Dairy Farmer October 2021 by AgriHQ

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Migrant takes top spot Waikato farmer’s hard work rewarded PLUS:

Sheltering the herd ➜ Housing the herd indoors ➜ Recycled plastic fantastic ➜ Focus on effluent

Calf Club Tips & Tricks Is this your first year of Calf Club? Fear not! We have a few tips and tricks to help train your calf and improve your leading/rearing skills.

Leading and Control

Georgia Whitworth, Calf Club NZ Judge “One thing I love to see as a Judge is a really happy kid. Make sure to have a big smile and stand nice and proud. When walking your calf, hold close to the halter so it can understand your movements.”

A Clean Calf

Crystal Scown, Hauraki Dairy Trainee of the Year 2020 “Calves don’t stay clean for long. The trick is to give them a good wash the night before and leave their cover on overnight. Give them a good brush every day, and if they are malting use a rubber glove to get rid of the loose hair. Overall make sure you love your calf and have fun.”

Forming a Bond

Zoe Botha Handler winner at Stratford show, two years in a row. “One thing I love to see as a Judge is a really happy kid. Make sure to have a big smile and stand nice and proud. When walking your calf, hold close to the halter so it can understand your movements.”

Scan the QR or head to calfclubnz.co.nz

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October 2021

Empowering Rural Kids! We believe in encouraging the farmers of the future to spend time caring for, training, and documenting their experiences. Calf Club NZ was established during the M-Bovis outbreak as a way to keep calf clubs alive. Once this format developed, our rural community came together and now continues to grow year on year.

TRAIN

SUBMIT

JUDGE

TRAIN

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October 2021

CONTENTS NEWS OCTOBER 2021 | $8.95 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.

16 Milk Monitor Fonterra looks to maximise value and retain suppliers 18 Synlait sale Synlait to sell and leaseback

ON FARM STORY 8

Born to farm Waikato farmer wins 2021 Farm Manager of the Year

20 A home for the herd Farming better with a cow shelter for Taranaki farmers

FARMING CHAMPIONS 7

Guest column – Emma Higgins

28 Dairy champion – Jerome Wenzlick 35 Women in agribusiness – Abbi Ayre

FEATURES 44 Special report – Planet of Plenty 58 Effluent

REGULAR FEATURES

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October 2021

COVER STORY Waikato farm manager the best

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GUEST COLUMN

Resilience in the face of disruption By Emma Higgins

RaboResearch’s senior analyst takes a look at the global dairy market and what farmers might expect to see in terms of milk price.

he covid-19 pandemic continues to play out globally, while here in New Zealand we’re also experiencing a case of the Delta blues, with Auckland still in Level 4 lockdown at the time of writing. Despite this, Oceania dairy commodity prices have seen a rebound in early September, effectively ending a run of generally lower prices since the middle of the year. Dairy demand across the globe has continually proven resilient to all but the most extreme forms of pandemicinduced lockdowns – so far. While some regional disruptions and uncertainty will continue to occur as the world battles the pandemic, the potential for major global demand shocks is limited. Still, lockdowns are often strict and extreme in emerging markets in SouthEast Asia and with less government aid expected this year, longer-lasting economic impacts may take hold. As they are in NZ, farm gate milk prices are generally on the high side across much of the rest of the world, but rising costs of inputs and downside risk in milk prices are giving many producers the blues. Expensive feed prices and general input cost inflation are a common thread, but the ability to withstand the cost pressures depends on the price received for milk. While much of the world is experiencing high enough milk prices to offset elevated costs, the US has delivered heavy milk supplies that continue to weigh on milk prices. Yet, the EU milk prices are barely keeping up with the rising input costs. Global milk supply has been on an extended run of uninterrupted growth, which we expect to continue, but at a slower pace – thanks to limited hope for a turnaround in cost of feed. The growth rate has been sustainable

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

without becoming overly burdensome on markets so far, but any slowdown in global demand would quickly lead to inventory build. Getting all the milk produced to end market destinations has remained troublesome. Logistics disruptions continue to plague exporters around the world, leading to rocketing transport costs. Container availability woes continue to cause headaches for exporters. Zero-tolerance lockdown policies for covid-19 cases in China have, and could continue, to lead to sporadic shutdowns of ports, making matters worse. Despite logistics problems, dairy commodities have continued to move through global markets. Global dairy import demand improved by 6% in product volume terms year-on-year across January through May. China, the largest importer of global dairy commodities, posted a 37% year-on-year increase in import volume across the first half of the year. In the long run, however, these costs will add up and potentially curb demand. NZ exports, and consequently farm gate milk price forecasts, have benefited from China’s voracious import appetite. Total shipments of dairy product from NZ to China have lifted well over 40% from last year, while WMP exports to China are tracking close to an increase of 60% compared to 2020 volumes. Milk supply is outpacing demand in China, with domestic production growth adding to growing inventories. These factors point to the potential for a period of destocking beginning later this year and into the next. Global markets may be able to absorb lost sales from China initially, but pressure will be felt in 2022, initially in Oceania, but eventually rippling through global dairy markets. It’s against this backdrop that we have

RaboResearch senior analyst Emma Higgins says dairy demand across the globe has continually proven resilient but covid is still disrupting demand.

recently lowered our NZ farm gate milk price forecast fractionally from prior estimates. Paring our forecast back by 20c to $7.80/kg MS, our overarching view is that significant stock levels in China are likely to reduce its appetite for imported dairy products later this year and early next year, which we believe presents a downside risk to the current Fonterra midpoint of its forecast farm gate milk price range. As always, there are many factors which will have a bearing to varying degrees on the forecast farm gate milk price. Some of these factors include: how our spring peak shapes up over the coming weeks; less fiscal aid from governments worldwide (which have supported dairy demand); margin pressure supporting less milk supply than we anticipate globally; or inflation straining on supply chains and margins moving through to the consumer. n

Born to farm A Filipino migrant believes his farming success is his destiny.

Christopher Vila, wife Jonah and three-year-old daughter Lily farm at Ōhaupō in Waikato where Christopher is the farm manager on a 104ha farm, milking 343 cows. Photos: Stephen Barker 8

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

By Gerald Piddock

A migrant from the Philippines who won the national Farm Manager of the Year title for 2021, nearly chucked it all in before landing his dream role.

hristopher Vila is a believer in destiny. The Ōhaupō dairy farmer believes it helped him in his journey climbing the industry progression ladder to farm management, as well as meeting his wife Jonah. It also played a hand in him winning the Farm Manager of the Year title at the New Zealand Dairy Awards. He believes this because it almost all never happened. He came extremely close to quitting the industry after being repeatedly rejected for manager jobs when he was looking to step up into that role in 2013. “It’s hard. I had six years’ experience and it was very hard for me to find a good managerial job. I was lucky I found this one, otherwise I might be somewhere else,” Vila says. It was his wife who convinced him to try one last time and it was then that he got the job at the JA BE Turnwald Trust as their farm manager under sharemilker Mark Turnwald. “I got this job and it was just destiny that I found it. I’ve never looked back and we’re really happy,” he says. Entering the Dairy Industry Awards was a last-minute decision and he submitted his name in the Farm Manager of the Year contest on the last day, just a few short hours before the deadline expired. “Basically, at 10pm I texted Mark and told my wife that I had entered,” he says.

“It made me realise as a migrant, I don’t see a lot of Filipino people doing it. The reputation for most Filipinos is they are good workers, they are capable, they are loyal and the dairy industry awards are a good place to widen your network and progress. Why is no one entering?” That thought motivated him as he progressed through the awards process, firstly winning the Waikato Farm Manager of the Year title, then the national finals. In hindsight, he wished he entered the Trainee category earlier in his career because of the progression opportunities the awards has given him. Philippines-born, Vila moved to NZ 13 years ago and became a citizen three years ago. Being an immigrant added another layer of complexity to dairy industry progression for him in what is already a difficult process. “We don’t have any equity and we need to build it over time, which is the hardest way to do it,” he says. The awards process has provided him a network and more access to mentors within the industry to give him guidance in the future. Without that network, migrants find they have to progress through hard work, keeping their eyes and ears open and learning from what farm owners and managers do and the mistakes they made, he says. He is then able to avoid making those same mistakes when given

the opportunity as a manager. Winning the national title made him a role model among other migrant dairy workers and he received lots of messages of support from that community over the course of the awards process. It’s also given him a huge boost to his confidence and self-belief. “Hopefully in the future, if I need to reapply for a job or look for an opportunity, they will recognise me,” he says.

Continued page 10

FARM FACTS • Owners: JA BE Turnwald Family Trust • Sharemilker: Mark Turnwald • Manager: Christopher Vila • Location: Ōhaupō, Waikato • Farm size: 104ha, 30ha runoff block and a 9ha block • Cows: 343 cows at peak, Crossbreed • Production: 202021: 172,000kg MS • Production target: 2021-22: 165,000kg MS

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Originally from the Philippines, Christopher Vila moved to New Zealand 13 years ago and has steadily risen up through the dairy industry, but struggled to get on the farm management path. This year he was named the Farm Manager of the Year at the National Dairy Industry Awards.

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The 104ha farm at Ōhaupō is owned by the JA BE Turnwald Trust, sharemilked by Mark Turnwald and managed by Christopher Vila. The herd heads to the cowshed for afternoon milking.

“Here you have the opportunity to grow. That’s the beauty of it – you work hard and do your thing, and people see you and you get that opportunity to grow and that’s what has happened to me right now.” Christopher Vila

A licenced veterinarian in his homeland, he worked for a large company and dealt mostly with pig

farmers rather than cattle or sheep. He was attracted to the dairy industry because it was animal-related and suited his vet background. He says it’s an industry where you get rewarded for working hard. “Here, you have the opportunity to grow. That’s the beauty of it – you work hard and do your thing, people see you and you get that opportunity to grow. That’s what has happened to me right now,” he says. “You have a lot of options to progress in your career. It’s a good career, I reckon.” Starting a dairy career from scratch had its challenges and successfully making that transition meant learning “the Kiwi way” of dairy farming, which is gaining a basic experience and skills of dairy farming in NZ.

Last season the 343-cow herd produced 172,000kg MS and the target for this season is 165,000kg MS.

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

It also took him time to adjust to NZ’s culture. Filipinos are naturally not very vocal or direct when it comes to expressing themselves, particularly in front of a manager. “For us, it’s a bit daunting and it’s a bit disrespectful. Its cultural things, little things like that you need to adjust,” he says. Earlier, when working as a 2IC and as an assistant, he had to learn how to communicate more without worrying about offending his boss. He met Jonah after he had moved to NZ and are from the same province in the Philippines. “I think destiny brought us together,” he says. She was working for Waikato DHB but has stopped working for now, while she focuses on raising their three-year-old daughter Lily. He started as a farm assistant in 2008 in Reporoa, working for two seasons before moving to a new job as a 2IC in Atiamuri, near Taupō and Tokoroa for another two seasons. He then moved to another 2IC job on a System 5-6 farm in Ōhaupō, just south of Hamilton, where he worked for two seasons before getting his current job. He is now in his eighth season in the role managing the farm for sharemilker Mark Turnwald. As well as learning on the job and getting valuable experience, he has completed several Primary ITO courses on farm and effluent management to upskill himself. He also finished level 4

Continued page 12

Christopher Vila applied for several farm management roles and had all but given up when his wife Jonah convinced him to apply for the manager’s role with Mark Turnwald. He is now in his eighth season. Christopher, daughter Lily and wife Jonah check out this season’s new calves.

and is currently completing level 5 in human resource management. The 104ha farm milks 343 cows at peak and operates as a closed herd. It has a 30ha runoff block close by and a neighbouring 9ha block, which is used to winter the younger stock. While the farm is blessed with highly fertile soils, it also bears the brunt of Waikato’s extreme weather. The region’s wet winters make it highly prone to pugging while conversely, it quickly dries out after Christmas. Two seasons ago, when the entire region was in drought, the herd was

still able to produce 440kg MS a cow following the feed target as well as possible. Most years, the farm milks the cows twice-a-day, unless conditions dictate shifting to once-a-day in early autumn. He then dries off the cows in mid- to late-May. He is acutely aware of the visibility of the farm to the public. Around 50,000 cars drive past the farm every day which is next to the main road heading south to Te Awamutu and north to Hamilton and is surrounded by lots of lifestyle blocks. “We need to do best farm practice

at all times because you never know who is going to pop up, or look at you during calving, carrying calves. I’m very particular and strict on that. We’re not just doing it for this farm, we’re representing the whole industry,” he says. He believes if people see farmers following best practice, then they have the perception that the rest of the industry is following that example. “We need to do our best to represent our industry. That’s why it’s very challenging but it’s a good challenge because it brings out the best in you,” he says.

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“For me, it’s not calving that is most stressful, it’s mating. It stresses me out because mating drives the whole year. A good mating result means a good year for the whole season.” Christopher Vila

For Vila that means being prepared as well as he can. Maintaining pasture quality through the spring is critical as it sets up the farm for summer. “This farm has been here for 150 years and we have very fertile soil,” he says. “It’s a peat farm and during spring it really grows so I need to be really on to it with grass quality.” His spring rotation and pasture planning starts during calving. He has been setting out his spring rotation every year since he started managing the farm and is now at the stage where he only needs to adjust it to reflect the conditions of the season. The farm uses LIC’s SPACE programme in combination with his own farm walks to assess pasture covers on the farm. Balance date is usually September 9-15. Before that, his round length is around 90 days, reducing it as September closes in before setting it to 18-21 days after the first week of September. The only regrassing that is carried out is on the sacrifice paddock, which

Calves are collared in the paddock, which makes for easy identification when it comes to tagging them in the shed. Christopher fits a collar on a newborn calf.

has been regrassed over the past two seasons into Mohaka, a new AR37 tetraploid variety that has produced great results for him over the winter and spring. If needed, he tops the pastures generally starting in October pre-grazing when the paddocks measure around 2900-3000kg dry matter a hectare. “I believe in that because topping, based on my experience, increases the intake of the cows by about 20-30%,” he says. If the paddock’s cover is over 3000kg DM and the quality of the grass is good, he cuts it for silage. This along with the grass mowed from the runoff means he usually has plenty of extra feed if the summer turns dry.

Christopher dusts the paddocks with magnesium oxide to help prevent health problems such as milk fever and grass staggers in the herd.

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October 2021

“The basic policy here is to grow as much grass as you can in spring, especially in the last three years, because the summers have been very difficult. It’s been very dry,” he says. Topping up the pasture is the inshed feeding system in the 28-aside herringbone shed, which allows him to alter the feed composition if the herd needs more energy or condition. Over mating a combination of tapioca and soya bean hull is used to boost the herd’s condition. The farm is run as a System 3.5-4 so is moderately intensive, growing 5-6ha of maize to produce around 110t of maize silage feed for this season. They also make grass from the home block and runoffs when there is a pasture surplus, mowing 50-60t, as well as 80-100t cut from the two runoff blocks. Grass and maize silage are fed straight out onto the paddocks in summer and autumn, with the maize silage spread out in small lumps. Around 250-270t of palm kernel, tapioca, DDG (blended meal) and soya bean hull meal is also brought in and fed through the in-shed feed system over the course of the season in the farm’s herringbone shed. The system has seen production average around 150,000kg MS, or 440kg MS per cow, over the past four years. Last season he surpassed all of his production targets and reached over 503kg MS/cow. The other part of the equation for having highly-productive cows is making sure the herd is fed properly, utilising

Continued page 14

“We need to do best farm practice at all times because you never know who is going to pop up, or look at you during calving, carrying calves. I’m very particular and strict on that. We’re not just doing it for this farm, we’re representing the whole industry.” Christopher Vila

Sharemilker Mark Turnwald and Christopher Vila tag the newborn calves once they are in the pens.

that feed as best as possible at the lowest possible cost. The exception is the in-shed meal which is needed to ensure the cows get a balanced diet. This is one of their largest on-farm expenses. “Aside from that, it’s all homegrown or its surplus from the runoffs,” he says. His feed target is at least 21kg/DM a day per cow – whether it be from pasture or pasture-supplemented with silage or in-shed feed – and those supplementary feed levels fluctuate and change according to the season and the needs of the cow. The farm was historically the site of a large kahikatea plantation and part of the farm’s environmental plan is to preserve four of the farm’s remaining kahikatea stands. He makes sure that none of the farm’s effluent is irrigated out on areas near drains. The farm is also home to a small lake that dries out over summer but

fills up again in winter. It is fully fenced off and Vila, with Turnwald’s backing, has sought advice from the Waipa and Waikato District Councils on what is the best solution to preserve and improve it. “We want to revive it and all year round it is supposed to have water in it,” he says. The farm is also soil tested every year, with the results dictating how much fertiliser is applied. The runoff blocks are utilised over winter with the replacement cattle farmed on it and are joined by around 75 (or 20-22%) of the herd’s later calving cows. The remaining 240 cows are wintered on the home farm. The reduced herd helps grow grass cover in preparation for calving, as well as stopping pugging. The farm contains no standoff or feedpads, so he sets aside around 1.5ha of the farm’s lowest-performing paddocks to be sacrificed. These are used during times of prolonged wet weather. These

paddocks are then planted into maize in spring and then rotated back to pasture. Calving begins on August 1. This season, the herd had a 75% six-week in calf rate and a 10% empty rate. He says that disappointed him after achieving 8% the previous season. “For me, it’s not calving that is most stressful, it’s mating. It stresses me out because mating drives the whole year. A good mating result means a good year for the whole season,” he says. This season he had five weeks of premating, with all of the mated cows going to CIDRS during that first week. “Then it’s just getting on with it, knowing your cows and checking every now and then and putting the work in,” he says. The crossbred herd sits in the top 5% of the country for breeding worth and 30th in the nation for production worth. The top 200 cows in the herd are mated using LIC’s Custom mate plus semen, allowing for the best progeny, based on production, fertility, animal health and capacity breeding criteria. Herd tests are also carried out four times a year and the results of those tests help form those top 200 cows. Eight of the cows are also contract mated, with those contracts evenly split between LIC and CRV. “Breeding is one of the biggest expenditures of the farm because we believe that’s where you need to start to achieve peak performance,” he says. They also use Hereford bulls following the six weeks of AI, running these cattle for five to six weeks with the herd. Including Vila, the farm has two-anda-half staff, with Turnwald living on-farm and working when required. The other staff member is a full-time assistant manager role.

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October 2021

He is the first non-family member of the Turnwalds to manage their farm, a sign of the respect and trust the family has placed in him. He has input to the farm’s expenditure when it comes to farm maintenance, although larger financial decisions remain with Turnwald. Payout is a big influence on expenditure and during previous lower payout years, the farm’s in-shed feed systems changed to a lower-cost blend to reduce costs. Turnwald says he is an amazing employee. “Christopher’s first-rate animal health and mating skills had resulted in improved calving and a production increase of 30,000kg MS,” he says. Earlier on, Turnwald says he mentored Christopher into the management role. “Now he just tells me what he’s doing, runs ideas past me and we have a chat about it. Generally he’s on the money and we just leave it at that.” Farm ownership is the ultimate dream for Vila and he has recently taken another step towards that after the Turnwalds invited him to have a closer role in the sharemilking business. This will help in getting a foothold in building up his equity and maybe sharemilking after five years. The relationship between the two families is now very close, with the Vilas joining the Turnwalds for Christmas and other family events. “The great thing about Mark is that he respects the boundaries of what I like and what my system is. The farm owners treat us as part of the family,” Vila says. n

Christopher was a licenced veterinarian in his homeland. When he came to New Zealand, he decided to go dairy farming because it was animal related and suited his vet background. Christopher in the cowshed during milking.

Christopher met wife Jonah when she was working for the Waikato DHB. Coincidentally, they are both from the same province in the Philippines. Christopher, daughter Lily and Jonah head off over the farm.

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MILK MONITOR

Strategy paints bold future 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.

eleased at Fonterra’s annual result, its areas of focus will be making the most of New Zealand milk, investing in dairy sustainability, innovation science and nutrition. The logic behind this is pretty simple, as covid has made consumers more conscious of the nutritional qualities of food and that means they want our grass-fed milk “Putting it simply, the world wants what we have got: sustainably produced, high-quality nutritious milk,” chief executive Miles Hurrell said at the time. The long-term protection of that milk pool has played a large influence in Fonterra’s capital restructure proposal. Fonterra chairman Peter McBride says retaining the status quo could see its milk pool decline by as much as 20% by 2030 in modelled scenarios. “Our operating environment has changed significantly. When TAF (Trading Among Farmers) was implemented, milk supply was growing rapidly, now we’re seeing more land go out of dairy than coming in,” McBride says. This likely land-use change will mean a flatter production curve as environmental regulations prevent intensification. “Our share of that decline will depend on the

Fonterra’s capital restructuring proposal is designed to retain suppliers within the co-operative, as it looks to maximise the value of its homegrown milk.

actions we take now,” he says. He went on to say modelling also forecasted a 6-13% lowering of the milk price without those changes. In a nutshell, Fonterra has proposed to allow a more flexible shareholding structure and allow more kinds of farmers to become shareholders – sharemilkers, contract milkers and lessors. While this is a response to longstanding criticism of the difficulties for young farmers to purchase Fonterra shares, it is also to help retain these farmers in the co-operative and make it less likely for them to be enticed by other milk companies. The era of large-scale dairy conversions and expansion is well and truly over. What is revealing

in the annual result presentations was there was no mention of the C word – competition. In case you hadn’t noticed, the country’s largest dairy region, Waikato, is becoming increasingly crowded. The world’s third-largest dairy company Olam confirmed its plans to set up a factory in South Waikato as it seeks a slice of the country’s grass-fed milk pool. Add to that Happy Valley Milk’s planned factory in Otorohanga, they will join Tatua, Synlait, Open Country Dairy, Fonterra, the Dairy Goat Co-operative, Maui Milk, Miraka, Spring Sheep and Yashili. Now to be fair, some of these are not actively seeking out new suppliers, but there are a lot more options out there

Fonterra chairman Peter McBride says Fonterra’s retention of their share of the milk pool has played a big part in Fonterra’s capital restructure.

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

now for the region’s 4200 dairy farms. This all makes the capital restructure proposal understandable as Fonterra strives to retain those suppliers. The strategy also has an average milk price target of $6.50-$7.50/kg MS over the next decade. That’s not giving a lot of wriggle room given AgFirst’s recent financial survey forecasted a breakeven milk price of just under $7/kg MS for Waikato and Bay of Plenty dairy farmers. It aims to bring debt gearing down to 33% and reduced interest payments would enable steadily increasing dividends to 40-45c a share by 2030. “Through planned divestments and improved earnings, we could target an intended return of about $1 billion to shareholders by FY24,” Hurrell says. It also maintained its midpoint $8/kg MS milk forecast for the current season. The two most recent lifts in GDT auctions cemented prices at healthy levels and have undoubtedly helped with ASB lifting its forecast to $8.20/kg MS. Rabobank has been more cautious, lowering its forecast to $7.80/kg MS, due to what it believes will be a slowdown in demand from China. Rabobank senior analyst Emma

Higgins described it as “muted” in a recent webinar. She said in Farmers Weekly that supply was outpacing demand in China, with domestic milk production growth combined with growing inventories of dairy products. “Our overarching view is that we think milk supply is outpacing demand in China,” Higgins says. The bank’s Dairy Quarterly Report said China’s own milk supply is growing 6-7% annually and its milk powder importing has been up 40% in the first half of 2021. It forecasts that importing will fall by 18% in the second half to drive some destocking of the excess supply. What could impact the market further is the potential fallout from the financial difficulties of Chinese real estate developer Evergrande. The company is one of China’s largest and was caught by tighter borrowing restrictions imposed by Chinese regulators last year, prompting fears it may default, owing $420b in debt. If this occurred, financial analysts feared it could lead to a property bust in China, sparking comparisons to the 2008

Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says covid-19 has led to people paying closer attention to food and nutrition, putting grass-fed dairy in high demand.

financial collapse of the Lehman Brothers and the subprime mortgage crisis. This could spill over into the global economy if it triggered a property market collapse in China. Higgins says they are watching that situation very closely. n

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NEWS

Synlait chases growth By Gerald Piddock and BusinessDesk

ynlait Milk has confirmed a sale and leaseback of its property in Mangere in Auckland. Synlait will sell the building for $30.05 million, with an initial 10-year lease term. It was valued at $12.4m when they bought it in May 2017. Settlement on the sale takes place on October 4. The building forms part of the company’s North Island manufacturing network, providing additional blending and canning capacity, warehousing and office space. Synlait chief executive John Penno says the sale and leaseback allowed the company to free up cash and allow it to pay down debt. “The lease will have an initial term of 10 years, with further rights of renewal, providing plenty of long-term certainty and flexibility for our business,” Penno says. The sale comes as Synlait announced plans to cut 15% of its staff to reset the business and generate savings of $10m-$12m a year. “We need to build teams that are working together with clear roles and responsibilities and the systems needed to chase the growth we are looking to achieve,” he says. “This is not just a cost out exercise, it is

a complete reset of how we operate as a business.” The company is discussing the proposed changes with impacted team members and union representatives. The consultation process will take place over the next two weeks, according to its website. Synlait is made up of 1000 people and more than 280 milk suppliers.

“This is not just a cost out exercise, it is a complete reset of how we operate as a business.” John Penno

Penno says the aim is to “remove any unhelpful hierarchy from the organisation to ensure staff have the information, resources and freedom to act as they need to, to do their jobs every day”. Synlait has said it expects to report a net loss of between $20m and $30m in the year that ended July 31. The company has been grappling with ongoing shipping delays, lower prices for ingredient products and has taken a

Synlait chief executive John Penno says the sale and leaseback of an Auckland property allowed the company to free up cash and allow it to pay down debt. more conservative approach to year-end inventory volumes and valuation. It has also been hurt by troubles at a2 Milk. Synlait has an exclusive supply rights deal with a2 Milk for baby formula that is in place until 2023. A2 Milk, however, has been hit by a dramatic drop in sales due to ongoing travel disruptions. n

Synlait will sell their building in Auckland for $30.05 million with an initial 10-year lease term as part of their plan to reset the business.

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

A milk test can tell you more than herd production information.

Set up for success this season with regular herd testing. Beyond identifying your high producers and helping you understand your herd’s production worth (PW), that drop of milk can check for those underlying issues like Staph aureus and Johne’s disease. It’s the best way to get a complete picture of your herd – so you can make better on-farm management decisions.

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ON FARM

A home for the herd Prioritising animal welfare has been rewarding.

Lee-ann and Bryce Hunger farm in partnership with Lee-ann’s parents on a 200ha farm at Inglewood where they milk 480 cows. Photos: Ross Nolly 20

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

By Ross Nolly

Installing a shelter for their herd that is used year-round, has benefited a Taranaki couple in more ways they could have imagined.

hen a Taranaki couple decided to build a Redpath standoff shelter on their dairy farm, it revolutionised the way they farmed. And now seven-years later, the couple could never see themselves farming without one. Bryce and Lee-ann Hunger, in partnership with Lee-ann’s parents, operate a 200-hectare (185ha effective) dairy farm, milking 480 crossbred cows at Inglewood. They have been on their current farm for 16 years. They have three children Cameron, 16, Caitlin, 13 and Renee, 10. They were both brought up on dairy farms. Bryce has always farmed and Leeann initially worked in a real estate office before their marriage and her farming career began. “We began as lower order sharemilkers, milking 180-cows at Norfolk before spending five years as 50:50 sharemilkers on Rugby Road near Inglewood milking 250 cows,” Bryce says. They were sharemilking 500 cows on a Tariki property when they bought into the partnership on the current farm. The farm is seven kilometres from

Mount Taranaki and receives 3000mm of rainfall. “We felt it’d got to the stage that it was too wet to be calving in the paddocks. During a wet spring we had to use the tractor to get the cows and calves in because it was so wet underfoot,” he recalls. “We had to do something, pugging was wrecking the pasture. We did our best to avoid it, but the sheer amount of rainfall makes it hard to avoid. We needed to discover what would work and still run a profitable farm.” They wanted to house their cows indooors 24/7 for weeks on end so they were warm and dry during winter. Their decision to install a shelter came about after they decided that the pasture damage the cows were doing was too great. It was installed seven years ago and has radically changed the way they farm. They were milking 650 cows in a System 4 operation and had come to the realisation that they were using too much bought-in feed. “Back in the low payout years we had to really scrutinise what we were doing. We were leaking money and

The ready-to-calve cows are housed in the Redpath shelter where they are fed maize and silage.

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

FARM FACTS • Owners: Bryce and Lee-ann Hunger in partnership with Leeann’s parents • Location: Inglewood, Taranaki • Farm size: 200-hectare (185-ha effective) dairy farm • Cows: 480 crossbred cows • Production 2020-21: 270,000kg MS • Production target 2021-22: 270,000kg MS

had to do something. We decided that if we brought everything home, we’d be more profitable. But I had to get my head around the idea of reducing herd numbers,” Bryce says. “We reduced our numbers by 150, which only caused a 30,000kg drop in milksolids. Over a couple of seasons we culled the lower producing cows, any with undesirable traits, and sold some of the spare higher producing cows.” The farm is now a System 3-4 and the shelter has been pivotal in allowing the farm to grow more grass, better feed the cows and milk through the winter. Bryce spent four years visiting and researching different standoff shelters and how they were going to best fit their business. They looked at different installations locally and around the North Island before deciding on a Redpath Standoff Shelter. “The shelter was a big outlay and a touchy subject at the beginning. I wasn’t very keen on the idea but I now love it,” Lee-ann says. The couple had many sleepless nights worrying whether they’d done the right thing. Looking back, they feel that it was unequivocally the correct choice.

Continued page 22

The 490-cow crossbreed herd produced 270,000 kilograms of milksolids last season and the target is the same for this season.

The cows are on deep bedding, which is warm and dry. The litter is approximately 50cm deep and is “ripped” daily by the tractor to aerate it and keep it fluffed up and dry. “The more often it’s ripped, the better it is. We occasionally top up the feed lane. Other than that, we haven’t had to replace bedding for four years. We have drainage installed but nothing comes out. We’ve never cleaned the drains out in seven years and they’re still clear,” Bryce says. “Replacing the bedding annually costs us $15,000-$20,000 each time. One day Neil Chesterton phoned us from an overseas conference, he’d just learned of the ripping technique that would save us replacing the bedding.” The biggest takeaway Bryce gained from viewing many shelters was that it gives farmers control over the weather and allows the farm to grow a great deal of grass. “Production isn’t weather dependent anymore because we control the herd’s conditions. Previously, a wet month would nearly wreck our entire season. Now we just bring the cows inside,” he says. They winter 500 cows and milk around 480 crossbred cows. Last season the herd produced 580kg of milksolids per cow. Total production was 270,000kg MS and is also this season’s target. The shelter has enabled them to sell the runoff and raise their young stock and grow all of their maize on the farm. The farm’s stocking rate is approximately three cows a hectare, including the young stock.

“Heifers come into the herd at 500kg. We grow them on-farm instead of having them coming home from grazing at 380 to 400kg,” he says. “Looking back, they were far too small. The heifers now produce close to their body weight in their first season.” Production is achieved through milking days, as well as through better feeding. The shelter has changed the way they feed the cows and grow their supplemental feed. They grow 15-20ha of maize and around 400 bales of silage are harvested annually.

“We can grow a lot of grass now. We used to pasture harvest 12 tonnes of DM/ ha before the shelter, now we’re up to 17. We were growing 14 tonnes DM/ha and we’re now up to 21. We’re getting a lot of that during winter and early spring,” he says. “We target 2.5-3 leaves, which is always around 3200-3300 and a residual of 1500 to 1600 all year through every season. Surplus grass is mowed immediately and wrapped enabling the paddocks to be always in the round and growing to their maximum. “We don’t put a 20ha block aside and

Bryce and Lee-ann Hunger both come from dairying backgrounds and while Bryce has always been a farmer, Lee-ann worked in real estate before they met.

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

“Production isn’t weather dependent anymore because we control the herd’s conditions. Previously, a wet month would nearly wreck our entire season. Now we just bring the cows inside.” Bryce Hunger

wait for it to grow. By keeping the grass at a three-leaf stage and using a 30 day round, if we have paddocks ready, we mow them straight away. “When grazing them around 16 days, we found that grasses were not persisting and were running out after five years. Roots were shallow and the plants were small; we were grazing them too early.” They have an ongoing regrassing programme and find it much easier getting new pasture established, without having to push the cows onto it. “Having the young stock at home helps because they graze the new pasture with minimal damage to the delicate new grass. The entire farm has been regrassed; we’re on our next round of regrassing and the grass quality is phenomenal,” he says. “You need to look after the new types of grasses. They don’t last if you pug or overgraze them. That’s where the shelter comes into play, because the cows aren’t on the pasture during the wet winter months.” In-shed feeding ensures the cows

Continued page 24

About 15-20ha of maize is grown on-farm and about 400 bales of silage are harvested annually. These are fed in the shelter, which has reduced wastage. Staff member Simon Leathers feeds out in the shelter.

Lee-ann outside the Redpath shelter. She wasn’t keen on the idea at first but now says she wouldn’t be without it.

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Lee-ann, Cameron, Bryce, Caitlyn and Renee, front, in the shelter where the children occasionally ride their bikes.

“I think of it as a wine barrel. If you haven’t got all the slats up, something leaks. Cows need minerals, they must be well-fed and have a good condition score. You must tick all the boxes.” Bryce Hunger

receive their year-round daily feed target of 20kg per cow. They have found that you just can’t feed that much solely in grass. Presently they’re feeding kibbled maize, some DDG and soybean hulls. This is reduced as production tails off. “In the shelter we give them whatever we have. If we have wraps we’ll give them a mix of silage, maize and maybe a bit of PKE, if necessary. But generally it’s just maize. We have a feed-mixing wagon for speed and efficiency,” he says.

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From a welfare perspective, the shelter is used year-round when needed. The milkers are brought into the shelter if the weather is too wet to be on the paddocks. During wet weather the milkers will come in at 10am, be milked in the afternoon and then go straight back into the shelter after milking with feed on hand. Before the shelter, the cows had to be given large areas to avoid pugging and try to fully feed cows, which was impossible. In the hot dry summer months, the shelter provides a cool, shaded space. “Using a shelter in summer is counterintuitive to what you would expect. On a hot day with no wind, there’s always a breeze in the shelter due to the ventilation. The shelter is openended, with top vents for ventilation. “During summer they come into the shelter at 11am until milking time,” he says. When the cows are brought into the shelter, there’s no mad rush to be the first to get to the feed. They amble in and often just stand around or lie down. They know that there’s plenty of food. “We have no metabolic issues like milk fever or grass staggers during calving. The cows are sheltered from the wet, cold weather, so far less stress is placed on their metabolisms. We provide spring mineral supplements, which is far easier to do in a shelter than a paddock,” he says. The cows now don’t eat as much and quickly can put on half a condition score in 10 days, which allows them to milk for 310 days knowing the herd will be at a

The farm is a System 3-4 allowing the farm to grow more grass, better feed the cows and milk through the winter. Staff member Simon Leathers and Bryce Hunger check the grass quality.

condition score five in the 50 days they are dry. Prior to the shelter, the cows were dried off early because they were thinner and took a long time to regain condition. The springer mob is brought into the cowshed yard and put through the drafter once their calves have been taken away. The cow’s numbers are punched into Protrack and the freshly calved cows are automatically drafted out. This eliminates the chore of finding and drafting the cows in a calving paddock and removes a stressful, disruptive chore

for the cow, calf and farmer. Drafting is an easy one-person task. “I would never calve outside again. A shelter gives you huge peace of mind,” he says. “There’s only one downside to a shelter – you get fat. Before, you were run ragged during spring and lost weight. You still get tired because you’re getting up early, you’re just not knackered.” Calving begins on July 20 and the heifers July 10, which is early for Inglewood. They like getting the heifers

Bryce hoses down the portable calf feeder before filling it and taking it out to the calves.

in before the main herd starts. It allows them to become accustomed to the cowshed and gives them a longer period before their first mating. “About 50% of the herd calves within 10 days, 80% in three weeks and we’ve finished calving by September 20,” he says. “Calving in the shelter is so easy. There’s none of the stress involved with calving in the paddocks.” Bryce says. The first calving season in the shelter convinced Lee-ann that they’d made the right choice. The shelter centralised everything in one location, enabling all tasks to be completed by 9am during spring. When the weather is wet and cold the cows are warm and calve in a warm dry environment, and are well fed away from the mud. “It’s a nice feeling on a miserable, wet spring day to know that checking the calving cows only requires a short drive in the ute to the shelter,” Lee-ann says. “There’s no need to wear awkward wet weather gear or take a cold, wet bike ride across the farm.” Their days of using a heat box to revive cold calves are long gone. The cows calve in a warm, dry environment, which is beneficial for the cow and calf. Late night

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

Continued page 26

“Having the young stock at home helps because they graze the new pasture with minimal damage to the delicate new grass. The entire farm has been regrassed; we’re on our next round of regrassing and the grass quality is phenomenal.” Bryce Hunger

The Hunger family has a motocross history. Bryce used to race and he has passed on his love of motocross to his children. Emmett Leathers, Cameron Hunger and Caitlin Hunger on their bikes.

calving rounds to check calving cows are a thing of the past. Replacement calves are fed gold colostrum for four days, then fresh colostrum until the supply finishes. They’re then fed with milk powder rather than stored colostrum, as they have found that their calves don’t do as well on the stored product. LIC heat detection patches are used during mating, enabling any in-season cows to be picked out by the camera above the bails. A notification comes up on the screen to show that it’s been activated and the cow is automatically drafted from the herd. Mating begins on October 15 and Bryce is the AI technician during the nine-week

mating period. AI used for the first three weeks to provide 85 replacement calves. They pick bulls that favour the F12J4type Friesian breeding. They prefer bigger, more capacious animals and breed for capacity, good working udders and fertility. Speckle Park semen is then used for three weeks and Jersey bulls tail the herd for the following three weeks after being used over the heifers. “We’ve always farmed crossbreds. They’re smaller and suit our conditions. Over the years we’ve found crossbreds to be very efficient cows,” Bryce says. They only breed from their best cows, the bottom cows are put to Speckle Park. The cows now milk better and for

longer, so great care is taken selecting and breeding for cows with good udders. Bulls aren’t selected just by BW alone. Bryce uses the analogy of a wine barrel to describe selection. “I think of it as a wine barrel. If you haven’t got all the slats up, something leaks. Cows need minerals, they must be well-fed and have a good condition score. You must tick all the boxes,” he says. “We’ve always had good in-calf rates and have a 77% six-week in-calf rate. I think a lot of our in-calf rate success is due to feeding and selective breeding. We only keep replacements from the first three weeks of mating. We’ve never kept calves from non-cycling cows and don’t use any CIDRs.” he says. The shelter ensures the cows aren’t put under physical pressure from inclement weather and tight feeding conditions, so they have greater longevity in the herd. Some of the herd are 12 and 13-year-olds and thriving. “I think our animal health gains have come because the cows aren’t under stress,” he says.

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Lee-ann cleans the calf feeders before heading off to feed the newborn calves.

“They’re well fed which eliminates bullying. There’s no mad rush to be the first to the feed.” Mastitis has been mostly eliminated. They believe it’s due to the cows living in a mud-free, dry environment. The only time that a few cases arise is when the cows are outside. The shelter’s dry environment hardens and protects hooves and has mostly eradicated lameness, with just one or two being treated monthly. The cows don’t have to walk long distances back and forth to the cowshed, which minimises the number of stones brought into the yard. “At milking time the cows aren’t lined up at the gate waiting to get into the shed for the in-shed feed. We go in with the bike to get them out and they’re usually sitting down in no hurry to go outside. Especially when it’s pouring down outside. Without the shelter they’d be huddled up in a paddock corner, cold and covered in mud,” he says. The herd is milked through a 50-bail rotary cowshed. With a Protrack system, ACR, automatic teat sprayer and in-shed feeding. TracMap has been installed in the tractors and Batt-Latch Gates in the paddocks. The gates are mostly used when the cows are on pasture during summer. “We’re looking to install cow collars next season. I think they’ll be a huge benefit. It’ll pick out cows that are beginning to become unwell before we recognise it. It’s another backstop that leads to better efficiency,” he says. “Collars are a fantastic diagnostic tool and supply a great deal of information

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

on how well the cows are eating and ruminating. The accumulated data takes some of the guesswork out of farming and allows you to be proactive.” Helping them on the farm are two fulltime staff members, which enables them to take time off knowing the farm and the herd will be well looked after. Leeann helps out during spring, relief milks, raises the calves and does the bookwork. “We’ve only ever had one worker, this is our second season with two,” Lee-ann says “They have every other weekend off, which is a three-day weekend right

through the entire season, including spring. “I’m sure a shelter makes it easier to attract and keep good staff, as it’s a very enjoyable and comfortable work environment. During spring they’ve usually gone home by 4.30pm. If it’s wet, we normally get everything finished by 8am and then go home until the afternoon milking.” Bryce feels that the benefits of having their shelter for a number of years now, that it’s not just for the stress-free, enjoyable work environment. “It’s the public perception that we no longer wintering cows on paddocks. There aren’t any cows standing and making mud. If cows are outside, they are fully-fed milkers or young stock. We’re close to town, maybe too close at times. A lot of people that don’t understand farming walk and drive past every day,” Bryce says. “I could go into the shelter now and lay in it, it’s that dry. There are no downsides; I’d never farm without one. I could never go back to the old system.” They are quite content with the way their farm runs. In the future they are contemplating getting out of the shed and may employ a contract milker or sharemilkers. Bryce summed up their view on the Redpath shelter in one simple statement: “Anyone with doubt about a shelter’s effectiveness shouldn’t knock it until they’ve seen some in operation. Once you have one, you’ll never go back.” n

Geoff Hart from Hart Contracting about to apply UAN (urea ammonium nitrate), putting nine units on, whereas they would normally be up to 40-50 units. It’s more effective than traditional fertiliser because it is sprayed on allowing instant uptake by the grass.

DAIRY CHAMPION

From plastic to fence post By Gerald Piddock

A Waikato dairy farmer has used No 8 wire ingenuity to turn one of society’s most environmentally damaging substances into an essential piece of farm equipment.

he latest covid-19 lockdown has forced Future Post founder Jerome Wenzlick to delay a planned expansion of the Waiuku-based business. The Thames dairy farmer and founder of the award-winning company that turns plastic waste into fence posts was planning to add in a new production line in its factory when the latest lockdown occurred. Being located inside the Auckland border and classified as a non-essential business meant the business was still in Level 4 lockdown when Dairy Farmer spoke with Wenzlick. He is stoically dealing with the frustration as best as he can. “We have people wanting posts, we’re sold out of what’s here and we can’t make any more obviously,” Wenzlick says. The reality of the lockdown was that it was costing him thousands of dollars to keep the business afloat while it was not receiving any income. The wage subsidy, which Future Posts uses, did little to balance out his costs. Overwhelming demand for the posts is the reason why he wants another production line. Since its launch in 2019, demand for the posts has seen Future Post grow from two people to a team of 17 at the Waiuku factory in South Auckland. Once the lockdown is lifted and the new line is installed, it will grow staff numbers to 23. Production-wise, it will enable it to produce around 1600 posts a day from 20 tonnes of plastic. “That’s a lot of posts but when you think of it, you drive from Hamilton to Taumarunui, count how many posts you drive past – there’s millions of them. It’s a good problem to have that we can’t make enough of them,” he says. The posts are sold in all of the major retailers and hardware stores, as well as directly from the factory. Those in residential areas use the posts for fencing or as mailbox stands and square posts

Future Post founder Jerome Wenzlick with the first post they produced made from plastic waste.

“That’s a lot of posts but when you think of it, you drive from Hamilton to Taumarunui, count how many posts you drive past – there’s millions of them. It’s a good problem to have that we can’t make enough of them.” are popular as a base for garden beds. In farming, the posts are popular across all sectors – pastoral, equine horticulture, viticulture – and even aquaculture, with inquiries from oyster farmers. “It’s certainly not just one market they’re going to,” he says. “My whole aim was to bring the cost

of the post below wood, which now we have done and that’s been the difference. At the start our posts were more expensive, and people still used them, but the price was always an issue. “To be able to get that price back down where it should be, has made a huge difference.” Prior to lockdown, the factory had a 1415-week backlog of orders, which would be reduced once the second line was up and running. In the future he wants to establish a plant in the South Island to better service its farmers down there. The transport costs of sending the posts over Cook Strait currently make it a hard market to crack, he says. He also believes the concept of building material made from waste plastic could be utilised in the building industry for industrial, residential and commercial construction and has fielded inquiries from builders asking about this.

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

Future Posts made from recycled household and commercial plastics and are being used on farms across New Zealand, as well as in other industries.

Accuracy. No Less.

As well as being suitable for organic farming, for Wenzlick the biggest advantage of the posts are their durability.

“You put these in the ground and that’s it. They’re not going to rot in the ground,” he says. Wenzlick grew up in the Far North on

a sheep and cattle farm, but has been dairying for the past 20-plus years and

Continued page 30

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Jerome Wenzlick is a dairy farmer at Thames and has been fencing for about 25 years. He created Future Post after trying to ram a post into the ground full of plastic waste.

has been fencing for even longer. The origins of Future Post began in late 2017, when he was installing a wooden post on a paddock near a rubbish heap on his farm at Thames. The post would not go in because the ground was filled with plastic waste. It then occurred to him that why couldn’t fence posts be created from all of this plastic waste that was filling up refuse dumps? “I went away and thought about it and thought about it some more and convinced myself maybe it could work and try and make it happen, which we did,” he says. He travelled to the US after learning that a company in that country was making plastic fence posts. At the time, he thought he could buy one of their machines to make the posts, but those machines proved to be completely unsuitable for what he wanted to accomplish. “That’s when we decided if we’re going to still do this, we have to think of some other way to make posts and make it happen,” he says. That meant constructing their own mould to create fence posts tailor-made for New Zealand farming conditions. A big early challenge was that no one in NZ had ever made such a machine and he got Tokoroa-based South Waikato Precision Engineers to build the bulk of the mould prototype. Once that process was completed,

there was a lot of trial and error to make a fence post that was suitable for the job. “You can’t really build a small trial line. We had to think about it and use our brains a bit to decide what we needed. It wasn’t one of those things where you can build a mini one to test it,” he says. “It was a year of fixing one problem and creating two more.” His farming and time as a fencing

contractor also proved invaluable in developing the posts. He still remembers when he finally cracked it in late 2018 and the mould produced a post he was happy with. “I still have that first post,” he says. The following year, he won the Launch NZ Innovation Award at the Fieldays. Winning that award gave the then fledgling business a huge shot in the

The waste plastic arrives at the factory in bales before being cut into fine chips and mixed together, fed into an extruder and then into the mould machine that makes the posts.

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

arm and greatly increased its profile. Their plastic is sourced from Fonterra, the nationwide soft plastic scheme, local government collections and a handful of private businesses. It arrives at the factory separated into its respective grades and types.

“You put these in the ground and that’s it. They’re not going to rot in the ground.”

Wenzlick describes the fence postmaking process as akin to following a recipe. “What we have worked out is that you need a percentage of this and you need a percentage of that to make it work,” he says. The plastic is cut into fine chips and mixed together and fed into an extruder and then into the mould machine that makes the posts. “It’s basically like, if you can imagine,

a big meat mincer with a big screw in the middle and the plastic gets fed into that. As it goes through the screw it gets melted, it gets mixed together and it binds together and pressurised into a mould,” he explains. That mould can change depending on the type of post being made. Currently, Future Post can make four different kinds of posts. Depending on the kinds of posts being created, the factory can process 500kg of plastic per hour. On a typical 20-hour running time, which the factory was operating at prior to the lockdown, the mould machine can convert almost 10 tonnes of plastic into the posts. “It’s a lot of plastic but the thing is, we’re not even touching the sides of what’s out there, of how much plastic waste is out there,” he says. Around 320 milk bottles and 1200 plastic bags go into making the average 125mm round pointed post. “That’s a bloody big pile of plastic,” he says. “And it is a great feeling to know we are keeping that huge pile out of landfills and putting it to good use.” n

About 320 milk bottles and 1200 plastic bags go into making the average 125mm round pointed post.

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October 2021

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INDUSTRY GOOD

Farmers are making a difference

Good improvements have been made by Southland farmers around their winter grazing management and now is the time to review those processes to see what worked well and what further improvements can be made.

Justin Kitto DairyNZ senior solutions and development specialist

ver the past few years, farmers have been making a range of positive changes to improve wintering practices on-farm and benefit our environment and animals. DairyNZ’s recent phone survey with 150 Southland and South Otago farmers discussed their good management practices for winter grazing and reinforced that we’re seeing practice change occur on the ground. This year we’ve seen improvements on the 2020 survey across all questions. A particular highlight is that 89% of farms had a contingency plan in place for winter 2021. This is one of the most important things farmers can do to prepare for winter. Farmers with a plan typically implemented it in severe weather conditions or in response to poor paddock or soil conditions. The plan allows animals to be more comfortable

in bad weather and benefits the environment and waterways by minimising mud. Many more farms also had a relevant wintering plan (including paddock plans) – up from 40% in 2020 to 82% of farms in 2021. This fantastic outcome shows that significant changes have occurred on farms, with support from primary sector organisations, to plan and prepare for winter. Passion and care for their animals really shone through in the conversations with farmers that occurred through the survey. Farmers are using different methods to ensure their cows have comfortable places to lie. These include leaving the driest parts of the paddock for grazing during wet periods, laying straw down near the breaks in wet weather or leaving parts of the paddock in pasture for cows to lie on. Preparing for next season Spring is a good time to reflect on what went well and what can still be improved on. We had a great winter in 2021. Let’s build on that. There are a couple of key things you can consider now to manage the environment, animals and set you up for success next winter. Firstly, look back over the last two

with DairyNZ winters and think about what worked well. Continue using strategies that worked and if you can make any improvements. You might get tips from neighbours or DairyNZ’s guidance www. dairynz.co.nz/wintering Secondly, start planning your paddock selection and cultivation now. Decide which paddocks to graze, based on how they performed previously. Paddocks react differently and finding the ones that hold up well in rain is critical. Things to consider include whether the paddock has shelter, avoiding paddocks with waterways if possible (or if you can’t, then leave a five metre minimum buffer), and how easily you can manage critical source areas and move cows elsewhere in wet conditions. New winter grazing rules are now under consultation and are proposed to come into effect in November 2022. So having a detailed plan for every paddock you winter graze makes good sense to help meet proposed requirements. n

For more information on planning for next season, visit dairynz.co.nz/wintering

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

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WOMEN IN AGRIBUSINESS

From boats to boots By Cheyenne Nicholson

A South Island farmer found a love for farming on the seas of the Caribbean. Now she’s juggling a new farm, a toddler and her annual AI run. And the key to it all? Looking after yourself.

farmer’s life is always busy, but when you add in looking after the family and a sideline business as an artificial breeding (AB) technician, with a run that is spread out over many kilometres, it can become a balancing act. For Tasman farmer Abbi Ayre, that is what she has to contend with this season but says that her job as an AB tech complements her life as a farmer well, and while it will be a challenge with more balls to juggle, she’s looking forward to it. “At the end of the day, it all comes down to if you’re doing something you’re passionate about, you make it work,’ Ayre says. Ayre and husband Frikke are 50:50 sharemilking at Murchison, milking 650 cows out of a 1270-cow herd milked over two farms. This season things are a bit different from others with a new farm to get to know and a new team, with one-year-old daughter Freya in tow, she will rely on her seven years of AB experience to help her navigate it, although she nearly missed out on a run. “For a while, it looked like I might not get an AB run this season as there aren’t many around here. Luckily I managed to grab a small run of six farms, as well as our own two,” she says. “It’s small and the average herd size is around 300, with our own being the largest. I’m looking forward to meeting the farmers and getting stuck in and finding my groove with it while juggling mum life and the farm.” Her interest in artificial breeding and inseminating began early in her farming career, so took a leap of faith and became trained. “I kind of wanted to do it as soon as I started dairy farming, I guess. I couldn’t really tell you what drew me to it, to be honest,” she says. “I wanted to make a bit of extra money and it’s a great skill to have. The knowledge you accumulate is invaluable

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

Tasman farmer Abbi Ayre has a lot on her plate this season and will be juggling a new farm, team, family and an AB run, but says she is up to the challenge.

as are the connections with other farmers.” AB technician training kicks off with an intensive two-week course at the freezing works, to work on live animals and learn all the practical skills of the trade. After that, you become an apprentice for a season, working with a senior technician. “You get to do all the inseminating yourself and the senior tech is there to help guide you and teach you

more about the job. If your results are successful, you then get to service a group of farms on your own,” she explains. She completed her apprentice run in Southland and spent the following years doing runs in Culverden, Duntroon and Ashburton, where she and Frikke were farming. Now working for CRV Ambreed, she

Continued page 36

Abbie Ayre and husband Frikke and daughter Freya are 50:50 sharemilkers at Murchison. They went into partnership with friends to milk 1270-cows over two farms.

“Your success rate can easily be determined by what head space you are in on the day, so it’s important to be able to leave home at home so you can focus on the task at hand.” has seven seasons under her belt. She is responsible for semen storage, handling and insemination. It’s crucial for good success rates that everything is stored, handled and noted down correctly. “Your success rate can easily be determined by what head space you are in on the day, so it’s important to be able to leave home at home so you can focus on the task at hand. It’s as important as having good technique,” she says. It’s a different life from the one she had planned.

She grew up on a small block near Wanaka so while not a stranger to being around animals, she admits farming wasn’t really on her radar until she left high school, although she did do a few agriculture papers at school. “I grew up on a lifestyle block and during school I worked babysitting and tailing for a farm that was near us, so I wasn’t a stranger to the land,” she says. Living not too far from the lake, she grew up with boats and the family spent many days out on the water. Her dream at high school was to work on a superyacht. “When we were kids my parents actually took us on boat trips to Tonga to explore all the islands, which was incredible so my love for boating started young,” she says. Throughout her school years, she sailed competitively and once she finished school she was keen to pursue her superyacht dreams and landed a stint working on a yacht travelling from

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the Caribbean to Tonga to deliver a 50foot sailboat. “I’d spent some time on a sheep and beef farm for a few months then went on this yacht trip,” she says. “During that trip on the yacht, I realised how processed some of the food was and I didn’t want to be fuelling my body with that. After that trip, I decided I wanted to know a bit more about where my food came from.” After the yacht trip I worked at Waipori Station for three months and loved working outside and not in an office.” She then decided she wanted to study towards a Bachelor of Agriculture at Lincoln University but before heading off to study, she thought working the summer on a dairy farm could be a good way to earn some extra money and kickstart her career in the primary sector. She landed a job on a 900-cow farm in Dunsandel. A few weeks in and she fell in love with the land and the cows. “I didn’t end up going to Lincoln,” she says. “I loved working on the farm so much that I couldn’t picture doing anything else. I don’t have any regrets about not going to study. I’ve since got a Diploma in Agribusiness though, to learn some new skills essential to helping grow our business on-farm.” Towards the end of her time at her first farm, she met her now-husband Frikke, who worked on the farm next door. It wasn’t long before the pair started working together, and they’ve been working their way up the ladder together since. This season they have gone into business with close friends to take on the 50:50 sharemilking job just outside of Murchison, milking 1270 cows across two farms. The Ayres milk 640 cows on one farm

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Some of the herd on the Murchison farm heading off to the shed for afternoon milking.

under a split milking system, with 300 on whole-season once-a-day. It’s been an incredible opportunity for the couple to take a step up the ladder and have a lifestyle change that better suits their new family. Previously, they were contract milking on a 1200-cow farm in Culverden. They had plans of continuing that for a few years before making some lifestyle changes and looking for a once-a-day opportunity. “It was just through a series of events and conversations with our friends and this job popping up at the right time. Pooling our resources has meant we’ve all been able to take this step up the ladder that we couldn’t have done on our own,” she says. She has always looked after the

Although Abbie Ayre is often busy on the farm, she takes daughter Freya with her.

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

administration side of the business, as well as the calf rearing, which will be wrapping up just before the AB season kicks into gear. “It’s not for everyone, but I really enjoy it. I’m still out on-farm as often as I can be. Freya loves the farm,” she says. “Our 2IC’s wife and my parents will help take care of Freya during the AB season, which is amazing and takes the pressure off a bit. “While it’s only six weeks of the year, it’s full-on, but I’m hoping that a smaller run compared to what I’m used to will help with juggling everything and ease the pressure.” In the lead up to the AB season kicking off, she will do the rounds of the farms on her run. This gives her the chance to meet the farmers and go through the details of their mating plans. From there, it’s all about being organised. “I’ll be making sure to stock up on snacks, getting enough sleep and being as organised as I can. My days will be many early starts and making sure I’m focused on the job at hand. I really enjoy getting out on farms and seeing what other people are doing with their breeding,” she says. “One thing a friend told me pretty early on was that you’re not just an AI tech, you sort of become a bit of a counsellor or support person for farmers and that’s definitely true. Many farmers don’t see a lot of people outside their team for weeks on end, so having a friendly face to chat to can be really nice for them.” n

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RESEARCH

Three ways to milking By Cheyenne Nicholson

New research underway on the South Island demonstration farm will look at the opportunities in the New Zealand farming system.

hree new farming systems are now being implemented to expand Lincoln University Dairy Farm’s (LUDF) focus and extend its outlook through to 2030. The research is on variable milking frequency; moving the forage base to include plantain and replacement rate reduction. Variable milking frequency The variable milking programme, which was implemented this season, involves moving from the traditional twice-a-day milking to a more flexible milking regime, with 10 milkings over seven days. The South Island Dairying Development Centre (SIDDC) demonstration manager Jeremey Savage says that the decision to opt for this over other milking frequencies was down to the science behind it.

New research is underway on the Lincoln University Dairy Farm which will look at variable milking frequency, moving the forage base to include plantain and replacement rate reduction.

“DairyNZ have done some really good trials around variable milking,” Savage says. “We’ve learned that cows don’t drop as much production as you think they would. They’re only dropping around 5%, which is lower than on once-a-day.” A variable milking programme will not only improve cow welfare through less lameness, better overall health condition and enhanced vigour, Savage says they’re hoping this change to variable milking will also help improve their empty rates, which will have flow-on effects on their replacement rates. There are also opportunities to be had around the safety and wellbeing of staff, with kinder rosters, fewer early starts and more condensed workloads allowing for better work-life balance. “It’s a potential game-changer in terms

of how we showcase dairying as a career and entice people into the industry. Lincoln students have been helping out on LUDF this year, which we haven’t done before but the more flexible hours make this achievable for students,” he says. Increased use of plantain Starting in October, LUDF will plant at least 10% of the farm a year into plantain. “This is a forage that may significantly reduce nitrogen leaching. With cow intakes of 30% plantain or higher, we anticipate LUDF will achieve further improvements to its nitrogen leaching results,” he says. Plantain has been found to have several modes of action when it comes to decreasing nitrogen leaching. It acts as a diuretic making cows urinate little

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

and, often, reducing the dietary nitrogen in the urine. The nitrogen cycle is slower, allowing more time for plants to take up nitrogen, plus there appears to be a plant-related nitrification inhibitor also involved. By introducing plantain, LUDF is applying research from the Forages for Reduced Nitrate Leaching (FRNL) project. FRNL was a six-year cross-sector programme that looked at ways forages can reduce nitrate leaching. Nearby, Lincoln University Research Dairy Farm is also part of the Plantain Potency and Practice programme – a $22 million research initiative into plantain on dairy farms. One of the challenges of using plantain is getting the establishment right. LUDF is a “grass-growing machine” and tends to drown out plantain. “We’ve had some issues with dock as well, so we’ve worked with Agricom to come up with an establishment programme to make sure we get it right the first go,” he says. The growth rate profile and quality profile of plantain stacks up well against a ryegrass clover mix, which further encourages the team that this will be a winner. “The potential benefits of reducing onfarm nitrogen leaching by up to 20% by managing the cows’ diets, and without reducing overall herd numbers, are obvious and compelling,” he says. Replacement rate reduction Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions modelling shows significant gains can be made by dropping the current 28% replacement rate to a target of 1518%. “LUDF has pulled all the management levers we can to reduce GHG emissions. We’ve dropped supplements, stocking rate and nitrogen use. If we pull these harder, we risk dropping profitability,

so being able to fine-tune things like replacement rate is important,” he says. Savage says that they are hoping that the switch to variable milking will positively affect their empty rate, which has been quite high for the past few years, which will then influence replacement rates. “We know we have opportunities to look critically at the age structure of the herd – because our empty rate has been high, we have quite a young herd,” he says. “With all three of these initiatives, we are very well supported by the science and are hoping to showcase to other farmers what can be done. We’ll be giving regular updates on our website, on Facebook and via our focus days.” SIDDC has revised LUDF farm systems to more effectively contribute to New Zealand dairying and the wider primary sector. Speaking on behalf of the partnership, Lincoln University deputy vice-chancellor Professor Grant Edwards explains that SIDDC is committed to taking a leadership role in dairy farming in Aotearoa through LUDF. “It’s important that the partnership regularly reassesses and revisits the farm’s systems to consolidate its position at the vanguard of current and future scenarios,” Edwards says. DairyNZ general manager for New Systems and Competitiveness Dr David McCall says NZ’s dairy sector is committed to remaining the most sustainable milk producer. “As a SIDDC partner, we support LUDF implementing new farm systems. It is also exciting to see the adoption of variable milking frequencies, following DairyNZ’s three-year flexible milking project, which highlighted the opportunities this system presents farmers,” McCall says. n

South Island Dairying Development Centre demonstration manager Jeremey Savage and farm manager Peter Hancox with the herd that will be the focus of three trials looking at different farming systems.

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

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RESEARCH

Management and sustainability is part of the Advanced Farm Environment Planning course run by Massey University, which uses their hill country farm Tuapaka as part of the study.

Planning for the future By Samantha Tennent

Environmental challenges could threaten the country’s food production and food security.

rotecting the billions of dollars New Zealand agriculture contributes to our economy depends on how we deal with the environmental challenges and the future risks of adapting to climate change. Around 83,000 jobs are hinged on agricultural production and related industries in NZ and approximately 14% of Kiwis live rurally. At a recent webinar hosted by Massey University, Dr Lucy Burkitt, a senior research officer from the School of Agriculture and Environment, explored the future of farming. She explained how

Massey research is informing how we might best manage the environment for a sustainable future. “With climate change, parts of the country will get warmer and drier, other areas will get wetter and colder, and this will influence the types of crops we grow, pests and disease prevalence and the risk of nutrient loss from storms,” Burkitt says. “And we’ve got other challenges too, like greenhouse gas emissions, consumer preferences, changing diets, alternative proteins, trade and market access and importantly, sustainable production and water quality and availability.”

All of the challenges threaten the food supply and the industries that surround it. “We don’t have to look too far to consider some of the potential impacts of food security,” she says. “We saw on the news as we went into lockdown the bare shelves in supermarkets as a result of panic buying due to the covid-19 pandemic.” She went on to explain her vision for the future of farming in NZ and how she thinks it is really important that we take time to understand the geology, the soils and the landscape we are dealing with.

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Dr Lucy Burkitt, Massey University senior research officer from the School of Agriculture and Environment, is part of a team researching best management practices of the environment to ensure a sustainable future in farming.

“It’s critical we have that understanding because then we can match our agricultural enterprises to the right land and minimise the risk of nutrient and sediment loss,” she says. “And we need to explore new agricultural enterprises that potentially add value and create a win-win for the environment.” She described a future in a broad aspect that could have mosaics of agricultural systems throughout catchments that match the right land, soils and landscapes to the most suitable practices. In the meantime, applying mitigation strategies to minimise risk where risky agricultural enterprises exist. “Things like bio-reactors and detainment bunds strategically placed in the environment may be an option for us,” she says. “I also think it’s important that we look at adopting technology like real-time

“It’s inevitable that educating these students and professionals will make a significant contribution to how we manage nutrients in agriculture in New Zealand in the future.” Dr Lucy Burkitt DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

water quality monitoring, something that we’ve used here at Massey. “Currently, we can monitor nitrate every 15 minutes in streams and rivers. It’s expensive but hopefully over time that technology will become more readily available.” She also talked about the opportunities to improve the way things are managed through using technologies like precision agriculture, GPS and soil moisture monitoring. And how integrating native trees and shrubs within agricultural landscapes protects soils and also provides shade for animals, sequesters carbon and increases biodiversity. Painting the picture of what it could look like, she described how areas with high nitrogen attenuation could host more intensive agriculture industries like crops and animal production, and where the nitrogen attenuation capacity is lower there could be less intensive industries, such as sheep and beef production, for example. “And then we could add some of these other technologies, use of plantain, for example, introducing more trees into our landscapes, whether it’s forestry or space planted native species,” she says. “But where we still have issues where we’ve got intensive agriculture we could add in those mitigation strategies like woodchip bioreactors, and finally adding in some real-time monitoring to help farmers identify when and if they’re having an impact on the environment, what they need to act on.” She says the research Massey undertakes is vital to planning for the future. It is used to inform teaching at all levels, undergraduate, post-graduate and professional development. The Farmed Landscapes Research Centre has had about 4300 students undertake professional development courses that cover sustainable nutrient management, farm dairy effluent, greenhouse gas emissions and farm environment planning. “Since 2005, we have educated a huge number of students in terms of the latest understanding of soils, geology, how nutrients are lost and also what the potential mitigation options are,” she says. “And it’s inevitable that educating these students and professionals will make a significant contribution to how we manage nutrients in agriculture in New Zealand in the future. “And that’s the legacy that we’re really proud of and want to continue.” n

RESEARCH

A growing issue By Cheyenne Nicholson

New research shows that dairy farms are being threatened by weeds resistant to herbicide.

erbicide resistance is emerging as a serious and growing threat to New Zealand’s food production. Recent surveys have found that over half of arable farms and vineyards in some regions have weeds resistant to commonly used herbicides. AgResearch scientist Dr Trevor James

says that when starting this research three years ago, they expected around 5% of farmers to be affected by herbicide resistance. “The issue is that as this resistance grows, so does the costs and impacts on farmers and crop production in New Zealand,” James says. “What we found was that the figure is

“ I struggle to think about going back to wintering cows on pasture now for a variety of reasons. The cows are warm and happy, we can feed them much more economically and we’ve got beautiful compost to put on our pastures and boost the nutrients.

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actually closer to 50%. It was a surprising result and makes this a very present issue and not one we can push to the bottom of the list any longer.” The common resistant weed species being identified include ryegrass, wild oats and chickweed, as well as first-time finds of resistant sow thistle (puha), summer grass, prairie grass and lesser canary grass. These new finds make the issue an emerging threat for dairy farmers as well. “One of the new weeds we’ve found herbicide resistance to this year is summer grass and we found that in maize crops in the North Island. Any farmer that grows maize for silage knows that summer grass is a difficult weed to kill, so if it starts getting resistance to herbicides, it’s going to be an even larger problem,” he says. “Similarly resistance in ryegrass is another problem for dairy farmers. While on the face of it you could view it as a good thing, being able to spray out a paddock without spraying out the ryegrass, but it’s quite likely that that resistance ryegrass won’t grow as well.” Herbicide-resistant weeds were first detected in NZ in 1979, but until recently reporting of herbicide resistance has largely been ad hoc and left to growers and rural professionals to recognise and alert researchers. James stresses that farmers being open and talking about the issue will be crucial in efforts to fight this resistance issue. “A big part of the issue that needs addressing is the social aspect. Historically and even today, herbicide resistance isn’t talked about among farmers enough,” he says. “In tackling this we need farmers to be open and talk about it. Farmers are intelligent and have to make important decisions all the time, so a lot of our understanding of this issue from a wider perspective will come from farmers and the decisions they make and how that impacts herbicide resistance.” He explained that herbicide resistance

AgResearch scientist Trevor James says the number of farmers affected by herbicide resistance is far greater than expected. Trevor checking out some herbicide-resistant ryegrass in a vineyard.

is an evolutionary process resulting from repeated exposure to the same or similar herbicide and thus is a slow process, which we can use to our advantage. But the solution won’t be as simple as finding the next best chemical, but more in finding a solution through genetics. Understanding the mechanisms involved in resistance and how it’s passed through the generations of these plants is vital to figuring out strategies to address the issue. There are 24 known mechanisms that

herbicides use, but herbicide-resistant plants have a number of ways of stopping the herbicide working, or translocating it to another site. Figuring out the genetics of these specific mechanisms are difficult to work out and take time. Work is being done to predict weeds likely to be the next resistant invaders and try to find any commonalities in the weeds that are already developing resistance, as well as to develop a rapid test that enables farmers to leave samples that can be analysed to

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determine if they are resistant or not. “We’re also exploring alternatives to herbicides that could help stave off or avoid resistance developing, including tikanga Māori practices and new technology,” he says. Stepping back from intensification and incorporating cover crops into rotations are also being investigated. The survey, which is the first of its type for arable crops, is funded from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment Endeavour Fund. n

SPECIAL REPORT

Mission to reduce wastage By Samantha Tennent

Food is being wasted throughout the entire food chain and finding solutions are challenging but essential to ensure sustainability.

ood wastage accounts for around 8% of the greenhouse gases (GHG) that are produced in the world. To put it into context, if food wastage was a country, it would equate to the third-largest in terms of GHG production. Alltech president and chief executive Dr Mark Lyons says reducing wastage could have a significant impact on feeding the planet and reducing the environmental impact. And this is one of the themes he highlights in his quest to a ‘Planet of Plenty’. “Sustainability and reducing our environmental impacts is significant and we must counter the negative perceptions of agriculture with science,” Lyons says. “Collaboration is crucial and the heightened perception from consumers provides plenty of opportunities.” Lyons remains optimistic about the future and believes in the significance of sustainability both locally and globally and the opportunities within agri-food. “We’ve noted that one in five millennials would say that they would change their diet to improve the planet’s health, that’s a pretty staggering number,” he says. “And that will be the next fad that comes along, people considering more than the calories they’re consuming. They’ll be questioning what is the impact they’re having on the environment from what they eat.” Lyons noted how food wastage occurs through the entire supply chain, from food production at the farm level, through transportation, through spoilage and in retail and restaurants, and it is happening in homes. “How do we, as an entire food system, reduce that? What are the types of things that we can work together on, very much on a local level to reduce it?” he asks. “I think that could have a huge impact on us feeding that global population.” But one of his biggest concerns lies

with fossil fuel and how agriculture production relies on it. “We may have consumers who think they’re genuinely doing the right thing by changing their diet, but in reality, we’re actually not solving the climate issue, which is really being driven by fossil fuel usage,” he says. “Our food production system is actually pretty efficient and it’s getting more and more efficient. If we all stopped eating meat, we wouldn’t stop climate change.” He thinks the impact of agriculture on climate change is overemphasised and the industry can change and adapt quickly. What concerns him is how agriculture will be able to move away from fossil fuels in a way that will not disadvantage those who produce energy today. “How do we make sure that innovation does rest in locations, perhaps, that are high energy producers today and create new jobs and create new opportunities?” he asks. He sees sustainability as one of the trends that are changing the fastest. Companies across Europe and the United States are exploring ideas around messaging. There could come a time when carbon counting is on the menu alongside the calories of a meal. “Chipotle here in the US is attempting to showcase the environmental impact of a burrito on their menu, it might not be totally dialed in yet, but they’re seeing that as a clever way to differentiate themselves from their competitors,” he says. In Europe people are already changing what they are doing in relation to travel, where they are willing to travel and what jobs they will take because of the distance they will travel. And he sees the dietary aspect becoming part of decision-making. “Diets have already been shifting, probably, away from beef more to pork or maybe poultry products over a

Alltech president and chief executive Dr Mark Lyons says although the global food chain supply is efficient, there is still a great deal of wastage.

number of years. Aquaculture is growing and maybe that’s going to play a bigger role as well, as people start to think about those things,” he says. “That’s where we have to make sure, and I think our customers need to make sure they’re getting out and telling the story and are accurately able to demonstrate and provide the metrics of what the actual environmental impact is of their food.” As every producer is slightly different, it will not be clear when looking at a steak in a restaurant what the environmental impact of producing that is. But Lyons believes this is where producers will need to share their story better and talk about what makes them different to others. The prediction is these elements will speed up the major trends that are going to impact our producers over the next five years. Another impact on the availability of food is the efficiency gains and reduced inputs we are seeing in agriculture. It is

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

important to be aware of anticipating unintended consequences. “When you think of that global-local element, we’ve got to think about that aspect. We don’t want to become so focused on reducing the environmental impact that we’re not looking at the total production,” he says. “Globally, we do have malnourishment and we have a huge amount of countries that are going to be left in a position post-covid that is even less food-secure than they were before.” He explained we need to explore ways to maintain productivity while working towards efficiency and sustainability, looking at different technologies and a more holistic approach. “When we speak about sustainability, we really say that we need to think about if this new technology coming out is going to, overall, benefit society. Is it going to sustainably improve our health? Are these things really better for society or not? I think that’s what it’s all about,” he says. While it sounds like the discussion is producing more questions than answers, he says it is important to raise these

Food wastage accounts for 8% of the greenhouse gases produced globally and that wastage occurs from the farm through to the home.

concerns, talk about the challenges and bring everyone to the table for the conversation. “I think the sustainability mission is a journey, not a destination. It’s all about doing things that provide for today and make sure that we do have enough for today, but we also know that we have enough for tomorrow,” he says.

“To me, it’s not about eliminating, it’s about creating and it’s about making sure that we are focused on innovation and new ideas.” n

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SPECIAL REPORT

The future of food systems By Samantha Tennent

Existing resources must be used effectively to produce more food to match the future demand to feed the world.

s the global population rises and becomes more affluent, more net protein is needed to match an increase in demand of almost 100% by 2050. But the amount of land we have to produce this protein will not change and approximately only 4% of the earth’s surface is appropriate for crop cultivation, and we have limited resources that must be used efficiently to ensure the future of food security, Harper Adams University chair in sustainable beef production Jude Capper says. Capper was part of a panel discussion at the United Nations Food Systems PreSummit that was held in a hybrid format across Rome and digital platforms in July. The panel were discussing the future of protein security, focusing on maximising the efficiency of production resources without unintended social, cultural and environmental consequences. Alternative proteins are creating excitement, but many new proteins are marketed by simply repackaging existing nutrients into plant-based meats and milk products, which means there is no net supply increase in protein. And the calls for reductions in animal agriculture could create a protein deficit that cannot be overcome by growing crops due to the limitations of available arable land and water. “We often talk about producing a certain amount of food per amount of land or per amount of greenhouse gas, or whatever it might be, but the amount of food is not necessarily what matters,” Capper says. “It’s about the limiting nutrients and we’re focusing very much on protein right now.” A recent data review in the Global Food Security journal shows when total protein intake is corrected for poor digestibility and amino acid composition

The Quantitative Fluorescent Imaging System conducts protein analysis, which is used in cell and molecular biology that uses antibodies to identify target alternative proteins.

“When we’re looking at the environmental impacts of different protein products, we need to really start comparing things like water usage and the natural resources used to get the equivalent nutrient density.” Amanda Radke

of plant-based proteins, none of the 103 countries reviewed is currently meeting the protein requirements of their population. Livestock contributes to food security

by supplying essential macro and micronutrients, providing manure and draught power and generating income. But they also consume food edible by humans and graze on pastures that could be used for crop production. “It’s important to recognise that a sizable number of our global population rely on livestock for their income, for their health, for their education, so we have billions of smallholder farmers across the globe who absolutely rely on livestock,” he says. “And livestock give us more than just food, they provide us with protein and energy and essential fatty acids and minerals, but they always also have huge roles in terms of byproducts in terms of pharmaceuticals, manure, leather (and) et cetera.” A recent review by the Food and

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October 2021

Livestock contributes to food security by supplying essential macro and micronutrients, providing manure and draught power and generating income.

Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) states that 86% of global livestock feed is classified as inedible to humans. The work highlights the ability of livestock to convert human inedible raw materials into high-quality food, particularly protein, for people. South Dakota beef producer and author Amanda Radke says food from animal sources also makes an important contribution to food security through the provision of a variety of micronutrients, for example, vitamin A, vitamin B-12, riboflavin, calcium, iron and zinc, but it can be difficult to obtain these in adequate quantities from plant-source foods alone.

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“We need to truly compare apples to apples and so calorie for calorie of what animal protein, particularly beef, has to offer,” Radke says. “It is an incredibly nutrient-dense product and to get the same amount of protein that you could get from 180 calories in a three-ounce serving of beef you would have to eat about 600 calories of broccoli or quinoa or peanut butter. “When we’re looking at the environmental impacts of different protein products, we need to really start comparing things like water usage and the natural resources used to get the equivalent nutrient density.” Radke also highlighted that a lot of

livestock feed comes from byproducts or co-products of human food production. “If we use the US for example, there is a lot of crop agriculture that takes place in California, and there’s also a lot of dairy production,” she says. “And what’s interesting is all those industries are really tied together. Where we have oranges that are going for orange juice and making citrus pulp as a byproduct that ends up in the diets of dairy cows.” She believes the biggest element that would help food security surrounds wastage. “Of the food we grow here in the US, meat or not, 40% ends up in landfills, which I think is critical if we work on reducing that wastage. “And the second part we need to focus on is distributing that food that would otherwise go wasted and getting it to parts of the world where food is scarcer.” The conversation around the future of food systems will continue at the 2021 Food Systems Summit in New York. Science and innovation are key to driving sustainable agricultural productivity, ensuring food security and better nutrition for everyone. And advancing a policy framework and innovative solutions to improve access to healthy and sustainable food will require multisectoral engagement. “Every stakeholder in the food production system should be focusing on serving the needs of their customers,” she says. “Whether that’s raising almonds and broccoli or raising nutrient-dense beef, there is a customer that needs these products and to truly be secure and to be free, and to be able to make choices that best fit the needs of our families is incredibly important to have a happy healthy food system.” n

SPECIAL REPORT

A life worth living By Samantha Tennent

Animal welfare plays a big part in farmer’s lives and many are doing the right thing but need to communicate this better.

he farming landscape has changed and will continue to change and animal welfare is pivotal to how farms operate and gain access to a social licence to farm. And there are many opportunities for farmers to take ownership of the picture portraying how animals are treated, farm animal welfare consultant Mandi McLeod said at the recent online Alltech ONE ideas conference. “We have to give an alternative narrative or we’re going to end up with laws that do it for us,” McLeod says. “Organisations that are anti-animal agriculture post offensive pictures on social media and for some people with no background in agriculture, those images at the end of an activist’s camera are the only sneaky peek they get.” She explained that is what farmers need to protect themselves against by making sure there is nothing for the activists to put out in the public domain because everyone is ensuring their animals are well looked after. “That is where assurance programmes are becoming a necessity to provide the evidence farmers are looking after their animals and looking for opportunities to improve, just as we do for food safety,” she says. She believes training and support are pivotal for the future of animal welfare and the sustainability of livestock farming. “Farming is a skilled job and there is plenty of general training available, but there isn’t a lot of training in animal welfare,” she says. “Farmers need help to understand their legal responsibilities and that they are meeting them, but it’s beyond that too, knowing what we can do to ensure our animals, and people, thrive.” McLeod has worked in a range of dairying systems, from the most basic to incredibly advanced with all the bells and whistles, but she explains the biggest difference in cow flow and subsequent

Waikato-based animal welfare consultant Mandi McLeod specialises in cattle behavior and welfare, which she says are pivotal in farming.

efficiency relates to the stock handlers levels of knowledge of cow behaviour. “Knowing how cattle will react in any given circumstance and being able to avoid negative reactions in advance is what really makes the difference,” she says. “Many people don’t realise cattle hate whistling and pipe tapping in the dairy, or that they cannot tell the difference between a puddle of water and a hole in the ground because they have binocular vision, so that’s why they baulk or try to jump it – and they love to follow a leader. “When we reflect on the negative animal welfare issues that have come up, it regularly comes back to frustrated people acting out on animals because they don’t know any better. “But when we understand why cows behave how they do, and what they need, it is often the smallest, least expensive changes that can make the biggest difference to help them move more calmly. And we know calm cows are more productive than anxious ones who don’t know what is coming next.” McLeod says that is a responsibility on everyone, not just for their own animals, but for neighbours’ animals and other animals we see around us.

“When we reflect on the negative animal welfare issues that have come up, it regularly comes back to frustrated people acting out on animals because they don’t know any better.” Mandi McLeod “The standard you walk past is the standard that you accept. So I think we all need to look at our standards and ask ourselves, can I defend it? And if we can’t defend it, don’t do it,” she says. Welfare used to be thought of in the five freedoms: freedom from hunger, thirst, pain, distress and suffering. But as we have progressed, the world has realised that for animals to be able to thrive and not survive, they need more than that. Many countries, including New Zealand, have recognised animals as sentience by legislation. Sentience is having the capacity to feel, perceive or experience subjectively. And consumers

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October 2021

want to know that animals have a life worth living. “Even if that is for a beef cow or a beef steer, and they are only alive for 18 months, that during that time they have a life worth living,” she says. “I think that’s where the social licence to operate comes, is that people want to know that and they want to know how.” She also spoke about how 25 years ago when she started her career, food safety was receiving a lot of attention. Consumers wanted to know that the food that they were eating was safe. But there was protest from farmers because they knew the food they were producing was safe. “That’s when food safety programmes were developed. Then the word sustainability became the buzzword and it focused on the environment. And consumers wanted to know that the environment was safe and that farmers were custodians of the land,” she says. “It’s now shifted to animal agriculture and animal welfare. But I think it’s about sharing that with consumers, that farming is hard, it’s not simple, it’s complex. And to share how we protect

Mandi McLeod says farmers need help to understand their legal responsibilities around animal welfare and ensure that they are meeting them.

our animals and their environment.” McLeod believes farmers by large are good at looking after their animals but they are not as good at communicating how they do it. She believes there are opportunities to utilise the marketing strength of the retailers. “We need to partner together and come up with animal welfare programmes that go beyond the simple metrics of management paperwork, to ones that actually look at animals

and say, is this animal thriving in this environment? Does it have a life worth living?” she asks. “It’s shifting the focus of auditing from being a cost to a value-add. And that’s really where the future is, seeing that animal welfare, as a public good, is a value-add proposition to retailers. And we don’t need expensive solutions to improve animal welfare on most farms. Fixing the basics should always be first.” n

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The team on Tracey and Roger Miller’s farm in Southland often catch up over a cuppa and share their ups and downs.

You matter, let’s natter Farmstrong’s You Matter, Let’s Natter campaign is encouraging farmers to catch up with colleagues and neighbours over a cuppa to see how they’re going. Southland dairy farmer Tracey Miller is one of a number of farmers who’ve put the billy on to help promote the idea.

racey and her husband Roger run a 1000-cow dairy farm near Riversdale in Southland. It’s a busy operation with four fulltime staff and a couple of calf rearers. Tracey says the team must be functioning at its best to keep on top of it all, which is why they gather each morning to share breakfast and chat over a cuppa. “Everyone sits down together for a good hour or so. Me and another calf rearer prepare a cooked breakfast. We plan out the day, talk about what we’ve been up to and how things are going in general,” Tracey says. She says that a sense of camaraderie is a big part of keeping people well. “Sharing the ups and downs of farming helps manage stress. It’s my chance to do that too. Like a lot of farmers, I find

it much easier to talk about everyone else’s problems rather than my own, but scheduling a regular get-together like that encourages people to open up,” she says. “Yesterday, for example, I’d had a tough morning, so I just opened up to the others at breakfast today and everyone was like, ‘oh, what happened? Tell us.’ Being able to share how you’re feeling like that with others is so helpful. “That’s why I think You Matter, Let’s Natter is an awesome idea. Grab a cup and go and have a natter with someone you care about. A lot of farmers are still very staunch about asking for help. But even if you find just one other person to tell how you’re feeling, that will help you feel a lot better if you’re feeling stressed. Whether it’s your partner, boss, colleague or a relative, everyone needs to be able to

confide in someone. As farmers we need to support each other.” Tracey says the team doubles down on efforts to connect during the busy season. “Often when you’re busy you don’t make time to talk, but that’s exactly when you need to talk the most. So even in the middle of calving I cook everyone a big dinner once a week to show that farming is a team game and fueling yourself with the right food is really important,” she says. She says the business has prioritised wellbeing in several other important areas. For example, the staff housing is of a high standard. “It makes a huge difference to how you feel if you’re coming home to a warm, dry house after spending all day outside on a cold, wet day. I think farm owners need to

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October 2021

put more emphasis on things like that to attract and retain staff. A good week for us is not just about the cows and pasture, it’s about everyone having a good day, working well together and going home happy and safe,” she says. Rest and recovery time is another priority. “We operate a five and two roster and really encourage our staff to get off-farm on their days off to refresh mentally and not think about anything to do with the farm. We all need that downtime,” he said. The couple also practice what they preach and head off regularly to Te Anau to recharge. “We made sure my husband was on the roster too, so he doesn’t miss out on his breaks. If things are quiet on a Thursday afternoon, we might spend the night there and head back the next morning. That helps to keep us well. Even if we’ve just got a bit of downtime, we’re off,” she says.

Regularly sharing a meal with friends, family and teammates gives everyone a chance to catch up and chat about what is going on in their lives and on the farm.

have time off and relax knowing we’re not going to get hundreds of phone calls because everyone here knows their job,” she says. The fundamental insight is that Tracey

Tracey believes the key to having time off is welltrained staff. “We can all

and Roger treat their team as the farm’s number one asset. “We simply can’t operate this business on our own. We rely on staff and we’re lucky – we have got really good staff now – but in the past that has been a real issue and source of stress for us,” she says. “When everyone’s pulling in the same direction, it just makes life a whole lot easier. We’ve learnt that looking after yourself and looking after your team is where it all starts.” Tracey says no one is immune to stress and pressure in farming. “Farming can be demanding. When you’ve farmed as long as we have, you realise that no one has it together 100% of the time. When you’re young it seems as if everyone’s got everything under control, but as Farmstrong’s You Matter, Let’s Natter campaign mugs give you grow older you the power to put the billy on and sit down with a mate for you realise the a chat. stuff people share

“Yesterday, for example, I’d had a tough morning, so I just opened up to the others at breakfast today and everyone was like, ‘oh, what happened? Tell us.’ Being able to share how you’re feeling like that with others is so helpful.” Tracey Miller on Instagram and social media are just highlights, that’s not real life,” she says. “We all go through tough periods. Keeping well is about taking the time to know yourself and checking in on yourself and others. If something’s not quite right, talk about it before it becomes a massive deal.” “We’ve got our You Matter, Let’s Natter mugs in our dairy shed office and we use them every morning when we’re having tea and coffee together. I heard one of the staff say the other day, ‘come on, let’s go and have a natter’. It’s a simple idea, n but it works.”

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

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

INNOVATIONS

Solving a matting problem

By Anne Boswell

When an innovative farming couple couldn’t find the matting they wanted for their stand-off pad, they designed one.

tago dairy farmers Paul and Kyllee Henton are firm believers in the idea that New Zealand farmers are

innovators. If something isn’t available, hasn’t been invented or ‘can’t be done’, there is always a farmer somewhere sourcing it, making it or doing it, Kyllee Henton, a registered veterinarian, says The couple, who run White River Holstein Friesians, did exactly that when they couldn’t find suitable flooring for their 600-cow wintering shed, so they went into research and development mode and decided to manufacture their own. It has resulted in them launching a company, Agri-Tech Imports, which they now run alongside their 580-cow herd operation. The couple have been on the farm for 15 years after entering an equity partnership with her parents to purchase the property. The farm has flooded in previous seasons and she says they get snow most winters. “During the harshest winter weather, we might keep the herd on the pad 24/7 in order to protect the pasture and the soil,” Kyllee says. The tough climate was the reason behind the construction of a 600-cow wintering shed in 2015. “We looked on the local market for barn flooring that was highly compressible, durable and easily cleaned, but there was nothing that really suited our requirements,” she says. Realising they would have to make their own flooring, the couple contacted Paul’s brother David Henton, who has been based in China for the past 30 years. “David works in the wider manufacturing industry and he knows how the system works,” she says.

Kyllee and Paul Henton milk 580 cows in Otago, where the weather can be harsh. When they couldn’t find suitable matting for their stand-off pad, they went into business to make it.

“He and his 2IC researched Chinese manufacturers and Paul flew to China to visit several factories that had the potential to manufacture our matting.” After finding a manufacturing outlet that understood what the couple was hoping to achieve, the design process was underway and shortly after, manufacturing began. The matting is 100% rubber, made from 50% recycled rubber and 50% new rubber to balance sustainability and durability. The moulds are the size of the mat, with rubber hot-poured into the mould to make one homogenous piece of rubber. Each mat is 1.8m x 1.2m x 30mm, covering two square metres when laid and interlockable with other mats. The specially-designed air-cushion

base makes them soft and comfortable, and the top is textured for increased grip. The corners and sides are roll-proof to avoid tripping hazards. The rubber matting was installed on their farm in 2017, and Henton says they knew it was a success when their cows started lying down and standing up, exhibiting natural behaviour just as they would in the paddock. “It gives the cows confidence to walk around the pad and they don’t slip or fall,” she says. The lameness in the herd also dropped completely due to the soft surface and increased grip. While the mats were designed for their own use, Henton says other farmers became interested and they are now manufacturing the mats to order; they

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October 2021

also keep stock on hand at their depots in Auckland and Otago. Dairy farmers are finding the mats helpful on feedpads, dairy shed yards, entry and exit points of rotary milking sheds, underpasses, bridges and calf trailers. And it’s not just dairy farmers that are benefiting from the matting, they are also being used by beef, equine, deer and pig farmers. Customers can buy direct from their website, www.comfycow.co.nz, or from their local Farmlands store. Henton says matting enquiries and quotes are managed via email and phone when required, with their dairy farming business remaining their focus. The couple subscribes to the idea that a fully fed cow is a happy cow, and aim to fully feed their cows year-round to support body condition, production and reproductive functions. The herd produces about 550kg MS per cow and they have access to the feedpad as they need. The Batt Latch gates are unlocked at 3am and the cows come in under their own steam ahead of morning milking.

After milking they go back onto the pasture until the gates are automatically unlocked again around lunchtime and the herd can head back onto the feedpad. Cows are wintered at a 96ha runoff nearby and they use another 45ha support block for cut and carry feed, including silage and fodder beet, which they feed ahead of mating. They also grow turnips on the milking platform that are strip grazed and feed imported soya bean meal, DDG and crushed barley on the feedpad, along with minerals. Henton says the journey to manufacturing the mats has been remarkably smooth sailing, despite the minor challenge of building a relationship with the right manufacturer in the beginning. “Even covid hasn’t interrupted our supply; the only issue has been the cost of freight increasing five-fold,” she says. “Our long-term goal is to grow the business and increase awareness of what we have created. “We have had fantastic feedback from farmers so far.” n

The herd standing off on Comfy Cow rubber matting on the Henton’s Otago farm. The matting is made from 100% rubber and the specially-designed air-cushion base makes them soft and comfortable.

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INNOVATIONS

Switched on cooling By Samantha Tennent

Having a milk cooling system that turns itself on will eliminate the stress and worry if someone forgets to turn it on.

urning up to morning milking to discover you had forgotten to turn on the refrigeration unit the night before is a frustrating mistake. And a costly one that happens very easily, especially if there has been a disruption to the normal routine, or different people have been milking. The problem had been baffling Matt Parkinson for a number of years. He wanted to find a way to start the vat automatically and two years ago he had a lightbulb moment and jumped straight into developing what he dubbed E-Start. “It just takes a level of risk out of a farmers business,” Parkinson says. “Manually having to turn on refrigeration is where mistakes are made. A farmer forgets to turn it on, or they’ve got a relief milker, or staff being staff and forget, it happens regularly. “And with the new vat monitoring systems monitoring milk temperature in real-time, there is no room for error.” His prototype was a shoebox with a bird’s nest of wires and relays, but he talked to an electronic engineering company who were able to miniaturise it to the size of a cigarette packet. The units have been rigorously field-tested for the past two years without any issues. Donald and Kathy McKinnon are milking 180 cows in Opiki, south of Palmerston North, and were one of the early farms to trial the E-Start. “With our insurance policy we’ve only got one opportunity to claim on dumped milk per year,” McKinnon explains. “And I’d much rather use it for something like a tanker getting contaminated with penicillin than forgetting to turn on the refrigeration. “You’re a jack of all trades when you’re milking, you could be washing the vat, you’ve got your children there, you’re trying to get the cows in, you’re trying to remember if you shut the gate and set up the paddock. It’s very easy to drop one thing if something happens. “There is plenty to worry about, but at least with E-Start you know in the

The E-Start monitoring system is easy to retrofit into existing milk cooling control systems, simple to use and provides valuable economic insurance for the farm business.

back of your mind if you’ve got the milk going into the vat, you know the fridge is turned on.” He values having the reassurance his milk is protected. “By the time our milk monitoring system alerts a problem, it is usually too late to do anything about it,” he says. The units are assembled in Auckland and sent to Parkinson in Manawatū to add the brackets and package them ready to be sent to farms. They are installed by an electrician to the vat controller, with a proximity sensor behind the vat.

“E-Start is designed to retrofit into your current control system,” Parkinson says “There are only five wires to install and another that goes around behind the vat, it’s that simple and provides valuable economic insurance for the farm business.” He is geared with an engineering background and has worked in dairy refrigeration for around 20 years. He helped develop a pre-cooling solution for milk, before having a break from the industry. But it was always his passion and he joined the industry again launching his own business, AgriChill.

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October 2021

“There is plenty to worry about, but at least with E-Start you know in the back of your mind if you’ve got the milk going into the vat, you know the fridge is turned on.” Donald McKinnon “Back before Fonterra was formed, Tui Dairy Company had an automatic refrigeration system. It was done by load cells, so when the milk came into the vat the weight would activate the refrigeration,” he says. “But most of those systems have gone now and most farms have manual refrigeration units.” He has seen plenty of mistakes and knew there was a need to find a way to automate the process. After a successful trial period, he entered E-Start in the Fieldays Innovations Awards and had a manic few days at Mystery Creek.

“I got great feedback from farmers at Fieldays but it has been slow to get the word around and selling units,” he says. “But once the customer understands how it works and is using it, they are swearing by it.” More than 50 have been installed around Manawatū and he is now receiving orders from around the country. “The protection is economical; it only takes saving one vat load of milk from being dumped to pay for itself basically, not to mention the ecological hassle of trying to dispose of the milk,” he says. “One of our early adopters told me within six months of installing the unit he had turned up to the cowshed three times after milking to find the refrigeration hadn’t been turned on and he was very thankful E-Start had saved the day each time.” Not out to make a fortune from selling units, Parkinson is pleased to offer a solution for a frustrating problem and hopes more farms will install units and experience the relief of knowing they have their bases covered.

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Matt Parkinson created a milk cooling system that turns itself on automatically to help farmers eliminate costly mistakes.

“Too much milk goes down the drain from basic mistakes that can now be mitigated with an easy solution,” he says. n

ANIMAL HEALTH

Do the locomotion

Locomotion scoring is a system of scoring cows from 0 through to 3, where 0 is normal with good mobility and 3 is severely lame. Once each cow has been scored, a plan of attack for treating lame cows can be implemented.

By Samantha Tennent

WelFarm general manager Samantha Tennent says the best time to perform a locomotion score is six to eight weeks after mating has started, as lameness has the biggest impact at that time of the season.

ave you ever had a locomotion score performed on your herd? Not sure what they are for or what to do with the information after you’ve received the results? This month we explore the value of locomotion scoring. Lame cows cost a farm business from the reduced production, impaired reproductive performance and being susceptible to premature culling. The rough figures estimate a case of lameness costs the business $250, which equates to almost $15,000 for the average 419-cow herd, with an average of 14% incidence. From the 2020-21 season data within WelFarm, it shows an average of 4% of cows were scored 2 or 3 at their locomotion scores performed in early lactation. These are cows that are in the main herd and not previously identified. This means that 4% were picked up and treated sooner before the lameness escalated and they cost the business significant time and money.

Farmers find it frustrating and timeconsuming to manage lame cows and it poses significant public perception risks, as well as being considered a serious animal welfare problem. There are two elements to tackle when managing lameness in a herd: treating affected cows and reducing the incidence and risk. When a locomotion score is performed it can be used to assess if there are lame cows that need treating. It also shows if there are cows developing lameness that need observing and may need their feet lifted to check. It also shows what the incidence of lameness is looking like and whether there is a need to review herd management. Locomotion scoring A simple system of scoring cows from 0 through to 3, where 0 is normal with good mobility and 3 is severely lame. Once each cow has been scored, a plan of attack for treating lame cows can be implemented. • Score 0 cows are not lame with a normal gait. • Score 1 cows are slightly lame. They

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

“We wanted to pick up the cows that were slightly lame and do something about it before they got too bad.” Sam Spencer-Bower

walk unevenly but it can be hard to identify the lame leg. These cows need careful monitoring to ensure lameness does not develop further and may benefit from having the feet lifted and checked. • Score 2 cows are moderately lame. It is possible to identify the lame leg and they should be drafted, examined and treated as soon as practical. • Score 3 cows are severely lame and should be drafted, examined and treated within 24 hours. They may require a vet. Lame cows should not be made to walk far and should be kept on pasture. Within the WelFarm programme we recommend performing a locomotion score six to eight weeks after mating has started as lameness has the biggest impact at that time of the season. Talk to your veterinarian about getting involved in WelFarm. Case study Sick of dealing with lame cows, North Canterbury farmer Sam Spencer-Bower decided to take a proactive approach with some preventative hoof trimming. But he was concerned they weren’t picking up enough cows and started working with his veterinarian to get some locomotion scoring performed on his farms. “We wanted to pick up the cows that

Lame cows can cost a farmer thousands of dollars in lost production and reduced reproductive performance.

were slightly lame and do something about it before they got too bad,” Spencer-Bower says. “We didn’t have a significant lameness problem, but it was enough to be costly and the guys don’t like doing lame cows, so the less we had the better.” He looks after nearly 3000 cows across three dairy farms as a general manager in Rangiora and with around 15 staff, he has found the locomotion score data a great tool to support the team. “It gets everyone thinking about it and whether they’re doing anything that could be causing it,” he says. He uses the information to determine what could be happening, whether there is an infrastructure problem or if the staff need some further training and support. “You’ve got valid evidence to show staff things aren’t going as well as they might think and you can justify potential upgrades or adjusting things in the yard, like how the backing gate works for example,” he says.

“If you rely on records of how many cows you’ve treated, you don’t have the information around the severity and different people pull out different levels of lameness to treat, so it’s worthwhile for us having the independent scorer come out and score the farms. “Once you’ve got some numbers you know percentages of what is happening and you can start calculating what that’s costing you, that’s the real benefit to me.” There is no disruption when the locomotion score is happening. A vet tech from their local vet clinic comes onto the farms twice during the season and observes the cows as they walk back to their paddock after milking. All the cows are scored and Spencer-Bower gets a summary of the results. “It’s money well spent, I know I get a n good return from it,” he says.

Samantha Tennent is the general manager of WelFarm Ltd.

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EFFLUENT

The power of activated carbon By Ross Nolly

Waste from pine trees is being used to make another product that has multiple uses across several sectors.

arbon is one of life’s most important building blocks and every cell in your body contains the element. It would be far easier to list everything you touch or see that lacks carbon than everything that contains it. Activated carbon (activated charcoal) is often considered one of the world’s most powerful adsorbents. It‘s utilised in a wide range of industrial and residential applications that include water and air purification, removing unwanted odours, general gas emissions and both organic and inorganic components. Activated Carbon NZ (ACNZ) is a small New Zealand-owned company. They are the only company producing activated carbon, as all other activated carbon in NZ has been imported and made from coal or coconut shells. The activated charcoal produced from ACNZ’s Taupō plant is used for stormwater, wastewater, potable water, effluent filtering, gas recapture and filtering, odour control, cosmetics and supplements. Recently the company has begun to investigate its use in the dairy sector and the agriculture sector in general. ACNZ director Grant Hughes describes activated carbon as “nature’s magnet” for attracting mercury, nitrogen and sulphur. It conducts electricity to a degree, insulates heat and decolours some liquids, which has proved beneficial to the wine industry. Activated carbon is a component of dyes, pharmaceuticals and paints. Due to its high surface area, it is sometimes used as a binder. ACNZ has a trial going with a company experimenting with using activated carbon as a binder in an organic natural building process for housing. “A simple description is that activated carbon grabs most of your nasties. It has

Activated Carbon is a powerful absorbent that can be used in a wide range of industries and studies show it has multiple uses in the dairy industry. Activated Carbon New Zealand director Grant Hughes with some of the waste sawdust used to manufacture activated carbon.

many uses and we seem to find new applications every day. For example, studies have indicated that adding activated carbon to a cow’s diet can result in a reduction of methane and an overall improvement of their health

and wellbeing,” Hughes says. There is some overlap between lowquality activated carbon and highquality biochar. Biochar is formed by burning and then starving it of oxygen. ACNZ uses a pyrolysis process to bring the material up to a high temperature in the absence of oxygen, with no burning. ACNZ is working on ways to use high-absorbance charcoal (biochar) as a carrier for biofertilisers. It can be preloaded with fungi, bacteria and other elements and applied to pasture or soil. “There’s a growing demand for high-absorbance charcoal in our dairy industry as a way to reduce nitrogenous fertiliser use. We’re producing highabsorbance charcoal now, but not in large enough quantities for the agricultural sector. We aim to meet that demand,” he says. “We took some porous bags full of activated carbon to a local dairy farm and placed them in their effluent pond for a time, removed them and placed the effluent soaked carbon around some tomato plants and undertook some comparisons. It was amazing to see how much it boosted the growth of those plants. “I can see a use where activated

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

Activated carbon comes in various forms, including powdered, capsules or granular.

carbon is placed into effluent to absorb the nitrogen. It could then be taken out and easily transported and spread around the farm and used on areas other than the effluent irrigation platform. It could even be taken down the road to the runoff.” For that to happen, ACNZ must be able to produce large quantities of activated carbon and Hughes feels that they are headed towards that goal as they have the knowledge to build a plant capable of achieving those economies of scale. Their current plant is in many ways still a prototype, but it does produce industrial quantities of activated carbon. They use organic Pinus radiata waste sawdust produced by the forestry, logging and milling industries for their product. The company’s plant location in Taupō was chosen due to its close

proximity to the local forestry and milling industries. “Pine trees have been planted throughout New Zealand and we must do something with the waste. There’s huge waste in the forestry industry where they’re not achieving 50% utilisation from plantation forestry,” he says. “Every kilo of rotting sawdust emits 1.6kg of CO2 into the atmosphere. We can convert that waste sawdust into a high-value product. We don’t have to dig up the seabed or mine for it. There are mountains of Pinus radiata sawdust and other biomass waste in New Zealand and we need to do something with it.” Sawmills produce hundreds of tonnes of sawdust a day and that which is not utilised inside the mills or used for stock bedding (seasonal), is usually dumped for the cost of the transport.

“New Zealand has a huge supply of biomass (sawdust) to make high-quality activated carbon, so let’s use it. It’s natural and we’re stopping CO2 from entering the atmosphere. It just makes sense,” he says. Hughes foresees many new uses for activated carbon in the NZ market for soaking up industrial pollutants out of stormwater and wastewater. “Activated carbon has tremendous potential for polishing up storm and wastewater. Especially after dropping the solids out of the effluent through a weeping wall or similar system that removes the suspended solids. You can really polish up the remaining water with activated carbon filtration,” he says. “Activated carbon has huge potential for the dairy industry and we’ve already had interest in its potential from some New Zealand fertiliser and dairy feed companies. It’s sustainable, organic and requires no importation.” n

Activated carbon can be used in filtering stormwater, wastewater, potable water and dairy farm effluent.

EFFLUENT

Running on a flexi tank Taranaki farmer and district councillor Grant Boyde had inadequate effluent storage so during the consent renewal process, he upgraded to a Flexi Tank.

By Ross Nolly

Ensuring enough effluent storage was a priority for a Taranaki couple when they went through their consent renewal process.

Taranaki farmer with an inadequate effluent storage capacity was finding he had to pump it out every day, even in conditions that were not ideal. The system was so problematic to manage without the adequate storage requirements, that when Grant and Anissa Boyde’s effluent consent was coming up for renewal, they realised that it was the perfect time to upgrade. They operate a 65-hectare (60ha effective) Stratford System 2-3 dairy farm, milking 180 mostly crossbred cows. “Our original effluent system was a concrete sump

that only held the effluent from one milking. It required pumping out to the travelling irrigator every day, whatever the weather,” Boyde says. “We wanted to frontfoot the issue so began investigating our options. Except for storage, we had a pretty good effluent system. We have a travelling irrigator with hydrants that cover a large area of the farm.” Boyde is a Stratford district councillor (SDC) and SDC representative for the Taranaki Regional Council Policy and Planning Committee. The roles keep him very busy, especially in keeping up with ever-evolving reform changes. It’s also why he feels it’s absolutely vital to be seen actively

implementing any regulation changes. The Boydes held three field days before looking at all of the different options and decided on a 300,000 litre Flexi Tank. Flexi Tanks are an enclosed self-supporting bladder that rises and falls in height depending on how much liquid is stored inside. The tanks range in size, with models that can store from 100 to one million litres of effluent. Flexi Tanks are simple to install and eliminate any expensive engineering consent work. The bladder is rolled out on top of a 100mm horizontal bed of sand before being attached to the farm’s effluent system.

“Installing a permanent tank can cost $70,000-$80,000 for our sized farm, whereas a Flexi Tank cost $27,000. There are many small farms in Taranaki, especially in the Stratford district, so that’s a fundamental game-changer,” he says. “If we installed a tank, we would have to site it partway up the farm. We’d then incur the substantial costs of getting power to it. That can amount to many tens of thousands of dollars. There are also extra expenses for a more powerful pump and electricity on top of the tank price. That prompted us to look at other options.” The TRC has always been proactive on environmental issues and the region’s

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October 2021

“If we ever expanded the farm we could easily install a bigger tank or put an extra tank beside the current one.” Grant Boyde riparian planting scheme has been a prime example. The council understands that effluent systems are a substantial cost for a farm to incur. They try to be accommodating regarding farm budgets and timeframes, as long as they are kept informed of progress and farms are complying with their environmental requirements. “We have an excellent regional council. They’re aware of the pressures farmers face and the TRC like seeing farmer’s front-foot issues and putting things in place. They’re prepared to support them,” he says. “Even though I initially had some concerns, the TRC consent process was straightforward. I completed the application, so that shows that it’s pretty easy.” Dairymaster calculated the Boydes’ farm effluent requirements using the Dairy Effluent Storage Calculator (DESC) and the TRC visited to examine their volumes and calculated that a 300,000 litre tank would be sufficient for 200 cows. Even though the Boydes milk 180 cows (possibly fewer next season), it ensured the farm’s effluent system was future-proofed. “One issue we encountered was Fonterra stipulating that a Flexi Tank must be situated 45 metres from the cowshed. Fonterra visited the site and gave us dispensation that it be no closer than 42 metres. They were really happy with the system,” he says. The Flexi Tank is easily

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October 2021

monitored due to its proximity to the cowshed. A simple turn of a tap sends the effluent to the tank. Effluent is pumped through a sand trap to the tank for storage. It’s then gravity-fed back to the sump, which eliminates the need for another pump. The effluent is then pumped to the travelling irrigator. “It takes about an hour for the travelling irrigator to travel the length of the paddocks. All of our paddocks are flat, square and 2ha in size. Our irrigator has an override switch for any malfunctions, but I’m always here monitoring it while it’s in operation,” he says. The farm has a 20ha effluent platform, but the pump has the capacity to pump it further around the farm. In the past it was difficult to manage the lack of storage. However, that’s now a thing of the past because effluent can be stored for approximately 25 days until needed to suit the farm’s effluent management system. “The storage capacity gives us the ability to use the travelling irrigator further across the farm, which has wiped around $7000 from our fertiliser costs. That’s a lot of money for a farm our size. It’s also a substantial portion of the cost of the tank, which is eligible for an annual depreciation of 25%,” he says. “Spreading effluent over a larger portion of the farm allows us to keep our nitrogen levels under the 190kg N/ ha cap and adhere to the new rules preventing effluent application to saturated paddocks.” The Flexi Tank has proven especially useful during summer, as it allows the storage of effluent and rainfall to irrigate an entire paddock in one day. Whenever they use a relief milker, the effluent goes directly into the bladder for storage. If they go away for a week, he empties it out so the milker doesn’t have to

The 300,000 litre Flexi-Tank is a bladder system and has enough storage for a herd of 200 cows, giving the Boydes the flexibility in herd numbers. use the irrigation system. The Flexi Tank has proved to be a versatile system for the Boydes’ farm. It is a simple system, with little to go wrong or break down. They can now store more effluent, apply it efficiently, and better utilise it. “If we ever expanded the farm we could easily install a bigger tank or put an extra tank beside the current one.

Conversely, if we diversified and got out of dairying, we could empty it, roll it up and sell it,” he says. “Now we don’t have to worry about the saturation point after it’s been pouring down with rain because we can store the effluent. There’s no runoff at all and we can strategically apply the effluent.” n

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EFFLUENT

Planning a new cow shed? By Michael Prestidge

uilding a new cow shed creates some big opportunities to maximise efficiencies around the farm. Fences will likely be moved and paddock shapes may change, so it’s a great time to revamp your effluent system so it’s futureproofed, council compliant and suits the functioning of your operations. Here’s some things to consider when planning your new cow shed. Enlisting help This project is a big investment and something you want to get right the first time, so enlisting the help of an accredited dairy effluent system designer is highly recommended. They will be able to take a look at your farm’s characteristics and operations, make calculations and provide recommendations on the best system to suit your needs. Site placement Best practice is to place the cowshed on slightly elevated ground so that gravity can be used for effluent to flow into your storage. Not only is this the most efficient method for collecting effluent, but it means you are not reliant on pumps or electricity. Processing For most dairy farms effluent requires very little processing. Floodwash can still be used without solids separation. Installing a large stone trap is recommended to remove heavy solids like stones and silt. Your stone trap needs to be big enough to cope with the sudden deluge from floodwashing. It’s also important to position the inlets and outlets correctly for it to work effectively. Storage HDPE-lined effluent ponds are the best option where viable. They are the most cost effective and widely used form of wastewater containment. They can be customised to suit the different characteristics of each site. When it comes to size, bigger is always better. You want to have plenty of storage to cover council compliance, additional effluent volumes over wet seasons or unusual

Enlisting a dairy effluent system designer will enable farmers to install the best effluent system when building a new shed.

“Your choice of spreading system will depend on the new paddock layout, availability of labour and how the farm operates.” weather events and potential increases in cow numbers. Consider any possible future changes, such as winter milking and/or adding a feedpad, as this will influence the size. Equipment Stirring/Mixing – thoroughly mixing the effluent before pumping is essential to ensure all the nutrients are utilised, but also to prolong the life of your pump. If electricity is available, a shore-mounted electric stirrer is the safest, most cost effective option, requiring minimal labour. PTO tractor-driven stirrers can be ideal for multi-farms and contractors, hard to reach storage, or where electricity is not available. Pumps Electric is again the recommended

option being easy to automate with much lower running costs than diesel or PTO-driven pumps. Modern shoremounted progressive cavity (PC) pumps provide the best performance in safety, reliability and consistency for use with in-ground systems and most effluent irrigators. Spreading Your choice of spreading system will depend on the new paddock layout, availability of labour and how the farm operates. Underground systems with travelling irrigators are the least labour intensive option and ideal for long, regular shaped paddocks. However, an underground system alone will limit your spreading area. A slurry tanker is less labour intensive than many farmers think and is a good option for being able to spread when and where required. It can also be used for cleaning out the stone trap. Alternatively, an umbilical drag hose system with RainWave™ applicator is ideal for spreading over large areas and dropping pond levels fast. n

Who am I?

Michael Prestidge, Nevada effluent management specialist

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

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EFFLUENT

Effluent advisor Logan Bowler says there are plenty of things to consider when upgrading an effluent system on-farm and encourages farmers to ask questions.

On-farm storage tips By Logan Bowler

hat are the real decisions that need to be made when getting an FDE system upgrade or building storage on-farm? Bear in mind that there is no perfect FDE system; all systems and components of FDE systems will have benefits and compromises. Some of the decisions we make when calculating storage create a benefit for the life of the FDE system and some a burden. There are many inputs to the Dairy Effluent Storage Calculator (DESC) that will determine how much storage your farm needs. These include soil risk, water use in the shed, effluent application depths, pump rates, milking season length, herd size, climate, catchment areas and storm water diversions, for example. Some of these will be “fixed” on your farm, such as climate, catchment areas, herd size and season length,

while others can be variable and up for consideration as a mitigation in reducing storage requirements. You must get involved with whoever is running the DESC for you. Ask them for a variety of scenarios showing the impact of options on storage and your farm’s management. Where do you want to spend your money: on mitigations or extra storage? Get them to run a number of scenarios that help you decide which options you want to pursue – make them earn their money. You can price all the different options to get an idea of what they might cost you and what they might save you. These are some useful questions to ask yourself as you work through the DESC: Do I have any low-risk soil on my farm that is not currently in my effluent block? What would a low depth irrigation system look like on my farm? How easy or hard would it be to manage?

What would a storm water diversion cost to install? What reduction in storage volume would it give me? How much risk comes with a storm water diverter? How much water does my dairy shed currently use? Did my consultant measure/calculate my water use or just use an ‘industry average’? Using industry average will not result in an accurate calculation for your farm What would water reduction look like on my farm? Green water recycling can have huge savings – did my consultant consider this option? How much extra storage would I need if I chose not to irrigate over calving? Below I discuss two of the larger inputs (apart from soil risk) to DESC storage calculations and how they might affect the farm long-term. Reduced water use is something I

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October 2021

have spoken at length about for some time. I firmly believe that a one-off investment into water reduction systems will give benefits that last for the life of the system. For every litre of effluent we don’t create through water conservation, there is a litre of effluent we don’t need to store or manage via effluent irrigation. As a generalisation, if water use can be halved by reusing (recycled effluent or treatment of effluent for reuse on the dairy yard), then storage volumes and the number of irrigator runs per year are significantly reduced. As a general example, an average 400-cow Waikato dairy farm on highrisk soils will produce about 10,500m3 (10.5 million litres) of FDE a year. If they had a standard twin boomed travelling irrigator applying 10mm per pass, with a spread width of 36m and a run length of

“Take ownership of the decisions being made to ensure the final outcome is a good fit for you and your farm.” 280m they would irrigate approximately 100.8 cubic metres per irrigator run, therefore on average they need to set up a new irrigator run 104 times a year. Halving water use from 70l/cow to 35l/ cow reduces their average annual FDE generation to about 6200m3 and subsequently reduces the number of effluent runs to 62 a year, and reduces storage requirements by 35.5%. If the farmer decided to implement

low depth irrigation of 5mm per pass instead of water reduction, the storage reduction (35%) is basically the same, but they are back to generating about 10,400m3 of effluent. The difference now though is each run only irrigates half (assuming the irrigator remains the same) the amount of FDE (50.4m3/day). On average, they now need to set up and run the irrigator 206 times per year. And to make matters worse, a lot of the extra irrigation days are generally during the busy spring period when labour is already stretched and day length is shorter. Personally, I think farmers should think long and hard about which mitigations they choose (if any) and consider capital cost versus the long-term costs of managing the system. It is too easy to get talked into a smaller storage facility without realising the implications of what they are accepting. While we don’t want to be building effluent ‘lakes’ on the farm, often some surplus storage can make life so much easier to manage the busy times of the year, and a bit of surplus storage might give the farm options for future infrastructure development, for example, a feedpad addition. Take ownership of the decisions being made to ensure the final outcome is a good fit for you and your farm. It’s not all about getting the smallest storage volume, it’s about the ‘right’ storage volume that best fits your farm. n

Who am I?

Water usage in the milking shed could be halved by reusing recycled water from the effluent system, then storage volumes and the number of irrigator runs per year can be significantly reduced.

Logan Bowler is the owner of Agblution Solutions Ltd offering common sense, independent advice on effluent systems. Not being affiliated to any company or any product allows him to offer completely independent advice. He and his wife own and operate a dairy farm at Marton, so understand and experience effluent management on a daily basis at home.

EFFLUENT

The new effluent storage pond and system on the Armstrong Urwin Trust farm at Morrinsville is about 1.8 million litres in capacity, allowing for greater storage and can be spread when conditions are right.

Out with the old By Cheyenne Nicholson

When a drop test showed the effluent pond was leaking, a Waikato farmer was spurred into action.

orrinsville dairy farmer Isaac Kiddle has recently invested in an upgraded effluent system that saves time and is set to have some efficiency gains on the farm. Kiddle and his wife Jena are 50:50 sharemilking on the 140ha farm in Morrinsville, owned by Armstrong Urwin Trust, milking 430 cows. They are in their seventh season. Kiddle’s father-in-law sharemilked on the same farm for over 20 years and while the old effluent system worked okay, it was starting to show its age and was no longer serving the needs of the farm. This prompted the Kiddles to start investigating alternative options a few years ago. “We had a smaller stone trap that went straight into an old pond that only held about seven days’ worth of effluent before we would have to pump some out,” Kiddle says. “We were getting quite a bit of solid build-up and just finding it all too small for our needs, which meant the pressure

would be on to get the effluent out to the paddocks.” Earlier this year, Environment Waikato conducted a check on the effluent system and requested a drop test be done. A drop test tells you if your effluent pond is leaking into its surrounding environment. Unfortunately, the pond failed its drop test, spurring the Kiddles into action to find a new suitable setup that would meet their needs. AgFirst Engineering worked with them to develop a new system, commissioned in July, and has been up and running for the past two months. The new system comprises a larger stone trap and tailings bunker, which removes as much of the unwanted solids as possible, helping to prevent sand, stones and other materials wearing the pump quickly, preventing blockages build-up of sediment in sumps and ponds. The tailings bunker works together with the stone trap. Keeping all the effluent contained in the tailings bunker allows the stone trap to be cleaned and the tailings rested

for drying, making it easier to deal with solids and is less labour-intensive. “With the old stone trap we had quite a bit of light material going straight into the sump. The new stone trap is double the size and has a steel cover over the outlet, which stops that light material going straight through,” he explains. From there the effluent goes into a 120cu sump, where they can either pump straight to the irrigator or up to the new pond. The new lined pond is about 1.8 million litres in capacity. “We just have the one pump and it’s really easy to use, with a lot of automation and safety trips built-in. With our old system, I’d have to be around to turn things on and off, but (now) we have float switches on everything, the new irrigator has an auto shut-off and the pump has a pressure sensor,” he says. The property’s water table is high, which meant the new pond could only go into the ground about half a metre and the rest built up with soil from elsewhere on the farm. The larger pond, combined with a new travelling rain-gun

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October 2021

“We’ve only had the new effluent system in for a short time, but we already see some big time savings from a setup and operational perspective.” Isaac Kiddle irrigator, has meant they’ve been able to increase the irrigation area from 16ha to 35ha. “We’ve only had the new effluent system in for a short time, but we already see some big time savings from a setup and operational perspective. The failsafe with the float switches and pressure sensors give us added peace of mind,” he says. “Because we’re now able to irrigate a larger area, we are going to be able to drop out urea, which ticks some big boxes for us on the environmental front and we’re hoping to see some gains in pasture production as well.”

The effluent goes into a 120cu sump from where it can be either pumped straight to the irrigator or up to the new pond.

The larger pond also meant they aren’t under as much pressure to spread effluent onto paddocks, allowing them to be more strategic with their effluent application and farm smarter. “When it rains, we can just send the effluent straight up to the pond; before that we were having to get it out on

the paddocks because we had limited storage,” he says. “AgFirst did the drop test for us and then put us onto AgFirst Engineering to help us come up with this new system. We really liked it and knew we had to pull the trigger to do it. We are still learning the system a bit, but we like it so far.” n

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EFFLUENT

The Weta irrigator on the Hayes’ farm runs more slowly, applies effluent at a lower intensity and requires less labour because it is moved less often.

Better off compliant A warning from the regional council to sort out his effluent system led a Raglan farmer to expedite the work required to become compliant.

By Anne Boswell

aglan dairy farmer Gavin Hayes is breathing a sigh of relief now that his effluent system is not only 100% compliant, but more efficient as well. Milking 345 cows once-a-day on 104ha effective Kauroa Farms, Hayes and wife Teresa were in the early stages of on-farm system upgrades when a visit from Waikato Regional Council in 2020 pushed them to expedite the process. “We received a warning to upgrade our effluent system,” Hayes says. “We had been exploring our options for about three to four years already, but the warning pushed us along. “We also changed banks and that made it more favourable to undertake the work we needed to.” Hayes had already built a covered feedpad in 2018 as the very first stage of a system upgrade and water meters were installed around the property in 2019 to gather data which would help make decisions around the future of the effluent and irrigation systems. In September 2020, after the visit

from WRC, the data was analysed and planning began for the effluent and irrigation system overhaul. Data from the rainfall catchment area, in-shed water use monitors and existing infrastructure was used to determine the pond storage requirements and available irrigation days. “Part of the process was accurately calculating the area on which it was practical to irrigate, taking into consideration soil type, nutrient loading, water tables and waterway setback areas,” he says. “The farm can get wet in winter and we discovered that only around onethird of the property is suitable for winter irrigation.” The original effluent pond’s location was not ideal – close to a waterway and on land with a high water table – so the team dug test holes around the property to determine a more appropriate position. They established that the extra power cables needed to build the pond on a hill away from the dairy shed would

be less costly than the earthworks and management required to build the pond close to the shed. The end result is a 40m x 40m x 3m pond, with a total usable volume of 2.6 million litres. The volume is around 300,000 litres above the legal requirements which, given Hayes’s low water use, is a considerable surplus – about 20 days storage above requirements. Viking Containment installed the liner system for the pond and standoff pad. It consisted of a 1.5mm High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) liner, with a protective geotextile and a geocomposite gas venting system. The HDPE liner rolls weigh 1.8 tonnes and were deployed using a purpose-built spreader bar and spindles suspended from an excavator. The 8m wide panels allow efficient deployment and installation, which was completed in one day. The seam welding process is also unique, incorporating an air channel within the seam, which can be pressure

DAIRY FARMER

October 2021

tested to ensure its integrity. Experienced technicians carry out all the welding and testing, which was documented in a comprehensive Quality Assurance Report and for peace of mind and assurance, Viking’s HDPE liner also has a 20-year product warranty. For safety, Viking Geoladders® were incorporated to provide safe access for emergency evacuation of the pond and could be utilised for maintenance when servicing pumps or control equipment. A German-built Wangen pump was installed, a piece of machinery that has huge benefits, including low power usage, low wear-and-tear and high performance. The Wangen pump uses just 7.5kw to run, producing flow rates of up to 20,000l/hour and head pressure of up to 90m; by comparison, traditional pumps use 22kw to achieve an equal performance. The pump is also low speed at 155rpm, compared to traditional pumps at 2800rpm. A custom designed pond stirring system was also installed. But perhaps the biggest impact on the pond storage specification was the decision to upgrade from a traditional boom irrigator, with a 20-25mm application depth and 20m spread, to a new Weta irrigator, with an application depth of 4-9mm and a 60m spread. The Weta irrigator runs more slowly, applies effluent at a lower intensity and requires less labour because it is moved less often. The lower the intensity at which effluent is applied, the more days a year you can irrigate. Choosing this irrigator meant Hayes’ new pond is 60% smaller than what he would have needed with a traditional irrigator. Construction of the pond started in

Construction on the new 2.6 million-litre ponds on Gavin Hayes’ Raglan farm. The pond is lined with 1.5mm High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), which was supplied and installed by Viking Containment.

late April and by mid-May it was ready to be filled. The full system install was planned for the week New Zealand went into covid-19 Alert Level 4 in August, so the install was pushed out by a couple of weeks; it was commissioned in the first week of September. Having milked empty cows and late calvers through, he says the pond is holding at least three months’ storage; the irrigators have only been going since early September. When the weather improves, phase 2 of the project is to build a 300,000l overflow pond for the existing 90,000l concrete sump at the cowshed. The overflow pond will provide another 15-20 days backup storage, which will overflow using gravity should the system experience any power or pump issues. “We have a few jobs to finish off, but we have got done what needed to be

“We had been exploring our options for about three to four years already, but the warning pushed us along.” Gavin Hayes

done for it to be operational,” he says. “The system has been designed and constructed to the industry Design Standards and Code of Practice, which achieves a level above the WRC’s permitted activity rules. “We have more storage than we really needed, to be safe – it’s good peace of mind. The council’s off my back now; being compliant has been the biggest positive result from this system upgrade.” n

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October 2021

Directory Better Bulls,

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There are three ways you can read us: 1. Own a farm. If farming is your main income, you register with NZ Post to have Farmers Weekly delivered for free to your mailbox. This is how 77,000+ farmers receive theirs. 2. Read the virtual publication online at farmersweekly.co.nz. You can also subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter at farmersweekly.co.nz/e-newsletter and receive a link to the publication as soon as it goes live. 3. Subscribe - a great gift for retired farmers and town dwellers. This is for people in town who want to receive a physical copy of our publications.

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October 2021

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Bodhi is a long-haired Weimaraner. His mum is the Southland photographer for Dairy Farmer and while technically not a farm dog, he goes everywhere with her including onfarm, where he likes to hang out with the cows. He also loves posing for the camera and will front up anytime with a big grin.

Blaze lives on the West Coast and is described as a bit of a poser, but he works hard so cannot be faulted. However, he does have a mind of his own and sometimes will only help when he wants to.

This team of dogs on a Taranaki farm spend their day loyally following their owner around and helping when needed, which earns them a welldeserved pat.

Kahn lives in Te Kuiti, where he is as keen as mustard to get out on the farm and get working. He will often wait patiently by the ute until it is time to head out and as soon as he sees his owner coming, he is up with his tail wagging, ready to go.

One last word …

ast month we gave a big shout out to hard-working farmers and essential workers who have kept the wheels turning. This month, I want to acknowledge all those fourlegged canine friends who are out there every day helping the farmers, sitting alongside truck drivers, guide dogs, police dogs, companion dogs and, of

course, our border control dogs. Often, during the busy time on the farms, our dogs are the ones we see the most and come rain, hail or snow, they will trudge alongside the bike – unless they get a ride – to round up the cows. It is what many of them are born and trained to do. So well done canines, take a bow for

Rock is a two-and-ahalf year old Border Collie who lives in Ōhaupō. He is super smart and very cheeky, also keen to work unless it’s with the calves – those he is not too keen on. When his owner has the day off, Rock will still go up to the shed to lend a hand or go for a ride in the Jeep.

helping to keep those wheels turning. And thanks to all those owners for their photos of their awesome canines.

Sonita

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

October 2021

Dairy Diary October 2021 October 6 – Women’s Dairy Network DWN on a Mission with Dr Tom (live webinar). Dr Tom Mulholland has been touring rural New Zealand for the past seven years in his retro Chevy ambulance, taking the pulse of the rural community with his KYND app and teaching Healthy Thinking to farmers. Info at www.dwn.co.nz/events October 12 – DairyNZ Wairarapa heat detection workshop and feed budgeting update. Come along to refresh yourself and your team. Topics include: observation and signs of heat; heat detection aids; importance of records; and feed check-up – how to calculate cow intake and targets for this stage of the season. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz October 13 – Southern Dairy Hub Preparing for change, finding solutions and looking forward to what’s next for SDH in 2022. Topics include: guest Northern Southland farmer Angela Reid talking about her journey to reducing N fertiliser onfarm and making it work practically without jeopardising on-farm production; catch crops for cleaner water; SDH and farmer involvement in the Participatory Research Project; and future farm systems: what direction will our next farm systems comparison head? Info at www.southerndairyhub.co.nz October 13 – Dairy Women’s Network Central Southland. Come and join us for a Q&A panel discussion about moving from the calf shed to the cow shed. Now that we are on the other side of the busy calving period, this is your chance to get off-farm and connect with others. Info at www.dwn.co.nz/events October 20 – Dairy Women’s Network Make time for your people, North Otago. People are at the epicentre of our farm businesses and ensuring employers and employees have strong relationships and a good

Benchmarking

work-life balance is key to the future of the industry. This is a free event funded by MPI. Info at www.dwn.co.nz/events October 27 – DairyNZ Take time before you sign, Southland / South Otago. At this seminar we will be discussing what’s required to make a new business partnership work for everyone, skill requirements and mitigating possible risks. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz October 28 – SMASH Field day, Horotiu, Waikato. Save the date. Details to follow Info at www.smallerherds.co.nz October 28 – DairyNZ Organics discussion group, Bulls. Everyone welcome, especially if you are thinking of going organic Join us on-farm with Ben Hillas, there’s plenty to discuss. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz Agritech October and November, various dates and locations. AgriTechNZ is on the road again with our partners, Callaghan Innovation, to share new tools, services and opportunities to help shape our shared ambition for Aotearoa agritech. Info www.agritechnz.org.nz/ Dairy Hoofcare Institute Lameness management workshop, various dates and locations. This workshop is designed to give students an overview of issues relating to lameness management and introduce them to the five-step trimming process according to the Dutch Method. The workshop has both theory and practical aspects. Space is limited so registration is essential. Info at www.dairyhoofcareinstitute.ac.nz/

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Forigo Mulchers

Mulch the weeds for superior spring growth Features: • • • • • • •

Single Rotor with universal blades Roller bearings for rear roller Y flail Rear hood Double front protection chains Deflectors (conveyors of chopped material) Double skin with strong side panels Model

Working width cm 175 195 215 243 273 284

FARMSHOP

DIRECT IMPORTS

FROM

T18S - 180 T18S - 200 T18S - 220 T25 - 250 T25 - 280 T25 - 300

BEAT THEST

NOVC1E PRI E RIS

RRP EX GST $16,000.00 $17,000.00 $17,500.00 $18,500.00 $21,000.00 $24,000.00

.00

16,000

EACH EXCL GST

BEAT THEST

NOVC1E PRI E RIS

BEAT THEST

FINANCE

Available*

NOVC1E PRI E RIS

FARMSHOP

DIRECT IMPORTS

MIXER WAGON

BEST PRICE

10 Reasons to choose a Peecon Mixer Wagon 1

2 10

CLICK TO WATCH THE VIDEO

1. 5 year warranty 2. Custom auger design for NZ round silage bales 3. 16 knives = faster mixing time 4. Magnet on auger comes standard 5. Patented anti-beltching tub

6. Double action Augers for faster mixing time 7. 8mm plate steel for extra strength 8. Superior weigh system integrates with PC’s and blue tooths to auxillary screen in your loader / tractor

Peecons Mixers In-Stock Now... One Demo 3 left 14m Secure a deal $ 72,000.00 before the price rise!!! Size 12m3 14m3 21m3

PRICE $69,000.00 $77,000.00 $95,000.00

Be Quick!!

IN-STOCK 1 at this price 2 at this price 1 at this price

9. Twin Skin between gearbox and auger eliminating maintenance problems 10. Double cutting knife for optimal cutting length

Peecon 21m3 Mixer Wagon Testimonial Talking with Dave Crawford, on his 530 unit Dairy Farm just north of Dargaville about his Peecon Mixer Wagon...“I absolutely love it ... The twin augers with 16 knives on each means that mixing time is very quick - the machine absolutely devours round hay bales in minutes - making a really good mix out of the silage, kernel, hay and molasses the cows love it - and we are very happy with it”.

• Increased and adequate formability: The FeZnAl interface of the Bekaert T THE T BEAcoating is ductile Bezinal® 2000 1S V O N and therefore Rwithstands heavy P ICEE deformations.RIS

• Wire for • Wire for fences. • Wire for ies, min • Vineyar • Tension • Wire for Good • Safety o • Wire for • Wires fo Better sheep f Double life • Gun na

PRICES TO RISE BY 20-30%

FARMSHOP

DIRECT IMPORTS

2.5mm High Tensile Wire Galvanised Galvanised

Bezinal®

• No Cracking • Higher Tensile Strength • Up to triple the life span of traditional galvanised wire. • Factory to Farm Direct • 625m roll - 25kg

• High- temperature perfor95% / 5%coaAlloy mance toZinc zinc BEAT THEScompared T 1 V NO Exposure ting. up to 350°C PRICEEnegative impact on the hasRIno S 2000 Bekaert Bezinal®90% Zinccoating. / 10% Alloy • Dark grey patina.Fe (Zn+Al)

FROM

T U O D L O Best S W O RE N WI69 $

.00

EACH EXCL GST

Only 21 tonne left at this price!

CODE

BEST PRICE

PRICE (ex GST)

Description

QTY

14-WG2.5HT

2.5mm Zinc - Aluminium High Tensile Wire

$89.00

14-WG2.5HT

2.5mm Zinc - Aluminium High Tensile Wire

$79.00

14-WG2.5HT

2.5mm Zinc - Aluminium High Tensile Wire

40 (1 Pallet)

$69.00

Triple life

New 10% Alloy = Triple the life

GUARANTEED

ONLY 21 TONNE OF WIRE NOW LEFT AT THIS PRICE, SECURE YOURS TODAY & BEAT THE PRICE RISE!!! Claw Insulator Features: • Wooden post insulator • For up to 4mm wire

Pin Lock Insulator End Strain Features: Insulator • Versatile post Insulator • Pin lock allows for easy connecting of wire, polywire and polytape

Features: • UV stable & generous wire track for fast/easy use

Gate Handle Heavy Duty

Pigtail Standards

Features: • Insulated gate handle • Heavy duty • Compression sprung

• Heavy Duty • Ideal for portable

fencing. NV Bekaert SA Bekaertstraat 2 8550

• Generous E hans.depamelaere insulation

CLEARANCE NOW (ex GST)

25 Pack

$12.50EA

$7.00EA

$120.00EA

$115.00EA

Outrigger for Wooden Post

QTY

PRICE (ex GST)

100 Pack

$47.00EA

Permanent Wire Strainers

FROM QTY 100 Pack

PRICE (ex GST) $170.00EA

QTY Box 50

WAS (ex GST)

NOW (ex GST)

10 Pack

$16.00EA

$8.00EA

Carton 400 $500.00EA

$240.00EA

Permanent Wire Strainers Insulated

Features: • Protect your permanent fences, saving cost and time effectively.

$ .50

QTY

EACH EXCL GST

PRICE (ex GST) $120.00EA

$ .60

PRICE (ex GST)

10 Pack

$35.00EA

$70.00EA

50 Pack

$155.00EA

Carton 20

Underground Cable

Solid Core Bungy Cord

Features: • Insulated 2.5mm • 50M roll

• 8mm • 50m roll

Features:

EACH EXCL GST

WAS

QTY

PRICE (ex GST)

Each

$3.60EA

Carton 70

QTY QTY

$238.00EA

45.00

EACH EXCL GST

FROM

WAS (ex GST)

FROM

QTY

FROM

CLEARANCE

Carton 400

length for easy use.

15000

120.00

EACH EXCL GST

STEEL PRICES ARE INCREASING RAPIDLY…SECURE YOUR GATE TODAY

BEAT THEST

NOVC1E PRI E RIS

FARMSHOP

DIRECT IMPORTS

Secure your gates at a special price before price increases!

NOW

WAS

2-GATF9 2-GATF10 2-GATF11 2-GATF12 2-GATF13 2-GATF14 2-GATF15 2-GATF16 2-GATB12 2-GATB14

125.00

12’ Gate - 3.66m

Description

Bars LENGTH (M) LENGTH (FT) HEIGHT (M) WAS

9’ Galvanised Farm Gate 10’ Galvanised Farm Gate (Pre-Order) 11’ Galvanised Farm Gate 12’ Galvanised Farm Gate 13’ Galvanised Farm Gate 14’ Galvanised Farm Gate 15’ Galvanised Farm Gate (Pre-Order) 16’ Galvanised Farm Gate (Pre-Order) 12’ Galvanised Bull Gate (Pre-Order) 14’ Galvanised Bull Gate (Pre-Order)

5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 5 5

2.75m 3.0m 3.3m 3.6m 3.96m 4.267m 4.5m 4.877m 3.3m 4.8m

9’ 10’ 11’ 12’ 13’ 14’ 15’ 16’ 12’ 14’

1.1m 1.1m 1.1m 1.1m 1.17m 1.17m 1.17m 1.17m 1.16m 1.16m

$26.10

Gudgeon Screw Thru 150mm

$6.45

Gudgeon Screw Thru 200mm

$8.55

EACH EXCL GST

Description

PRICE (ex GST)

Gudgeon Thru Post 275mm

$9.85

Gudgeon Thru Post 350mm

$14.70

NZ Made Gudgeon Thru post 275mm

$17.50

EACH EXCL GST

$ .45

Gudgeon Drive Thru Description

PRICE (ex GST)

Gudgeon Drive Thru 200mm

$9.47

$ .47

PRICE (ex GST) $1.90EA

500

$1.25EA

Pallet (5000)

$1.00EA

Features:

10000 EA

60.00

78.00

EACH EXCL GST

NOW PRICE (ex GST) $78.00 $140.00 $195.00 $326.00 $412.00 $420.00 $540.00 $690.00

WHILE STOCKS LAST!

Features: • 10 Strand WAS $

Culvert Pipe Plastic 160 ODmm 5.85 Culvert Pipe Plastic 200 ODmm 5.80 BACK IN STOCK Culvert Pipe Plastic 224 ODmm 5.80 Culvert Pipe Plastic 315 ODmm 5.80 BACK IN STOCK Culvert Pipe Plastic 338 ODmm 5.80 Culvert Pipe Plastic 400 ODmm 5.80BACK IN STOCK Culvert Pipe Plastic 451 ODmm 5.80 Culvert Pipe Plastic 564 ODmm 5.70

EACH EXCL GST

• Stainless steel spring clip • Use with 10mm fibreglass rods to create temporary electric fencing. FROM

100

EACH EXCL GST

NOW

FROM QTY

Higher: 1.17m Stronger: 8mm cross bars 5 Bar: 12” 6 Bar: 14”, 15” & 16”

QTY

EACH EXCL GST

• 10mm diameter

• • • •

EACH EXCL GST

Fibreglass Rods 1.2m 40mm Tape Premium • Cost effective temporary 200m roll Fibreglass permanent fencing option • Cell farming, water–ways, back fencing Rod • UV stable, woven lacquer coating for superior strength and life Clips • Use with 10mm Fence Rod Clip $ .00

Features:

FROM

$24.65

Gudgeon Thru Post

$ .85

GUARANTEED

PRICE (ex GST)

Description

FROM

14.57

$115.00 $130.00 $140.00 $125.00 $130.00 $155.00 $210.00 $220.00 $270.00 $310.00

$14.97

$15.50

FROM

BEST PRICE

Culverts... Beat Price Rise

Gudgeon Lock Thru Gudgeon PRICE Description (ex GST) Screw Thru Gudgeon Lock Thru 275mm Gudgeon Lock Thru 350mm Pre- Order Today NZ MadeGudgeon Lock thru 350mm NZ Made Gudgeon Lock thru 275mm

EACH EXCL GST

PRICE (ex GST)

$125.00 $150.00 $160.00 $190.00 -

WHILE STOCKS LAST!

FROM

$ .55

EACH EXCL GST

Geared Reels Features: • Includes Handle • Quality geared real • Holds up to 600m Polywire description

PRICE (ex GST)

Unloaded

$49.00EA

Loaded 500m Polywire

$79.00EA

FROM

CODE

15000

49.00

EACH EXCL GST

BEAT THEST

FINANCE

Available*

NOVC1E PRI E RIS

FARMSHOP

DIRECT IMPORTS

SECURE A NEW BLANEY BALE FEEDER TODAY

Bale a Bargain - Blaney Bale Feeders Blaney X6 Bale Feeder Painted

Features: • • • • •

3-6 year warranty (depending on model) High Torque hydraulic Motor Extra cradle Brace Extra heavy Silage fork Made in Ireland UPGRADE TO GALVANISED FOR JUST $1000 AND DOUBLE YOUR WARRANTY TO 6 YEARS!

BEAT THEST

NOVC1E PRI E RIS

8,995.00

FARMSHOP

DIRECT IMPORTS

EACH EXCL GST

Blaney X6 Bale Feeder Galvanised Features: • • • • •

Galvanised for 6 year warranty High Torque hydraulic Motor Extra cradle Brace Extra heavy Silage fork Made in Ireland

BEAT THEST

NOVC1E PRI E RIS

9,995.00

FARMSHOP

DIRECT IMPORTS

EACH EXCL GST

Blaney X10 Trough Feeder Galvanised Features: • • • • • • • •

The forager X10W is designed to unroll a bale into a trough Galvanised for 6 year warranty Square bale extension option High Torque hydraulic Motor Extra cradle Brace BEAT THEST Extra heavy Silage fork NOVC1E Over 50,000 N chain PRI E RIS Made in Ireland

FARMSHOP

DIRECT IMPORTS

14,995.00

EACH EXCL GST

BEAT THEST

FINANCE

Available*

NOVC1E PRI E RIS

FARMSHOP

DIRECT IMPORTS

FARMMAX AIR SEEDER INCREASE YIELDS!

FarmMax Air Seeder

Great option for Power Harrow, Mulcher, Roller, Harrows

Air Seeder mounted onto Folding Tine Harrow Maximise Yields with this versatile airseeder. Suitable for a broad spectrum of Seeds. Easily Mounted on a broad range of Machines. Easy G.P.S Driven - Self calibrated On/off switch on Plough Arms Quick change seed roller for rates and seed size Easy collaboration Large fans for even distribution FARMSHOP

DIRECT IMPORTS

FROM

• • • • •

BEAT THEST

NOVC1E PRI E RIS

.00

15,000

EACH EXCL GST

Maximise farm yields

Air Seeder mounted onto Mulcher Maximising farm yields & reducing downtime / sales@farmshop.co.nz / 0800 00 22 09 / www.farmshop.co.nz Promotion Valid 1 Aug - 31 Oct 2021. Subject to Farmshop Terms & Conditions. Prices exclude GST. Information is correct at time of printing. While stocks last.

BEAT THE

ST NOVC1E I PR E RIS

DML Bale Feeder

USED

CLEARANCE

Rata Silage Grabs

Rata Bale Grabs

EACH EXCL GST

Cambridge Roller 2.5m

2,400.00

EACH EXCL GST

2,400.00

EACH EXCL GST

5 Leg Rata Sub Soiler (ex demo)

Giltrap Wood Splitter 3PL

SOLD EACH EXCL GST

Giltrap Slasher 2.3m

4,000.00

EACH EXCL GST

Feildmaster Slasher/Topper 1.2m

NOW

1,650.00

NOW

SOLD

NOW

1,000.00

NOW

SOLD

10,500.00

EACH EXCL GST

Kinghitter Side Mount Post Driver

NOW

7,500.00

EACH EXCL GST

9,500.00

EACH EXCL GST

Kaiser Slurry Tanker 7500L Maxam 2500 Mower

EACH EXCL GST

NOW

22,000.00

4,200.00

11,000.00

EACH EXCL GST

Pearson Slurry Tanker 7500L

12,000.00

EACH EXCL GST

Celli Power Harrow c/w Air Seeder

SOLD

SOLD $

NOW

4,000.00

Tortella Mulcher TP15 2.5m

Tortella Mulcher 2m

NOW

EACH EXCL GST

NOW

4,550.00

NOW

SOLD

14,500.00

EACH EXCL GST

BEAT THE

ST NOVC1E I PR E RIS

4 Tonne Tip Trailer

USED

CLEARANCE

6 Tonne Buckton Trailer

SOLD

30,000.00

SAM Spreader 5T x 2 Available

EACH EXCL GST

2 Available

18,000.00

EACH EXCL GST

Feeder Leader Bale Feeder

NOW

12,000.00

16,000.00

EACH EXCL GST

3.0m Hooper Spring Tine Cultivator

EACH EXCL GST

3,500.00

EACH EXCL GST

Peecon Mixer 12m3

2.5m Power Harrow c/w Seeder Cub Silage Wagon

NOW

EACH EXCL GST

NOW

6,500.00

9,000.00

EACH EXCL GST

Trailed Feeder Leader

NOW

SAM Spreader - 6 Tonne

NOW

EACH EXCL GST

NOW

8,000.00

NOW

SOLD

24,000.00

EACH EXCL GST

Hustler Chainless 2000

EACH EXCL GST

8,895.00

EACH EXCL GST

3,650.00

EACH EXCL GST

3.0m Lemken Power Harrow

NOW

Walco Tandem 3.50 Spreader Walco 12.75 Fert Spreader

4,995.00

EACH EXCL GST

2.5m Celli Rotary Hoe

2 Available

NOW

2,200.00

4,995.00

EACH EXCL GST

Vogal Fert Spreader EX500

2 Available

NOW

SOLD

3,590.00

EACH EXCL GST

3m Howard Rotary Hoe

8,000.00

EACH EXCL GST

5,700.00

EACH EXCL GST

NOW

SOLD $

2,995.00

EACH EXCL GST

BEAT THEST

FINANCE

Available*

NOVC1E PRI E RIS

FARMSHOP

DIRECT IMPORTS

1ST NOVEMBER 2021 PRICE INCREASES % Price rises across our brands from November 1st 2021 +18%

+16%

+13%

+20%

+28%

+15%

+12%

+22%

+13%

FarmMax

+30%

Maximise farm yields

Wire +30%

The situation in the market of increased raw materials and shipping, leads us to unfortunately and inevitably apply adjustments to our price list from 1st November 2021.

March 2021 March 2020 The Pandemic

We hold our prices in good faith

January 2021 Shipping Delays

Gates +25%

Culverts +30%

Increases in Shipping Costs up to 50%

August 2021 June 2021 Suppliers Price increase by up to 25% Meeting with suppliers of raw materials, who confirm price increases and delivery times of up to 10 months

+5% The cost of raw materials is constantly increasing and this global situation requires us to make some changes...

SPRING SALE ENDS 31ST OCTOBER! FarmMax Maximise farm yields

Maximising farm yields & reducing downtime / sales@farmshop.co.nz / 0800 00 22 09 / www.farmshop.co.nz Promotion Valid 1 August - 31 October 2021. Subject to Farmshop Terms & Conditions. Prices exclude GST. Information is correct at time of printing. While stocks last.

Dairy Farmer October 2021

Articles inside

Innovations

Farmstrong

Special report – Planet of Plenty

Research

Women in agribusiness – Abbi Ayre

Dairy champion – Jerome Wenzlick

A home for the herd Farming better with a cow shelter for Taranaki farmers

Industry good – DairyNZ

Synlait sale Synlait to sell and leaseback

Milk Monitor Fonterra looks to maximise value and retain suppliers

Guest column – Emma Higgins