you can apply to your own farm business, such as cattle breeding and selecting genetics ensuring animals last longer in your herd,” he says. “Or you may simply want to become

involved if you have fond memories of competing in calf club yourself, or if your child is involved.” Braydon says there are endless benefits for children to participate in Calf Club NZ. “There is so much learning potential for them; 10 times more than they would get from a school ag day,” he says. “They are exposed to a wider competition, they get longer with the judge to learn tips and tricks, and they are able to be part of a competition that really tests their ability.

“And if they have a slight passion for the dairy industry, it might encourage them to take that passion further.” Braydon says he believes Calf Club hasn’t reached its full potential yet due to certain regions yet to be engaged. Advertising through primary schools and secondary schools will hopefully aid in its growth. “Having experienced and passionate people running Calf Club is an integral part of its future, and I think those currently on board are fulfilling that responsibility,” he says. n

Braydon Schroder is also helping to train new judges for Calf Club. Braydon shares some tips with Sabian Abrams, 5, during judging.

Committed to making safer and healthier farms No job to big for The Hoofman Hooftrimming made easy by the experts Lame cows and bulls Preventative trimming Heifer teatsealing Bulls – preventative blocking Hoof knife sharpening

Available North Island wide

Johan Buys – 021 466 367

LK0103983©

• • • • •

www.thehoofman.co.nz

INDUSTRY GOOD

Tips for reducing N losses on-farm Virginia Serra

Project leader

new project at DairyNZ called Step Change, aims to help dairy farmers achieve financial gains while making progress towards their environmental goals and adapting to pending regulation changes. We’ve already worked with farmers in some regions to achieve these goals. Now, through Step Change, we are taking these lessons wider to farmers around the country, to help them adapt to current changes. Since 2018, I have been leading a project working alongside a group of partner farms and their rural professionals in Selwyn and Hinds to identify ways to reduce their nitrogen losses. The farms are part of a five-year DairyNZ project that’s influencing activity on hundreds of farms in the region sharing the changes taking place on partner farms with other local farmers through field days and discussion groups. Under targets set by the Canterbury Regional Council, farmers in Selwyn need to reduce their nitrogen (N) losses by 30% by 2022, and in Hinds, staged targets require reductions of 15% by 2025 and 36% by 2035. The most common actions farmers reported included improving their irrigation systems and management (94%), improving effluent systems (90%) and reducing N fertiliser use (80%). Several farmers who reduced fertiliser applications also said there was little impact on their pasture growth and profitability.

Partner farmers from Selwyn and Hinds shared their tips on how to adapt to meet the new nitrogen fertiliser cap at a DairyNZ workshop recently.

“Many changes made by these Canterbury farmers can be adapted to suit farmers in other regions.” Many changes made by these Canterbury farmers can be adapted to suit farmers in other regions and Step Change is working to share these lessons more widely. Reducing N losses isn’t always easy, but this project shows it is possible and a number of options are available. One of the main actions farmers in Selwyn and Hinds catchments used to reduce their N losses was reducing N fertiliser applications. Some top tips are: 1. Allow time to change N fertiliser use if you need to make significant reductions to meet new regulations. 2. Reduce application rates to no more

with DairyNZ than 40kg N/ha in early spring and then to 0.8kg N/ha per day of round length. 3. Optimise conditions for clover growth and get paddocks soil tested to help identify if a lack of nutrients is limiting pasture or clover growth (pH, P, K and Mo). To avoid the shading of clover, careful grazing management is also important. 4. Skip a few paddocks when pasture growth rates are high and silage making is not wanted/needed. 5. Have a monthly N fertiliser plan and monitor it, to check that you are on track to stay within your fertiliser budget throughout the year.

For more top tips, visit dairynz.co.nz/ nitrogen-cap

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

IT’S ABOUT TIME SOMEONE STARTED THINKING LIKE A FARMER. You have enough to do without worrying about the perfect drench programme. To help, we went back to basics to create the Turbo® 3-stage parasite control programme for growing cattle. With four world-first products that combine the most effective ingredients for higher potency, better safety and coverage of key parasites at the right times – including resistant strains. It’s innovative, reliable and available exclusively through leading veterinary practices nationwide.

TURBO® CATTLE DRENCH PROGRAMME STAGE 1 : TURBO Initial Oral Drench ®

For calves you need parasite coverage with a wide margin of safety, high potency and activity against coccidia – that’s what we’ve delivered.

World first combination for: Worm Parasites

Coccidiosis

TURBO® CATTLE DRENCH PROGRAMME

STAGE 1

STAGE 2

STAGE 3

TURBO Initial Oral Drench

TURBO Advance Oral Drench

TURBO® Pour On or Injection

alleva.co.nz TURBO® is a registered trademark of Alleva Animal Health Ltd. TURBO Pour-on (A011722), TURBO Injection (A011742), TURBO Initial (A011703) and TURBO Advance (A011714) are registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997. See www.foodsafety.govt.nz for registration conditions.

PROUDLY

OWNED

RESEARCH

Gene editing for climate change By Gerard Hutching

Scientists are using gene editing to create cattle that can handle climate change.

ew Zealand scientists have successfully used CRISPR gene editing to create cows with grey patches rather than black, which means they will be better able to cope with heat. The work has been carried out by scientists at AgResearch’s animal containment facility at the Ruakura campus in Waikato. The Crown Research Institute has been granted approvals for the research, according to conditions set by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA). AgResearch senior scientist Dr Goetz Laible says two Holstein Friesian calves with the gene edit were born live but one died at birth, while the second died at four weeks of age from a navel infection. Both deaths were thought to be linked to the fact they were cloned, rather than from the editing process. Now, the team is working on an alternative way of breeding more calves with the edit, which will avoid the use of the cloning process. The technology could come into its own in a warming climate. A 2007 study showed New Zealand dairy cows become heat stressed for nearly 20% of the time they are being milked, halving yields. In 2016, NZ experienced its hottest year on record, while last year recorded the fourth warmest year. Warmer summers are predicted to increase in number and intensity. Laible says a black coat was just one variable related to heat stress. Others included ambient temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, solar radiation and the animal’s genetics and production levels. “Heat stress is a complex phenomenon with higher absorption by a black coat colour being only one aspect. Generation of the edited cattle would for the first time make it possible to determine the

This calf’s grey patches are a result of CRISPR genome editing.

impact of just lightening the coat colour on heat stress and milk production, which is the ultimate goal of this study,” Laible says. Heat also makes it difficult for cows to become pregnant, so the gene editing technique may help dairy cows to have the calf every year they need to maintain milk production. Peter Hansen at the University of Florida told New Scientist magazine that studies he and his colleagues made had shown that predominantly white cattle regulate body temperature better and maintain milk yield better than predominantly black cattle. He cautions that while AgResearch’s

approach could work, the effect could be small for cows with access to shade. The AgResearch team managed to create the grey coat by making a small change in a gene involved in pigmentation called PMEL. The change to the PMEL gene was made in fetal skin cells from a male Holstein Friesian that were growing in a dish. Laible says they could have used standard breeding techniques and crossed beef cattle with dairy cattle, but the result would have been livestock that were less than ideal for producing either milk or meat. “After seven days in vitro culture single embryos were non-surgically

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

“Generation of the edited cattle would for the first time make it possible to determine the impact of just lightening the coat colour on heat stress and milk production, which is the ultimate goal of this study.”

transferred to synchronized recipient cows for development to term,” the study was reported on the scientific platform bioRxiv. Once the two calves were born, the team confirmed that what should have been black markings had changed to silvery grey, while white areas remained unaffected. Laible says AgResearch was now working on introducing changes known from tropical cattle that have been associated with heat tolerance. Other cattle breeds, which may benefit from gene editing technology could be Black Angus.

AgResearch senior scientist Dr Goetz Laible and his team have been working on research into gene editing cattle to help them survive climate change.

Gene editing has already been used to produce a non-horned animal by Minnesota company Recombinetics. It is standard practice to dehorn cattle, which is criticised by animal welfare advocates. Another potential area where it could be used is in producing livestock which emit little or no methane, one of the leading

contributors to global greenhouse gases (GHG). CRISPR technology allows scientists to edit genes by altering a piece of DNA inside a cell but as it is a form of genetic engineering, it is outlawed other than for approved experiments in contained centres. n

Working smarter. So your feed works harder. Specialists in customisable feed Silo | Bulk | Liquid 0800 300 313

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

GrainCorpFeedsNZ

www.graincorpfeeds.co.nz

RESEARCH

New research facility for Massey farm

Work has begun on a new joint dairy research facility between Massey University and AgResearch on Dairy 4 farm near Palmerston North. Photos: David Wiltshire

Massey University dairy farm will host new joint research facilities that will focus on improvements across a range of critical issues, from animal welfare to climate change and environmental impacts. Work has just begun on the development of the new joint research facility between Massey University and AgResearch on Dairy 4 farm, the larger of two dairy farms owned by the university near the Manawatu campus.

Dairy 4 farm is a 220-hectare commercial, research and teaching farm with approximately 600 spring calving cows. The new facilities will boast two rotary milking platforms, which will allow detailed research projects to take place alongside the farm’s daily operations. Other new facilities include a covered veterinary area for individual cow measurements and a multi-lane feed pad to enable differential feeding to various groups of cows. There will also be an effluent treatment

system, a data centre within the shed to store and manage research data, a teaching room and biosecurity station. Professor Peter Kemp of the School of Agriculture and Environment says the new facilities will help Massey to build on its reputation of contributing world leading pure and applied research, in partnership with industry, on matters that are of national and international interest including environmental impacts of climate change, biosecurity issues, animal welfare issues and economic

The existing 300-head barn on Massey Dairy 4 was constructed in 2012 and has been used for research on partial housing systems for dairy cows.

threats posed by innovations in food production. He says the partnership will enable greater interaction between Massey and AgResearch staff and students and allow a range of independent trials to operate at any one time. “These high-quality and fit-for-purpose facilities will improve the flexibility in our programme delivery and content, while also helping to attract new researchers, staff and students,” Kemp says. He says the new facilities will also attract new research partners and deepen existing relationships with industry and communities, nationally and internationally. AgResearch Research director Dr Trevor Stuthridge says investing with the university in the development of Dairy 4 farm was identified some years ago as part of the strategic development of science capability at AgResearch’s Grasslands campus. “The farm’s proximity to Te Ohu Rangahau Kai, a worldclass joint food science facility

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

based at the university and connections with FoodHQ, will increase the linkages of research programmes across the whole supply chain from producer to consumer,” Stuthridge says. “New Zealand communities and farmers will benefit from this significant investment into the future of farm-scale science research. It underpins the close relationship and collaboration between AgResearch and Massey, two significant land-based science institutions.”

The new facilities will be developed on a greenfield site, so construction will not impact the farm’s operations and existing research activities underway. Completion is scheduled for winter 2021. Dairy 4 farm is well known for its research into nutrient losses on heavy soils and recent collaborative work on partial housing systems for dairy cows. It hosts a large number of visitors each year and is used often by Massey’s agricultural and veterinary students. n

Collaborative partners Massey University Dairy 4 farm has been operating for about 46 years and complements Dairy 1 farm, a 260-cow farm beside the Manawatu River that can be seen from the Fitzherbert Bridge. AgResearch has a range of research farms across New Zealand and has also partnered with DairyNZ and southern dairy farmers in the new Southern Dairy Hub, a large-scale research dairy farm in Southland. Te Ohu Rangahau Kai is the combination of the complementary sets of expertise from AgResearch, the Riddet Institute and Massey University,

combining the Riddet Institute’s strengths in high-quality food science and future capability, with AgResearch’s strengths in technology and innovation to support NZ’s exports. Te Ohu Rangahau Kai ensures increased collaboration between scientists, working in a facility that features high-quality workspaces, laboratories, teaching spaces and state of the art equipment to tackle some of the biggest issues of our age, including a secure and safe food supply, whilst also increasing our support for the wellbeing of all New Zealanders.

Equipment and materials for the foundations of the new barn are on site at Massey Dairy 4.

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

TECHNOLOGY

Water saving technology By Tony Benny

Award-winning ag tech can halve the amount of freshwater used on farms and has the potential to save billions of litres each year.

airy farmers will be able to halve the amount of water they use washing down their yards thanks to new technology developed by Lincoln University scientists and commercial partner Ravensdown. The ClearTech effluent treatment system has been installed at the Lincoln University Dairy Farm and in its first month in action, more than 600,000 litres of water was saved. “Our plant has been fully operational since the start of milking and already the amount of freshwater we’ve saved is remarkable. We’re saving at least 50% of the water used to wash the yard,” farm manager Peter Hancox says. Over the whole 10-month season, Hancox says, water savings are expected to total 6 million litres. Soil science professors Keith Cameron and Hong Di, and Ravensdown, developed the system which collects the effluent and treats it with a coagulant to bind effluent colloidal particles together to settle them out from the water. The treated water can then be recycled, with the leftover treated effluent being safely used to recycle nutrients back to the pasture without odour. The ClearTech system also reduces pressure on effluent storage capacity and reduces leaching losses of phosphate and E.coli from the treated effluent when spread on the land. “These are huge benefits for farmers, with really significant implications for farmers’ relationships with the natural environment and their local communities,” Hancox says. He believes the set-up and maintenance costs are far outweighed by benefits to both the farm and the wider community. “Every litre of wastewater recycled is a litre of freshwater saved,” he says. The system comprises computer

Professors Keith Cameron and Hong Di with the Lincoln University Dairy Farm ClearTech effluent treatment system.

Lincoln University farm manager Peter Hancox says the ClearTech system has huge benefits for farmers.

processors, controllers, tanks, pumps and pipes, and sits between the dairy yard and effluent pond. Ravensdown estimates that if ClearTech was used on all New Zealand dairy farms, total fresh water use could be reduced by up to 42 billion litres a year, the equivalent of 17,000 Olympicsized swimming pools “Farmers want to do the right thing and ClearTech delivers us a system where

we can make a real difference to our environmental impact, without busting the budget and with no disruption to our normal farm operations,” Hancox says. The system won the Science & Research Award at the Primary Industries Awards in 2019, the South Island Agricultural Fieldays Agri-Innovation Award and a Highly Commended Award at the 2019 National Fieldays Innovation Awards. n

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

TECHNOLOGY

Importance of herd monitoring

llflex Livestock Intelligence, MSD and IDEXX are changing the game of animal health in a new Tech Talk and Eradicating BVD workshop series for Dairy Women’s Network members and farmers nationwide. The workshops will focus on Allflex’s monitoring system technology and how that technology can help with heat detection, as well as overall animal health. The second part of these free threehour practical sessions will cover the importance of the Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) dairy framework, as well as some information about BVD from the MSD Animal Health team and IDEXX. Attendees will receive insights into Allflex’s collar technology – what, how and why the technology is used; BVD testing and vaccination strategies, and how both Allflex collars and BVD testing ultimately have a positive impact on a farmer’s bottom line. “This season we are seeing an increase in monitoring enquiries and sales as farmers are quickly seeing the benefits of using a monitoring system. There is good value in monitoring your herd, not just to detect heat but to provide accurate and early insights into individual cow health, meaning fewer down cows and more days in milk,” Allflex’s national sales manager Austin Heffernan says. “These workshops are a great chance for those farmers who are interested to ask any questions directly to a farmer who is using the technology in a farmerto-farmer knowledge share.” Following the new partnership between IDEXX and the Dairy Women’s Network, IDEXX representatives have come on board to showcase the ease and success of testing for BVD in successful control programmes nationwide. IDEXX is excited to be working with DWN, MSD and Allflex on this important initiative. Infectious diseases, especially BVD, negatively impact productivity and fertility on-farm. Together with this new partnership, IDEXX hopes to make

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Te Awamutu farmer David Harker uses the Allflex monitoring system to track the health of his herd. Photo: Allflex Livestock Intelligence

significant improvements to improve the health and wellbeing of New Zealand livestock. “We want to equip our farmers with the knowledge to protect herd health. Utilising technology such as Allflex collars is a big part of that. When it comes to BVD eradication implementing a strong testing and vaccination programme is key – we want attendees to understand how this disease works so that they can make decisions in the field and adapt when they need to,” Dairy Women’s Network chief executive Jules Benton says. Six workshops will be held at farms around the country, with the first session in North Otago on November 3. Following sessions will be held in

“There is good value in monitoring your herd, not just to detect heat but to provide accurate and early insights into individual cow health, meaning fewer down cows and more days in milk.” Austin Heffernan Manawatu, Southland, Waipa, South Waikato and Kaipara. Visit dwn.co.nz/events for more information on the workshops and to register.

n 45

FARMSTRONG

Study shows on-farm wellbeing, injury link Research undertaken by rural wellbeing initiative Farmstrong has established the link between diminished wellbeing and on-farm injuries.

he study of 500 farmers receiving ACC quantified the extent to which diminished wellbeing had contributed to their accident. The results were telling – 58% reported that an aspect of diminished wellbeing had contributed to their accident. Nearly a quarter (24%) identified diminished wellbeing as a major contributor. The most mentioned factors were fatigue/exhaustion, lack of sleep, not coping with the ups and downs of farming, needing a break from the farm, and having too much to do and not enough time. On the positive side, the study also found that farmers who engaged with Farmstrong were less likely than others to report diminished wellbeing being a major contributor to a more serious injury. Last year, over 18,000 farmers, growers and farm workers engaged in Farmstrong. Twenty-two percent attributed an improvement in their wellbeing to their involvement, with 13% reporting a moderate to large improvement. Here are some insights dairy farmers have shared on the topic. n

Tangaroa Walker, contract milker Southland. “You’ve got to be on the ball, every minute of every day on a dairy farm. We’re working with five-tonne machinery and working with livestock,” he says. “It’s funny isn’t it? We do farming

courses and learn about all these things, but nowhere do you learn about how to look after yourself by eating properly or making sure you call a friend when you’re stressed. No one teaches you that. That’s why I think Farmstrong’s the best thing since sliced bacon.”

Paul and Pip Walker run a 300-cow, 90-hectare dairy farm in Pongakawa. “I learned the hard way about how hazardous fatigue can be,” he says. “Ten years ago I was very tired after calving and we were having issues with an old fanbelt driven water pump. I went to check it and realised there was a burr in the belt, but because I was exhausted, rather than turn the machine off, without thinking I put my hand in the middle and it went through the pulley. It caught me and I lost a finger. “It was a hell of a lesson – you’re not much use on a farm when you’re tired. When you’re tired, the simplest of decisions and tasks can become very difficult.”

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Amber Carpenter and her husband Fraser milk 550 cows in Paparimu, south of Auckland. “We like working hard, but we also want to enjoy what we’re trying to build,” she says. “It’s about finding what works best for you. It might be exercise, a hobby or a better roster. No one gets it right all the time, but if the intention’s there, it’s much more likely you’re going to have a good day. But you need to put yourself first. “That self-awareness is something I’ve developed over a very long period of time. That it’s ok to make your wellbeing a priority.”

Farmstrong helps farmers cope with the ups and downs of farming by sharing things farmers can do to look after themselves and manage stress and pressure through its website – www.farmstrong.co.nz – and at workshops and community events. Here are some top tips: • Stay connected – Surround yourself with a network of people you can reach out to. It can be as simple as having a conversation in the pub or over the fence. • Keep active – Biking, walking, hunting, and team sports – whatever appeals. It keeps you ‘farm fit’, boosts your mood and gets you off-farm. • Schedule recovery time – Mini breaks and time outs during the day boost performance and improve decision-making in physically demanding jobs.

Mark Meyer milks 400 cows on a 190ha dairy farm in the Kaipara region. “There’s no doubt in farming that what you put in is what you get out. But how many people do you hear on their deathbeds say ‘I wish I’d worked another day?’” he asks. “You’ve got to adopt a different mentality and think, ‘this farm will always be there tomorrow.’ “You’ve simply got to make the time to get off-farm and refresh yourself to keep well physically and mentally.”

Angela Reed is a dairy farmer from Waikirikiri Farm, Canterbury. “We feel a responsibility to make sure that we’re looking after our staff in the best possible way,” she says. “We’ve changed our whole staff meeting as a result. We used to start with health and safety, now we start the conversation with ‘how are you?’”

Under the pump? For tips and ideas, visit farmstrong.co.nz

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

CALF CLUB

Calf Club NZ regional winners Well done to all the children and their calves who have taken part in Calf Club NZ this year, you have done us all proud. Congratulations to our regional winners, and be sure to keep an eye out in next monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s issue for our national winners and photos. Primary/Intermediate

Leading Upper Northland Mid Northland Lower Northland/Auckland South Auckland Hauraki Western Waikato Central Waikato East Waikato South Waikato Bay of Plenty North Taranaki South Taranaki Manawatu Tasman Marlborough Canterbury/Southland

1st Charlie Williams Alyssa Bishop Leigha Dinsdale Jakob Court Tayler Gibbs Ashlynne Wise Gabrielle Scherer Jack Anderson Dylan-Marie Sawford Alexia Gordon Ella Tai Ruby Read Oliver Selby Katie Templeman Andrew Giles

2nd 3rd George Williams Ruby Williams Marley Imeson Jethro Imeson Boston Stubbs Piper Stubbs Ben Linnell Lexi Linnell Celena Earl Tom Johnson Cassie Wise Laura Connolly Rylee Davie Fergus Fulton Hadasah Richards Zuri Richards Lily Murray Aria Abrams Aimee Beer Jimmy Beer Kaylee Lepper Annabella Aldridge Cady-Maree Barriball Kelsey Perrett Sophie Dickson Alistair Pedersen Matty Templeman Max Templeman Danielle Giles Jordan Berkers

Video League

Thomas Henderson-Greig

Kemnay Christensen

Rearing Upper Northland Mid Northland Lower Northland/Auckland South Auckland Hauraki Western Waikato Central Waikato

1st George Williams Drew McDermott Leigha Dinsdale Jakob Court Tayler Gibbs Jamie Spiers Gabrielle Scherer

2nd 3rd Jack Williams Charlie Williams Alyssa Bishop Evan Browning Sylvia Wright Elizabeth Pivac Ben Linnell Lexi Linnell Celena Earl Chloe Sergeant Pippa Earwaker Cassie Wise Rylee Davie Fergus Fulton

Kobe Gardiner

Keeping Calf Clubs Alive BURGESS FARM

East Waikato South Waikato Bay of Plenty North Taranaki South Taranaki Manawatu Tasman/Marlborough Canterbury/Southland

Jack Anderson Dylan-Marie Sawford Alexia Gordon Shani McClutchie Cady-Maree Barriball Oliver Selby Katie Templeman Margaret Russell

Zuri Richard Lily Murray Amber Cleaver Kaylee Lepper Ruby Read Camerson Pedersen Macey Parkes Annika Buhre

Hadassah Richards Blayke Murray Jimmy Beer Ella Tai Ella Clarkson Chloe Jamieson Katie Templeman Skye Crossen Carlisle Christensen

Video League

Thomas Henderson-Greig

Kobe Gardiner

Dairy Type Upper Northland Mid Northland Lower Northland/Auckland South Auckland Hauraki Western Waikato Central Waikato East Waikato South Waikato Bay of Plenty North Taranaki South Taranaki Manawatu Tasman/Marlborough Canterbury/Southland

1st George Williams Alyssa Bishop Elizabeth Pivac Jakob Court Adelle Johnson Jamie Spiers Gabrielle Scherer Jack Anderson Dylan-Marie Sawford Alexia Gordon Kaylee Lepper Ruby Read Tayla Jamieson Katie Templeman Margaret Russell

2nd 3rd Jack Williams Charlie Williams Sam Browning Kody McDermott Leigha Dinsdale Lexi Linnell Ben Linnell Ella Wiggins Tayler Gibbs Flynn Hunson Amelia Bruster Michelle-Jan Ngaheu Hunter Fulton Hadassah Richards Zuri Richards Aria Abrams Liam Olaker Aimee Beer Conrad Gordon Ella Tai Annabella Aldridge Kelsey Perrett Ella Clarkson Haylee Baker Oliver Selby Isaac Templeman Macey Parkes Danica Berkers Andrew Giles

Video League

Carlisle Christensen

Kemnay Christensen

Beef Type Upper Northland Lower Northland/Auckland Hauraki Western Waikato Central Waikato East Waikato South Waikato Bay of Plenty North Taranaki South Taranaki Manawatu Tasman/Marlborough

1st 2nd 3rd Riley Brown Sylvia Wright Boston Stubbs Piper Stubbs Poppie Balm Noah Gibbs Ashlynne Wise Cassie Wise Adam Watson Zoe Morris Zac Morris Alexi Buchanan Michael Edwards Blayke Murray Lily Murray Amber Cleaver Jimmy Beer Jacob Rouse Tamati McClutchie Shani McClutchie Lacey Beck Ella Clarkson Alec Hayward Cameron Pedersen Chloe Jamieson Alistair Pedersen Katie Templeman Matty Templeman Max Templeman

Thomas Henderson -Greig

High-School Leading Mid Northland Lower Northland/Auckland South Auckland Hauraki Western Waikato Central Waikato East Waikato South Waikato South Taranaki Manawatu Tasman Marlborough Canterbury/Southland

1st 2nd 3rd Danika Beardall Arjan Pedersen Charlise Benson Thomas Jeyes Summer Gibbs Ella Pirie Emily Woller Katelyn Smith Jessica-Rose Young Jacoba Gread Charlie Scherer Tayla Hansen Grace Parker - Missy Grace Parker - Ginge Bradley Sawford â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Peaches Bradley Sawford - Todd Jessica Holmes Nikki Baker Arden Thompson Ben Martin Kimberly Simmons Lina Buhre

Rearing Mid Northland Lower Northland/Auckland South Auckland Hauraki Western Waikato Central Waikato East Waikato South Waikato South Taranaki Manawatu Tasman Marlborough Canterbury/Southland

1st 2nd 3rd Danika Beardall Arjan Pedersen Charlise Benson Ella Pirie Thomas Jeyes Summer Gibbs Katelyn Smith Jessica-Rose Young Emily Woller Jacoba Gread Tayla Hansen Charlie Scherer Grace Parker - Ginge Grace Parker- Missy Bradley Sawford â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Peaches Bradley Sawford - Todd Jessica Holmes Nikki Baker Arden Thompson Ben Martin Kimberly Simmons Lina Buhre

Dairy Type Mid Northland Hauraki Western Waikato Central Waikato East Waikato South Waikato South Taranaki Manawatu Canterbury/Southland

1st 2nd Danika Beardall Ella Pirie Thomas Jeyes Jessica-Rose Young Katelyn Smith Jacoba Gread Charlie Scherer Grace Parker- Missy Bradley Sawford - Peaches Jessica Holmes Arden Thompson Nikki Baker Kimberly Simmons Lina Buhre

Beef Type Lower Northland/Auckland South Auckland Western Waikato Central Waikato East Waikato South Waikato Tasman/Marlborough

1st Arjan Pedersen Charlise Benson Emily Woller Tayla Hansen Grace Parker- Ginge Bradley Sawford - Todd Ben Martin

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

3rd Summer Gibbs

All results, including national winners, for Calf Club NZ 2020 are available on the Calf Club website.

EFFLUENT & SUMMER MANAGEMENT

One of three SmartShelter sheds on Martin Dairies at Morrinsville which are used mainly for the winter milk herd but also during summer to help keep cows cool.

A smart solution By Cheyenne Nicholson

fter making the decision to start winter milking a portion of his herd, Morrinsville dairy farmer Peter Martin and his son Shane Martin decided he needed to look at options that would enable him to feed his cows in winter and keep the

pressure off his pastures. Peter and his wife Karen farm in an equity partnership with their son Shane and his wife Mel. With 1200 Friesian cows milked across three sheds on 300ha, the operation has scale, and they are always looking at ways to optimise their systems

to make the business as profitable as they can while ensuring cow and land health are the top priority. “Pugging was the main thing on my mind when we decided winter milk,” Martin says. “We obviously had the option of putting the cows in

the cow shed yard at night, but I hated the thought of that, it was just asking for lameness issues. So, we started to look at shed options.” They started winter milking a few seasons ago and now winter 450 cows with plans to increase that to 600 over the

coming season to have a split herd. Finding a suitable option for standoff sheds, the Martins had a few things on their list they were looking for. Ease of effluent management was top of mind, along with how versatile it was. Having looked at other options on the market, they settled on SmartShelters composting barns. The canvas roof barns are filled with postpeel. “The sheds have feed bins on the outside, so we can fully feed the winter milking herd,” he says. “We use the sheds in summer as well, as it gets them out of the heat. “Other options we looked at had clear roofing, which made the sheds like hothouses in summer, so weren’t an option. “The fabric does a great job of helping reduce heat stress in the summer.” The Martins regularly achieve 10-12 degrees cooler temperatures in summer, which helps in increasing milk production through heat stress relief. The farm is home to three of these sheds and they are predominantly used in winter for the milking herd and to on-off graze the remainder of the herd to alleviate pressure on pastures. Each shed is 90m by 20m, and is replenished with postpeel at least once-a-year and cleaned twice-a-year. Cleaning involves taking a scraping off the top of the bedding,

usually about 100mm, at the end of winter and again in March followed by a replenish of bedding. “The bedding is about 600mm deep and because of the post-peel, the amount of effluent that comes out is very minimal, most is absorbed by the bedding and composted as it heats up, which keeps it dry for the cows,” he says. “We also have a pipeline to the oxidation pond. Peel that comes out the shed goes out onto the crop paddocks and acts as a fertiliser. “We’ve had far fewer incidences of lame cows through spring since having these sheds. They run to go into them because the bedding is so nice and they’ve got their feed right there.” Peter says the biggest expense is the replenishing of the post-peel, which for them sits around $20,000 per shed. While this might put some people off, he says the benefits for their cows far outweigh the financial aspect. “We have all our own gear, diggers and trailers and such, so that reduces costs. We had to do some number crunching when we made the decision to winter milk so much of this was factored in,” he says. “Realistically, we couldn’t winter milk without these sheds; the cows love them and it allows us to manage the pressure on our pastures better year-round, but especially during the wet seasons.” n

Peter with grandson Olly and son Shane outside one of the sheds.

THE SMART CHOICE FOR A

COMPOSTING BARN “The composting barn is awesome; we’ve done better production, calving is the easiest it’s ever been and the cows just love being inside. We’re building another one!” Patrick Hunt Cambridge Dairy Farmer

MAKE A SMART CALL 0508 743 583 DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

smartshelters.co.nz/composting

EFFLUENT & SUMMER MANAGEMENT

An umbilical effluent system increases productivity by saving time as it has a discharge rate four times faster than a tanker system.

Benefits of umbilical effluent distribution By Winston Smith

ffluent is something that every dairy farmer has to deal with, but instead of being seen as a problem, a change of focus can quickly recognise the positive effects it can have on the bottom line of your farming operation. From feed pads to milking sheds, cows (and to a lesser extent, goats) can produce a lot of effluent, and there are a number of options when it comes to dealing with it. In almost every case, effluent is collected in a storage pond or lagoon and can quickly build up so it needs to be kept under control. There are a number of ways of doing this. Umbilical effluent systems provide a cost effective, efficient and environmentally aware method of distributing effluent into the pasture, where it provides very effective nutritional benefits, promoting grass growth and ensuring good feed for your stock, which then translates into good returns at the vat. Unlike permanent built-in effluent distribution systems, which require a large capital investment upfront and can be location-restricted, umbilical systems are both budget-friendly and extremely mobile, as well as allowing a controlled spread of effluent in the paddocks.

Relatively new in the New Zealand dairy farming sector, umbilical effluent systems – and their benefits – are yet to be fully recognised, but we are seeing an increased uptake in their popularity as farmers and contractors start to become more aware of the positive aspects of the system. Effluent is nitrogen-rich – rocket-fuel for pasture growth – and used effectively, can almost negate the need to bring in additional fertiliser from external sources. It’s also completely organic, so provides a slow release of nutrients, allowing the soil to absorb all the goodness it has to offer. The result of that is rich, lush pasture, which provides great feed for your stock – and well-fed stock generates more milk and, importantly, better milk than those cows who are struggling to get the nutrients they need. Because umbilical systems allow you to spread what you want, where and when you need it, you can tailor your effluent distribution to the requirements of your herd and your operation, as well as remaining environmentally-friendly by reducing the likelihood of it leaching into waterways, ponds and streams. Using an umbilical system also goes a long way to reducing wear and tear on laneways, farm tracks and pasture because there’s no need to repeatedly

run over them with a fully-loaded slurry tanker behind a tractor, which is also slow and inefficient. What is an umbilical effluent system? An umbilical effluent system pumps effluent from the storage pond to where it’s needed, even if it is severawl kilometres away. By using a stirrer, the contents of the pond are agitated before being pumped through a large, flexible hose to a macerator unit on the tractor, which further liquefies any solids before running through a specialist spreader and dribble bar mounted on the rear of a tractor. The tractor then travels around the paddock towing the umbilical hose behind. Such a system can discharge at least 200,000 litres per hour – a million litres a day is easily achievable – whereas a 20,000L tanker, averaging three loads an hour, would only manage 60,000L an hour. One of the ways an umbilical effluent system helps you comply with environmental standards is through the design of its dribble bar. This uses hydraulics to give a consistent, measurable spread across the width of the bar. The system automatically records the amount of liquid spread, when it was spread and where, giving

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

DAIRY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

ON-FARM FIELD DAYS

An umbilical effluent system pumps effluent from the storage pond to where it’s needed, even if that is several kilometres away.

Farmers need an effective and well-designed effluent management system to help them with compliance.

system and umbilical effluent spreaders are certainly an option worth exploring for new systems, or even as an upgrade to an existing operation. n

Winston Smith is the effluent management expert for Webbline Agriculture.

DBOY is proud to host a series of Regional Optimisation Days during November 2020. Held on the DBOY 2020 Regional Winners’ farms, these field day events are a great day out and an excellent opportunity to hear and learn from some of New Zealand’s most resilient, sustainable and innovative dairy farmers.

n Thursday 5 November LOWER NORTH ISLAND n Tuesday 10 November NORTHLAND n Wednesday 18 November CANTERBURY n Tuesday 24 November WAIKATO

For more information visit www.DBOY.co.nz

LK0100931©

you proof of placement should regulators require it. The dribble bar also minimises odour and wind drift and ensures a more efficient uptake of nitrogen by placing the effluent directly on the ground, rather than spraying it into the air. An umbilical effluent system increases productivity by saving you time. It has a discharge rate four-times faster than a tanker system, which gives you the option of picking and choosing when best to empty the storage pond depending on weather and paddock conditions. Also, the umbilical pipe can take a more direct path to where the effluent is needed, rather than being constrained, as a tanker is to follow a designated roadway, which would add distance and time to the turnaround. Another key benefit of an umbilical effluent system is the money to be saved by reducing traffic and load weights on pasture and races. A fully-laden 16,000L tanker and tractor weighs about 32 tonnes, whereas a tractor and spreader carrying reels of hose weighs about 12t. Where more than one tanker is working on a site, there are safety issues as well – tractors having to pass each other by pulling over to the edge of narrow tracks, for example. The lighter weight of a tractor and umbilical hose also considerably lessens soil compaction, which helps reduce water runoff and increase crop yield. Gateways, in particular, reap the benefits. These soon become damaged from tankers coming and going, whereas an umbilical system goes through the gate only twice – once in and once out. Effluent management is something a lot of farmers don’t want to think about, but ignoring it won’t make it just go away. Every farm needs an effective and well-designed effluent management

EFFLUENT & SUMMER MANAGEMENT

Southland farmers Louis and Angela English use the umbilical effluent system with a nine-metre dribble bar such as the one shown.

Umbilical system simplifies effluent spreading

he Mastek Umbilical System from Webbline offers a safe, environmentally-friendly and efficient way of disposing of your liquid gold. The system is becoming increasingly popular with farmers doing their own effluent spreading or for contractors servicing the needs of their farming clients. Fifth-generation farmer Louis English and his wife Angela milk 850 cows on a 335-hectare family farm at Dipton West, Southland. They have employed an umbilical spreading operation on their farm to help cope with an increase in effluent since their wintering barn was put up about six years ago. “We used contractors for the first two years with mixed results, and it was interesting to see the different set-ups they used,” English says. “We did the numbers and worked out it was going to be more efficient and effective to use our own gear and ended up purchasing an umbilical system with a nine-metre dribble bar and 1600m of hose.” They run a tanker in their operation as well, but didn’t like the number of trips that it would have taken them to empty the pond, and worked out it would end up taking nearly 500 trips to and from the paddocks. This, obviously, would heavily damage the lanes and I didn’t want

to see this happening,” English says. “We found it a lot easier to go into a paddock once, do the spreading and go back out instead of going in and out multiple times with the tanker. “We had issues at the start from the tanker splash plate giving too much grass cover contamination, which meant the cows weren’t eating the grass for a long time afterwards. The dribble bar gives us less leaf coverage and, therefore, a lot quicker turnaround.”

The English’s generally pump around 200,000 litres per hour and have found that you can definitely see the grass growth where they have been in with the dribble bar compared to other areas of grass. “It is a lot more straight-forward to operate than it looks at the start; you just need a plan on how to get around obstacles and oddly-shaped paddocks,” he says. “With the flow meter in the cab,

Running out the hose which has a reach of several kilometres and can be easily reeled back in.

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

“We did the numbers and worked out it was going to be more efficient and effective to use our own gear and ended up purchasing an umbilical system.” Louis English you can pace yourself for optimum application with the schedule supplied by Webbline, which shows the speed needed for the correct rate of application.” They run the dribble bar on a 150hp tractor in the paddock, and the pump tractor is a 160hp unit, which makes things very easy and efficient to operate. The system offers pond stirrers and lagoon mixers that have a hydraulic control multi-directional mixing nozzle, ideal for breaking up thick crust and capable of mixing large lagoons from one location. They use a Bauer pump system that

The Mastek umbilical effluent system is safe and environmentally-friendly and a good solution for farmers wanting to spread effluent over the farm themselves.

comes in a variety of tractor driven configurations or a self-propelled engine drive. These are capable of pumping up to 300m2 of slurry per hour to the dribble bar. These come with a working width of either 9m or 12m. These are designed

to allow the precise application of slurry to grassland and crops with minimal disturbance and are specifically designed for use with umbilical drag hose systems to optimise hose labour and enable precise distribution. n

Are you looking for new or used farm machinery? We’ve got the wheels in motion! Two iconic New Zealand rural publishing brands Farmers Weekly and Farm Trader, have partnered to connect more farmers with the latest in new and used farm machinery, technology and products. This partnership will enable companies to showcase their machinery and farm products in an agile way, any week of the year - look out for it in your letterbox. If you are interested in finding out more, contact your partnership manager today.

Head to farmersweekly.co.nz/advertising or call 0800 85 25 80

EFFLUENT & SUMMER MANAGEMENT

Optimising effluent use on-farm

ith the changing landscape of New Zealand farming, it’s more important than ever that dairy farmers have all their processes in order to meet the high standards that define our primary sector. Nutrient management is a key area and it has become a very precise process so that pasture and animal response is optimised, soil health is maintained and waste is minimised. Productive, sustainable farms with a light environmental footprint is the goal. Part of the nutrient management process is making sure farm dairy effluent (FDE) is handled appropriately for the farm system and within approved rules. Effluent has historically been viewed as a waste product to get rid of, but in fact is a valuable source of nutrients. It is now commonplace to spread FDE on to land using designated blocks for application. Those blocks are included in nutrient budgets that model potential losses to the environment based on the area receiving the effluent. Over recent years, researchers have also shown that FDE can be well-utilised on cropping paddocks that are part of the dairy platform. Paddocks, which have a long history of effluent application, may have a large bank of nutrients in the soil which have yet to be utilised. Dairy effluent, depending on its treatment, can be particularly high in nitrogen and potassium, which makes it an ideal fertiliser for maize crops for instance. Deep-rooting crops such as maize, can mop-up the stored nutrients in effluent paddocks, thus recycling these valuable nutrients to other parts of the farm when fed-out and therefore reducing potential leaching losses. It is important to understand that the nutrients in effluent applied to land tend to be in a slow-release form, with only 50% of the nitrogen and phosphorus available in the first year of application (potassium is almost all available). For this reason, it is likely that in repeatedly cropped paddocks additional fertiliser nutrients will be needed for some crops. Farmers may have limited insight on

the nutrient composition of effluent being applied, which can change through the season depending on the type of feed in the cow diet and also the time of year. Testing your dairy effluent’s nutrient composition is a crucial step to optimise effluent use and should be done a few times per year due to these seasonal variances. Effluent testing should be seen as an important part of nutrient management along with soil and pasture testing. The more nutrients that can remain on-farm, the more value will be retained by the farmer and the better it will be for the environment. Unless the effluent is measured for its nutrient content, the application rates of nitrogen can only be calculated using assumptions of the effluent composition. This may lead to over application of nutrients, resulting in non-compliance and potential environmental risk. Hill Laboratories – New Zealand’s largest privately-owned analytical testing laboratory – have led the way in analytical testing for many years using the latest technology and methods. Hill Laboratories makes it easy to do a regular testing programme, with their DIY Dairy Effluent Sampling Kit that can be ordered online. The system is a quick, easy-to-use and convenient way to order tests and sampling supplies. For registered users, the online system automatically remembers favourite tests – making life much simpler. Effluent test results are reported for dry matter percentage and the total nutrients of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and sodium. A worked example for two different application depths to give N, P and K as kg/ha are also provided in the test report. For crop soils, an additional test request for the more readily plant-available forms of nitrogen (NH4-N and NO3-N) is recommended. This can be important because, as identified, the nutrientrelease rate from FDE can be variable. Your effluent test results can be used in conjunction with soil tests to guide

“Effluent testing should be seen as an important part of nutrient management along with soil and pasture testing. The more nutrients that can remain on-farm, the more value will be retained by the farmer and the better it will be for the environment.”

fertiliser decisions with the help of certified nutrient advisors. For instance, whether fertiliser can be withheld from the effluent block, or how much additional fertiliser may be needed for targeted crop yields. Analysis of farm dairy effluent makes sense for multiple reasons: from a nutrient resource point of view and as a means of keeping nutrient-loading rates within regional regulatory frameworks. Trust the NZ-owned laboratory with methods developed specifically for our unique conditions, and proven systems, for fast, accurate results. n

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Dairy effluent, depending on its treatment, can be particularly high in nitrogen and potassium, which makes it an ideal fertiliser for crops.

WHAT’S BETTER THAN A NEW WATER MONITORING SOLUTION?

A solution that’s made in NZ. See the Water Flow Indicator in action:

Murray Jones Farmer and inventor “I invented this solution to find water leaks faster and I chose to partner with a trusted NZ company who can build the product here. For me NZ Made means high quality, built for purpose and ethically made. Kiwi farmers deserve nothing less.”

Available now at your local farm supplies store.

0800 731 500 www.gallagher.com

EFFLUENT & SUMMER MANAGEMENT

Rebalancing NZ farms with dung beetles

s the agricultural industry grows and farmland usage is being intensified, more than 100 million tonnes of cattle, sheep and horse dung piles up every year. The run-off from this dung is steadily degrading our waterways, while the residual mess is infecting our animals and impoverishing pastures. Andrew Barber and Dr Shaun Forgie are driving the rebalancing of New Zealand’s farming system and say the solution is right under our feet – dung beetles. Dung beetles offer a remarkable natural sustainable solution to revitalise soils and pastures, and can rehabilitate New Zealand’s waterways in as little as 23 years – if we act now. Inspired by their desire to see the dung beetle improve NZ’s soils and waterways, the pair have established Dung Beetle Innovations as a commercial enterprise and want to see as many farmers as possible enjoy the benefits provided by dung beetles. So far, about 350 farmers have released more than 1000 dung beetle colonies the full-length of the country. Barber project managed the Dung Beetle Release Strategy Group, an MPI farmer-led project to import dung beetles into NZ, while Forgie, an internationally recognised entomologist, was the lead scientist for the project. There are 11 species allowed in NZ with seven presently being mass reared at the world’s largest dung beetle breeding facility in Auckland. Forgie matches the species to the type

“Dung beetles offer a remarkable natural sustainable solution to revitalise soils and pastures, and can rehabilitate New Zealand’s waterways in as little as 23 years.” 58

Copris hispanus is active in autumn to early spring.

The bright paua coloured spiniger is active in late summer.

of farm they will be released on and gives advice on where to release them, which is very easy to do. Barber says raising dung beetles is like planting trees. “It takes two or three years to get established. Then by about year five, there is a noticeable population. Around year nine, they are at the farm’s carry capacity and start fanning out,” he says. He says for a one-off cost of $6000, the average-sized farm dung beetles will bring multiple benefits to a farm and pay for themselves in greater farm productivity and improved water quality. The benefits include: • Increased aeration of the soil allowing

• • • • •

water to penetrate better, resulting in increased grass growth. Enhanced forage palatability. Reduced run-off and better retention of dung and urine in the soil. Reduced infection of livestock by parasitic worms. Reduced fly pests and human disease. Increased soil carbon. n

To see dung being destroyed in less than 24 hours from a ferocious attack of dung beetles, go to DBI’s website and select videos from the menu. For more information go to www. dungbeetles.co.nz

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

EFFLUENT & SUMMER MANAGEMENT

Know Your Catchment goes live By Gerard Hutching

rrigationNZ has launched a pilot online platform that offers up-to-date information about freshwater in the Waitaki River catchment. As yet, the Know Your Catchment platform is restricted to the Waitaki River catchment in South Canterbury-North Otago, but there is a possibility it might go wider. “It depends on the resources and interest,” IrrigationNZ’s regional policy and planning manager Elizabeth Soal says.

“This platform will engage and educate both rural and urban communities about the commitment farmers and growers have made to maintaining and improving water quality.” “There is one catchment in the North Island and another in the South Island which have expressed interest. “This platform will engage and educate both rural and urban communities about the commitment farmers and growers have made to maintaining and improving water quality with information about water quality, irrigation, recreation,

wetlands and more. “Given the public feeling about water quality, farmers and growers need to openly demonstrate the practice change that is happening and all the robust environmental monitoring data needs to be consolidated in an easy-tounderstand way – which is what Know Your Catchment does.” Besides showing water monitoring data, the platform contains stories about catchments – for example, the riparian planting that is being done. Soal says farmers and growers were doing a lot of monitoring in their catchments and bringing this data together to tell the catchment story was important. Comparing it to the Land Air Water Aotearoa (LAWA) website, she says the LAWA information was collated by regional councils, which could take some time, whereas this information was more recent. “It’s more up-to-date and also more fine grained, with more sites. Some of the LAWA data was collated a year to 18 months beforehand, whereas ours is a few weeks,” she says. “It’s also about building information over time, not just the data, but qualitative information about what’s happening in the catchment, projects that are going on and significant events.” In future, it might contain water use data and information from irrigation schemes. The portal was targeted towards the

IrrigationNZ’s regional policy and planning manager Elizabeth Soal says the new online platform Know Your Catchment will engage and educate both rural and urban communities about the commitment farmers and growers have made to maintaining and improving water quality.

community at large and for farmers with the idea that it might show up trends or hot spots in water quality so that farm environment plans might address specific issues. Work on the platform started in 2018. While the pilot has cost $180,000, Soal says a lot of that was initial scoping and she did not expect further rollouts to cost as much. She would not name the regions which had expressed interest in having it for their catchment. The pilot has been funded by the Ministry of Primary Industries Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Fund and managed by IrrigationNZ in partnership with Waitaki Irrigators Collective, Otago Regional Council and Environment Canterbury and supported by Beef & Lamb NZ and the Foundation for Arable Research. n

EFFLUENT & SUMMER MANAGEMENT

Low pressure effluent spreading systems or a travelling irrigator allow more nutrients to get into the ground for pasture.

Strategies for effluent management When choosing effluent storage go for a HDPE lined effluent pond and to get the best result from spreading your nutrients, it’s always recommended you give the pond a good stir first.

By Lloyd Thomas

cost effective effluent management system is what we’re all aiming for right? After all, effluent management is all about the effective utilisation of nutrients. What is a cost effective effluent management system? It’s one that gives you maximum benefit from your investment. We see this as a system that is: • Future-proofed – so you’re not worried about major upgrades and changes in the near future. • Simple and efficient – designed for maximum results from minimal resources. • Reliable – well planned and executed using tools and equipment that suit your farm’s set up, so you’re not having to deal with constant hiccups. Below are five of the most cost effective strategies for dairy effluent management systems. 1. Minimise processing with gravity From the milking shed to storage, you want to minimise processing. The most efficient method is to have all your effluent draining by gravity into one single storage facility. How is this cost effective? Well, having your milking shed located slightly higher than the effluent storage pond allows the effluent to run naturally into the pond

– no need for double pumping or extra work in solids separation. This setup will save you time, labour and energy costs. 2. Lined effluent ponds When choosing effluent storage, where possible go for a HDPE lined effluent pond. Why? • Ponds are the cheapest storage option to implement, with digging and lining being a fraction of the cost of an above-ground tank. • HDPE lined ponds require little maintenance, and the lining is designed to last over 100 years – now that’s future-proofing, • Council compliance – with a HDPE lined pond you’re unlikely to experience waterway leeching, so it’s easy to get the big tick for council compliance. • Fitting other effluent equipment or fitting in with existing effluent equipment such as effluent stirrers and pumps is easy, as most ponds don’t require special equipment to be fitted. • Lined effluent ponds are by far the most common method of storage within the wastewater industry. 3. Stir well To get the best result from spreading your nutrients, it’s always recommended you give the pond a good stir first. But

what makes a good stir? Aim for a shore mounted stirrer with a Typhoon propeller. • Shore mounted stirrers create a near horizontal flow, which gets the whole pond swirling, resulting in a homogenous mixture. • Shore mounted stirrers have the most efficient use of power – they get the job done faster and more effectively. • A Typhoon propeller is specially designed to produce a strong trust, which is what’s needed to effectively churn through all the usual stuff found in an effluent pond without splashing. 4. Positive pumping A positive displacement pump is the way to go for cost efficiency. The beauty of these pumps when it comes to managing effluent are: • They are great for maintaining pressure and volume, so you’ll get a consistent flow being pumped through for spreading. • They use a smaller motor to achieve the same results/output, so you’ll be using less energy to get the job done in the same amount of time. • Since they pump more consistently with pressure and volume, they are better able to overcome friction in the pipelines regardless of distance or elevation.

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

“Low pressure effluent spreading systems, such as a drag hose system or traditional travelling irrigator, cause less volitisation than high pressure systems.”

5. Use low pressure To make the most of your effluent nutrients, it’s best to use a low pressure spreading system. Low pressure effluent spreading systems, such as a drag hose system or traditional travelling irrigator, cause less volitisation than high pressure systems, meaning more nutrients make it to the ground available for pasture to drink. For even smarter spreading and faster pasture growth, add a natural liquid fertiliser like AddGreen to your effluent before spreading with a RainWave slurry tanker. AddGreen is specially formulated

SUCCESS

STORY

Low pressure effluent spreading systems or a travelling irrigator allow more nutrients to get into the ground for pasture.

to utilise the nitrogen you are able to spread, creating a more balanced nutrient application – you’ll get more bang for your buck while making the

most of your time spent spreading.

Lloyd Thomas is a member of the Customer Solutions Team at Nevada Ltd.

Alan’s farm is now odour free! Alan & Conny Bull Dairy Farmers - Kaiaua Alan’s keeping everyone happy with his improved effluent management...

Alan and Connie Bull have two dairy farms in the Kaiaua area, milking approximately 300 cows... Alan’s always been an advocate for utilising effluent for fertilisation, and he already had a small electric pumping system with irrigator set up to spread over the close paddocks. The problem Alan wanted to solve was being able to spread over all the paddocks without it taking up too much time and labour. Mike visited the Bull’s farm to find a solution... “The pumping system Alan has set up works well for those closer paddocks, but with having two farms the best solution is to have a slurry tanker that can cart the effluent wherever it’s needed. The auto-fill option makes the job a lot faster, easier and less messy, and the tanker’s something anyone can operate as long as they can drive a tractor.” Michael Prestidge, Nevada The Nevada MB80 single axle slurry tanker is ideal for the farm’s hilly terrain, and as an added bonus, the new tanker has solved some other issues too...

0800 464 393 nevadagroup.co.nz

“It makes a quick job of spreading to the other paddocks we weren’t reaching before, but the thing I’ve really noticed is how little wind drift or smell there is. Now we can keep everyone happy!” Alan Bull, Dairy Farmer

ADVERTORIAL

Drenching key to healthy cows By Anne Boswell

ith dairy calf weaning just around the corner, it’s time to set an animal health plan into motion that will support calves to reach their potential in both health and productivity or growth. A key part of that plan is worm and parasite control, which begins at weaning when calves are at risk of developing coccidiosis, an intestinal disease. Coccidia are protozoan parasites that are passed on through the faeces of infected animals. Calves pick up the disease through contaminated pasture seeded with coccidial oocysts, feed and water, or by grooming each other. Clinical coccidiosis can cause blood and mucous stained faeces, as well as weight loss or low weight gain, with possible anaemia and mild diarrhoea. Long-term, coccidiosis can cause damage to the intestinal tract and have long-term effects on the growth rates and productivity of the animals that survive. While calves are being fed milk and meal in the calf shed, there is no need to offer any protection against these challenges as calf meal generally contains a coccidiostat that suppresses coccidia. However, meal-fed calves lack the opportunity to build natural immunity against the parasite and an outbreak of coccidiosis often occurs around four weeks after the first calves leave the calf shed. And later in life, the effects of uncontrolled parasites or worms can be seen as losses in animal productivity, lower milk production and low conception rates, all of which have major economic consequences. Alleva Animal Health general manager Blair Loveridge says farmers understand the importance of establishing a robust parasite control plan, but can encounter several pain points that reduce the

simplicity of their drenching systems. “When speaking to farmers we found that some of the existing combination products on the market had weight limitations, meaning farmers had to use different products within one mob due to variation of growth rates,” he says. “Another concern was the transition of calves from meal to pasture without any protection against coccidiosis.” Loveridge says Alleva’s Turbo threestage drench programme was created to simplify drenching, giving farmers a programme to work through with their vet and target parasites at specific stages of growth. The oral drench is specifically designed for weaned calves, providing worm parasite coverage as well as helping to protect against coccidiosis. The worldfirst combination bridges the gap between calves coming off coccidiostattreated meals onto pasture when their natural coccidiosis immunity has not yet developed. “To be able to provide farmers with one product that meets their needs in terms of worm control as well as coccidiosis coverage for young stock is massive,” Loveridge says. Turbo Advance is an oral drench that targets cattle in the second stage of growth, protecting against internal parasites and providing them with trace elements within a high potency, widemargin-of-safety formula. When cattle reach the third stage of growth, Turbo pour-on or injection provides parasite worm control with the DMI-Sorb™ rain-resistant technology created by Alleva to meet New Zealand’s unruly weather conditions. Along with parasite coverage, the company has invested heavily in ensuring this programme also meets other requirements for farmers, including using active ingredients that are high potency and provide a wide margin of safety when treating cattle. “Farmers have enough to do without

Alleva keeps New Zealand farmers’ needs in mind when designing new formulas for drenching stock. Their Turbo Initial is a world-first formula for coccidiosis and parasite protection in weaned calves.

worrying about the perfect drench programme,” he says. “The result of listening to their concerns is a cattle drench system that is a huge leap forward in terms of efficacy and safety. “Gastrointestinal worms can be difficult to control if they become resistant to drenches. High potency ingredients generally reflect the allround efficacy of a product, as the higher the potency, the longer it will take for animals to develop any resistance to the product. “And the active ingredients in some products on the market have a low safety margin in young calves, so Alleva made sure the active ingredients in their range have a high safety margin.” Loveridge says it is essential that farmers cover off their animal health plan using effective products. “It is well established that calves that grow well are better milkers in the future,” he says. n

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Effluent & Summer Management Directory

Know your flow

Water Flow Indicator Find leaks easier by installing in water lines to visually check for abnormal water flow. Available now at your local farm supplies stores.

0800 731 500 www.gallagher.com

Testing from the ground up.

Now more than ever it is important that you get your systems right to ensure that your farm meets the high standards that define our primary sector. Have all of your soil, irrigation, effluent and water testing needs met by a single supplier. Trust the New Zealand owned laboratory with methods developed specifically for our unique conditions, and proven systems, for faster, more accurate results.

FREEPHONE 0508 HILL LAB | hill-laboratories.com

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Directory High Country Cabins & Construction • • • • • •

SUPPLEMENTARY FEED

Farm accommodation Horse stables Small buildings Animal Shelters New farm buildings Old farm buildings restorationHigh Country Cabins and Construction

• Palm Kernel & Blends • DDG • Tapioca

0101843

63.57x50

Barley, Wheat, Maize & Soybean Meal (forward contracts available).

LK0104568©

To join our Palm Kernel Pricing Text Service, please text your name and area to 027 214 9761 Palm Kernel Pricing Text Service Available in kitset & fully build packages.

Call Susanna at Intergrain NZ 0800 244 744

Further information phone 027 963 5390 Highcountrycabins66@gmail.com

www.highcountrycabinsandconstruction.com

Intergrain NZ LTD

Cooltek Ltd IMPORTERS OF COOLING EQUIPMENT 09 633 0071

CHEAPEST and MOST EFFICIENT method of taking the heat out of water. Ex-store Penrose, Auckland

www.cooltek.co.nz

info@machinetech.co.nz • Cooltek Ltd - a division of Machinetech Ltd 64

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

LK0104541©

100% Lifetime Guarantee

Heavy duty • Long lasting incinerators Three sizes available www.irontreeproducts.co.nz

Phone Neil 0274 747 775

Ph 021 047 9299

THE ORIGINAL

www.nzcowshedgroovers.co.nz

MIRACLEBAR®

MIRACLE BAR

“We expect to milk double the number of cows, with the same number of staff“.

YEARS

STRONG 1990-2020

The Miracle Bar ® is the optimum anti-backing bar & cattle restraint system for herringbone cowsheds and vet races.

John Wilson - 3rd GEA iFLOW 60 bail rotary installation.

miraclebar.co.nz 06 758 9909

Watch John’s story:

Manufactured by HUWORTH ENGINEERING

0800 278 677

Assist farmers to make the right purchasing decisions for their herd with our May feature Booking and material deadline April 15 2021

Talk to us now about your 2020 bull sale advertising 0800 85 25 80

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

farmersweekly.co.nz

LK0103423©

LK0101170©

Better Bulls, Better Calves

www.cattlestops.co.nz 65

One last word …

t was a case of three for the price of one in Woodville this season after one of the girls gave birth to triplet calves. But the fun didn’t stop there on Sunshine Ayrshires, with several other cows having twins. We reckon there must be something in the water, but owner Bob Lawson puts it down to good genetics and careful management. The triple surprise arrived on September 29. Lawson says the first one calved on its own but the second calf was having difficulties. “I had a feel around and could tell the calf’s head was twisted back, so didn’t muck around and called Vet Services Dannevirke,” he says. “They came and calved her then the vet said she would have a feel around to make sure everything was okay. When she told me there was another, I was gobsmacked.” Bob says that the triplets were a surprise even though the dam was “huge” before she calved. “We had a fair idea that she was in-calf with twins as she is a twin herself, but then for her to have triplets, well that was something else,” he says. The pedigree Ayrshire dam was also

their daughter Madison’s calf club calf from four years ago when she attended Papatawa School and won the Champion Calf title, meaning she was already a special cow. Bob and wife Nikki are in their fifth year leasing the farm at Woodville where they milk about 175 pedigree Ayrshires, but he has been farming for 40 years and has never had triplets calves. “I do recall mum and dad having a cow calve with triplets at the farm in Hamua near Eketahuna but in the years I have been farming, this is a first for me. It has been pretty exciting,” he says. Last season we reported a set of triplets on a Northland farm and at the time, a Massey University associate professor said that the chances of a calving live triplets was “about one in two million.” And the chances of a cow carrying triplets was about one in 500,000, but from there it was about a one in four chance that all three would be born alive. But even rarer are quadruplets. Back in

August we had reports of a set of quadruplet calves born on a Hauraki Plains farm. According to DairyNZ, a cow has a one in 700,000 chance to have four calves at once. The odds of all being born alive and being healthy are even lower at one in every 11.2 million. However, the chances of all four being heifer calves, according to US data, are one in every 179.2m. That’s what I call bang for your buck.

Sonita Like us: farmersweekly.co.nz Follow us: @DairyFarmer15 Read us anywhere: farmersweekly.co.nz

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Dairy Diary November 2020 November 4 – DairyNZ Waikato Dairy Industry Awards open day. Sarah and Aidan Stevenson won the Waikato and National Share Farmers of the Year Award at this year’s Dairy Industry Awards. Come and see what makes the Stevensons’ sharemilking business so successful. We will also be hearing from the winners of the Farm Trainee of the Year and Dairy Farm Manager of the Year. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz November 5 – AgFirst Project update on N-loss Mitigation Options. You are invited to attend a field day for the Sustainable Farming Fund project looking into controlled drainage and the treatment of drainage water on farms in the Rangitikei and soon to be Tararua. Info at www.facebook.com/sffproject November 17 and 26 – SMASH Spotlight on the System, Patea and Te Aroha. We will cover breeding to fit your goals, feeding your herd this summer and successful heifer management. Info at www.smallerherds.co.nz November 18-19 – DairyNZ The InCalf Foundations’ Waikato training course teaches participants how to use InCalf’s innovative resources and tools to help improve the reproductive performance of dairy herds. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz November 20 – DairyNZ Tiller Talk in Manawatu. Topics at this group will include keeping quality and managing residuals, and grass silage. This group is a small group of like-minded farmers supported by partner agronomists to provide technical expertise. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz November 24 – BFA Agri Talk 2020, Taupo, is an interactive seminar covering issues farmers are facing and providing a risk rating for your business. We’ve teamed up with specialist partners to cover off topical issues that may keep you awake at night, focusing on topics to help you manage risk and reduce stress for you and your family. Register at bfa.co.nz/agritalk November 25 – Owl Farm Owl Farm focus day. Update on the season to date for Owl Farm plus seasonally relevant topics. Info at https://www.owlfarm.nz/ November 30 – December 2, DairyNZ A three-day practical and interactive workshop designed to give you the skills to deliver the Healthy Hoof programme to your farming clients Internationally recognised lameness expert Neil Chesterton delivers classroom and on-farm training on lameness theory, observing cow flow and herd management, treating lame cows, track and shed design, and conducting a lameness investigation. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

NOVEMBE

R 2020

1 8 15 22 29

2 9 16 23

Rural Support Trust – various dates and locations Tony Christiansen is a world-leading motivational and inspirational speaker. He is humorous, bold and straight talking as he brings you a story you will never forget. Tony has no legs, a result of a horrific train accident when he was nine years old, yet has achieved remarkable feats in his life. He shares his life story and the secrets to his incredible success. Info at http://www.rural-support.org.nz/ or contact Wanda Leadbeater 021 180 2995 DairyNZ – various dates and locations What are the key profit and environmental numbers for your business? DairyNZ, in conjunction with your dairy company, will be discussing the key profit and environmental numbers for your business to be future fit. We will provide the latest timelines relevant to your business for environmental changes relating to He Waka Eke Noa and Action for Healthy Waterways (Essential Fresh Water) policy. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz Dairy Business of the Year – various dates and locations Free on-farm field days. This is an excellent opportunity to hear and learn from some of New Zealand’s most resilient, sustainable and innovative dairy farmers. Registration and more info at www.dboy.co.nz/page/field-days/ Thriving Farming Women – various dates and locations Taking Time to Thrive workshops are purposely designed for farming women to help inspire and motivate. Facilitator Loshni Manikam, who is also a farming woman has set-up Thriving Farming Women to help other women identify and overcome the hurdles that get in the way of them thriving. The event has been fully funded, so tickets are free but bookings are essential. Contact Wanda Leadbeater 021 180 2995 Dairy Women’s Network – various dates and locations Your farm business future, ASB and NZ CA Limited are proud to deliver this workshop focused on succession planning and preparing the next generation into farming and farm ownership. Dairy Women’s Network – various dates and locations NAIT and OSPRI are proud to deliver this interactive workshop on the fundamentals of NAIT. Info at www.dwn.co.nz/events

Nothing is as smart as a SIP!

Mowers, Rakes and Tedders SIP have accumulated more than 60 years’ experience and knowledge into their machines. By choosing SIP, you are rewarded with a robust, operator-friendly solution that has been tried-and-tested for the demanding working conditions experienced here in New Zealand.

Call 0800 932 254 now for an expert assessment or visit www.webbline.co.nz for more details. WAIKATO • MANAWATU • CANTERBURY • SOUTHLAND 68

DAIRY FARMER

November 2020

Dairy Farmer November 2020

Articles inside

Effluent and summer management

Technology

Farmstrong

Research

DairyNZ AGM

Award-winning duo up for next challenge

Women in agribusinessCatherine Newland

Dairy champion

Milk Monitor

Industry good DairyNZ

Ahead of the game

Guest column