FARMSTRONG
Leaving detailed farm maps and lists of preferred suppliers who know the farm well and already have accounts set up for the farm will help the new people coming onto the farm after you.
Managing moving day New herd, new home, new community. Moving day can be a stressful time for contract milkers. Here are a few tips on how to manage the transition.
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aegan Legg and her partner Terry are sharemilkers in Manawatū. They currently 50:50 sharemilk 320 cows on a 128ha Shannon property owned by Spall Farms Ltd. They’ve been in the industry four years and really enjoy the lifestyle farming offers. “We love the life we live, working with animals and the fact we get to live and work together as a couple. We want to continue to grow great kids, great cows and great grass,” Maegan says. They’re obviously doing all three well, because in 2020 the couple won Manawatū Share Farmers of the Year at the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards. But Maegan admits moving day can be challenging for any farming family. Farmstrong asked her for some tips on mitigating the stress of moving to a new operation and community.
ready to go with everything we’ll need on the first night – phone chargers, kids’ pyjamas, and a meal for that night. We even include a packet of paper plates because no one wants to do dishes that first night.”
Be prepared “Probably the biggest stress of moving day is getting everything done in time. You’re moving out, someone else is moving in. Same at the other property. So the biggest stress is the timeframe. I’d say, start early, start packing those boxes months in advance. Share the tasks – decide who is going to pack up the home, who is going to do the shed. “We also make sure we have a bag
Pass on what you know “Employers and sharemilkers can really help people moving in by leaving behind detailed farm maps and lists of preferred suppliers who know the farm well and already have accounts set up for the farm.” “Nothing beats a good water map when you first move in. At a previous farm, we had no contact with the previous contract milker, so we moved
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“Probably the biggest stress of moving day is getting everything done in time. You’re moving out, someone else is moving in. Same at the other property. So the biggest stress is the timeframe.” Maegan Legg
in blind and spent many hours walking water lines to find out where they went and where you could turn them off. If someone can provide that information in advance, that saves you a lot of time and stress.” Getting up to speed “The first thing we do is get the kids’ bedrooms set up, so they are sorted. It’s a big step for kids and a new house must feel like home as soon as possible. Then you can get to know the farm, get a feel for the place using any information that’s been left behind for you. That means checking that what’s on farm maps corresponds to reality. “Taking a fence tester around and checking where the power is – there always seems to be a spot on the farm where there is no power and that’s where the cow gets out. “Once you know you’ve got good water and power, you can make things happen.” Look after the basics “Getting decent sleep and eating well are essential during any big change. I’m the first person to admit that I’m tragic without enough sleep, I get pretty ratty. “That’s why it’s important to make sure people are still heading home at a reasonable hour each day, so they are in
DAIRY FARMER
June 2021
