Business Rural South

Summer 2013

www.waterfordpress.co.nz

Auto milking: ‘from horse to tractor’ – page 40

10

23

35

Stud swings to venison

Pip’s eyes always have it

Experience makes difference

Complete soil mapping services for variable fertiliser applications and variable irrigation.

To farm smarter and lift your operations overall performance, ring Bruce Hore on 03 318 0133 or 027 576 0303 www.agriganics.com

2

MERINO: MALVERN DOWNS

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Father-and-son Bill (left) and Robbie (far left) Gibson say that trading their commercial merinos for dairy grazing was purely an economic decision...and is not irreversible.

Merinos go down the road Karen Phelps Malvern Downs has sold its 3500 commercial merinos in the past two years to make way for dairy grazing.

Considering the Gibson family’s history with sheep in New Zealand, this significant reduction in the station’s sheep operation could be interpreted as a stark indicator of the state of the industry.

Bill Gibson, who with son Robert, owns the property, says it was purely an economic decision to change to wintering 2500 dairy heifers and calves.

“There is more money in dairy grazing than sheep at the moment. If you’re running merino

sheep you get income twice a year at shearing and sales, and our expenses with merino wool have been so great there hasn’t been the money in it.

With dairy grazing we get revenue coming in every month.”

However, the Malvern Downs merino remains with only a minimal change. Started in 1924, it is New Zealand’s second oldest stud. It now has 600 stud merino ewes, having peaked at 750 in the 1970s.

Three generations of the Gibson family have farmed the land at Tarras, in Central Otago.

Bill Gibson acknowledges that they have been at a distinct advantage from many other sheep farmers, as around two-thirds of Malvern Downs’s 850 hectares is under irrigation.

SERVING THE ANIMAL COMMUNITY BOTH URBAN & RURAL AND PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH MALVERN DOWNS

Richard Woodhead: 027 437 4863 Phone/Fax: 03 443 7017 Email: r.l.woodhead@xtra.co.nz Proud to support the

Gibson Family for over 20 years

Cultivation - Direct Drilling Silage Harvesting - Hay Baling PUBLISHER James Lynch Ph: 03 983 5500 | Email: james@waterfordpress.co.nz EDITOR Dion Crooks Ph: 03 983 5505 | Email: dion@waterfordpress.co.nz

112 Wrights Road, Addington PO Box 37 346, Christchurch www.waterfordpress.co.nz

This has made the shift to dairy grazing possible, though Gibson says there are no plans to convert to dairy.

“This way, if things shift in the market, we can easily go back to sheep if we want to.”

The stud is about two-thirds horned ewes, and the remainder polled. Around 100 rams are sold each year.

Bill Gibson, who introduced polled merinos into New Zealand in the 1950s, says they are growing in popularity, reflecting a trend in parts of Australia.

“When I started everyone thought merino rams should have horns. The modern farming generation doesn’t see the point in the horns. Our biggest clients are purchasing polled merinos.

“Polled merinos are easier to draft because they have no horns to get caught up in things; they’re quicker maturing, bigger bodied, and have a greater length of wool. We have polled rams shearing up to 12 kilograms of wool.”

Rams from Malvern Downs have made it to many parts of the world, such as the Falkland Islands, Argentina, Uruguay, China and Hungary.

“New Zealand merinos are virtually second to none in their worth in the world,” says Gibson. Over time we have evolved a sheep that produces good meat and wool.”

New Zealand merinos are virtually second to none in their worth in the world.

Growing publicity – including work by New Zealand Merino and the use of the product in brands such as Icebreaker – has helped the merino breed, he says.

Merino meat is now being viewed as ‘exotic’, so increasing its popularity.

Gibson, who has represented New Zealand Merino at a number of world conferences, says Malvern Downs is striving to breed sheep with better bodyweight.

“In the past there was 70% emphasis on wool and 30% on bodyweight in the market. Now that figure is closer to 50/50 as demand for meat grows.”

Malvern Downs offers rams in January, mainly to private regular customers. It will also offer rams at the Upper Clutha A & P Show, at Wanaka.

KEEPING IT LOCAL since the early 1900’s Bulk Cartage Stock Cartage Rural Supplies Coal Sales Fertiliser Spreading Wool Cartage

Employing local people, serving local clients, supporting local businesses and sponsors of local clubs and events 147 McNulty Road Cromwell Freephone 0800 10 10 56

ART DEPARTMENT Sadhna Clark, Brendon Wellwood, Liki Udam, Anton Gray, Sarah McQuilkin Ph: 03 983 5560 | Email: art@waterfordpress.co.nz

Ph 03 445 0824

Fax 03 445 0864

Summer 2013

www.waterfordpress.co.nz

OFFICE / ACCOUNTS Helen Bourne, Jill Holland Ph: 03 983 5500 | Email: helen@waterfordpress.co.nz

JOURNALISTS Jo Bailey, Kelly Deeks, Karen Phelps, Neil Grant, Sue Russell, Lindy Andrews

CUSTOMER SERVICES Ann-Marie Frentz Ph: 03 983 5554 | Email: annmarie@waterfordpress.co.nz

MARKETING CONSULTANTS Mandi King, Adam Feaver Ph: 03 983 5514 | Email: mandi@waterfordpress.co.nz

Michelle Boon Ph: 03 983 5531 | Email: michelle@waterfordpress.co.nz GENERAL MANAGER Rex Lynch | Email: rex@waterfordpress.co.nz

These conditions are prescribed for the sake of understanding between the Company and its clients. Advertising is charged for on the basis of space taken up using a standard tabloid page. Actual space may be reduced during the printing process but this will effect all advertisers equally so no credit will be given for any reduction in size due to processing. The Company reserves the right to alter, change or omit entirely any advertisement or article that it considers to be objectionable or which may contravene any law. In the event of a failure on the part of the Company to insert advertising as instructed the Company may publish the advertisement at the first available subsequent reasonable date unless the advertisement features date sensitive material. Every care shall be taken to publish the advertisement in accordance with the advertisers instructions as to page and position but the Company reserves the right for whatever reason to place advertising in a different position and in doing so shall incur no liability whatsoever. Advertisers must advise Business immediately of any error or omission in advertisements and shall work constructively to remedy the situation which in the first instance shall be a rerun of the corrected advertisement in the next available issue of Business. Where advertisement proofs have been faxed or mailed to the client 48 hours prior to the nominated printing cutoff time acquiesce shall be taken as confirmation and acceptance. Corrections made by telephone shall be accepted but the Company reserves the right to decide whether a further proof should be faxed or mailed to the client. Accounts for advertising are due for payment within seven days of publication of the newspaper. Accounts not paid within this time may incur a penalty of 3% per month until the account is paid. Any debt collection costs incurred by the Company will be added to the account of the debtor. Views and opinions expressed in Business Rural are not necessarily those of the editors, Waterford Press Ltd or publisher. Business Rural welcomes contributions from freelance writers & journalists. All articles published at editors discretion. Business Rural accepts no responsibilty for loss of photos or manuscripts.

Auto milking: ‘from horse to tractor’ – page 40

10

23

35

Stud swings to venison

Pip’s eyes always have it

Experience makes difference

Complete soil mapping services for variable fertiliser applications and variable irrigation.

To farm smarter and lift your operations overall performance, ring Bruce Hore on 03 318 0133 or 027 576 0303 www.agriganics.com

Business Rural / Summer 2013

MERINO: MATANGI STATION

3

‘Lenient’ tradition holds true Neil Grant The “nature of the sheep suiting the country” is what John Sanders thinks is the main reason for Matangi Station’s success as a merino stud and farm.

Matangi – an 11,500 hectare property southeast of Alexandra – ranges from 170 to almost 1200 metres above sea level. It is that typically Central Otago country – steep gullies, lonely tussocky uplands, schist tors eroded into the strangest shapes, either hot and dry, or cold and dry.

Perfect for merinos.

Way back it was part of the Galloway run, taken up by the Shennan brothers, from Scotland. They also owned the nearby Moutere Station and, later, Puketoi Station, in the Maniototo. They imported merinos from Saxony.

When the Puketoi Stud was broken up in 1940, Sanders’s grandfather bought 107 ewes and three rams to establish Matangi Stud. He and Bob Jopp, of Moutere, imported stud rams from Australia. The two families worked together to build up their studs – a relationship of co-operation and friendly rivalry that still continues.

“I keep bloodlines as strong as I can,” says Sanders. “I don’t do anything extreme. I keep the stud broad enough so that I can cross different family lines on the station.”

Nonetheless, he imports rams from the Merryville stud, in Australia, finding that their wools suit his climate and that he can drop the rams straight into his system without adverse effects.

During each season he will use 17 sires across his 1300 breeding stud ewes, producing 600 to 650

PHOTOS Left: Musterers bring sheep down into the valley on Matangi Station.

Lower left: John Sanders with two of his many successful show sheep.

Lower right: Stud rams on Matangi Station. rams; he keeps 200 to 250 rams, which are sold early each year. “I always keep some up my sleeve, but my clients get a really good selection.”

Most of the sale rams are sold to Canterbury and Otago, but some go to Marlborough, and, occasionally, to the North Island.

“Clients come to me. It might be our reputation, or that they see something we have had at a show.

Many are clients we have had for a number of years. We make a time to suit us both, and I can rotate sires and select lines to suit different clients.”

In keeping with the view that merinos do well in this country, the whole commercial flock is pure merino. In addition to the 2000 or so commercial

breeding ewes, there are 1700 wethers. Two-tooths are run as well, but are not mated.

John Sanders also enjoys working with Matangi’s 150 polled hereford beef cattle – as long as they are “nice and quiet”.

The station gets 315mm of rain a year.

“In some countries that would be considered a drought,” says Sanders. “But it is in the nature of New Zealand that some native plants grow quite well if they get moisture at certain times of the year.

We have a generally consistent climate. We do get drought sometimes, but we do not stock with high numbers per acre. This is low-carrying-capacity country. Tussock can’t be grazed in the winter but

can handle sheep in the dry part of summer.

“I was brought up to be lenient in the ways you do things, so stock are kept in good condition. In other parts of the country if you get a good season, you tend to go out and buy huge amounts of sheep, whereas we keep constant numbers, and we don’t bring in other stock other than the odd outside sire.”

Consistency seems to best sum up the Matangi programme. It has certainly led to a range of awards for animals and fleeces at A & P shows, to continuity of family ownership on the property, to long-term clients seeking rams with the traits they desire, and a pattern of farming that has stood the test of time.

M Proud to ata be ass ngi ociate Sta d with tio n

CENTRAL EXCAVATING "For all types of excavation, access roads, irrigation, building sites specialising in rock wall construction. Suppliers of gravels, rock and top-soil.”

For prompt, friendly, personal service please contact: Chris Robinson on 027 435 3998

4 Galloway Road, Alexandra Phone: (03) 448 8725 E-mail: central.excavating@xtra.co.nz

Specialists in agricultural boom spraying of chemicals and liquid fertilisers. Also available for noxious weed, roadside, industrial wasteland areas and waterways.

Registered & accredited chemical applicators & member of the Rural Contractors Federation of NZ.

KEEPING IT LOCAL since the early 1900’s Bulk Cartage Stock Cartage Rural Supplies Coal Sales Fertiliser Spreading Wool Cartage

Employing local people, serving local clients, supporting local businesses and sponsors of local clubs and events 147 McNulty Road Cromwell Freephone 0800 10 10 56

Ph 03 445 0824

Fax 03 445 0864

New product?

Our readers want to know!

Based in Alexandra, operating in the Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes districts. Other areas by arrangement.

Phone: 03 448 7775 | Fax: 03 448 7875 | Mobile: (027) 434 5392

CONTACT US TODAY ON 03 983 5514

4

MERINO: STONEHENGE

Business Rural / Summer 2013

PHOTOS Left: A four-wheel-drive convoy wends its way through a tour of Stonehenge.

Right: They’re a craggy bunch, these merinos.

Far right: The muster meets the road on Stonehenge.

Photos: Barbara Newton.

Stonehenge expands to Neil Grant

Make the most of every day.

Work Smarter ™

Start working smarter with a New Holland 124 to 194 hp T7250 Tractor. You’ll work more efficiently with features like:

• Transmission with automatic shifting and programmable shuttle.

• Headland Turning System (T7.175 - T7.270 models) that lets you make end-of-the-row adjustments with the push of a button.

• Tight-turning SuperSteer suspended FWD axie option.

• Optional TerraGlide suspended FWD axie that smoothes out rough spots.

We’re chugging along quietly, here,” says Jim Hore, of Stonehenge Station in the Maniototo. “I’m keeping out of the road of the bank manager.

“You don’t want to get carried away with the fancy ideas. Too many buggers are telling you what to do. Simple farming is what we do here. Feed the bastards and they’ll produce you something.”

Actually, Hore isn’t entirely telling it like it is.

In the last couple of years there has been a major social event when the family celebrated their 100 years at Stonehenge.

Barbara Newton, the station’s wool classer for nearly 30 years, collaborated with Sue Hore to write the definitive history of the station.

Make the smart move. Stop by and see a Newholland tractor today at your tractor specialist.

Mobile: (0274) 352-052, Phone (03) 489-7754 Fax (03) 489-7998, After Hours: (03) 489-7998 Email:mobbst@Norwood.co.nz, PO Box 82, McGlashan Street & Gladstone Road, Mosgiel, NZ

Then the 4282-hectare Patearoa Station just across the bridge came on the market after being in the Beattie family’s hands for a century. John Beattie’s mother was Jim Hore’s father’s sister, so acquiring Patearoa has kept the whole place safe in family hands. (Perhaps that’s why he’s keeping out of the road of the bank manager.)

So, like a swimming swan, Jim Hore may look and sound, calm and serene, but there’s a fair bit of activity going on just below the surface.

Taking on Patearoa as a lease-to-buy proposition has solved one of farming’s age-old problems – succession planning.

Jim and Sue Hore’s sons, Andrew and Charlie, are not only pretty classy rugby players; each of them has been working on Stonehenge between games, and now each of them has a property to

Jim Hore is expecting to play a lesser role in the business: ‘But, I’ll hang around. There are six houses on the place, so I’ve got no intention of going anywhere.

live on, even though the two units are being run as one business.

Now in his sixties, Jim Hore is expecting to play a lesser role in the business, especially once his sons stop playing rugby and spend more time on the farm.

“But, I’ll hang around. There are six houses on the place, so I’ve got no intention of going anywhere.”

This is hardly surprising to anyone who has been in the Maniototo. The green, irrigated valleys, surrounded by undulating hills leading to flat-topped uplands capture the soul.

Stonehenge’s original Hores, Charles and Rowena, arrived in 1910. Rowena is believed to have named the station, referring to the schist rock tors that stand sentinel-like in the hills, in contrast to the constantly shimmering golden tussocks at their feet. All this beneath a brilliant cobalt sky.

Once you have mastered the art of dealing with the extremes of temperature, you never want to leave.

Merinos came onto the land in the 1960s, and the Stonehenge Stud was set up in 1969. The properties now have more than 20,000 sheep, either merino or halfbred (romney over merino).

Stuart Rd, Ranfurly Ph: 03 444 9615 P.O. Box 53, Alexandra Ph: 03 440 2277

Ph 03 448 6378 Fax 03 448 9201

86 Centennial Avenue, Alexandra Ph: 03 440 2275

Knox Street, Ranfurly, Central Otago For Productivity Improvement

Contact us for all your agricultural, hay & baleage requirements James 0274 797 102 The Yard 03 4449 705 Ph/Fax: 03 4449 370

• Livestock Cartage • Computerised Lime, Super and Seed Sowing • Ready Mix Concrete • Gravel, Sand and Cement Supplies • General Cartage • Loader, Crane and Forklift Hire McLaren Transport Ranfurly Phone: 03 444-9738 A/H: 03 444-9611 Mobile: 027 231-6895 or 027 436-0575

MERINO: STONEHENGE

Business Rural / Summer 2013

5

accommodate two sons The breeding programme produces long, white, soft-handling wool between 16 and 20.5 microns, which is sold to Merino New Zealand and goes to Smartwool.

This season, 130 merino and 250 halfbred rams were sold, mostly from the station. Many of the clients have been buying from Stonehenge for 27 years.

So, continuity is key here. Family ties, the pursuit of excellence in the stock, and the stud,

keeping in contact with long-standing clients to ensure their needs are met, and sticking with business contractors such as Peter Lyon Shearing or Australia’s Merryville stud for the bloodlines, are part of the station’s tradition.

But times, and needs, change. Jim and Sue Hore expect that any major changes will be left to their sons. In the meantime, they will keep Stonehenge doing what it does best in the way they know best, that is, rearing the 13,000 ewes, 5000 hoggets,

2500 wethers and 500 hereford breeding cows.

Plus, there’s the 600-odd hectares of irrigated land on which they grow 2000 bales of balage for their own use. This last season has given them plenty to spare to sell to local dairy farmers whose pastures have suffered under the last two or three cold showery months.

One tradition common to almost all high country stations is hospitality. When Andrew was playing

rugby in France, he met Cyril Barbier, the stepson of the owner of Intermarche, a major French supermarket chain. Intermarche stocks Silver Fern Farms products, so there was a common interest.

At the time of our interview, Cyril had been staying with the Hores for five weeks, and fitting right in to high country life.

“I reckon he must be the best lamb-catcher in France,” says Jim Hore, admiringly.

Barbara Newton Experienced registered wool classer

Proud to be associated with classing the Stonehenge merino clip for the past 22years

More major show successes over a wider area of New Zealand than any other Poll Merino Stud.

Successes include:

• Grand Champion Ram Canterbury A & P Shaw 1988 and 1991 • Polled Ram Championship eight times in last ten years.

• Best Group of Five Merino Sheep Canterbury A & P Shaw (1988)

Barbara Newton

p. 03 455 8807 m. 027 331 8808 e. barbaranewton@xtra.co.nz

A 723

Proud of our 40year relationship with Stonehenge

The New Zealand Merino Company Limited

CREATING THE PERFECT FIT FOR YOUR FIBRE GLOBALLY

One of our many New Zealand bred Champion Polled Rams

W.H. Gibson, “Malvern Downs”, Tarras, Otago Telephone and Facsimile 03 443 7003

www.nzmerino.co.nz

www.zqmerino.com

6

MERINO: ARMIDALE

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Father and son a winning Neil Grant Gimmerburn is one of the placenames bestowed by Otago’s chief surveyor and engineer, J T Thomson, in response to a disagreement with the Otago Provincial Council. Burn is, of course, Gaelic for stream, and a gimmer is a young ewe. Pigburn and sowburn are more self explanatory.

Gimmerburn is on the Maniototo plain, west of Ranfurly. It is a district rather than a town, but is nonetheless pretty notable.

Simon Paterson and his father, Allan, along with their respective wives, Sarah and Eris, farm there, running a merino stud, Armidale.

For the last three years, the Patersons have won the National Golden Fleece competition. They have also been the most successful sheep exhibitor at the Canterbury A & P Show for the last three years.

There is plenty of competition for these awards, so three in a row suggests they are really doing something right.

Simon Paterson is somewhat self-effacing when talking about their success.

“The Maniototo is known for its merino, and other wool types such as halfbred and romney” he says, implying that it’s the region rather than

Ph 03 448 6378 Fax 03 448 9201

Proudly supporting the Armidale Merino Stud For your livestock needs contact

Johnny Girvan M 027 473 0836

P 03 444 9441

F 03 444 9441 www.rurallivestock.co.nz

TO O W EM NO A D LL E CA ANG R

AR

!

CLAAS Arion 600

Comfort. Versatility. Efficiency.

• German design and build quality • Ergonomic suspended cab - the best on the market • Arm-rest controls & integrated electric joystick • 130-180hp www.claasharvestcentre.co.nz

CLAAS Harvest Centre Otago Airport Turnoff, 18 Stack Street, Allanton 03 489 8886

the farmer that is responsible. Then he adds: “It’s breeding and the environment. We grow quality wool, and plenty of it, on a large frame.”

They had previously run a romney stud as well, and still use romney rams over merino ewes.

“We do breed for meat as well as wool, we have always considered the merino a dual-purpose animal,” says Paterson.

“And we breed for a robust type of sheep.

It’s all very winning awards, but if our flock isn’t performing profitably, then they don’t count for much.”

The Patersons are always looking at increasing performance, especially lambing percentages.

“Our merinos scanned above 150%, but there was 30% to 40% wastage. It comes down to mothering ability. Our halfbreds were on similar country and were up 30% on the merinos. Now, in our merinos, every ewe has to rear a lamb.”

They are also making use of technology.

They have been fleece-weighing for a long time, they have introduced fleece testing, they are weighing and scanning their merino lambs for eye muscle, and, with the help of The New Zealand Merino Company, they are introducing Australian sheep-breeding values (ASBVs).

“All of these are important tools, but having the

MERINO: GLENMORE

Business Rural / Summer 2013

7

combination ability to visually assess stock still comes first,” says Simon.

Armidale wintered 8000 sheep last season – . just on 5000 of them breeding ewes, and 4000 of those merino. This was an exceptional season – normally they would put only 4500 to the ram.

The farm is 2000 hectares in total, 500ha of it a summer run to the west. Hieracium is proving a problem on the higher, more inaccessible ground, so they are investing in research to deal with this most troublesome weed.

With 120ha under irrigation, the farm’s viability

has improved enormously, enabling the Patersons to have the security of their own silage and balage for supplement.

Meat production is an important part of the deal. Armidale’s lambs are sold to Lean Meats, in Oamaru (We find their schedule suits our operation,” says Simon).

They also add a little diversity by buying in 100 to 200 calves to finish.

Simon says he and his father work well together, discussing the day-to-day management of the farm, and then just getting on with the job.

Emily and Will Murray, with their children, Greta and Angus.

The Maniototo is known for its merino, and other wool types. It’s breeding and the environment. We grow quality wool, and plenty of it, on a large frame,

Glenmore: confirmed ‘merino country’ Neil Grant Shaped like a musterer’s old sock, Glenmore Station is 20,000 hectares of rugged high country in the Mackenzie Country.

The toe dips into the western shore of Lake Tekapo; the rest of the foot and the leg take in the Cass River and upper Fork Stream valleys to meet Mt Cook National Park. The homestead is near the lake at 750 metres above sea level.

The summer country runs sheep at the limit of vegetation – around 1800 metres. The homestead gets 600mm rain a year, the summer tops can get more than 2000mm.

Murrays have farmed here for the better part of a hundred years.“It has always been merino country,” says Will Murray, the current runholder, who farms with his wife, Emily. “The winters are tough. Tekapo gets a lot of snow, so we breed a type of sheep that can handle the conditions.”

Glenmore uses Koonawarra bloodlines as the base of its flock.

“They produce a good ‘stylie’ kind of wool with good nourishment. That keeps the dust out of the wool in the summer country. They are heavy cutters, but free skinned.”

PHOTOS Facing page, far left: Simon Paterson with Armidale’s winning ewe fleece at this year’s National Golden Fleece Awards in Ranfurly. This was Armidale’s third successive win in the competition.

Facing page, left: A line-up of Armidale stud sires.

Right: Allan (left and Simon Paterson with their supreme champion merino ram at this year’s Canterbury A & P Show in Christchurch,

Jim Murray, Will’s father, started the stud in 1978 and it has been carried on by Will and Emily.

“We are both passionate about the merino and enjoy breeding stud sheep,” says Will. “It’s not easy, and there are no silver bullets in the industry, but we are in it for the long term.

“It is important to get the balance right. If the wool is too tight, it can rot if it gets wet, and the sheep are not productive. If it is too free, you don’t cut a lot of wool.”

The Murrays are now recording estimated breeding values (EBVs) – not only to help with their own breeding objectives but to enable the merino to be more of a dual-purpose sheep .

“Historically the merino has always been known as a wool producer, but nowadays with good management and the correct type of merino, farmers are able to successfully fatten their lambs.

This year we are focusing on getting fat into the sheep.

“Carcase muscling is reflected by the eye muscle depth, and carcase fatness is reflected by in the depth of fat between the eye muscle and the skin.

To breed a more dual-purpose sheep, we want it to

• To page 10

Founders & leaders of ultrasound scanning

Proud of our association with Simon Paterson THINK SCANNING THINK STOCKSCAN

Rowan Farmer Ph: (03) 489 6108 info@stockscan.co.nz

Proudly supporting Armidale

Phone: (03) 440 0100 Fax: (03) 448 6329 Email: enquiries@iclca.co.nz Postal Address: PO Box 267, Alexandra, 9340 Physical Address: 69 Tarbert Street, Alexandra

Seven thousand commercial and 500 stud merino ewes share Glenmore with 300 angus cattle, 400 red-deer hinds – and the Murrays..

8

MERINO: TYNTESFIELD/BENMORE

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Next generation eases in Jo Bailey A farming partnership that began more than 50 years ago is now moving into its fourth generation on Tyntesfield Estate, a 2800-hectare unit in Marlborough’s Waihopai Valley.

The property was originally owned by Harold Ensor and his father, Edward. It passed on to Harold’s sons, David and Edward, who ran it in partnership until Edward died five years ago.

Edward’s son, Ben, has returned to the farm, and David’s son, Tim, will also take over at some stage.

David Ensor says there have not been many changes since Ben took charge of the farm’s 80ha vineyard, which sells grapes on contract to the Villa Maria and Cloudy Bay wineries. The Ensors have been growing grapes since 1994.

David Ensor says the vineyard produces a more profitable return than sheep and beef, and helps diversify the business’s income. The remainder of the farm is livestock, under the control of David, assisted by a stock manager and a shepherd.

Grapes have been grown on Tyntesfield since 1994. The potential for profit is higher, but so are the risks.

Tyntesfield runs 3000 corriedale ewes, 1000 merino ewes and 260 angus cows. The aim is to fatten everything, but the Ensors’ ability to achieve this is dependent on the weather. If it gets too dry, they have to reduce numbers and sell the animals as stores.

Because the family has been running the farm for so long, things tick over pretty easily, but David says there is still a focus on constant improvement.

They will expand the vineyard if demand decrees, but he is aware that while the potential

profits in grapes are higher, so are the risks: “One frost and you can lose the whole crop.”

The farm’s biggest challenge is the dryness of the Marlborough region. Only 20ha of the farm is irrigated, so knowledge and preparation is everything, says David.

“We try and make money while the grass grows and de-stock over February/March, getting rid of most lambs and rising two-year-olds by January.

Having the right stocking rate for the season is a balancing act.”

Around 180 tonnes of high sulphur fertiliser is put on the farm each year to balance the lack of this mineral in the soils.

The angus cattle are an important part of the operation as they use the roughage on country that sheep can’t access.

“We are always trying to do everything the best we can, always trying to improve on the year before,” says David. “That’s the advantage of farming in the same place for so long. We know how to work around the seasons, plan ahead, and how much stock we can run at different times.”

Son Tim is presently working on farms “down south” and David is looking forward to his return to take over his share of the family business.

“Everyone gets passionate about the area they’ve been brought up in. We’re lucky to have such wonderful waterways, the mountains behind us, and the Marlborough Sounds on our doorstep.

It’s very important to see the farm passing on to the next generation. It’s very satisfying to see the work you’ve put in carrying on under the family umbrella.”

We are chartered accountants dedicated to providing the highest quality services to meet the business and financial needs of our clients.

Proudly supporting Tyntesfield Estate Ltd.

22 Scott Street, Blenheim T: 03 578 0180 F: 03 578 0327 E: wkca@winkerr.co.nz

Before and after on Benmore: The traditional high-country grazing look (above) is increasingly giving way to green pasture as the station’s irrigated area continues to grow.

www.winkerr.co.nz

BARNETT CONTRACTING LTD

ENGINEERING & Green light for finishing EARTHMOVING around Marlborough and beyond Karen Phelps

Phone Jason 021 414 805 Workshop/Fax 03 572 9039 Email: barnettcontracting@xtra.co.nz

WILLIAMS SERVICE CENTRE ( 1990 ) LTD

Proud to support TYNTESFIELD ESTATE LTD 12 Nelson Street, Blenheim 7201 Phone: 03 578 1021 Fax: 03 578 0580

SALES: Tim Foote: 0274 727 011 Graeme Morgan: 0274 473 781

DAVID O'NEILL CONTRACTING LTD Proud to be associated with Benmore Station • PLOUGHING & CULTIVATION • FINE CHOPPED SILAGE • MULCHING • FERTILISER SPREADING • DIRECT DRILLING • GENERAL CARTAGE • BALAGE • RUT BUSTING • GRAIN HARVESTING

PHONE

0274 335 523

Irrigation is transforming arid tussock land into green country on Benmore Station, at the south end of the Mackenzie Country.

The Benmore Irrigation Scheme has increased the area under irrigation on Benmore Station near Omarama, from 75 to 600 hectares – a change that has brought big changes to the farming business.

The irrigation scheme has moved Benmore from being a store property to a finishing property, says owner Andrew Sutherland..

“It has brought into production a lot of poor

country that was only good for rabbits before. This is now high-performing land.”

Since irrigation, Benmore has gone from one sheep per hectare to 12-15/ha on irrigated areas.

Contracts for merino hoggets and wool give the business added stability.

“If you can lock in a price for meat and wool, you are guaranteed that money,” he says. “It gives us security over what we will get and what we can spend.

“The irrigation scheme has given us control of our whole operation. We have the ability to finish to whatever weight is good for us at the time rather than being at the mercy of the store market.”.

They also bought 600 merino hoggets this year for finishing, and see potential to increase these numbers.

Andrew Sutherland, who grew up on Benmore, now runs the station in partnership with his wife, Deidre, his brother, Bill, and Bill’s wife, Kate. The brothers, the fourth generation of Sutherlands to farm the land, went into partnership in 1991.

They bought the 3800ha Ahuriri Downs, which is 25 kilometres from Benmore, in 1998. They are converting Ahuriri Downs into a breeding block as stock can now be finished on Benmore.

Between the two properties, the brothers run 11,100 ewes. Close to 2000 are merino/romney cross and the rest are straight merinos. All the merinos are weaned and wintered, then sold to the freezing works. The rest of the stock are finished before autumn.

As well as the sheep, they run 500 hereford beef cattle, finish their own stock, and buy in close to 500 steers and heifers.

The farm also runs a merino stud with 1200 ewes. This was started in the early 1980s for the Sutherlands’ own use; they now sell 150 merino rams and 50-60 halfbred rams each year.

• To page 9

MERINO: BLAIRICH

Business Rural / Summer 2013

9

Left: A mob of sheep on the lower country at Blairich Station. Above: One of Blarich’s latest champions...the top medium wool ram from the 2012 Canterbury A & P Show.

Blairich buys Erewhon stud Jo Bailey Stud sheep from one of Canterbury’s oldest merino studs have found a new home in the Awatere Valley.

Ron and Sue Small, of Blairich Station, have bought the Erewhon merino and poll merino stud flocks from Colin and Lil Urqhuart.

The stud was founded at Erewhon Station in 1947 and farmed there until 1995 when the Urquharts moved to Sheffield.

“Colin was thinking about dispersing the flock, but we didn’t want to see that happen given the stud’s long history and reputation,” says Ron Small.

“We had a chat and ended up taking over the stud’s 165 merino and 65 poll ewes just before winter.”

The Smalls have retained the stud’s flock name and number, and are running it independently from their own Blairich Merino Stud.

“It is exciting, as this year we have rams to sell to Colin’s clients. The acquisition also opens up a wider client base for us, providing an option for people looking for bigger-framed sheep they can finish lambs off.”

He says the Erewhon sheep are also “very good wool-cutters” that produce medium wool around two to three microns stronger than the renowned

fine and super-fine wool produced at Blairich.

The Smalls have farmed the 3170-hectare, high-country property for 13 years. They originally set up the Blairich stud on another property, in the Wairau Valley.

Rams are sold privately on the property in January and February: “We expect to sell around 120 this year, including the Erewhon rams, and will probably take a few to the multi-vendor sale at Tekapo in February.”

Semen from the Blairich stud has been exported to Australia with some success.

“We bred a very special ram back in 2002 that won supreme champion at the Canterbury A & P show in 2004. His semen went to seven studs in Australia and they all had success with him. He bred the 2010 grand champion ewe at Bendigo, which I think was a first for a New Zealand ram.”

Producing champions is nothing new for Blairich, which is one of the most successful exhibitors at the Canterbury A & P Show, winning the coveted national pairs four years in succession.

The stud achieved more top results at the 2012 show – grand champion ewe, champion medium ram, champion group of five, several reserve champion awards. “Quite good”, says Ron Small when asked what he thought of this effort.

Over the last two years the Smalls have introduced new genetics from Australia in a bid to produce bigger-framed sheep and more, better quality wool.

They bought two rams from Tara Park, in Boorawa, New South Wales; and a ram and semen, from both Roseville Park at Dubbo, NSW and Wurrook, in southern Victoria.

“We’re blending them to keep fresh genetics coming through. However, we’re always breeding within a type. There has to be predictability so that buyers know what they’re getting.”

Blairich carries around 9000 merinos – 900 stud ewes, 3000 hoggets, the balance commercial ewes – and 350 angus/hereford cross breeding cows.

As well as rolling and high country, the property has extensive flats where there has been a lot of pasture development. “We tried a few different combinations, but settled on a system of straight lucerne and plantain mix.”

An extensive spraying and regrassing development programme has also been undertaken on the high-country land.

The Small’s son Tom works on the property, along with a single shepherd and casual staff. All development and haymaking is contracted out.

KEN HART SHEARING CONTRACTOR IN BUSINESS 30 YEARS

Proud to support BLAIRICH

Ron & Sue Small

P. 03 577 6224 M. 0274 390 304 E. harto@xtra.co.nz Can be contacted 24 hours

Irrigation ‘certainly a positive move’ • From page 8 The halfbred rams have been added since the irrigation arrived. The 23-26 micron halfbred wool is destined for SmartWool.

“We wanted a sheep that could handle the irrigated land and the halfbreds are giving the merinos a run for their money in terms of lambing percentages, wool and income per head,” says Andrew Sutherland.

The Sutherlands employed stock managers a year ago to run a year ago, leaving Andrew and Bill

each with an overseer role. Their search for other profitable avenues has seen them try small-seed contract-growing, and they see potential for dairy grazing.

“We haven’t hit full production yet, but in the last couple of years, irrigation has certainly stabilised things for us,” says Andrew Sutherland.

“It will take time for us to work out the pros compared with the increased debt versus income, but at this stage it has certainly been a positive move. It has broadened the whole business and given us more options.”

HAYLAGE / HAY / EXCAVATION • Two 3x3 Square Balers • Two 4x3 Square Balers • Grader • Round Baler 1.2 - 1.5 Bale Wrap Combo • Bulldozer • EX400, ZX130 Diggers PROUD TO SUPPORT BENMORE STATION North Otago

Ditching & Baling

9 D RD OAMARU PH: (03) 439 5833 DAVE: 021 436 403 MERV: 021 436 405

“Quality without compromise”

Proud to be associated with

Blarich - Ron & Sue Small 0800 AEROWORK 0800 237 696

w Neodel & ls M trol ode Pe el M es Di

2013 Mitsubishi Outlander 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander

Here Now!

Available in Diesel & Petrol Priced from $39,990

or Finance from only $599 Per Month* 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Diesel BRAND NEW MODEL 2200CC Turbo Diesel, Auto, Keyless Operating System, 5.8 Ltrs Per 100Kms, 4WD Transmission, Roof Rails, Multi air Bags, Cruise Control, Keyless Operating System, 112Kws, 366 Nms, Large Screen Reversing Camera and Sensors, Hands Free Bluetooth, 2000Kg Braked Towing.

Mon - Fri 8am - 5.30pm Sat 9am - 1pm Sun Closed

2013 Mitsubishi Outlander BRAND NEW MODEL

2400cc Petrol, Auto, Keyless Operating System, 7.5 Ltrs Per 100Kms, 4WD Transmission, Roof Rails, Mult Air Bags, Cruise Control, Large Screen Reversing Camera and Sensors, Hands Free Bluetooth, 1600Kg Braked Tow Rating.

Blenheim Tel: 03 577 2240 Nelson Tel: 03 548 8204

www.houstons.co.nz

10

DEER: PEEL FOREST ESTATE

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Stud swings priority to venison Jo Bailey South Canterbury deer stud and commercial operation Peel Forest Estate has bought a new stud herd, built a new shed, and developed a new focus over the last 12 months, says owner Graham Carr.

“We’ve taken a few initiatives, with the general refocus of our stud operation towards the production of animals for the venison industry probably the most significant.”

Peel Forest Estate is marketing B11, a terminal sire bloodline it has developed and trademarked.

“It’s a composite with elk and high DBV reds for growth rate,” says Carr.

“These terminal sires are easy to manage, reliable, produce fast-growth-rate fawns and are particularly sought after by larger producers not interested in backing up stags.”

Replacements are produced from Forrester maternal sires, and are an important ingredient for the serious venison producer, he says.

“Hinds must be hardy, robust, fertile, quiet, and have the genetic ability to rear a fast-growing fawn.

The Forresters produce a hind with these qualities and able to handle the stresses of more extensive commercial farming.”

Peel Forest Estate terminal and maternal sires are also extremely resilient to Johne’s disease, he says. This has been a major focus of the breeding programme for the last 11 years.

We are thrilled...It is a very important development – not only for the benefit of the industry, but for our own commercial development.

Osborn Engineering Ltd Manufactures of Cray and Cod Pots > Deer, Sheep and Cattle Gates > Chain Mesh Netting > Security Fencing > Commercial Diving > General Engineering

P 03 212 8964 F 03 212 7547 H 03 212 7934 M 027 435 3524 Grey M 027 290 3459 Marion E osborn.eng@paradise.net.nz

221 Foreshore Road PO Box 107, Bluff.

CALL FREE 0800 GATES 4U 428374

Left: Peel Forest Estate owner Graham Carr surveys his new deer shed.

Below: Hinds must be hardy, robust, fertile, quiet, and have the genetic ability to rear a fast-growing fawn, says Graham Carr.

The estate held its first pre-Christmas european and maternal stag sale in early December, with the line-up of stags “all about venison”.

“We decided to bring the sale forward as we believe the buyers get better results with the sires on their properties earlier. We were very pleased with the quality of stags on offer.”

Although the “big push” is coming in venison, velvet still has a part to play at Peel Forest, says Graham Carr..

Last July the estate announced it had bought the Pure Warnham and Warnham-Woburn breeding herd, along with selected sires, semen, embryos and the Windermere name from the award-winning Windermere Red Deer Stud, near Hamilton.

The Windermere stud has specialised in breeding for velvet genetics for nearly 25 years. In recent years it has been regarded as the industry’s leading Warnham Park velvet herd.

“We are thrilled about the acquisition,” says Carr.

“It is a very important development – not only to keep the stud together in its entirety for the benefit of the industry, but also for our own commercial benefit.

“We are cutting nearly 2500 stags, so if we can increase velvet yields by between 1kg and 2kg over coming years, it will give our velveting herd a huge boost and raise the return on the investment.”

Deer-recovery pioneer Tim Wallis officially opened the estate’s new deer shed at a field day on the property in November. The original shed had been destroyed by fire.

“It is a large facility at 540 square metres,” says Carr. “However, we need a shed this big because we velvet so many animals on the property.”

The shed has full rubber matting to protect the animals’ feet, and the latest equipment for EID reading and recording.

Guests at the field day also heard from Silver Fern Farms chief executive officer Keith Cooper, and learned about Peel Forest Estate’s environmental practices and its new direction towards venison.

Glenmore aims for ‘fat on the back’ • From page 7 have the ability to put fat on its back so that during stress times, it can live off its fat and do better. If we increase the genetic fat, we increase the number of lambs weaned when nutrition is restricted.”

He says ewes have more chance of getting into lamb if they are heavier, and produce heavier lambs. If they are losing weight in the last third of pregnancy, their lambs are born small and their viability is lower.

“We’re still focusing on our wool, but we can increase our bottom line by producing more lambs.

It’s long-term stuff.”

Glenmore breeds for its own needs and sells 80 to 100 rams a year to merino farmers, ranging from Marlborough to the Shotover, in Central Otago.

Chris Bowman, a sheep classer from Australia, classes most of Glenmore’s clients’ flocks, and picks a selection of rams clients can choose from.

“There is a better chance of getting the right ram onto the right property,” says Will Murray. “It takes the guesswork out of it for the client.”

Glenmore runs 7000 commercial ewes, 500 stud ewes, 300 angus cattle and 400 red-deer hinds. The wool clip of 18.5 microns fits in with the requirements of Icebreaker and Smartwool.

The whole clip is sold on contract through Merino New Zealand. While the auction can bring higher prices, Murray likes the security of selling on contract.

Rams are also sold privately. Around 1000 annual draft ewes are sold at the Tekapo sale in February, a week before 800 ewe lambs and 2500 wether lambs are sold at the lamb sale.

Will Murray says there has always been a lot of interest in the Tekapo sale “as the Mackenzie Country produces some of the best merinos in New Zealand from some of the hardest merino country.

Hence they have the ability to shift so well.”

Serving the rural community since 1917 Always proud to support Glenmore Station Ltd 114 Allandale Road, Fairlie Ph (03) 685 8583 Fax (03) 685 8543 Email barwoodmotors@xtra.co.nz

Business Rural / Summer 2013

DEER: WILKINS FARMING

11

Yield trials build on nine years of measurements Jo Bailey Yield trials at the Alliance plant at Marakewa have helped Wilkins Farming maximise the growth rate and meat production of its deer.

“If we can work out which part of the animal is worth the most, and put that into our breeding programme to try and create more of these high value cuts, then it has to be good for our bottom line,” says Mike Wilkins.

The yield trials break down the carcasses from dead weight, and calculate the meat-to-bone yield off the animals. The use of EID tags allows carcasses to be traced right through the slaughter, chilling and boning process, and include a number of liveweights achieved leading up to slaughter.

“The trials have given us some great feedback about each animal, which helps us continue to make genetic gains and improve yield,” says Wilkins.

This is one of many valuable tools used by the Southland deer farmers in a bid to achieve measurable production gains.

Wilkins Farming is in its ninth season of using ultrasound scanning to collect on-farm measurements of carcass loin for meat-quality traits.

It also puts a selection of animals through CT scanning with Vioscan, at Invermay, each year.

“The use of CT scanning is a big investment, but we want to know what our best meat-producing animals are doing – and if we’re breeding from them, we don’t want to have to kill them to find that out,” says Mike Wilkins.”This technology can be used to very good effect to improve yields.”

Breed values and DNA profiles are also established for Wilkins Farming’s recorded deer herd.

“We select sires and replacement hinds based on estimated-breeding-value growth rate and carcass-lean, amongst other things,” says Mike Wilkins.

“By looking at some of the carcass-lean breeding values in last year’s sale, the work we have done previously seems to be paying off. This year we have recorded a carcass-lean BV of +9.”

Venison production at optimum growth rates has always been the main thrust of Wilkins Farming’s deer operation in which anywhere from 1200 to 1500 recorded hinds are mated each year.

Wilkins says genetics originating from German, Eastern European or English red deer herds are “mixed and matched” to create what he calls a European composite animal.

He is confident the company has put together another “exciting catalogue” for its annual North Island and South Island sales.

“Our EBVs for 12-month growth rate and meat

This two-year-old eastern stag cut 184kg of velvet at 15 months. Mike Wilkins describes him as a good allround stag with an impressive head. yield are exceptional with our carcass-lean BV well above industry averages for this trait.”

The top stag on offer at the South Island sale in mid-January is a two-year-old by an eastern stag, Vladimir, that recorded a 15-month weight of 184kg at the end of February 2012.

Although venison is the primary goal, the stags in the sale also have a strong velvet and trophy genetic base, he says.

In addition to the stud, the family company runs a significant commercial deer and finishing operation.

The Wilkins family – Ray and Pam, and sons Mike, Brendan and Sean – runs Wilkins Farming’s large-scale livestock and cropping operation spread over several farms in Northern Southland, As well as deer, the business is involved in breeding and finishing sheep and cattle, dairying, wintering dairy cows, and growing cereal, brassica and grass seed crops.

But it’s the deer that are Mike Wilkins’s passion.

“We’ve been in the deer business a long time and I believe it’s currently as good as it’s ever been.

Things are looking real good.”

Proud to support Wilkins Farming with all their cartage needs.

Brendon McBride Transport Manager

PHOTOS Above: Yesenin, a sire in Wilkins Farming’s european and eastern programme, has demonstrated strong traits in growth rate and meat yield.

Left: Milano, which has eastern bloodlines, has proved one of Wilkins Farming’s top allround antler and venison sires.

INNERVISION CT Scanning services Genetic improvement programmes to improve meat yield Email: innervision@agresearch.co.nz for a copy of our latest newsletter featuring CT scanning of deer

PHONE: 021 489 057 Invermay Agricultural Centre, Puddle Alley, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel

cell 027 294 6398 phone 03 202 5124 fax 03 202 5120 29 Main Wendonside Road, RD 7, Gore. email svt@farmiside.co.nz

12

DEER: DOWNLANDS DEER

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Everyone has to ‘raise the Jo Bailey An industry-wide focus on increasing production is essential for the future of the deer industry, says New Zealand Deer Farmers’ Association president Kris Orange.

“In the last 10 years only minor improvements have been made in terms of stock survival to sale and carcass weights,” he says.

“The only gains in profitability have come through lifts in the venison price.

“We know we can do better as an industry as there are farmers out there doing it. It’s just a matter of everyone raising the bar a little.”

Orange and his NZDFA executive committee are working with Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) and the Ministry of Primary Industries to help fund the Productivity Improvement Programme (PIP).

The programme, run through DINZ and backed by the NZDFA, aims for a 63% increase in profit a year and $95 profit per carcass in the next 10 years.

Orange says improvements are being targeted

through incremental changes in five key areas – animal health; genetics and physiology; feeding; freedom to operation; the value chain.

“We believe there is the ability to go from a 55kg carcase to around 64-65kg without any issues in the market.

“This adds a fair bit of bottom line for farmers,” he says.

Other targets in the 10-year plan include: • lifting survival to sale from 72% to 80%; • shortening the time to kill by 16 days; • lifting hind live-weights from 110kg to 115kg;

• increasing feed conversion efficiency; • lifting per hind output from 38kg to 50kg.

“It’s going to be a challenge, but it’s also pretty exciting for the industry,” says Orange.

“We recently had a meeting with all 20 NZDFA branch chairmen who unanimously agreed this was the direction they wanted to head.”

Overall, he says, “things are quite good” in the deer industry.

“The exchange rate continues to have an impact, but we have returned to a slight growth pattern after several years of capital stock being killed, “ says

Bulls horn in to get a Jo Bailey

Diversification into new markets has paid dividends for Geraldine-based transporter Downlands Deer Ltd. The transport of stud bulls, which the company moved into three years ago, continues to grow, says owner Kris Orange.

“We’ve picked up some key clients who get us to deliver all the bulls from their sales direct to the purchasers. This means the bulls can be cleared out within a couple of days rather than the weeks it can take if purchasers arrange their own transport.”

He says he has had a lot of feedback from farmers who appreciate the door-to-door service and the fact animals are not left standing around in concrete saleyards waiting to be collected.

“The other thing we hear from clients is that our drivers are focused on animal welfare and are able to read stock well. When some of their prize bulls

and deer are worth thousands of dollars, they like to see them handled with a bit of respect.”

Downlands Deer has also started carrying prime beef to slaughter, dairy cows and young weaned stock, he says.

“A lot of our deer guys have started using us to transport their other stock. Deer is still our main focus, but it has been great to fit cattle in around it.”

Downlands Deer’s nationwide operation involves 10 trucks and a regular inter-island service. For the deer industry it carries everything from sire and trophy stags to stud hinds, weaners and animals to slaughter.

Trucks have rubber matting and there are sprinkler systems in the crates. Overnight facilities are available in Geraldine and the North Island.

Orange, equity partners Dave France and Abby Shaw, and his parents, Keith and Ruth Orange, are shareholders in Great Southern Deer Farms Ltd .

The company farms Downlands, a 260-hectare finishing operation at Geraldine, and this year

PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH DOWNLANDS DEER

Some of our clients have prize bulls and deer worth thousands of dollars; they like to see them handled with a bit of respect.

Providing Service & Repair for Road Transport vehicles throughout greater Canterbury.

24 hour call-out service.

64 Columbia Ave, Hornby, Christchurch - 03 349 2009 54 Sheffield Street, Washdyke, Timaru - 03 686 6663

www.hdps.co.nz

Contact us for all farm machinery repairs, on site or at our well equipped workshop.

217 Te Awa Rd Temuka P: 03 615 8928 E. scotts@farmside.co.nz

Proud to support Downlands Deer

TNT For all your Auto Electrical requirements TNT Service cars, commercial, agricultural, caravans & motorhomes TNT Service & repairs Air Conditioning Units TNT Supply new or overhaul starter motors & alternators TNT Supply & fit stereos & alarms TNT Sales & service for bulbs, batteries, cable, lights, fuses etc…

Mobile Service available - CRT cards welcome

TNT Auto Electric Ltd 19 Fraser Street, Temuka (behind St Johns) Phone: 03 615 6363 Fax: 03 615 5353 Mobile: 027 615 6151 Email: workshop@tntae.co.nz

TICK REID Mechanical Repairs & Service MOBILE 027 437 3156 A/H 03 693 8646 PHILLIP LEWIS Tyre Sales & Repair MOBILE 027 273 1235 A/H 03 693 8727 152 TALBOT STREET, GERALDINE PHONE 03 693 8592 FAX 03693 8539 EMAIL quality.tyres@xtra.co.nz

VTNZ is proud to support Downlands Deer Transport by keeping their trucks safe & on the road For expert help, visit one of our 14 heavy vehicle testing stations from Blenheim to Gore, for a Certificate of Fitness. To minimise downtime & maximise your Operator Rating – ask our team about regular Vehicle Condition Assessments.

Go to vtnz.co.nz or call 0800 88 88 69 to find a VTNZ near you & opening hours

DEER: DOWNLANDS DEER

Business Rural / Summer 2013

13

bar a little’ Orange. “The velvet market is also doing well.”

He hopes the targeted productivity improvements will encourage farmers who are “running other stock behind their deer fences” to once again view deer as a viable and profitable option.

“We know there is capacity out there to sell the product and to process more. The demand for the product is also there. It’s just a matter of getting things lined up so that the industry can continue along a path of slow and steady growth.”

Orange, who took over as chairman in May, runs

Geraldine-based transport operation Downlands Deer Ltd and farms a deer breeding and finishing operation.

“I have always been pretty heavily involved in deer and felt it was time to make my contribution to help ensure we have a healthy, thriving industry in 20 years time.”

He says the various industry groups still have a “fair bit of homework to do” around the productivity improvement programme, but he believes that, with good backing, the future of the New Zealand deer industry is “looking really positive”.

wintered 1400 weaners – half belonging to the company and half bought from Clayton Station, in the Fairlie Basin. Orange and Clayton owner Hamish Orbell have developed a close breeder/ finisher relationship. Great Southern Deer Farms also runs 700 hinds on 800ha at Dunback.

“We had a pretty good winter until August when it rained and rained,” says Orange. “The stock have come through pretty well considering we don’t have a lot of surplus feed.”

Around 40ha of fodder beet and kale is already in the ground for winter.

foothold in trucks

PHOTOS Above right: Downlands Deer runs a regular inter-island service with its fleet of 10 trucks.

Right: Great Southern Deer Farms has around 40 hectares of beet and kale in the ground for winter.

Left: A Downlands Deer truck gets ready to load in the paddock.

Far left (facing page): A Downlands Deer truck makes it way into the back country.

Harliwich Holdings Ltd Specialist Earthmovers Coal Creek Road RD 1, Roxburgh New Zealand

P: 03 446 8622

There is growing evidence the application of humates can improve soil structure, and enhance the ability of soil to retain moisture and nutrients, says Ken Harliwich, managing director of Harliwich Holdings.

“Laboratory tests show Harlies Humates possess 44 percent humic acid, and has similar benefits to applying compost, mulch, peat or other organic material to the soil,” he says.

The company extracts lignite from a deposit in Central Otago that it crushes, screens and mills into a usable product marketed as Harlies Humates. While humates contain trace amounts of secondary plant nutrients calcium and magnesium, the product is not a source of NPK, and is therefore by definition not a fertiliser.

However the use of humates in conjunction with fertiliser or urea has been shown to maximise the uptake of benefit of those substances into the plant, and to make fertiliser budgets go further.

“Brian Gallagher from Bio Biz recently conducted field trials in which he found treating urea with humates prior to application could reduce the amount of urea required to achieve a given level of dry matter, with significant cost savings,” says Ken. Humates also promote robust plant roots by improving mineral, fertiliser and water absorption and provide a good source of energy for beneficial soil organisms, he adds.

It was almost a century after his father Nicholas Harliwich sold his first cart load of lignite from the family’s Roxburgh mine in 1914 that Ken decided to invest $200,000 in the humates venture. “I was looking into new uses for lignite and came across humates that have been used extensively overseas for around 50 years.” Harlies Humates’ plant started operating commercially in 2010 with business growing year on year.

The product is BioGro certified for organic use and is sold in 500kg bags. Peak sales are in autumn and spring, with farmers generally using the product as an amendment to their lime and urea applications. It is also being sold to biological agricultural companies for use as a raw input in their product mixes. The company sells directly to the public and has a Canterbury based distributor, Tailored Energy Solutions (also known as Taylor Coal) that distributes the product from its Rolleston base. Ken has worked with scientists at CRL Energy to find a commercial method to test the humic acid in lignite samples.

He also works closely with soil consultant Ray Annan from Biology@Work, his “go-to man” for technical advice and information on soil science issues. Harliwich Holdings has 12 staff across its entire operation that includes the mine and an earthmoving business that specialises in farm development, subdivisions, roads and water storage.

“The humates continues to be a growing part of the business and if sales pick up next year I would love to take it to the next stage and invest in a much bigger plant,” says Ken.

14

DEER: FOVERAN PARK

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Foveran hope: ‘Business Jo Bailey

Two Foveran Park stags go under hammer at the stud’s 2012 record-breaking sale, which produced $470.000. Two-year-old Lord Haka (right), which sold for $52,000 to the Mt Cecil Trophy Deer Stud, near Waimate, set two world records – for inches of antler and weight of cut.

Foveran Deer Park’s entire operation – stud, commercial breeding and hunting – is up for sale.

However, stud manager Barry Gard is hopeful it will be business as usual “for many years to come”.

“After 30 years of breeding we have developed one of the largest purebred deer herds in New Zealand with a strong loyal following.

“We believe the operation has a bright future and we hope its new owners will continue to focus on the development of Foveran’s high-producing, genetically improved bloodlines.”

Prospective buyers have been viewing the 2600-hectare property – which is split between the original Foveran Deer Park and a neighbouring property, The Brothers, in the Hakataramea Valley of South Canterbury.

The properties are owned by Bob and Jen Robertson, of Infinity (the company that developed Pegasus town, north of Christchurch).

Foveran was founded as a sheep station in the 1920s by Bob Robertson’s grandfather. Bob Robertson bought the property in 1982 and established the deer farm there.

When Business Rural spoke to Barry Gard, he was preparing for the stud’s 30th annual on-farm stag sale in early January.

For the second year in a row Foveran was holding an elite sale of two and three-year-old stags in the morning; followed by a late-afternoon sale of stags of varying ages and grades specifically grown out for the commercial and trophy markets.

“You can’t tell until the day how a sale will go,” said Gard.

But the stags were looking good, and he hoped people would be impressed by the offering.

“We’re having a boomer season with plenty of feed around – something the stock have definitely benefited from.”

Healthy Soils have proudly been working with Foveran Deer Park for the past 4 years to provide ‘more sustainable and

effective biological farming programmes’.

By using our fully customised and personalised service we have been able to maximise the results for Foveran Deer Park.

This has included correcting and re-balancing soil minerals along with establishing a healthy biological population. This in turn decreases

fertilizer inputs by only applying nutrients that are required. As their farm production increases, their animal health improves.

Healthy Soils are suppliers of quality: • Biological & Nitrogen based liquid foliars

• Solid mix products

- including Humates & Phosphorus

ALL OF OUR PRODUCTS ARE FREE OF CHEMICALS!

For more information CALL: 0508 4 SOILS

(0508-476-457)

e: sales@healthysoils.co.nz | www.healthysoils.co.nz

DEER: FOVERAN PARK

Business Rural / Summer 2013

15

as usual for years’ Foveran provides complimentary helicopter transport to the stud for South Island buyers.

“The service pays dividends as we end up with a good gallery of buyers from all over the country.

The sale is a great way of showcasing the animals we have on offer, but getting people here to see them can be half the battle.”

The 2012 sale was a record breaker, generating $470,000 in overall sales, with one of Foveran’s elite two-year-old stags, Lord Haka, breaking two world records The young stag, which weighed 201kg on sale day, scored an impressive 502 inches of antler (IOA) and cut 13.5kg of antler – both world records for his age.

Lord Haka sold at the sale for $52,000 to the Mt

Cecil Trophy Deer Stud, near Waimate. Barry Gard says they are looking forward to seeing how he turns out as a three-year-old,” he says.

These are not the only world records held by the deer park.

This year, one of its sires Prince Phillip set a world record trophy stag score of 669 SCI (based on Safari Club International scoring) after being hunted at Foveran’s hunting park by a client of its subsidiary company, New Zealand Trophy Hunting Ltd. “We have a well established and recognised hunting business that started around 25 years ago,” says Gard. “During the season, from March until the end of July, we have a steady clientele coming through.”

Around 2000 deer are run at Foveran, which velvets around 500 stags each year.

Gard says the business remains committed to its elite breeding programme and to supplying the best possible genetics for venison growth rates, for velvet production, and for the fast-growing highend trophy antler stags to the New Zealand deer industry.”

Foveran Park has been running an intensive breeding programme since its early days.

The results have been particularly strong over the last five years as a result of Foveran’s embryo programme that uses semen from most of the main sires in the industry.

“We have seen big advances over the last few years, particularly when it comes to antler size,”

says Gard. “We have a pretty comprehensive line-up of industry traits in the Foveran Park herd, and we are always on the look-out for new and exciting stags that we can include in our breeding programme.”

Barry Gard has worked at the stud since 1989 and has been the stud manager for the last five years.

Like the property itself, his future is uncertain until Foveran’s new owners are revealed and their intentions are known.

“Whether the new owners retain the current management remains to be seen,” he says.

“However, I am definitely keen to be involved and to continue to build on all the hard work that has gone into the stud over the last three decades.”

Redline Tractors have top-of-the-line equipment (both new and used). The team is also skilled at offering fantastic after sales service and maintenance of farm equipment.

Redline Tractors also offer sales advice, parts supply and a service technician dedicated to the Timaru and Oamaru area.

Sales • Parts & Service • Combine • Tractors • Machinery • Air-Conditioning •

• • LOCHIEL TRAILERS • KUHN • SILVAN • DUNCAN AG • KUBOTA

Proud to support Foveran Deer Park

0800 733 5463

FARM MACHINERY

www.redline.co.nz Email: sales@redline.co.nz Fax: 03 688 2756 A/H Parts: 0274 353 681 A/H Service: 0274 352 635

Graeme Hawker

DEER AGENTS

VELVET PROCUREMENT SPECIALISTS Mobile: 0274 323 453 • Nathan Hawker - Mobile: 021 501 563

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED

An aerial view across some of the 2600-hectare, Foveran Park property in the Hakataramea Valley.

for all enquires contact KRIS ORANGE P. 0800 163 013 E. kris@downlandsdeer.co.nz

16

DEER: NETHERLAND RED DEER STUD

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Velvet produces cervine lining Jo Bailey After more than 30 years in the deer industry, David Stevens remains passionate about superior-velvet production.

“It’s an exciting industry as the results are easily quantified,” he says.

“When we cut the velvet and weigh it, there is no guesswork involved. We can see the sort of genetic gains we’ve made from one year to the next.”

David and Lynley Stevens’s Netherdale Red Deer Stud, near Balfour in Southland, remains one of the few New Zealand studs to concentrate solely on velvet.

The Stevens aim for velvet of superior quality, balance and style, while increasing weight through velvet genetics.

The stud has featured consistently in New Zealand National Velvet and Trophy Antler awards, winning the three-year-old class multiple times.

When Business Rural talked to David Stevens in

There has been a huge shift...with close to 70% of production now going to China.

December, he was looking forward to Netherdale’s 26th annual sale on January 11 where he was selling “an excellent mix of progeny”, including up to 30 three-year-old velveting stags, 70 two-yearold velveting stags, and around 40 young hinds.

“Despite a wet, cold and snowy spring, velvet weights have lifted again with an average of 6.32 kg velvet for the three-year-old stags,” he said.

“Our top three-year-old stag cut an outstanding 8.4kg, with the next four in the mid-7kgs.”

He says all were cut correctly, with the weights a true indication of velvet potential.

These results are a long way from the 2kg average the Stevens cut from their two-year-old stags when they established the deer operation in the late 1970s.

“The genetic gains over the years have been amazing. We now have two-year-olds cutting more than 6kg.”

When the couple bought the property in 1982, it had already been in David’s family for more than a century.

They gradually replaced the sheep business with deer, developed the deer stud, and in 1996, built a substantial deer complex.

Netherdale is a true family business, says David Stevens, with Lynley putting a “huge amount of work” into the garden and the property.

She also caters for the sale-night barbecue for the 120-130 potential buyers who come from around New Zealand.

Since their daughter, Tania, and her husband, Al Clarke, got involved in the business, the Stevens

Same Otago – Southland Dealer

Thompson Machinery

Surrey Street, Gore Phone: 03 208 9179

Above: Two renowned Netherdale heads, Harlem (left) and Wardlaw.

Left: David Stevens: Netherdale is one of the few New Zealand deer studs to concentrate solely on velvet.

Below: Velvet ready for sale in 2013. have phased out their commercial herd of around 2000 deer and gradually introduced more cropping to the mix.

“We’ve cut back the deer operation considerably,” says David Stevens.

“Around a third of the property is now in barley and oats. This gives us a bit of diversity and a buffer against the fluctuations in the deer market. Al is very keen on cropping, so it works out well.”

David Stevens is a life member and committee member of Deer Farmers’ Association Southland and current chairman of the New Zealand Deer Farmers’ Association selection and appointment panel.

“It’s not always easy being involved in the politics of the industry,” he says. “ However I enjoy the challenge and opportunity to represent the views of other deer farmers in the region.”

With strong – and growing – demand coming from China and Korea for New Zealand deer velvet, he believes there are good times ahead for the industry.

“There has been a huge shift in the last two seasons, with close to 70% of production now going to China. The Koreans have also entered the market a little earlier this year, so things are shifting nicely.”

BULLMORE CONTRACTING LTD SILAGE CONTRACTOR

Proud to support David Stevens Phone Richard & Kirsty Phone 03 201 6456 or 027 220 4159

Proud to be associated with David Stevens 3 Fairfield Street, PO Box 268, GORE | P: 03 208 9560 | F: 03 208 9189 | E: mallochs@esi.co.nz

DEER: ALTRIVE RED DEER STUD

Business Rural / Summer 2013

17

‘Superior stag’ bags double in national velvet Jo Bailey Zama – one of two “superior stags” bought by Altrive Red Deer Stud in a bid to breed “bigger and better heads” – has won the open red section at the 2012 National Velvet Awards with his 11.3kg head of velvet. He also won the People’s Choice award, and was named grand champion.

“We are delighted with the results,” say Altrive owners Geoff and Lynette Elder.

“We also took out the three-year-old red section with Altrive 194-07’s 7.55kg head, and finished second in the five-year-old section with Altrive 77-07.”

Zama’s success followed his win in the threeyear-old section of the 2011 competition with a cut of 7.66kg of velevet. He also scored 478 inches of antler.

Altrive bought Zama and Everest in partnership with Eddie Brock, of Brock Deer, another Southland stud.

The two stags are used along with Altrive’s own home-bred velvet stag sires. The stud’s topPHOTOS Upper right: Zama has won the 2012 National Velvet Competition open section, following his win in the three-year-old section of the 2011 competition.

Below: Two of Altrive Red Deer Stud’s home-bred velvet sires...David (left) and Altrive 123-04, which scored 502 inches of anter at four years.

performing home-bred sire, Altrive 81-06, cut 11kg of velvet this year.

Altrive’s new deer facilities debuted at the Southland breeding operation’s on-farm sale on January 12.

When Business Rural spoke to Geoff Elder in mid -December, the facilities were still under construction, but he was confident they would be finished in time.

“We’ve just had our first deer in the pens – it’s looking good.”

The Elders held their first stag sale early in 2012 and were pleased with the results – a top price of $12,000 and an average of just over $5000.

That was enough to encourage them to add viewing pens to their deer shed.

They had 20 to 25 two- and three-year-old stags on offer at the 2013 sale, plus around 25 yearling hinds and 50 velveting stags.

Geoff Elder says the 19 three-year-old stags that were in the sale cut an average of 6.16kg of velvet, with a top of 7.5 kg. Of the first 15 two-year olds cut, two delivered more than 5kg of velvet.

“I’m pretty happy, given the spell of really cold weather we had in the spring.”

He says velvet production is the main focus at Altrive: “Our aim is always to increase velvet weights but to maintain style – with a big round beam, correct tyne placement, and stylish bulb, growing to a more traditional type of head.”

For trophy stags, the stud concentrates on increasing points on top without detracting from

velvet style and round beam.

“Maintaining length between tres-tyne and tops is important to avoid having to velvet stags early because bulbs are starting to knuckle.”

The Elders took over the family sheep farm near Gore in 1979 and started a registered romney stud,.

They moved into deer in 1985.

“We started with seven hinds that we recorded and, within five years, had around 200 sharefarmed hinds that were all recorded, as well as our own small herd of around 50 hinds,” says Geoff.

They are now mating around 300 hinds and running about 190 mixed-age velveting stags, 140 rising two-year-old stags, and weaners.

All hinds, sires and progeny are DNA-profiled. To speed up their breeding objectives, the Elders have used embryo transplanting as part of their breeding programme for the last three years.

Our aim is always to increase velvet weights but to maintain style – with a big round beam, correct tyne placement, and stylish bulb growing to a more traditional type of head

Fogarty Deer & Livestock Ltd We are very proud to be associated with Geoff & Lynette Elder and all our other excellent velvet producers. John is fortunate to be able to purchase on farm and pay his clients on the day for some of the best velvet in the South Island. The clients enjoy seeing their velvet graded and discussing any future developments for their stock.

Trish and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our clients for their support over the years and wish you and your families a very Happy and Prosperous 2013.

P O Box 490, Wanaka, NEW ZEALAND P. 03 443 6628 • M. 0274 345 130 • F. 03 443 6672 E. deervelvet@wanaka.net.nz

THE SPECIALISTS IN DEER REPRODUCTION

‘YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR ’ SS BUSINE

• Semen collection and freezing • AI programming and advice • AI fresh or frozen semen • Reliable semen storage and despatch • Embryo collection/implanting

Supporting the Deer Industry Since 1996 • Semen recovery ex testicles • Importing and exporting semen/embryos • Veterinary service • Velveting TB testing preg scanning • International experience

PO Box 165 Kaiapoi 7644 North Canterbury NZ Greg Mckay 021 453 387 Phone. 03 327 9555 Fax. 03 327 9088 VETERINARIAN Jim McPhee Phone. 021 453 406

www.xcell.co.nz

Proud to support Deer Farming in Northern Southland See us for all your animal health requirements Serving your area since 1964

Northern Southland’s Vets RIVERSDALE (03) 2025636

■

LUMSDEN (03) 2487199

■

MOSSBURN (03) 2486053

■

TE ANAU (03) 2497039

18

MEAT & WOOL: CLAYTON STATION

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Deer deal keeps everyone Jo Bailey

Hamish Orbell. “From my father I’ve picked up what we call the development disease – I like seeing the ground turned over to produce something it didn’t before. This can come at a cost, so it’s great to have the board there to brainstorm with and seek advice from about different ideas.”

He says Clayton is in a period of consolidation after some extensive development, which included doubling the size of the deer farm, putting in three new water schemes, and fencing and subdividing

Secure your rams today WWW.MOUNTLINTON.CO.NZ

Maternal

Suftex, Texel

fertility, growth, meat yield, survival and longevity.

Proudly supporting Clayton Station

TO BOOK YOUR RAMS OR FIND OUT MORE CONTACT:

We budget $5/lamb meat yield premium on over 80% of our lambs—can you?

Hamish Bielski

Ceri Lewis

M: 021 779 485 T: (03) 225 4689

T: 0800 685 468 A/H: (03) 225 4687

Serving the rural community since 1917

some of the large areas that have been developed over the last 30 to 40 years.

“We’ve also changed management practices a lot in the last five years – trying to manipulate cashflow so that we have some income from October to December when input costs are high and traditionally we didn’t have a lot of income.”

Sheep remain the mainstay of Clayton’s business. It runs around 11,000 romey texel sheep, a breed it has carried exclusively for the last seven years.

Orbell says he used a chemical flush on the

ewes over a four-year period, raising the scanning percentage from 120 to 180, and the lambing percentage from around 100 to 130.

“We have dropped the flush out of the system now, but it gave the ewes a good boost. With improvements in our feeding regime and tighter management, we’ve been able to maintain the percentages at this level.”

Clayton also runs about 500 angus and angus hereford cows, including 120 in-calf heifers, and fattens around 130 steers and grazes and winters stock for Gerald Hargreaves, of Kakahu Angus Stud

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED

Clayton Station owner Hamish Orbell has no regrets about starting a breeder/finishing arrangement with fellow South Canterbury deer farmer Kris Orange, of Downlands Deer.

“We used to sell our deer on the open market which was fraught with problems,” says Orbell.

“Then we started dealing with Kris and his dad, Keith; and in the last couple of years we’ve come up with a formula, a contract arrangement with Kris, based on current market rates, that is fairer to both parties.”

Orbell sells the Oranges the weaners for finishing at 80-90% of the market value, with the balance paid at killing time based on the current kill rates.

“This arrangement lessens the impact of any violent swings in the market and means we are both getting a fair margin for our efforts,” says Orbell.

The arrangement relies on good communication between the parties, he says.

“Kris and I are continually negotiating and evolving our paperwork and systems. It’s working really well for us.”

Around 1300 breeding hinds, 200 velveters and 400 replacements are farmed at Clayton, a 4000-hectare sheep, beef, deer and cropping property in the Fairlie Basin.

It has been in Hamish Orbell’s family for 48 years. He has been back on the property for 11 years and took over the management nine years ago following the unexpected death of his father, Andrew.

A board – a mix of accountants, ex-farm advisers and mentors – has overseen the running of the station for around 40 years. It’s also a sounding board for Hamish, and previously his father.

“The board helps keep things in check,” says

Always proud to support Clayton Station 114 Allandale Road, Fairlie Ph (03) 685 8583 Fax (03) 685 8543 Email barwoodmotors@xtra.co.nz

for all enquires contact KRIS ORANGE P. 0800 163 013 E. kris@downlandsdeer.co.nz

MEAT & WOOL: CLAYTON STATION

Business Rural / Summer 2013

19

happy – a relationship that goes back around 15 years.

Clayton Station is also a Deer Farming New Zealand South Canterbury/North Otago focus farm, and hosts regular field days, often in conjunction with Downlands Deer.

“We do a bit of trophy here as well. It’s an enduse for our velveters once they’re past their use-by date.”

A mix of autumn-sown wheat and spring-sown barley is grown, with the crops timed to spread risk and workload for Orbell and his four full-time staff.

“We take on a few casual workers during busy periods, and tend to use more contractors than we used to,” he says. His wife Anna “does all the books and generally keeps me going”.

“The staff, both past and present, and the help my father and I have had from family, has always been the key to running Clayton,” he adds.

The Orbells have two pre-school children and another baby on the way, so there is plenty to keep the young couple busy.

“I’m extremely privileged to have grown up here and to carry on my father’s legacy. I see myself as a custodian of this land and hope to leave it in even better shape than when I took it over . We hope the next generation will wish to continue on.”

Hamish Orbell sees himself as a custodian of the 4000 high-country hectares that make up Clayton Station, in the Fairlie Basin. He is hopeful the next generation will want to carry on.

We are proud of our long association with Clayton Station, providing a quality forage harvesting service for many years.

This year we are operating a Claas Quantrant 3400 baler • • • •

Largest square baler on the market Achieves higher baling density Fast and efficient More dry matter per bale

Call Blake today on 027 434 3551 or 0800 693 737 PO Box 52, Geraldine P: 03 693 7377

Heat Pump Specialists Prompt, Reliable and Friendly Service For that extra socket to full installation and everything in between Call Owen Hunter Ph 03 685 8596

Fax 03 685 8206 Mobile 0274 388 332 aorangielectric@paradise.net.nz

www.woodleys.co.nz

Don’t get left behind

Toughen Up!

Wairere

“These Wairere sheep are just amazing how they bounce back after a hard time” … a comment made by many happy Wairere clients.

Derek Daniell Wairere

Contact us today on 03 983 5514 to advertise in the next issue of Business Rural

www.wairererams.co.nz

0800 924 7373

Breeding on second class hill country 0800 122 077 at a high stocking rate has created tough sheep for tough conditions. And ewe hoggets have to get in lamb to be retained… early maturity, easy care.

Proud of our long association with Clayton Station

Andrew Puddy Wairere Ram Sales

Simon Buckley Wairere 06 3725560

Murray Gemmell Wairere King 07 896 6722

Jacques Reinhardt Wairere 06 3725970

06 377 0660 021 222 5100

20

MEAT & WOOL: MATAKANUI STATION

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Tour boosts confidence in wool Neil Grant “She’s a hard road finding the perfect woman, boy,” says the old chap in the Speight’s advertisement.

Being the reflective sort, he probably knows she may not be such a hard road finding the perfect sheep, especially if he has met Andrew Paterson at Matakanui Station.

Polwarths are an Australian breed, threequarters merino, one quarter lincoln. The polwarth website suggests that if you are farming high country, polwarths are what you need. A lowland farmer? You couldn’t do better than polwarth.

Experience heat, cold, wet, or dry? Polwarth’s your breed.

Paterson’s grandfather was breeding the quarterbred-type sheep on the property near Omakau, in Central Otago. Then Paterson’s father bought 348 polwarths from the Rockthorpe Stud in 1995. Matakanui has spread the word, and the genes, since.

Clearly it works. In the last nine years, Matakanui fleeces have won the supreme fleece award at the Canterbury A & P Show seven times. This year, they won the fine-wool section and accumulated the most points in total.

Matakanui wool averages 21 microns, sitting well in a market in which the prime wool range in New Zealand is 19 to 23 microns. The Matakanui wool is fine enough to be regarded as part of the Merino New Zealand clip, and is sold to that company.

In October last year, Paterson went on a promotional tour in five United States cities with Merino New Zealand and Smartwool. Smartwool sells 10 million pairs of socks a year using only New Zealand merino wool. The company, which was founded by two American ski instructors in 1994, emphasises the moisture wicking and

Andrew Paterson (right) and a judge with the Matakanui Station’s supreme fleece at the 2012 Canterbury A & P Show. Matakanui has won the award seven times. anti-microbial nature of its garments, and promotes mainly to the outdoors market.

“It is the biggest manufacturer of wool socks for the outdoor active market in the US,” Paterson says.

“It is breaking into the apparel market. Icebreaker is now making socks, but they are working together to be competitive with the synthetic market, not with each other.

“We did store presentations to staff, and then events for the customers. The response was

PHOENIX AVIATION

Prompt service • Specialists in all types of aerial work Group and bulk discount schemes available Aircare Accredited Agriculture Aviation Operator

PILOTS Gore Balclutha

(03) 208 4735 (03) 418 1418

Central Otago Lumsden

(03) 449 2502 (03) 248 7087

OFFICE 0800 746 364

DION MORRELL SHEARING PROUDLY SERVICING MATAKANUI STATION

We employ highly skilled staff for  Quality Work  Flexibility in different Wool Contract requirements For all enquiries please contact Dion or Gabriela PH. 03 448 9170 M. 027 630 9081 E. dmshearing@xtra.co.nz

Smarter Fertiliser Call the experienced team at Mainland Minerals for a chat, let them take care of all your fertiliser needs, and farm smarter! fine particle fertiliser • granular fertiliser liquid nitrogen • pasture sprays mineral licks

www.mainlandminerals.com 0800 433 787

Proud to be associated with Andrew & Tracey of Matakanui Station

amazing. Shop staff are wearing Smartwool because it lasts and is comfortable. Also, they earn Smartwool dollars when they sell the product, and get discounts on gear for themselves.”

Smartwool did a promotion by getting an athlete to run 2400 miles wearing just one pair of Smartwool socks. By the end the runner had worn out five pairs of running shoes, but still had the same, unwashed, socks. His girlfriend said they did not smell, but could stand up by themselves.

“Doing the promotional tour gave me the confidence that the farming system and animal

type we are using here is secure for the future.

Smartwool is a brand built on quality; it sells mainly in the USA but is launching into Europe.”

Polwarths are regarded as a dual-purpose sheep, and their meat is selling in the growing merino-meat market. For the Patersons, knowing that next year’s wool contract price is $16 clean, or $12.50 greasy, and that the starting price for their lamb is $8.30 per kilogram is very encouraging.

The meat is sold through Silver Fern Farms

• To page 21

Business Rural / Summer 2013

MEAT & WOOL: ROSEDALE STUD

Breeder upbeat as ‘big gains’ keep coming Jo Bailey Winning the top prize at last year’s Golden Lamb Awards (the Glammies) for his growbulk lamb was testament to the development of the breed over the last 10 years, says Don Morrison.

“We’ve been doing a lot of work in moving the breed forward and I think we’ve achieved some pretty good results. Winning the award is nice recognition, not just for us, but everyone involved with its establishment.”

Morrison, who farms the Rosedale Stud in the Waikaka Valley, near Gore, was introduced to the romney/poll dorset/texel-cross breed 15 years ago after committing to the AgResearch and Woolpro growbulk project.

He agreed to use the newly registered growbulk rams over some of Rosedale’s romney ewes and evaluate the progeny for five years.

“We were a bit sceptical when the first rams arrived. My brother, Andrew, and pur father, George, weren’t keen to use them at all. But, in the end, we mated them with 200 of our topperforming ewes.

“The first year’s results exceeded all our expectations.”

Lamb survival, lamb-growth rates and carcass yields improved immediately and, by 2000, the Morrisons were using growbulk rams over their entire commercial flock at Rosedale, which has been farmed by five generations of the family.

“When I think back to the early days, a lot of people were very suspicious of a maternal breed that had some of these terminal-breed attributes,” says Don. “A lot said we were wasting our time, but I believe the opportunity has given us a 10-year advantage on our breeding programme.”

Rosedale has been involved in what her terms some “pretty serious research” with Ovita and AgResearch over the 10 years of the breeding programme.

This has included a lamb-survival trial led by Julie Everitt-Hinks, and ewe efficiency trial work with Grant Shackell.

“We love working with Julie and Grant, and being involved in the research,” says Don Morrison. “It’s a huge amount of work, but we end up with a tremendous amount of information.

The advancements in terms of identifying and using better genetics have been staggering.”

The project has identified individual productiongenes contributing to visible muscularity in the

21

PHOTOS Don Morrison believes his Rosedale growbulks (left and lower left) are ‘a large, untapped resource’.

growbulk – LoinMax (which enhances meat production) and MyoMax (which enhances strength and durability).

Ovita’s latest 50K and 5K SNP chips are also being used to locate and measure individual genes, generating DNA-marker predictions for key economic traits that heighten the accuracy of breeding decisions.

“This technology makes our job easier in a number of ways,” says Morrison. “It is such a big breakthrough. With predictive genetics, we can target the production aspects we want to improve the most.”

One of the biggest things to emerge from the trial work is the positive correlation between ewe body condition score and all aspects of production.

“We now understand that the condition score of the animal has a huge effect on its performance.”

Towards the end of 2012 the Morrison brothers split the Rosedale operation. Don and his wife, Brigette, now run the entire stud operation and half the commercial flock on 400 hectares.

They have two sons, Lochie (studying at Otago

University) and Dirk (at Gore High School). Don’s father, George, continues to be involved in his farming operation and does all of the cultivation work.

More than 85 years on since his grandfather, Les Morrison, founded the Rosedale Stud, Don says the main focus continues to be breeding high-production, commercial sheep.

“The fact we are still making big gains with the growbulks 15 years down the track is exciting. We’ve identified sire lines with very strong growth, some with extremely high yielding carcasses and others with superior survival.

“I believe there is a large, untapped resource in how far we can take the breed once we start combining these traits.”

DAVIS SHEARING CONTRACTING Farmers! Our strategy to maximise your returns for your wool clip on professional performance in woolshed management.

Our team of certified and leading shedhands will market your wool clip to gain every possible advantage.

We provide: • Shearers & shedhands • Excellent accommodation & living conditions • Great sheds • Steady work • Clean sheep PO Box 323, Balclutha Contact Jason Davis Ph. (03) 418-0824 Email: shara.jason@xtra.co.nz Car Ph. (027) 223-8748

Polwarth numbers on way up again • From page 20 and branded Silere, at the moment mainly to the restaurant trade.

Promotion emphasises its silky texture and defined flavour, claiming this comes from the animals grazing on native herbs and grasses in New Zealand’s high tussock country.

Paterson notes some drop-off in polwarth numbers in recent years, which he puts down to traditional clients selling up to capitalise on the dairy-conversion boom. He says there is now a trend back to increasing numbers, and new buyers.

“We’ve got good wool, and the meat fits into the Alpine Origin contract. Moneywise, there won’t be a sheep that beats it in the country.”

A.B. Gray & Associates BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS

We specialise in Phone: 03 208 9385 Fax: 03 208 9388 Email: abgray@esi.co.nz

• Buying and Selling of Farms • Trusts and Estate Planning • Finance and Re-Finance • Employment and Contract Law

PO Box 293 33B Main Street Gore, 9710, NZ DX YB92511

22

MEAT & WOOL: NITHDALE GENETICS

Business Rural / Summer 2013

National award ‘great start’ Kelly Deeks Nithdale Genetics was recognised as one of New Zealand’s top performing sheep breeders at the inaugural Beef and Lamb New Zealand Sheep Industry Awards last August, taking out the award for the best dual purpose plus worm FEC flock.

The event, designed to celebrate sheep farming excellence, included nine awards covering genetics, production and business innovation.

Results of the genetics-related awards were based on breeders' performance in SIL-ACE (advanced central evaluation) – the large-scale, across flock and breed genetic evaluation of more than 280 ram-breeding flocks.

The evaluation is updated every two months, and the latest ACE dual-purpose plus worm FEC list has seven Nithdale rams in the top 11, and 21 in the top 100.

Nithdale Genetics owner Andrew Tripp says that achieving success at the inaugural sheep Industry awards for traits he has been selecting for the past 20 years is a great start.

His overall breeding philosophy is to breed a low-cost sheep that performs.

“I don’t want to shepherd it, so it needs to lamb unassisted, I don’t want to drench it, so it needs to have resistance to parasites, and I don’t want to have to dag it, so we dag-score.”

Last year Tripp lambed his 5000 stud romneys at Nithdale out on the hill unassisted for the first time, and used DNA parentage tests to relate the lambs back to their parents for their pedigree information.

“We took DNA samples on all the sires and ewes before lambing and the lambs at tailing time, and matched the lambs to their parents.

“The pregnancy scan gives the number of lambs born and approximate birth date, and the lambs alive at tailing time gives the number of lambs reared and survival information.”

He says the advantage of lambing unshepherded is that it replicates what is happening on a number of Nithdale’s clients’ properties, where they are not shepherding either by choice or because they are farming on hill country.

“If we can do that in our own stud operation, it gives us a better reflection of what our clients actually want,” he says.

While there are more lambs running around than in the last couple of years, Tripp has identified dead ewes post-lambing and the reasons why the death rate is a bit higher than had been shepherded in the paddocks.

“One third of the dead ewes have been cast, which is a little frustrating; the rest are either bearing or lambing problems. But we are hopeful that by not assisting and letting nature take its course, we will improve.”

Nithdale has also begun selection for facial eczema (FE) tolerance because of the growing number of its North Island and Nelson clients faced with natural FE challenges in their sheep.

“Looking long term, it will only take a twodegree increase in temperatures in the South Island through global warming for FE to become an issue here,” Tripp says.

“Like any breeding programme it takes time.

We want to have facial eczema-tolerant sheep before we need it.

“We have been breeding for worm resistance for more than 20 years, so breeding for FE tolerance will add to the disease resistance and tolerance of Nithdale Romneys.”

Award-winning philosophy: Heather and Andrew Tripp last year lambed their Nithdale Genetics stud romneys unassisted on the hill for the first time. They have been breeding for worm resistance for more than 20 years, and have begun selection for facial-eczema tolerance.

MacKENZIE AVIATION PH (03) 208 9193 • FAX (03) 208 9093 MOB: 0274 320 274 • PO Box 300, GORE Te Anau PH (03) 249 9426 • MOB: 0274 313 061

Aerial fertiliser spread proud to support

Nithdale Station

New product?

Maternal & Terminal Sires • Proven performance • Easy care The best dual purpose flock in NZ breeding for worm resistance (Winners of Beef & Lamb Sheep Industry Awards 2012 Best Dual Purpose Plus WormFEC Flock) Contact: Andrew Tripp (03) 205 3586 0272566647 www.nithdale.com

Our readers want to know!

CONTACT US TODAY ON 03 983 5514

Business Rural / Summer 2013

MEAT & WOOL: MONTANA PERENDALE

23

‘It’s a simple way to see with our own eyes which sheep are performing and which aren’t’ – Pip Wilson.

Pip’s eyes will always have it Karen Phelps A culling system developed by Pip Wilson and Brian Dickison on their Montana Perendale Stud is showing good results.

Aside from natural culling – if a lamb is weak, they don’t assist it to survive – the couple do not keep any single lambs in their stud, or even amongst their commercial ewes.

They use data to assist this natural culling by colour-coding the ewes according to the sire so they can easily establish patterns and trends to indicate whether a ram or ewe is proving its worth.

The hill country lambs are too hard to reach, but this method allows effective pinpointing of rams and ewes that should be culled around criteria such as survivability, size and type.

It sounds a simple idea, but Pip Wilson says it is not a technique commonly used by breeders. Yet it works.

“It’s a simple way to see with our own eyes which sheep are performing and which aren’t,” she says. “The comparisons are fascinating. We have seen big differences and trends from different rams.”

All the ewes are run together before and after mating to make comparisons easier. While Wilson continues to use SIL records as a tool, she is not a big believer in reliance on one method when it comes to breeding.

And, unlike many farmers, the couple welcome storms, which they see as a good testing ground for the lambs.

“My personal judgements override any data,” says Wilson. “I want live lambs and I want them to be tough. That’s my first thing. Survival is number one.

“In one extreme case, we had a storm and the lambs from one particular ram were dying like flies.

Now he was a beautiful ram with good SIL records and we paid a good price for him. His lambs were actually born a little bit bigger than usual.”

She says she’s a strong believer in smaller lambs at birth, but with quick growth rates once born.

“It showed blatantly in this particular year. The ewes took a bit longer to have the lambs, were more stressed, the lambs didn’t have the vigour and were slower getting up on their feet and having a drink.

“In bad weather that’s the difference between life and death. Needless to say, that ram and all his offspring were culled.”

The couple have set goals to breed aggressive fossickers that can thrive and survive in harsh conditions, and stock able to produce multiple lambs that are quick maturing, well-muscled and high yielding.

These traits are vital on their 560-hectare hillcountry unit 300-650 metres above sea level in the Wendon Valley, near Waikaka, Southland. More than half the farm is over-sown tussock and there are

patches of scrub, gorse and native bush.

Montana Perendale runs 5500 ewes (600 in the stud), 1700 ewe hoggets, 200 ram hoggets and 100 hinds. The stud ewes are run with the commercial ewes for most of the year.

As hill-country farmers they breed for survival in these harsh conditions, says Wilson.

The flock has a record of good fertility, survivability and vigour. This season their lambing percentage was 148 (ewes to ram over all the commercial ewes) with an average mating rate of around 66 kilograms.

The couple do not grow and feed winter crop or re-grass the way other farmers in the region do. Their ewes are wintered on tussock and fed balage. Instead they invest in fertiliser, fencing and gorse control.

It’s yet another test for their sheep, and those that pass are tough enough to last the distance.

Because their sheep are bred to survive in tough conditions, they have a history of shifting well and

• To page 24

McLellan Scanning Services Barry McLellan

X Factor Shearing Proud to support Pip Wilson and Montana Perendales

0800 90 90 20

14 years preg scanning experience on sheep in both NZ and Aussie.

10 years experience in loin muscle scanning of stud sheep. Have recently become proficient in loin muscle scanning stud deer.

I am approachable, easy to work with and professional in every way. Most of all I thoroughly enjoy my job especially the contact with my clients.

I have been working with Pip for about 8 years and enjoy her personality, professionalism and enthusiasm for what she does.

916 Brighton Rd, Brighton, Dunedin 9035 P. 034811244 F. 034811245 M. 0272325777 E. barrymcl@xtra.co.nz

Proud to be associated with Pip Wilson 3 Fairfield Street, PO Box 268, GORE | P: 03 208 9560 | F: 03 208 9189 | E: mallochs@esi.co.nz

24

MEAT & WOOL: MIKE ANDERSON

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Wettest year brings cycle to mind Sue Russell With three brothers all on land in the Fairlie district, farming life for Mike Anderson, wife Daniela and their four children (Justin, Lucas, Nicholas and Gemma) is a real family affair.

Their rolling-country property is made up of 200 hectares they own and a next-door 214ha they lease.

The mainstay activity is wool and meat, but they do graze 200 dairy cows, as well as 100 beef calves from the high-country farm owned by older brother Greg.

In all, Mike Anderson fattens 4000 lambs, some off Greg’s farm and the rest his own.

“Last year we put 1900 ewes to the ram that scanned 163% and tailed 134%,” says Mike Anderson. “We weren’t that happy; we think we’re losing too many from scanning to tailing.

“We also put 500 hoggets to the ram with a 110% scanning, but live lambs came in at 80%. I put that down to being fed too well; with the exceptional weather and feed we’ve had, too many got hung.”

Last year was the farm’s wettest, with more than 1100 millilitres of rain.

“I’ve got farm records going back 49 years

and there has never been a wetter year,” he says.

“I guess global warming may have something to do with it, but I also think weather patterns are cyclical; it’s just whether the cycle is short or long. We’ve had three exceptional years, so I’m beginning to wonder when there’ll be droughts again, as we had in the ‘80s.”

Mike Anderson fattens 1500 of Greg’s hoggets from mid-September to early January when they return to Greg’s premium flock.

Mike crops kale and swedes for stockfeed,

and is keeping an interested eye on farmers in the district growing fodder beet. It’s a highyield crop that, once established, tolerates moderate drought, and it is not a brassica.

“Yes, I’m interested in this crop as I do have a lot of ground out in spring, but it is twice as expensive as kale and I have to balance this off against the benefits that would flow from using less land for cropping.”

Mike Anderson believes it would make a big difference if wool prices were set at a consistently right (a lot higher than they are now) level. But as with the weather, he’s

I’m interested in fodder beet...but it is twice as expensive as kale and I have to balance this off against the benefits that would flow from using less land for cropping.

philosophical that this is something he has no control over.

Daniela used to help in the shed during shearing. She still cooks for the shearers and tends to the motherless lambs, but also works part-time as a cook at the pub in Fairlie, 10 kilometres away – her time-out from farm and family.

The couple have owned the farm since 1995, but it was leased out to a brother for four years while they leased a bigger place.

They took it over nine years ago.

Mike is the second of the four Anderson boys. They all farm close by and help one another out when needed. Mike does use casual workers sometimes.

He enjoys golf but with children aged from 15 to 10 and involved in sports of their own, his opportunities to get a round in these days are scarce.

GIBSON BROS. ENGINEERING LTD

• Aluminium and Stainless • Welding • Precision Machining • 4711 Welding • Profile Cutting For all your engineering needs.

Call us for a FREE quote Agents for ENZED Hydraulics Grant Gibson Ph: 03 685 8374 Email: office@gibsonbros.co.nz Main Street, Fairlie

PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH GREG & MIKE ANDERSON

Pip Wilson and Brian DickIson see storms and snow as a good testing ground for lambs’ survival skills.

Pip’s eyes will always have it • From page 23

SPECIALISTS IN GROWING AND SUPPLYING MAIZE SILAGE L.G. & J.C. DOBBS - ORARI Ph: 03 6939957

Lionel: 0274126527 - Janine: 0276047794 Email: scsilage@xtra.co.nz

Serving the rural community since 1917 Always proud to support Greg & Mike Anderson 114 Allandale Road, Fairlie Ph (03) 685 8583 Fax (03) 685 8543 Email barwoodmotors@xtra.co.nz

thriving on other farms where the system may be more favourable.

“Winter crop is a huge cost and our sheep are tough enough to not need it,” says Wilson.

“We want to run a low-cost system, so we have to have sheep designed for our requirements.

There isn’t always a lot of fat in the system with sheep farming, so low cost/low input and high output is our goal.

Wilson says Montana sheep have have a tremendous reputation for shifting well.

“You can’t pamper them and then throw them out into the real world; the wheels fall off,” she says.

The couple don’t fatten lambs, but sell them as stores or on heavyweight contracts. They graze the hoggets off the farm until they are two-tooths so that they can leep ewes numbers at maximum.

The couple offer around 180 rams for sale on farm in late January/early February.

DAIRY: PATRICK & KAREN WESTENRA

Business Rural / Summer 2013

25

Patrick and Karen Westenra say they have no need to increase cow numbers. Instead they aim to increase production from their 360 cows through better management on their 130ha (effective) coastal farm, near Riverton.

Profit seen as pathway to more time off Karen Phelps Patrick and Karen Westenra, who are enthusiastic about dairying as a way to get ahead faster, plan to put a manager on their Southland farm within the next three to five years, and have more time off.

When Patrick Westenra was seven, his family sold their sheep-and-beef farm and moved to Hamilton. However, he already knew he wanted to be a farmer.

After finishing school he went into Federated Farmers’ cadet scheme and went dairy farming in the Waikato. In 1990 he went sharemilking with Karen.

“Basically we went into dairy farming because we wanted to own our own farm and saw this as the quickest way,” he says.

Their first sharemilking position was three years on a 140-cow unit at Orini, not far out of Hamilton.

After a further three years sharemilking 280 cows at Warkworth, they moved to Te Aroha to sharemilk 240 cows.

Next, they headed to the South Island, drawn by the greater opportunities offered by more readily available, dairy-friendly land. After sharemilking 260 cows at Riverton for two years, they bought before a 97ha farm, also near Riverton, in 2001. They are still on this now 130ha (effective) property, milking 360 predominantly jersey cows.

The Westenras have done a lot of development work – they could milk only 160 cows when they took over.

The work has involved: fencing, waterlines, troughs, contouring, a feedpad, re-grassing and drainage; building a 36-a-side herringbone over the top of an old 16-a-side shed during the milking season, a plus a five-bay calf/hay shed; blasting a hillside for effluent ponds.

Last March they bought 5ha bordering their farm and are now developing it. A stock underpass is the next item on their list of farm improvements.

Production has risen gradually– 38,000 kilograms of milksolids before bought the place, 48,000 in their first season, 127,000 last season.

Their 2012-13 target is 144,000kg.

As part of their drive to increase per-cow production and profit, they aim to buy in less feed this season.

Because of the dry from mid-December 2011 to March 2012, they bought 140 tonnes of palm

kernel, plus balage, for milking and winter feed.

They grew turnips last year for the first time as part of a re-grassing round and to provide quality bulk feed over summer. They aim to grow more grass, as well as turnips and fodder beet, this season.

“We don’t need to increase cow numbers any more,” says Patrick Westenra. “We have been culling heavily, so there was a high percentage of heifers in the herd. We aim to increase production through better management.”

There is no irrigation on the farm, but they spread effluent over 38ha with a k-line system.

Farming on the south-west coast provides plenty of challenges and getting shelter established has been a priority and a challenge, he says.

“If we could stop the penguins from hopping off the icebergs and scratching out everything we plant, that would be a help.”

The Westenras employ one full-time staff member and several relief milkers. Patrick works full-time on the farm and Karen helps with relief milking, calf rearing and bookwork (a full-time job on its own right to keep ahead of compliance issues). They have three children: Sarah, 12, Oliver, 16 and Kate, 18.

BATES BATES

TRANSPORT 2007 LTD

Suppliers of: Coal, Lignite, Water, Gravel, Rotton Rock General Cartage • Stock Cartage Ballance Consignment Store • Fertilizer Cartage & Spreading • Diggers Available

03 2348 930 105 Bath Road Riverton

RIVERTON ELECTRICAL LTD – The Bright Green Sparks – Industrial, Commercial, Residential Specialists in: Renewable Energy Energy Audits Energy Management Home Ventilation

Heat Transfer Dairy Maintenance Preventative Maintenance Freeview TV

Member of Sustainable Electricity Assoc. of NZ Inc (SEANZ)

0274 327 215 Email: rivertonelectrical@gmail.com

Proud to Support Patrick Westenra

Call today to discuss your energy needs for the home or business

RIVERTON ENGINEERING 2010 LTD

• • • • • •

Tool Sales Dairy Pump Maintenance Marine Engineering Hansen Fittings Steel Sales Trailer Sales

Mobile 027 252 6875 Ph/Fax 03 234 8700 Email rivertonengineering@xtra.co.nz

• • • • • •

Bolts Vee Belts Hydraulic Hose & Fittings General Engineering Baleage Feeders HIRE QUIP

59 Bath Road Riverton 9822

Same Otago – Southland Dealer

Thompson Machinery

Surrey Street, Gore Phone: 03 208 9179

Don’t get left behind Contact us today on 03 983 5514 to advertise in the next issue of Business Rural

26

DAIRY: DOUG & DEE COTTER/STONE FARM

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Jury out on winter switch Karen Phelps Doug and Dee Cotter have yet to see the results of changing from winter to seasonal supply on their South Canterbury dairy farm.

The decision to make the change was based on several factors: • difficulty in growing good enough winter crop on the farm to satisfy the demands of the herd; • a fertiliser policy that did not allow for enough nitrogen in spring and resulted in a lack of pasture growth and tillering; • the heavy soils were hard to manage in a wet winter when on a round of 100-plus days.

“Carrying higher covers into winter meant that those paddocks were slower in the spring,” says Doug Cotter.

“We favoured the winter-supply system as we calved only half the herd every year, and the

remaining cows were milked for two consecutive years. This had very positive advantages on cow retention and health and, surprisingly, was less labour intensive.”

The Cotters are in their third season of farming the 135-hectare (effective) unit at Seadown, just north of Timaru.

They are milking 450 cows this season – up from 390 last season. The herd is predominantly friesian and is milked through a 42-a-side herringbone shed that has with automatic cup removers.

When on winter supply, the couple were achieving around 500 kilograms of milksolids per cow. They are aiming for the same figure this season on seasonal supply, and are targeting farm running costs of $3 or less per kilogram of milksolid.

Doug Cotter says that this season they are concentrating on growing more grass and raising

Doug and Dee Cotter: concentrating on growing more grass and raising feed efficiency. feed efficiency. They have an all-grass system, and use a 30ha lease block for some wintering and for running some young stock. The rest of the cattle are wintered off farm.

Cotter has also changed his fertiliser and the regime. He has bought a spreader that is capable of

We favoured the winter-supply system as we calved only half the herd every year, and the remaining cows were milked for two consecutive years. This had very positive advantages on cow retention and health, and, surprisingly, was less labour intensive.

turning solid fertiliser into liquid; it follows behind the herd, spraying a little and often.

“I’m also not afraid to go into the pasture in front of the herd and mow, especially when cover gets up to around 3000 kilograms of dry matter per hectare.

“We aim to fully feed the cows all the time, but to balance that with residuals. We have lifted residuals to 1600 rather than 1500, and we don`t use break fences.”

The farm is irrigated with centre-pivots and a gun. Cotter uses a two-pond effluent system so that effluent can be sprayed across 55ha through the centre-pivot.

The Cotters employ two staff, Glen and Kirstin Sullivan. Dee Cotter helps take care of calf rearing, fills in where needed, and attends to the farm bookwork.

Doug and Dee Cotter have three children: Liam, 10, Stella, 9 and Jack, 7.

Doug Cotter comes from a dairying background, having grown up on a dairy farm. He left farming at the age of 21 to do his ‘OE’, then returned to the industry in his late 20s as a lower-order sharemilker in the Waikato.

After a year on the 170-cow farm, he and Dee then took on their first job together. They have had a series of sharemilking positions as they have progressed up the career ladder.

‘Unique soil situation...unique couple’ Sue Russell All Domestic & Commercial Installations, Industrial Automation, Irrigation & Dairy Automation, Data & Wireless Installations Call the Friendly Team at Farm Electric and let your electrical worries disappear.

phone: mobile: fax: web:

0800 499 024 027 499 0244 (03) 615 8570 www.farmelectric.co.nz

HC Partners LP, Chartered Accountants are proud to provide accountancy

By rotating stock across two farms, using the benefits that come from two very different sets of soil conditions, an enterprising farming couple are producing a top milksolids output with minimal supplementary-feed input.

“We’ve got a unique soil situation here over the two farms we operate,” says Gareth Lewis.

He and fiancé Hayley Brocket are in their fifth season of sharemilking on Stone Farms, a two-farm operation 15km or so from Burnham, just south of Christchurch. “ A hundred metres in one direction, the soil can be bony and really light, while 100 metres in the other direction, it can be boggy and heavy,” says Lewis. “By harnessing the advantages of this soil-quality range, we can sustain our herd of 900 crossbred cows with little supplementary feed.

This makes a huge difference to our bottom-line profitability.”

39 George Street, P O Box 125, Timaru, New Zealand - Phone (03) 687 9222 - Fax (03) 684 4319 - Email hcmail@hcpartners.co.nz - www.hcpartners.co.nz

Gareth Lewis and Hayley Brocket...they run a farm each.

In spring, when it can get really wet, all the calving happens on the ‘light-soiled’ farm, while during summer, when the infamous nor-westers dry everything out, the ‘wet block’ holds its moisture well and supplies the herd with grass feed for longer.

He says managing pasture cover and growth is a big part of the reason the system work.

It begins with walking the farm, measuring growth and quality. This allows Lewis and Brocket

For all Broadcare Agrichemical Requirements Owner-Operated. Ultra-Modern Rig. Proud to be associated with GARETH LEWIS

email: spraying@farmside.co.nz

Bevan & Rachael Hussey PH:

03 324 2210 0274 541 843

CELL:

• To page 27

ELLESMERE TRANSPORT

for Waterscape Dairies Ltd

BEVAN HUSSEY SPRAYING LTD

to set the round well and to identify any surplus or feed deficiencies. They also look really closely at the weather so that they can be as prepared as possible for the regular seasonal variations – and able to cope with the unexpected.

The farms are owned by Kieran and Karen Stone, for whom Gareth worked as a schoolleaver 10 years ago before doing a tractor-

• Livestock Cartage • Concrete • Grain Cartage • Fertiliser Spreading - Farm Mapping • Shingle Supplies - GPS tracking • Daily Freight

BIG & MEDIUM SQUARE BALING & EXCAVATION

Proud to support Gareth Lewis

Leeston 03 3248 070 Dunsandel 03 3254 039 ellesmeretransport@xtra.co.nz

Business Rural / Summer 2013

DAIRY: VAUGHAN TEMPLETON

Nutrient balancing act Kelly Deeks Vaughan Templeton’s passion for energy-efficient farming is a balancing act of managing effluent and fertiliser so that nutrients remain in the root zone of his pasture to maximise their value, maintain highproducing pastures, and protect waterways.

The Riverton farmer aims to use resources and energy efficiently to create a low-energy pathway from grass to cows, to milk, to money.

This balancing act has to take into account the steady year-round rainfall and the shallow sandy soils on his 900-cow farm on the Southland coast.

“It’s a challenging property, coastal, with sand traps and swamps. We run a low stocking rate because this is semi-marginal land. It’s sandy, right next to the beach, and quite peaty in between with about a quarter of the farm in good heavy soils.”

Templeton’s conservative stocking rate makes the major fluctuations in grass growth easier to manage, as does his focus on per-cow production.

“I think it’s a low-maintenance requirement to have a low number of cows. I can put more of the feed we do grow into producing milk, and less into just maintaining numbers.”

As a grass-based system and at the whim of the weather, Templeton’s farm experiences a large variation of grass growth. So, he has devised a robust system that can cope with both a good and poor years.

“I could run a lot more stock and bring in a lot more feed, but that’s going to put a lot more pressure on in a year when there’s a lot less grass growth and maybe the economics of milk production aren’t as good.

“So, we’re a little bit conservatively stocked, but we do have a use for any surplus feed grown in the summer for wintering the cows at home.”

To maintain pasture quality, Templeton is prepared to do quite a lot of cutting of grass for silage and balage, which can use later in the milking season or for wintering.

mechanic apprenticeship. His love for farming – and especially where it could lead as a lifestyle and career – drew him back onto the land and to the same farms.

“I was very lucky to learn about farming when I first worked for Kieran and Karen,” says Gareth Lewis. “They understood that the best way for me to learn was from my mistakes; this has given me a depth of practical understanding in a way I wouldn’t have had from a farming qualification. I’m very grateful to them as I’m certainly no academic.”.

Hayley Brocket comes from a farming background at Waikouaiti, north of Dunedin.

The couple run a farm each, and employ three full-time staff and a couple of relief workers when needed. “I think it takes a unique couple to live and work together,” says Lewis. “ We’ve made it work and it’s a good life for us.”

Riverton Transport SPECIALISTS IN STOCK CARTAGE FERTILISER CARTAGE & SOWING BULK CARTAGE DAIRY CONVERSIONS ROADING Proud to support Vaughan Templeton Ph/Fax: 03 234 8069 Euan Mob: 0274 475 451 Andy Mob: 0274 178 316

Vaughan Templeton says an advantage of farming on the Southland coast (top left) is the good, regular, evenly spread rainfall and lots of smaller showers. He has a small root zone (top right) in his light soil, and tests nutrient levels every year. His aim is to put more of the feed the grows into helping his 900 cows produce milk, rather than to maintaining cow numbers.

He says one of the advantages of farming on the Southland coast is the good, regular, evenly spread rainfall, with lots of smaller showers. It’s really good for growing grass.

He is striving for high-producing pastures for the lowest possible cost of energy, and to have the cows harvesting feed directly from the pastures as often as possible, rather than carting it to them.

“I think that’s the most efficient way, and I think the price of energy is going to go up. Our advantage over people growing milk elsewhere in the world is growing feed for the least possible energy cost.”

Templeton’s friends, and experts working with low application, have pointed out what a small root zone he has in his light soils.

“They said that a lot of the nutrients are probably going past the root zone before the plant can take them up.”

He has changed from travelling irrigators to pods, which keep the nutrients in the root zone in his farm’s free draining soil with a very thin layer of top soil.

He keeps a close eye, soil-testing every year, on changes in nutrient levels. His aim is to optimise the amount of fertiliser he brings in, in relation to the amount of product he sends out the gate.

Couple make ‘good life’ work • From page 26

27

The farm experiences what he terms “waves of growth”. This season didn’t start well, but lowcover, good-quality pasture was soon replaced by an explosion of growth, followed by seeding.

A variety of irrigation systems – centre-pivots, Roto-Rainers and sprinklers – keep the farms in water, and 15 hectares is set aside for growing lucerne as a feed supplement.

“The advantage in growing our own lucerne is that we cut just the quantity we want and feed it out straight away. We also have control over quality.”

Last season the two farms produced a total of 356,000 kilograms of milksolids from 230 hectares.

Lewis is adamant “there’s still room” to improve profitability.

Cows these days are larger-framed, he says.

While the average cow once got by on 14-15kg of food a day, it’s now 18-20kg. To counter this, he plans to slowly “breed back in” a smaller-framed cow”.

FOR ALL YOUR BALING AND WRAPPING NEEDS PROUD TO SUPPORT VAUGHAN TEMPLETON RD3 THORNBURY, SOUTHLAND

PHONE JASON: 0274 345 059 or 03 224 6325

BATES BATES

TRANSPORT 2007 LTD

03 2348 930 105 Bath Road Riverton

Suppliers of: Coal, Lignite, Water, Gravel, Rotton Rock • General Cartage • Stock Cartage • Ballance Consignment Store • Fertilizer Cartage & Spreading • Diggers Available

innovators in agriculture

JJ Ltd, service, sales and parts for Fendt, Massey Ferguson and Lely. With over 50 years in the industry we know how to serve our customers.

36 Hickory Place, Hornby Christchurch, 8042

PO Box 16360, Hornby Christchurch, 8441

P 03 344 5645 F 03 349 8241

www.jj.co.nz

28

DAIRY: CAMERON & NICOLA VAN DORSTEN/TARARUA FARM

Business Rural / Summer 2013

We’ve got the growth, now for production van Dorsten the opportunity to become a 23% sharemilker in June 2010. The MyFarm syndicate then bought the property in August 2011.

Conversion of the 234ha of rolling-contour country saw the construction of a 64-bail rotary shed with a full Protrack system and in-shed feeding.

A 90-day effluent storage pond, with three weeping-wall ponds, was developed and a new G. J. Gardner house was built.

The Hoebergens invested more capital in building a 700-cow feedpad, a 40-tonne grain silo with wheat crushers, and a 130-cow calving pad.

The feedpad was vital when the region was hit by a snow-storm in September 2010.

The van Dorstens employ two farm assistants, Roger Hibionada and Isabel Tagapan, and a parttime calf rearer, Jarryl McCabe. Nicola van Dorsten works on the farm on her days off from her Central

Kelly Deeks A year on from the worst drought they have seen, Cameron and Nicola van Dorsten are looking to turn improved grass growth into higher production on their Southland farm. Their efforts are complicated by the need to keep costs low because of the drop in Fonterra’s payout this season.

During the December 2011-January 2012 drought, the van Dorstens’ production took a massive hit. But as the weather improved so much in autumn they were able to make up all of the lost ground, and by the time they dried off on May 25, they had produced 5% more than in the previous season.

The 225-hectare (effective) Gummies Bush farm was converted by the van Dorstens, and then sold to Mark and Karen Hoebergen, who offered

RIVERTON ELECTRICAL LTD – The Bright Green Sparks – Industrial, Commercial, Residential Specialists in: Renewable Energy Energy Audits Energy Management Home Ventilation

Heat Transfer Dairy Maintenance Preventative Maintenance Freeview TV

Member of Sustainable Electricity Assoc. of NZ Inc (SEANZ)

0274 327 215 Email: rivertonelectrical@gmail.com

Proud to support Cameron & Nicola Van Dorsten

Call today to discuss your energy needs for the home or business

Don’t get left behind Contact us today on 03 983 5514 to advertise in the next issue of Business Rural

Southland customer relationship manager role for Livestock Improvement Corporation.

They are milking 670 cows this season and are aiming to improve last season’s production of 276,000 kilograms of milksolids to 290,000kg.

They are sitting around 10% ahead of last year.

“This will be a challenge with the lower payout, however it will be good to go back to the core farming basics of a predominately grassbased system to maximise the farm’s production potential,” Cameron van Dorsten says.

Even through the Southland weather provided plenty of ups and downs this season, the cows were well on track for mating, he says.

A new herd has been acquired for the farm this season, and van Dorsten has had to use 150 CIDRs to try to condense the calving pattern.

“We look forward to the challenge that lies in front of us – to pull as many cows into the six-week calving spread.”

With the reduced Fonterra payout in mind, he is working to keep costs down.

He had hoped not to push through some of the silage he had made during August and September while the farm was experiencing some extra growth, but had to tap into his supplements come an extremely wet October. MyFarm bought in some palm kernel.

Top left: The Southland weather looks pretty sweet here, but Cameron and Nicola van Dorsten are well versed in coping with its ups and downs.

Above: The van Dorstens’ 700-cow feedpad proved its vital value when a big snow-storm hit Southland in September 2010

Couple consider their plans Kelly Deeks Swannanoa couple Jeremy Smith and Michelle Oldham, who have been business together since last June, are concentrating on making their system sustainable.

They are variable-order sharemilking 900 cows on a 255-hectare farm owned by Smith’s father, Rod. Jeremy has been working on the farm for eight years, managing for three years and sharemilking for two before Oldham joined him from her

sharemilking position in Southland.

She brought her 150 cows with her, and in June, they combined their herds and formed a company.

Smith has been building his herd numbers for the past four years, having earned some capital through seasonal tractor driving work in Western Australia’s wheat belt before coming home to work on his dad’s farm.

“One of the first years I worked for Dad, he said he would pay me pocket money and also give me 45 bobby calves,” he says. “I reared them to 100 kilograms, then send them out grazing. I sold them

While she was away, I got my discs and cut the words, ‘Will you marry me?’ into a paddock. The day she came back, I hired a helicopter and flew her over the paddock.

Excavation & Cartage Ltd Hurley Excavation & Cartage Ltd are proud to be associated with Tararua Dairies

• Dairy Farm Tracks • Construction & Capping • Driveways • Culverts • Site Works • Shingle Supplies River run, Cap40 & Cap20

• Subdivisions • Roading • Grader Available

P: 03 313 3419 | M: 0274 336 993 | F: 03 313 3418

DAIRY FARMERS

DIRECT DRILL | FULL CULTIVATION | TRACK MAINTENANCE

B A Murray Ltd

REGD Agricultural Contractors

Contact Steve Murray Mobile 0274 343 119 A/H 03 312-2299

DAIRY: BRETT & MEGAN BAIRD

Business Rural / Summer 2013

29

Staff ‘the biggest difference’ Kelly Deeks Lower-order sharemilkers Brett and Megan Baird are now settled into their second season of milking 750 cows on 270 hectares in Southland. They decided to have a go at a larger herd on a larger farm after contract-milking 350 cows on 250ha for four seasons.

The Bairds are into their seventh year of working for farm-owners Lance and Sally Hammond. When the Hammonds offered them the job on the larger farm, Brett Baird was happy to take the opportunity.

When they made the move, they bought a couple of tractors, bale buggies and a mower, and went from a one-person operation to hiring two staff.

“On the smaller farm we did it all ourselves,” says Baird. “It is a wee bit more involved running more cows and employing staff, but essentially the systems on both farms are the same, all grass. The biggest difference is managing the staff.”

The farm, which has a 60-bail rotary dairy shed, is in the Dacre area, off State Highway 1 between Edendale and Woodlands.

Baird says the good, Waikiwi soils have a lot of top-soil. The dairy farm is supported by a 200ha run-off block next door, where the cows are wintered and winter feed is grown. Supplement for the season is made on the dairy farm.

Last season the Bairds were milking an extra 50 heifers, so they did a tougher season with 800 cows on 270ha.

“It was quite tough with the way the season went,” says Baird. “It got pretty dry. We bought in balage at the end of the season to do a bit of the autumn, winter, and spring.

“Now we have fewer cows, but October wasn’t that great for grass growth. We started the season doing huge production, then we crashed a bit and lost a bit of condition.”

The cows calved in really good condition, and good grass growth during August and September brought production gains, but some of these were lost during the wet October.

“The cows were probably sitting around a five condition score, and some of them would have been a four,” says Baird.

“We just needed to keep the feed up through mating.”

This season Hammond took 50 mixed-age cows out of the herd, and left Baird with the 200 heifers he milked last season.

“They’re now two-year-olds, which is quite

good. It has dropped the average age of the herd to about five or six,” Baird says.

Because of the extra cows on the farm last season, the Bairds did not have a production target. They are aiming for 300,000 kilograms of milksolids this season.

New Homes & Alterations Dairy/Wintering Sheds Digger & Machine Hire Concrete Work Roofing Your Local Rural Builder

and proposals 12 months later at the peak of the market. Twelve months after that, I bought back double the amount of stock. Then I started leasing blocks of land and trading stock.”

As Smith’s stock numbers rose, his father leased cows from him; a couple of years on, when he had 385 mixed-age cows, he started sharemilking.

Smith still leases four discretionary blocks where he continues to trade stock, as well as grow kale and harvest silage as whole crop to support the dairy farm.

He describes the system as semi selfcontained,; he buys in a small amount of maize and barley.

Smith and Oldham employ three full-time and a couple of casual staff. They say that staffing has been one of the biggest learning curves they have faced.

Jeremy Smith says that since going into business together, they have revised their goals.

Long term, they are aiming for farm ownership, while short term, they create a profitable and efficient system with sustainable farming processes.

“We’re young, so we can work. But, looking long term, if we’re going to have a family, the hours we’re doing now aren’t going to be sustainable.”

Smith and Oldham, who met at the South Island Dairy Event in 2010, are now engaged.

“Michelle recently went on a trip to Europe,” says Smith.

“While she was away, I got my set of discs and cut the words ‘Will you marry me?’ into a paddock’.

On the day she came back, I hired a helicopter and flew her over the paddock.”

They plan to marry at Hanmer in April.

Call Grant 027 544 5791 Phone/fax (03) 231 3165

PROUD TO SUPPORT BRETT BAIRD Top: Brett and Megan Baird’s 750 cows wind their way to 60-bail rotary milking shed on the 270-hectare property where they are lower-order sharemilkers.

Above: Brett Baird (centre), with farm workers Rex Rowland (left) and Arnel Elefanio.

Proud to support

Tararua Dairy

LARK ONTRACTING EDENDALE LTD

• Cultivation • Mower Conditioner • Silage Self Propelled Harvester • Baleage Individual Wrapping • Hay - Round or Conventional • Medium Square Bailing and Wrapping • Heavy Rolling

• • • • •

Diggers 13 & 16 Ton Tip Trucks 6x4 Gravel and Rock Supplies Grading Computerised Bulk Sower and Bulk Cartage • Alkathene Laying • All Associated equipment available

CERTIFIED FOR DAIRY EFFLUENT POND CONSTRUCTION David & Julie-Anne Phone/Fax 03 206 6547

David 027 433 6892 Glen 027 424 6604

30

DAIRY: MURRAY HILLS

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Performance the priority Karen Phelps Paul McCullough and wife Charlotte Chalman are in their first season of managing Murray Hills, a Mossburn farm owned by Paul’s parents. Despite having worked there two seasons ago as secondin-charge, they have had a busy first year.

When Graham and Heather McCullough bought Murray Hills four seasons ago, most of the conversion work had been completed. The 431-hectare (400ha effective) farm just needed a new 54-bail DeLaval rotary shed.

Graham and Heather McCullough are also part of a partnership that owns two farms at nearby Castle Rock – 2000 cows are milked on Homesdale and 1300 on Castle Rock.

Paul, who grew up on dairy, sheep and beef blocks in the Waikato, came into dairy farming only three years ago after working in the army and on oil rigs. Charlotte had no dairy experience.

Their dairying careers began with filling a need for a few months as second-in-charge on Homesdale, and then herd manager. Last season they were second-in-charge on Station Peak Farm, at Kurow, before returning to Murray Hills where they are milking 1310 cows (the farm has consent to milk 1500) and supplying Open Country.

The couple’s major role this season is to rear enough replacements to make up the difference.

The plan had been to raise a farm-record 380 heifer calves this year, with the average closer to 250.

Charlotte Chalman says they have identified a number of issues that could affect heifer numbers, including water in the heifer shed being linked to the Dosatron, which was giving the calves an overload of minerals.

They also hedged their bets by artificially inseminating all the heifers and sending latecalvers or those not cycling straight to the bull.

They did the same for any that were artificially inseminated but not performing as expected.

Extra care was taken with calf-rearing to ensure the calves were fed proper calf-meal and pens were regularly sprayed for bugs.

Paul McCullough and Charlotte Chalman, with their daughters, Elliot (left) and Claudia.

“By having just one staff member in charge of the calves for the first month, we could keep a better handle on what was happening as that person noticed any changes quickly rather than

We have had Environment Southland and a drainage contractor out, and have worked out a five-year plan for drainage and riparian planting.

if we had had different staff in there each day,” she says.

Because a number of staff had personal issues, an entirely new group has been put together, and a lot of work has gone into getting policies and procedures in place to streamline farm operations.

Catching up on farm maintenance, particularly drainage, to get things up to standard has been another immediate goal.

“The farm is flat to steep hills,” says Chalman. “The rain tends to run off the hills

into the farm; a lot of areas get very wet and have not been fully taken advantage of for grass production. We have had Environment Southland and a drainage contractor out, and have worked out a five-year plan for drainage and riparian planting.”

The couple have two daughters, Elliot, 5 and Claudia, 2 1/2. Despite working on a family farm, they are not planning on family handouts to get ahead. They are already raising 85 yearlings, which they will sell as in-calf heifers to help finance their way into a dry-stock block.

MILNE BUILDING CONTRACTORS LTD Proud to support Graham and Heather McCullogh Northern southlands only Dairy farm specialist Electricians Phone 0800-LUMSDEN ... ANYTIME

Farm Building & Dairy Conversion Specialists Proud to support Graham and Heather McCullogh Ph: (03) 230 6160 • Mob: 0274 733 108

Pro Proud r ro suppliers of Grain throughout Southland & Otago thr

We have available for our clients: Excavators • Grader • Roller • Tip Truck • Silage Equipment • Heavy Haulage • Dozer

Saleyard Rd, Castlerock • John 027 453 6721 • Mark 027 210 1813

For whole or crushed grain pricing and contracts, contact us today

Phone 03 201 6246 Mobile 027 249 9317 Proud to support Graham McCullogh

w w w. w i l k i n s f a r m i n g . c o . n z

DAIRY: PAUL & JUANITA MARSHALL

Business Rural / Summer 2013

31

PHOTOS Left: Mist enshrouds Paul and Juanita Marshall’s 600-hectare property, near Tuatapere.

Lower left: The internal workings and the external yard of the Marshalls’ 54-bail rotary shed.

The Marshalls turned to dairying because they were disillusioned with the lamb industry. They used to run 5000 ewes; now they milk 900 crossbred cows.

Profit came down to one option Karen Phelps Paul and Juanita Marshall’s training “skite wall” just continues to grow. Their latest achievement – the 2012 AgITO Southland Employer/Farmer Trainer of the Year – has been mounted on their cowshed office wall, along with all the certificates their staff have accumulated.

“It took a bit of encouragement for staff to put the qualifications they had achieved up there but now everyone does it,” says Paul Marshall. The certificates include hoof trimming courses and AgITO modules.

“For us, training is about getting value for the farm and a means of helping our staff to achieve their goals,” he says.

“We’re keen that both our farm and our staff progress. The best way we can do this is with a well-trained and committed workforce.”

As an incentive the Marshalls structure salaries around training for every position on the farm – a base salary plus incremental increases based on training and performance.

The couple are recent converts to dairy farming after 25 years as sheep-and-beef farmers. They are into their second season on their 600-hectare farm, near Tuatapere, on the edge of Fiordland in Western Southland, has a 300ha dairy platform.

Around 222ha (effective) of their land is used as a run-off for wintering all of their 900 crossbred

cows and for rearing all of their calves and yearlings.

Being fully self-contained is a huge advantage and gives them a great deal of flexibility, says Paul Marshall.

Paul and Juanita began their working careers in Wellington, but knew even then that they didn’t want to raise a family in the city and would rather “try their hand at the land”.

They returned to Juanita’s family sheep farm in the mid-1980s, eventually bought the property and ran 5000 ewes. Economics drove them to

use some of the farm for rearing heifer calves and winter grazing for dairy farmers.

Paul says this helped them accelerate their move into dairy as they had already been renewing pastures on this part of the farm. They hadn’t initially intended to convert, but unprofitable lamb prices and their development of a farm-succession strategy led them to dairying.

“Dairy is the only farming land use that is sufficiently profitable,” he says. It is a very systemised business with lots of options.

“We were disillusioned with where the lamb

industry was heading and we find the dairy industry refreshing. It’s a new challenge and the key production parameters are measured every day.

We know that it is our management of the farm that influences this directly. It’s very exciting.”

“We describe ourselves as operations managers, which basically means we can stick our mitts in anywhere we like, and we do.” The farm is managed by Graham Hand.

Cows are milked through a 54-bail rotary shed with Waikato Milking System plant that includes a conductivity measure of cows tending towards mastitis infection. For a large herd the Marshalls, have a low bulk somatic cell count, just above 135.

“The plant really gives us an excellent platform, which lets the management of the farm really shine.

The milking herd is managed with Protrac Vantage.

The power of that system is incredible and allows us to micro-manage the herd.”

The Marshalls achieved 299,000 kilograms of milksolids last season with 40% heifers and a challenging drought. With 95% of the conversion complete, they are aiming for 343,000kg this season with a more mature herd and pasture. Their herd breeding worth has improved from 52 to 60 in a year.

“Our five-year plan is to get the herd to a breeding worth of 100. We’re not obsessed with cow numbers; we want herd genetics to drive production from our cows, based primarily on the grass we grow.”

Farm Drainage, Roading and Earthworks Contractors HONESTY • INTERGRITY • INNOVATION Email: gregkeen@woosh.co.nz

Serving the South Since 1965 • Driveways • Car Parks • Roading/Subdivisions • Asphalt Driveways • Dairy Conversions • Lanes/Maintenance • Building Sites • Root Raking • Flat Grade Drains • Effluent Ponds • Laser Levelling • Alkathene Laying • Pipework • Chain Trenching • Underpasses

Rock & Gravel Available 1.5-24 Ton Diggers • 6 x 4 and 8 x 4 Trucks • Grader

YOUR RURAL ADVISORS

PAUL WARREN

Our rural advisors are used to getting their boots dirty

Qualified Carpenter

Our qualified rural advisors with their specialist skills understand the complexities of modern farming from a personal perspective.

GIVE US A CALL

0800 4 EARTHWORKS

www.wilsonandkeen.co.nz

BUILDER McIntyre Dick & Partners Chartered accountants & rural advisors PHONE 0800 10 30 10

McIntyre Dick & Partners Limited - Rural Expertise

• Dairy Sheds • Alterations • Farm buildings • Houses

Southland Wide...

Contact Paul 0275 505 718

32

DAIRY: VAUGHAN & NARISSA WEBBER/TOBRUK FARM

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Body condition barnstormed Kelly Deeks Two new wintering barns have an instant effect on the body-condition scores of the cows Vaughan and Narissa Webber and his parents, Bryce and Dianne Webber, 50:50 sharemilk at Seaward Downs, in Southland.

After just a month in the barns, the cows were showing an average gain of half a point.

The Webbers have been sharemilking on the property since 2001, milking two herds of 320 through separate herringbone sheds on either side of the long, stretched out farm.

Environmental concerns and the increasing difficulty of cropping in Southland because of pugging prompted farm-owner Dougall McKenzie to build the wintering barns this year.

Planting of winter crops was restricted on the hills of the flat to rolling farm, and the 178-hectare run-off where the cows are wintered was too far, 30 kilomertres, away.

McKenzie sold the run-off block and used the proceeds to build the barns, which were completed in June.

“Some of the cows came out of calving this year in better nick than they were going in to calving last year,” Vaughan Webber says.

The barns, designed and built by Rakaia Engineering, have individual stalls, a hydraulic scraping system, and a curved roof. Webber says the design is extremely cow friendly, with the stalls

PHOTOS Vaughan Webber has no doubts that the two wintering barns on the Southland property he sharemilks represent a good investment for both farmers and cows.

constructed from greenstick plastic rather than steel.

“If a cow catches her hip on the side of the stall, it will flex so that she doesn’t hurt herself.”

With effluent now held underneath the barns, the farm’s effluent treatment and management system has been upgraded with a screw press to deal with the changes.

Since calving, the cows have been using the barns for their ration of palm kernel after milking.

Webber, who is feeding palm kernel for the first

We’ve always been grass and silage, so we’re learning a new way of feeding, and how we need to change things at different times of the season.

CALDWELL CONTRACTING EDENDALE Proud to support Vaughan Webber & Dougal McKenzie  Complete silage service  Dairy effluent spreading  Excavation & Drainage  Transport services  Complete baling service Contact Alan 0274 364 663 or Doug 027 206 6162 Office 03 206 6465

Proud to support Vaughan Webber and Daugal McKenzie • • • •

Rotary Platforms Wintering Pads Alloy Trike Trailers Big Bale Feeders

• • • •

Herringbones Cattle Ramps Sheep Ramps Big Bale Forks

• Pipe Work for Cow Yards • Backing Gates for Cow Yards • Top Gates for Cow Yards

PLUS ALL YOUR GENERAL ENGINEERING REQUIREMENTS 1945 Edendale Woodlands,HW Edendale Phone/Fax (03) 206-6310 • Email:office@donaldengineering.co.nz • www.donald-engineering.co.nz

Progressive Engineering

time, has been using a Keenan mixer wagon since March. He says the feeding system would have improved both cow health and production on the farm, even without the barns.

He brought nutritionist Brian McKay on board and says he has learned a great deal about feeding his cows.

“We’ve always been grass and silage, so we’re learning a new way of feeding, and how we need to change things at different times of the season.”

Cow numbers will increase to 700 next season, with Webber opting not to risk over-stocking for his first year with the barns.

“We went from 600 cows last season to 640, but we’re finding now that we could have gone to 700 cows. We had paddocks shut up for silage early.”

He will increase herd numbers next season with replacement heifers, so is concentrating this season on keeping the empty rate between 4% and 8%.

He is targeting production of 310,000 kilograms of milksolids this season, up from 280,000kg last season.

Determination helps couple Karen Phelps Having had a helping hand into the dairy industry has made Heath and Rebecca Smith determined to repay for their good fortune by helping someone else when they have the chance.

“We’ve had really good coaches and role models along the way, so it would be great to be able to help another young couple get ahead one day,” says Heath Smith.

The Kaikoura couple moved into the dairy industry in the 2001. Heath, who had completed a building apprenticeship and had worked in the family sawmilling business, became interested in dairying after visiting a work colleague who had made the shift.

“I saw him and his wife in the shed milking cows together and I thought it looked pretty cool.”

Rebecca already had some experience relief milking and calf rearing, so when the couple were driving to their first dairy job, she pointed out which cows could and couldn’t be milked in nearby paddocks.

It was trial by fire, but the Smiths proved quick learners. “I knew the difference between a cow and a bull before we got the job, but that was about it,” says Heath.

The job was as assistant herd managers working directly for sharemilkers Andy and Tracey Taylor on a 550-cow farm at Methven. A season later they moved to herd manage a 450-cow farm for Adam and Katherine Glass nearby, then the following year they went to Te Pirita, near Hororata.

Their first job at Te Pirita was as herd managers for 550 cows for Sue and Bruce Rolls. By their second season, the Smiths were already looking at how they could progress, which led the Rollses to offer to them an equity partnership on a 194-hectare, 750-cow farm called Tobruk.

They now also have a 50:50 sharemilking contract for the herd (now 700 crossbred cows) they first managed for the Rollses. Each farm has a 50-bail rotary dairy shed.

The Smiths plan to increase production by 3-5% a year by doing the basics better.

“It’s about being smarter with supplement by filling the gaps of feed deficits and stocking

SEARLE CONTRACTING LTD Specializing in all baling – with over 20 years combined experience in making balage.

Buyers and sellers of: • Hay • Straw • Balage • Standing pasture

TIMARU LTD

westfaliaSurge Dealers

Proud to support Tobruk Farms Meadows Road, PO Box 2026, Washdyke, Timaru Cell Phone: 021 220 0094 (Michael) Fax: 03 688 4000 Email: progress.eng@xtra.co.nz

High density Round Baler High Density Medium Square Large Square (freeman size) Tube Wrappers

BOB

P. 03 318 0820 M. 027 436 9400

MIKE

E. bobsearle@scorch.co.nz M. 027 496 6265

Business Rural / Summer 2013

DAIRY: EU TRADE/HEATH & REBECCA SMITH

33

Kiwis can cash in on EU if they work together – trade head Collaboration is vital to Kiwi agribusinesses wanting to capitalise on rapidly changing European Union markets, says New Zealand’s trade commissioner for the United Kingdom and Ireland.

With production ceilings due to be lifted in 2015, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise is encouraging smaller exporters to work collaboratively to provide total agribusiness packages, Sam Lewis said from London.

“By working as a group, they are able to present with scale. New Zealand has an established reputation in the UK, but it’s about getting more from the relationships they have. The UK and Ireland are where the growth is.”

New Zealand pasture-based systems are more readily accepted in Ireland and the south of England, he says.

NZTE also sees opportunity for Kiwi agribusiness technology and expertise in Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands as those countries join the rush to improve milk production.

Partnering with ancillary businesses would make it viable for smaller New Zealand companies to compete, says Lewis.

“When it’s not competitive to sell bits of the total package, it makes sense for them to work together.

“If a company is resident in New Zealand, it is creating jobs in New Zealand and creating sales opportunities for people selling component parts.”

“That means specifying pieces of kit. If you’re exporting dairy parlours, you would specify (New Zealand made) equipment and technical aspects.

We encourage businesses to pull product through, to specify as much New Zealand kit as they can.

The greatest part is intellectual property.”

But it was not just a case of “making hay while the sun shines”. Kiwi companies need to maintain a focus on distribution and after-sales service if they want to maintain a long-term presence in European markets.

“When you’re selling in a new system it makes sense…with a 12-13-hour time difference and long flight times. You need people to check the installation and provide back-up.”

Amalgamation of UK and Ireland farms – many still stocked and operating at 1983 levels – is a certainty as tough economic conditions, stiff retail competition and the need to lift production combine, says Lewis.

“It will make it harder for smaller UK farmers to

make most of a good turn I believe it is easier to farm in a tight year than a good year. You have your finger on the pulse more and watch your spending. according to growth patterns,” says Heath Smith.

“We are watching expenditure with the forecast payout. I believe it is easier to farm in a tight year than a good year. You have to keep your finger on the pulse more and watch your spending. It makes you realise you can save a lot of money if you have to.

“But you still have to do the basics right because when the payout goes up again, you want to ensure your cows are in good condition to benefit.”

This season they are working on grazing their residuals down correctly and ensuring their correct stocking rate is correct. The key will be weekly farm walks, and spotting deficits and surpluses in advance, says Heath.

The Smiths buy in around 400 kilograms of supplement per cow each season.

Last season they achieved 311,000kg milksolids at Tobruk and 290,000kg on their sharemilking job.

They are aiming for a slight increase on each unit this season.

They have two children, Harry, 10 and Josh, 3 ½., and are adamant that lifestyle is the driving force behind their business. They say their present farming system allows them time to do the things they enjoy – family time, hunting and shooting, and coaching a local rugby team.

Employing an extra staff member this season has allowed them more time off and given them more freedom to plan and tweak their business.

“We’ve put in the hard slog for eight years and all that hard work has to be for something,” says Heath. “It’s getting that balance, which has just started to come. It’s reward for effort.”

They’re bullish about New Zealand’s agribusiness prospects in the European Union...New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s programme leader for agribusiness, Haylon Smith (left) and trade commissioner for the United Kingdom and Ireland, Sam Lewis (right). survive. The UK market is a liquid (dairy) market and we will see a change to solids. The UK hasn’t met its quota levels for some time, and that’s a lot to do with the scale of its operations. Ireland was recently penalised for surpassing its quota, so will have to learn to manage those levels.”

NZTE’s programme leader for agribusiness, Haylon Smith, agrees that New Zealand still has an increasingly profitable role to play in EU growth.

Kiwi farmers have little to worry about, he says.

“The global population is 7 billion and will rise to 9 billion by 2050. Agriculture needs to increase by 70% just to feed the world.

“Many drivers are pushing consumers towards protein diets and away from grains. With the rising

C U LT I V A T I O N & E X C A V A T I O N CONTR AC TOR S

Lindy Andrews

middle classes in India and China, New Zealand will not be able to supply all that demand.

Demand for New Zealand agribusiness products and expertise remained in demand, despite the strong dollar, he says.

“We’re still the first port of call for a lot of people looking for new systems and technologies; we still have the competitive advantage.”

NZTE is unable to put a figure on the value of New Zealand intellectual-property exports as a percentage of GDP. “The only way to get concrete figures is through the aggregation of businesses,” Sam Lewis said. “We’re reliant on their willingness to share data.”

RD2 Leeston 027 534 9161 chrisswansoncontracting@hotmail.com

• Cow Track Lime Supply and Lay • Farm Tracks and Driveways • All Shingle Supplies • On Site Crushing of Shingle • Supply and Installation of Irrigation Pipe • Truck & Trailer Hire • Grader and Digger Work • Hedge and Stump Removal • Reversible Ploughing • Cultivation • Direct Drilling • Roller Drilling • Pivot Rut Filling

Proud to support Tobruk Farms

One of the most trusted names in irrigation.

One of New Zealand’s leading pivot and lateral, Full variety of options offered Superior product features and strength, Advanced computer technology Specialists in irrigation system design, supply and installation

For further information: Ashburton (03) 307 9049

CULTIVATION & DRILLING • Precision Nitrogen Application • Lime & Super Spreading • Advanced GPS technology • Mapping capability

• Direct Drilling • Cultivator Drill • Cultivation • Ploughing • RTK GPS & Autosteer

STEVE ROBERTS P: 03 302 7022 M: 027 439 8410 E: tepirita@xtra.co.nz

Our modern fleet of Scania and Isuzu spreaders are fitted with the latest Topcon and Trimble computers and guidance systems to deliver precision placement for each and every application.

Call 03 302 8650 | Fax 03 302 8672 44 Methven Chertsey Road, Methven, Canterbury 7730

34

DAIRY:LLOYD & KATHY McCALLUM

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Succession rises to top of agenda Karen Phelps With two sons already involved in their dairying business, farm succession is on the minds of Lloyd and Kathy McCallum.

“We have gone from expansion mode to consolidation mode,” says Lloyd McCallum.

“Both boys are keen to be in the business, so we are looking at what our options are.”

The McCallums’ farming enterprise is made up of three dairy farms, a dry-stock unit and several run-off blocks.

Son Philip, 28, and his wife, Katherine, manage Rockley Stud, a 288-hectare sheep and beef block at Mossburn. They run 800 ewes, manage angus and speckle park cattle studs, graze 160 rising one-year-old dairy heifers, and winter 450 cows.

Second son Mark, 26, is in charge of 44ha, 88ha and 80ha run-off blocks used to support the McCallums’ 155ha and 177ha dairy farms at Winton. The dairy farms, which are overseen by contract milkers, milk 450 cows through a 32-a-side herringbone shed, and 500 cows through a 36-a-side herringbone.

Two years ago the McCallums bought the final shares in MCM Dairies Ltd after a 10year, equity partnership. They milk 650 cows through a 48-a-side herringbone at the MCM property at Mandeville. There has been a lot of activity there since the ownership change.

A re-consent for effluent and irrigation has extended the irrigated area to 90%. Eighteenday rounds have been reduced to 12 by putting on less water more often to maximise water use. A 1.5 million-litre effluent storage tank will be installed in February. Travelling irrigators and underground piping have been upgraded, and a stone trap put in beside the dairy shed.

Lloyd McCallum says the farm, run by a lower-order sharemilker, produces around 1250 kilograms of milksolids per hectare, nudging it into the top 5% of producers in Southland.

For all your Digger, Silage, Baleage, Tractor, Truck/Transporter needs call us…

The McCallums’ other farms produce 1300kg milksolids per hectare, and that is the target for Mandeville. It’s virtually an all-grass system – they use 200-300kg of silage and palm kernel per cow a year to fill in the holes.

Lloyd McCallum comes off a sheep and cropping farm in Central Southland and has a Diploma in Agriculture and Farm Management from Lincoln College. He bought his family’s sheep and cropping farm in 1990 and, a year later, converted to dairying.

He is a Fonterra shareholder councillor, and says the focus is implementing the Trading Among Farmers scheme.

“The scheme is well designed; we just have to monitor it, and ensure it does what we want it to do on behalf of our shareholders.”

• Effluent • Hay & Baleage • Silage • Wood Chipping • Agricultural Services • General Cartage 742 Whiterig Road, RD 3 Gore, 9773 Phone: 03 208 9483 Fax: 03 208 9486 Mobile: 027 220 4381 Email: fiskcontracting@xtra.co.nz

WARD ADAMS BRYAN-LAMB L A W Y E R S FOR ALL LEGAL SERVICES Skilled and knowledgeable in all legal issues relating to farming - including sheep, dairy and specialist units, sales, purchases, succession and estate planning, business structures and dispute resolution.

Partners Chris Ward | Paul Adams | Debbie Bryan-Lamb | Karen Poff Phone 03 218 2833 | Fax 03 214 4671 | partners@wardadams.co.nz | www.wardadams.co.nz 3rd Floor AMI Building, 65 Don Street, Invercargill 9810 Regular visits to Riverton

The McCallum family’s Southland farming interests are spread across three dairy farms (two at Winton and one at Mandeville), a dry-stock unit (at Mossburn), which is managed by their older son, and three run-off blocks managed by their younger son. The Mandeville dairy farm is run by a lower-order sharemilker.

Full Silage Service, Baleage, Cultivation and Effluent Disposal Phone: (03) 235 8845 Mobile: 0274 392 842

Proud to support Lloyd McCallum

DAIRY: CHRIS & LUCY WATSON

Business Rural / Summer 2013

35

Experience makes a difference Kelly Deeks Farm development and a successful fodder beet trial in 2011-12 has allowed Chris and Lucy Watson to increase cow numbers this season.

The couple, in their second season of lowerorder sharemilking on Omarama conversion, have increased their herd from 1200 to 1350.

Part of Buscot Station, the dairy farm was developed three years ago by Richard Gloag, who owns the 2700-hectare merino sheep and cattle station, and his business partner, agricultural contractor Merv McCabe.

In the the initial development of the 440ha (effective) piece of converted land on the banks of the Ahuriri River, 180ha was planted in annual ryegrass, rape and kale.

The Watsons, who are milking off a 390ha platform, have put in 50ha of fodder beet after a successful 20ha trial last season.

“We put in about the same area of crop last year, with 20ha of fodder beet, rape, and Italian ryegrass,” says Chris Watson. “The fodder beet worked really well. With what we’ve put in this year, we have the ability to winter more cows at home.”

Last year 450 cows were wintered on farm, 450 were sent away to graze, and 450 went to a block owned by Merv McCabe and run by his son, Dave McCabe.

This winter the Watsons hope to winter 800 cows at home, and send the rest to the McCabe block. They see this arrangement giving them more control over cow condition.

The Watsons believe their experience of the area and of larger herds has helped in making a success of the conversion.

“We had a cracker of a season last year,” Chris Watson says. “In the first year of the conversion the farm milked 1000 cows and did 380,000 kilograms of milksolids; last season we milked 1200 cows and did 546,000kg milksolids.”

He and Lucy have been milking cows in the North Otago area for the last six years, and have learned some hard lessons along the way.

“We did three years at Duntroon, where the sharemilkers won sharemilker of the year while we were managing for them,” says Chris.

“We went from there to lower-order

Above: Lucy and Chris Watson, with their daughters, Emma, aged eight, and Ashlea, one. Below: The dairy shed on the 390ha dairy platform at Omarama. sharemilking 700 cows at a property five kilometres away. It was a first-year conversion and a lot of the farm didn’t get finished.

“There were lot of restrictions put on water; the first year there was dry and we had no irrigation from Christmas time through to the end of the season. It wasn’t pleasant at the time, but we learned a few tough lessons.

“Now we’ve come up here to really good, supportive farm-owners, and everyone has the same goal in mind: to achieve the maximum production we can.”

In the first year of the conversion the farm milked 1000 cows and did 380,000kg milksolids; last season we milked 1200 cows and did 546,000kg milksolids.

Exceptional Farm Performance is all about a Team Approach We are pleased to be part of the team working with Chris and Lucy Watson At Harvie Green Wyatt we work with our clients to assist them to build and achieve a better business.

Talk to one of our Rural Advisors.

Contact: Doug Harvie, Craig Wyatt, Todd Miller, Brett Challis and Robyn Friedrich

E: office@deanlaw.co.nz | Ph: (03) 434 5128 | Fax: (03) 434 7695 5th Floor, 229 Moray Place, Dunedin, P.O. Box 5740, Dunedin 9058 Phone: (03) 477-5005

Fax: (03) 477-5447

E-mail: hgw@hgw.co.nz

Website: www.hgw.co.nz

HAYLAGE / HAY / EXCAVATION • Two 3x3 Square Balers • Two 4x3 Square Balers • Grader • Round Baler 1.2 - 1.5 Bale Wrap Combo • Bulldozer • EX400, ZX130 Diggers PROUD TO SUPPORT CHRIS & LUCY WATSON North Otago

Ditching & Baling

9 D RD OAMARU PH: (03) 439 5833 DAVE: 021 436 403 MERV: 021 436 405

20 Wear Street, Oamaru

www.deanlaw.co.nz

McKENZIE CRAIK

Chartered Accountants / Business Advisors

READY FOR A CHANGE? CALL TODAY TO SPEAK TO ONE OF OUR FRIENDLY STAFF ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP YOU!

“WE’RE NOT JUST ABOUT NUMBE RS”

10 WEAR ST, OAMARU 9400 | (03) 434 7944 | W W W.MCK ENZIECR AIK.CO.NZ

36

DAIRY: ROBERT ROSSER

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Centre-pivots are definitely more economical and efficient than k-line, says Robert Rosser. ‘We are now able to irrigate more of the farm for the same amount of water we were using before.’

Farm 101 follows herd merger Karen Phelps Robert Rosser says it’s like running a whole new farm this season, despite the fact he has managed the family farm at upper Takaka for 10 years. The reason? Re-fencing the farm has led to the two herds being run as one.

“It’s easier to manage the grass with one herd, but there will be a lot of learning for us this season,” he says.

Rosser grew up on the farm, which he now

manages for his parents, Roger and Shirley.

From the age of 18 he spent four years gaining experience on other properties before returning to the family farm.

The Rossers’ 117 effective hectares and 35ha support block milk 410 cows of a mix of friesian, ayrshire, jersey and crossbred.

“Ayrshires were good for eating the poor grass, but pastures are better now,” says Robert.

“The ayrshires were a bit harder to get in calf, so we are moving towards a crossbred friesian

Call Us, We Deliver

0800 MOOJUICE 0800 666 584

or email us: service@moojuice.co.nz

"Proud to support Rosser Holdings Ltd" Dairy Solutions (2007) Ltd.

Managing Directors: Alan and Regan Williams 59 East Takaka Rd, RD1, Takaka 7183, Golden Bay, New Zealand ph.03 525 9755 cell 027 4320009

Office: 03

525 8150 After Hours: 027 440 1184 Email: goldenbay@laserelectrical.co.nz

• Residential • Commercial • Solar • Communications • Whiteware • LG TV ’s • Freeview • Irrigation Control

Golden Bay Contracting Ltd

• Baleage • Hay • Cultivation • Mowing • Truck Hire Golden Bay Contracting are very proud to be associated with the Rosser Family

DARYL & SUSAN HILL Owner/Operator

Mobile: 027 525 9191 Phone: (03) 525 9191 Email: susandarylhill@xtra.co.nz 6 Glenview Road, RD1 Takaka

herd trying to keep a medium sized weight,” Thus, the mixed genetics.

Four years ago The Rossers built a new 50bail rotary dairy shed with meal feeders. This winter Protrac and automatic cup removers will be put in with the aim of reducing the number of labour units needed in the shed to one.

Eight years ago k-line irrigation was put in to irrigate the farm. Three centre-pivots were added last season, taking the total area irrigated to 110ha.

“Centre-pivots are definitely more economical and efficient,” says Robert. “We are now able to irrigate more of the farm for the same amount of water we were using before.”

His parents live on a small lifestyle block about 19 minutes’ drive from the farm. They rear the calves, assist during the busy spring season, and Roger milks every second weekend. The farm employs two staff, one full-time and one part-time.

The main challenge this season has been managing grass growth. Robert has been topping and taking more paddocks out for balage.

He plate-meters nearly half the farm each week, and says the aim is to do the whole farm.

• To page 37

DAIRY: JASON & SANDY HERRICK

Business Rural / Summer 2013

37

Earthquake, shed clinch choice Karen Phelps After the Canterbury farm where Jason and Sandy Herrick were variable-order sharemilkers was hit by the Christchurch earthquake, nothing was ever the same again.

Sump holes appeared on the Leeston farm, and cows disappeared into them, never to be seen again. The 850-cow herd was stressed and had behavioural problems as a result of the aftershocks.

Milk production went down.

The Herricks admit they were also shaken up by the quake. So, when their contract ended, they headed away from the earthquake-stricken area.

They are now milk 630 holstein friesian cows at Duntroon, on a 165-hectare unit owned by Norm and Di MacKenzie, and Steve and Maylene Fenwick.

The Herricks say they chose this position because the 54-bail DeLaval rotary shed and its in-shed grain feeding system.

It was an aspect of farming in which they wanted to gain experience to prove their capability

of variable-order sharemilking on a high-input unit.

The property also presented another first for them – they had not farmed hill country before.

Jason Herrick admits it has been a learning curve: “The grass grows differently here. It’s not consistent as it is on the flats, so we have to be on the ball as far as grazing management is concerned.

“We do farm-walks every four to five days, and we’re constantly monitoring residuals and pre-entry covers. I do this by eye, but we also have a platemeter for the staff.”

Now into their second season at Duntroon, they are aiming for 1815 kilograms of milksolids per hectare – 470kg per cow. They achieved 1700kg/ha (437kg per cow) last season.

They believe the higher target is realistic as the

pastures mature in the fourth year since conversion.

They are also aided by close daily monitoring of production through the fully computerised cowshed system.

“We are focusing on feeding cows fully,” says Jason Herrick.

“We used a lot of supplement last season – 1.2 tonnes per cows of grass, molasses and grass silage - because the pastures weren’t so mature.

“This season we’re aiming for 720kg of grain and molasses and 300kg of grass silage per cow to be fed on the shoulders of the season. But, of course, all this will be dictated by pasture growth.”

Learning about a high-input grain system has been a challenge, he says.

Acidosis has been an issue this season as more grain was fed to the herd in spring to increase

Three full-time staff members have to be employed just to move the k-line irrigation system – daily.

the quality of the feed the cows were getting. The Herricks plan to use Rumensin and lime flour earlier next season so that they can take control of this problem earlier.

The k-line irrigation system, which irrigates the whole farm, also requires considerable management and labour. Three full-time staff members have to be employed just to move the system, which takes four a half to five hours to shift – daily.

The Herricks have four children: Brett, 20, Brittany, 19, Kyla, 11 and Mackenzie, 6. Sandy combines being a full-time mum with calf-rearing and doing the farm financials.

The couple are looking to expand their equity to expand their business by 40% a year to achieve their next goal of 50:50 sharemilking. They intend to do this by leasing their herd of 50 cows, and they are looking at buying land locally to rear their own calves.

Says Jason Herrick: “The location is brilliant; we have everything here – water skiing, fishing, and hunting.”

PROUD TO SUPPORT Jason & Sandy Herrick

Robert Rosser (on bike, above, and in shed, lower right) says production figures show how far the farm has progressed.

SCOTT SIMPSON CONTRACTING LTD

Grass growth tops challenges • From page 36 “Every paddock is different, with different growth rates depending on whether the species are older or newer. There’s lots of buttercup and we keep spraying it. We will put new grasses in around 10% of the farm each year.

Contouring the paddocks will also help.”

The farm can require irrigation for up to half the year. Last season was unusual in that irrigation was needed for only 30 days.

This was reflected in production last season – 168,000 kilograms of milksolids from 405 cows.

Robert Rosser says this also shows how far the farm has progressed, as it used to produce 100,000kg in a good year and 70,000kg in a dry year. This season they are aiming for 170,000kg.

The Rosser family also owns a forestry block in partnership with neighbours. It contains 167ha of forestry and 70ha of flats, which the owners share for balage and wintering cows.

Robert Rosser is in the process of buying into the farm.

Scott Simpson Contracting Ltd Ph Scott: 021 607 957 or 03 432 4207

• Baleage - round & square • Silage - fine chopped • General ag. work • Buying & selling supplement feed

Power Farming are proud to support Jason & Sandy Herrick For all your Tractor and Machinery Sales / Service Requirements

03 687 4127

SOLLYS For all your rural cartage requirements

Proud to support Robert Rosser TAKAKA - 03 525 9843 NELSON - 03 544 5511 CHRISTCHURCH - 03 342 1128 COLLINGWOOD - 03 524 8096

03 688 7029

Proud to support

Jason & Sandy Herrick • Irrigation Installation • Dairy Shed Installation • Dairy Shed Maintenance

• Dairy Shed Power Efficiency • Master Electrician • Eco Smart Company

Calum Reid- Registered Electrical Inspector 40 Bledisloe St, Kurow, PO Box 75 Kurow 9446 www.calect.co.nz

Ph: 0800 360 063 Mob: 0274 368 700 Fax: (03) 436 0053 E-mail: c.reid@calect.co.nz

MASTER electricians

38

DAIRY: TUNOA DOWNS DAIRY

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Cornish pastie: jerseys and Karen Phelps

PHOTOS: Above: Steve Sanders and Dale Scholten. Below left: The knowledge that can be gleaned has won Steve Sanders over to modern, dairy-shed technology. Below right: Karla Dowdell at work in the 54-bail rotary shed; opposing page, Dawn Sanders takes a break from cows.

Cornish dairy farmer Steve Sanders arrived in New Zealand 12 years ago with a dislike for both jersey cows and dairy shed technology. ”But now I’m a big fan of both,” he says.

“In fact, I’ve become a jersey fanatic since I came to New Zealand. I believe jersey is the best all-round breed for the conditions and systems in this country.”

It has taken him a little longer to get to grips with new dairy shed technology.

In November 2011, when he and his wife, Dawn, were signing up for their current variable sharemilker position on an about-to-be converted property near Clinton, he took some convincing that a fully-automated, 54-bail, DeLaval rotary shed was required.

“In the end I gave in, thinking it was probably a challenge I needed but didn’t think I wanted. So it has come as a real surprise that I’ve not only embraced the technology, but I’m enjoying every second.”

The new shed has automatic cup removers, automatic drafting, and DeLaval’s Alpro shed recording system.

“There is so much knowledge we can glean from the shed about each individual cow. It is a lot more accurate than simply herd testing four times a year.”

Steve Sanders says only part of Tunoa Downs, a 450-hectare former sheep-and-beef unit at Popotunoa, around 20 minutes inland from

• STOC K • FERTIL ISER • TOPDRES SING • LI M E • GEN ERAL •

CLINTON WAIPAHI HOLDINGS MTD Proud Service Providers to Steve Sanders Tunoa Downs Dairy VetSouth Ltd Gore: 8 Richmond St Gore Ph: 03 209 0101 VetSouth Ltd Tapanui: Main Rd Tapanui Ph: 03 204 8233

www.vetsouth.co.nz

CMC CONTRACTING • Complete Cultivation Service • Direct Drilling • Aerating • Mowing - Mower Conditioner • Baling - Round (variable chamber balers) - Combination baler unit PROUD TO SUPPORT STEVE SANDERS

Book us now, please phone: (03) 208-5585 (0274) 338-943

Waipahi Depot:

DEPOTS AT WAIPAHI, CLINTON & LUMSDEN

Ph (03) 205 8870 Fax (03) 205 8871

Clinton Depot: Ph (03) 415 7103

Fax (03) 415 7107

Lumsden Depot: Ph (03) 248 7487 Fax (03) 248 7061

Proud supporter of Steve Sanders

Local Sales Rep: Greg Finlay Phone: 021 527 581

DAIRY: EFFLUENT/IRRIGATION ACCREDITATION

Business Rural / Summer 2013

39

technology Clinton, has been converted: “There are still sheep and beef on board. I would like to think the farm will be fully converted one day, with all young stock and cows wintered here.”

The property is owned by three couples – Lee and Trudy McHaffie, Peter and Mary McHaffie, and Peter and Julie Chisholm – who together also operate a contracting business doing balage and cultivation work.

“Basically the farm had become second-best after the contracting operation took off, so the owners decided to convert to get better use out of it,” says Sanders.

There were already 400 unrecorded heifers running on the property, and the original plan was to keep around 150 of these and buy in enough cows to make the herd up to around 630 cows.

But, with cow prices high, it was decided to keep all the heifers and buy in a smaller number of cows.

“Milking heifers is a challenge, but I have no doubt we did the right thing as the animals are performing superbly,” says Sanders. “We’re probably on target to achieve 210,000 kilograms of milksolids despite a cold, wet October.”

He says the property’s biggest “claim to fame” in its first season is its animal health record – a somatic cell count running below 100,000 from the first day of calving, and no antibiotic use required.

“Our priority is to keep the girls in good condition. We spoil them like pet cows to be honest. It’s just the way we operate: if you look after the cows, everything else flows on. If they’re not in good condition you’re constantly chasing your tail.”

The challenges of the property include its rolling nature and irregular-shaped paddocks.

“We have gullies running through the farm that have to be drained and filled in, and there is still quite a lot more fencing and re-grassing to do. The main infrastructure is in place, but the

development will continue over the next three to five years.”

Before moving to the Popotunoa property, the Sanders spent seven years as variable-order sharemilkers on a nearby dairy unit.

They are assisted at the new operation by second-in-command Dale Scholten and milk harvester Carla Dowdell, who started with them in early December.

“We’re having a pretty fantastic season given it’s our first year. Dawn and I are excited about the challenges on the property and have never regretted the move out to New Zealand. I’ve always wanted to be a dairy farmer and this is the only place in the world to do it.”

With over 35 years experience supporting farmers, just call CCMP, your local dairy shed and farming solution specialists.

Proud to support Tunoa Downs and Steve Sanders

Design – Construct – Maintain Rotary and Herringbone Dairy Sheds - Turn Key Projects

Dealer

Your Suppliers of

Clutha Chain Mesh Products Balclutha Branches 0800 FOR CCMP (0800 367 2267) Momona Branch 0800 185 300 www.ccmp.co.nz

Accreditation ‘not as scary as it sounds’ Irrigation New Zealand is urging businesses involved in dairy-effluent-system and irrigationsystem design to ‘become accredited’.

“It’s not as scary as it sounds,” says Irrigation New Zealand chief executive Andrew Curtis.

Six companies – Agfirst, Environmental Technologies, Hi-Tech Enviro Solutions, Opus, Qubik TMC and Waterforce – have been accredited under the farm dairy effluent system design programme Six new applications have been received and another three are part-way through their assessment process, he says.

The irrigation design accreditation programme integrates with the farm dairy effluent programme, and this should help companies avoid unnecessary paperwork, says Curtis.

“We’re really happy with progress, but there’s still a lot of effluent-system-design companies we haven’t heard from. “ We’ve also been promised applications from all the major irrigation-design companies in the irrigation-design accreditation programme’s first round – which shows a high level of industry commitment to attaining best practice.”

“We do respect that accreditation is quite a hurdle and that each application requires a lot of work.

“But critical mass is building. Being accredited will become the norm in the near future, and companies that don’t go through the process will be left behind.”

He says the codes of practice and design standards for irrigation and for farm effluent have been reviewed, and form the basis for the accreditation programmes.

While both are voluntary, Curtis says they have already helped lift performance, standardise designs and improve production and environmental outcomes.

“The codes of practice work hand in hand with accreditation. When combined with the industry code of practice, standards and training, an accreditation programme is the best way of

Critical mass is building.

Being accredited will become the norm in the near future and companies that don’t go through the process will be left behind. improving skill levels and ensuring consistency.

“Managing within limits means significant investment will be required in on-farm irrigation and effluent infrastructure in the next five to 10 years, and without a quality assurance system, we may not meet the performance standards required.

“The accreditation programme ensures irrigation and effluent system designers can deliver appropriate systems.

“With growing pressure on the dairy industry, it makes even more sense for design companies to be accredited.”

Irrigation New Zealand runs the farm-dairyeffluent-system-design accreditation programme under contract to partners Dairy New Zealand and the New Zealand Milking and Pumping Trade Association.

The programme was established as part of the dairy industry’s primary growth partnership programme overseen by the Ministry of Primary Industries.

The irrigation-design accreditation programme is run solely by IrrigationNZ. The accreditation process complements other assessment programmes IrrigationNZ provides for irrigation installation and evaluation, and water measurement.

40

DAIRY: MARTIN & DORA CORONEL/ SERVICES: AGRURAL

Heifers first step to 50:50 goal Kelly Deeks Lower-order sharemilkers Martin and Dora Coronel last season bought 20 of farm-owners Jack and Julie Ballam’s heifers as the first step towards their own herd. Their goal is to be 50:50 sharemilking in three to four years.

The Coronels, from Argentina, are in their third season on the Ballams’ farm near Invercargill, have been working in the dairy industry in New Zealand for the past 10 years.

They followed the lead of Dora’s sister and brother-in-law, Maricel Prado and Leo Pekar, who arrived in New Zealand four months before the them. Dora worked on a Clearsky Agricultureowned farm managed by Andrew Speight and Julie Racher, while Martin worked on another farm. “The only one of us to speak any English was my brother-in-law,� Dora says. “Andrew knew some Spanish as he had been to Argentina to work a couple of times, but Martin was working with all Kiwis and it was hard for them to help him. But now, our best friends are those people.�

Martin was a veterinarian in Argentina where he learned about New Zealand farming systems at university. Dora was a psychologist, working unpaid in a hospital with young cancer patients. “My mum and Martin’s dad helped us out with our rent and groceries, but we wanted to start a family and weren’t able to,� she says. “The thing we wanted when we came to New Zealand was a good job we could keep, and live from our own income.�

Once they had enough English to talk to other farmers, they realised dairy farming was something they could be really good at. By their third year in

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Auto milking – Karen Phelps

Dora and Andrew Coronel, pictured with their two sons, aim to be 50:50 sharemilking in three or four years..

New Zealand they were lower-order sharemilking,.

Dora says Jack Ballam is helping them with their goals: “Martin says that working with Jack and what we’ve learned from him is like doing a degree at university. It has been really good for us.�

The couple hope to get their 20 heifers in calf this year, and plan to buy more cows over the next three or four years, and lease them until they have enough for 50:50 sharemilking.

They now have two sons, aged six and two, and see their ideal herd size 400.

Dora ran the farm by herself for much of last season after an accident in September kept Martin off work. She says she must have done something right as both production and empty rates improved on the previous season. “We finished with 233,000 kilograms of milksolids from 500 cows; our empty rate was less than 4%. Our target this season is 240,000kg milksolids.�

J.W. CONTRACTING

It sounds like something from science fiction – a machine that actually milks the cows for you. But that’s exactly what the DeLaval Voluntary Milking System (VMS) does.

Tim Scott, director of AgRural (the DeLaval agent for Canterbury and North Otago), says VMS marks a significant breakthrough for dairy farmers as it makes milking significantly easier.

The lower requirement for human input allows farmers to use their time on tasks, such as herd health and management skills.

The technology is obviously new to New Zealand dairy farmers, and Scott believes many are still getting their heads around it.

He expects that, like any new product to the market, there will be early adopters and those who take a wait-and-see approach. However, he foresees the day – and in the not too distant future – when robotic milking becomes the industry norm.

AgRural held an open day at its new Rolleston branch to introduce farmers to the DeLaval robotic milking system�. “Although it is early days, we believe VMS will be as significant for farming as the shift from horse to tractor,� says Scott.

Modelled on a human arm’s flexible movement range, the hydraulic-powered robotic arm accommodates high, wide or low udder irregularities and teats with an inclination of up to 45 degrees.

The robotic arm can handle teat preparation before milking (including optional pre-spray), attach

(and re-attach if necessary) the teat cups, align the milk tube, and spray the teats after milking.

It carries outs these tasks with the help of an optical camera, coupled with dual lasers. “Each teat is individually cleaned with warm water and air, then stimulated, pre-milked and dried before milking,� says Scott. “Only a few seconds are needed for optimum teat sanitation which results in high milk quality and better milking capacity.�

The system has been many years in the making.

The project began in 1980 when DeLaval developed a research partnership with the University of Hohenheim, in Germany, Three years on, the basic idea behind the VMS was patented. A year later several research projects were initiated with the goal of developing a fully automatic milking machine. Ten years later the concept was ready to trial at DeLaval’s Hamra farm in Sweden. In 2000 the VMS was ready for commercial production.

Six thousand units have now been sold, and in 2012, DeLaval released the world’s first fully automatic rotary milking platform, which uses the hydraulic arms developed for VMS. Scott says AgRural offers a flexible service to clients. The company can build new dairy sheds for herringbone or rotary platforms for the latest DeLaval milking plant, or it can install new plant inside a shed. “Some farmers may already have a builder they prefer to work with, and we can take on only so many new projects each year. The focus of our company has always been on milking machines so we are happy to work with farmers to install only

Dave McCrea Building Ltd

•Ploughing • Cultivation • Sowing • Direct Drilling • Aerating • Drain Ploughing

• Commercial • Alterations

• Residential • Dairy Sheds

Proud to be associated with Jack & Julie Ballam

Proud to support Agrural Ltd Phone Dave 03 308 1583 Cell 027 475 3002

JOHN WILD - OTAUTAU P: (03) 225-8704 M: 0274 334-025

New Homes Renovations

Proud to support Contact Mark Bain Email mark.bain@mcp.co.nz SUCCESS

Jack & Julie Ballam www.mcp.co.nz BUILDS SUCCESS

128 Spey Street P O Box 844 Invercargill Phone 03 218 6179 Invercargill . Queenstown . Te Anau

Farm Buildings Concrete Work

Cowshed & New Home Specialists Telephone 027 439 8151 A/H Ph/Fax 03 612 9931

New Zealand’s leading manufacturer of irrigation products and water storage tanks Specialising in: FarmTracks and Lanes • Tanker Tracks • Driveways • Car Parks • Truck Hire and Trailer Hire • Big and Small Graders • Digger Mobile: 027 431 6522 | After Hours: (03) 215 7110

Whether you are storing, transporting or distributing water or wastewater RX Plastics has a solution for you.

Ĺ” XXX SYQMBTUJDT DP O[

SERVICES: AGRURAL

Business Rural / Summer 2013

41

‘like shift from horse to tractor’ the milking equipment and rotary platform in their shed.

“Likewise for clients who do not already have a builder. We can project-manage the whole process for them.”

The Temuka-based company designs dairy sheds and manufactures structural steel for cowsheds, yards, backing gates and overhead electric gates, and supplies plumbing for dairy sheds and effluent systems.

An engineering division at Winchester and branches in Temuka and Rolleston service the company’s growing client base in the region.

“One third of Canterbury farms are north of the Rakaia River, and we want to increase the service we are providing to them,” says Scott. “A significant amount of farm development is also happening in this area.”

He says the company’s change of name from Anderson & Rooney to AgRural early in 2012 was based on the view that the new name better reflected its focus on farmers’ needs.

The business continues to build relationships with community and farmers, he says. A newsletter is sent direct to farms four times a year to keep farmers up to date with changes and new products.

PHOTOS: The DeLaval Voluntary Milking System in action.

AgRural director Tim Scott sees the system becoming the industry norm in the not-toodistant future.

Supporting the New Zealand dairy industry. Christchurch made domestic and dairy hot water cylinders. > Stainless barrel, plastic case 600 - 1,500 litres > Stainless barrel, stainless case 180 - 1,200 litres > Copper barrel, galv. or stainless case 180 - 1,200 litres Domestic hot water cylinders Low and mains pressure cylinders, solar, heat pump and wetback options.

10 - 800 litres capacity.

Low application Irrigators Control your effluent application depths with application depths as low as 5mm with an even spread pattern

Williams Engineering is a company that has specialist in the manufacture of farm effluent equipment for 30+ years, with product throughout NZ and also through many overseas countries.

Williams is most recognised for our “Spider” range of travelling irrigators which had been manufactured for over 20 years, and have built the reputation of the Williams brand, through being simple, robust, reliability and for their performance. Over the years Williams have designed their machine based around the wants and needs of the farmer, so through time the machines have been changed to suit the environmental requirements through New Zealand.

In the past 3 years Williams have been working hard to develop a new irrigator to the “Spider” range, this is the “Greenback” Spider irrigator, the main goal with the “Greenback” was to achieve low application depths and a even spread, while using 13mm nozzles. We have been happy with the “Greenback” results, with independent tests of the “Greenback” taken place by Jim Hargreaves of Massey University, the “Greenback” achieved application depths consistently in the 4mm range with a Distribution Uniformity (DU) of under 1.25 which meets the industry requirement with the New Code of Practise. We have had a great feed back with this new machine, with well over 300 on farms already, and they proving to be reliable like the “Spiders” before it!

Williams also manufactures other farm effluent equipment, including In line filters that can be put in your effluent system line to remove particles that could block nozzles on sprinklers or irrigators, these filters have proven to be very popular with their range of screens sizes and being so simple to clean, while removing blockage problems from effluent systems.

Other equipment includes Floating pontoons, Pto Stirrers, Hydrants and other equipment for your effluent needs.

Call 0800 4 EFFLUENT or visit www.williamsirrigation for more info, and we can refer you to our nationwide dealer network.

Ask your merchant for our full range www.superheat.co.nz

0800 4 EFFLUENT

www.williamsirrigation

SERVICES: ROD FOX CONTRACTING

42

Business Rural / Summer 2013

A Claas Jaguar 850 Green Eye silage harvester. Stuart Millar, from Rod Fox Contracting, says they are powerful, reliable and easy-to-operate machines. He says Jaguar is known for its benchmark features, and the 850 Green Eye comes with a wide range of front attachments, which provides ‘huge versatility’.

New machine gets on-job test Kelly Deeks Agricultural contracting company Rod Fox Contracting has been giving its new top-of-the-line silage harvester around Otago and Southland a solid work-out..

The company is immersed in a boom season of silage harvesting following an excellent spring that allowed Southland and Otago farmers to grow a lot of surplus pasture.

Stuart Millar, from Rod Fox Contracting, says the Claas Jaguar 850 Green Eye – which was bought

through the Claas Harvest Centre – is powerful, reliable, and easy to operate. It has a wide range of front attachments, which provide “huge versatility” for use in harvesting or picking maize, whole-plant cutting, swath pick-up, grass-mowing, grain and willow harvesting.

He says Jaguar is one of the world’s best selling forage harvesters, and is known for benchmark features, such as stepless cutting-height adjustment and a feed that has stone and overload protection.

Rod Fox Contracting, established by dairy farmer Rod Fox, has been operating in Otago and Southland for more than 30 years.

We offer a complete range of Road construction and maintenance We have a large selection of Bulldozers - 10 tonne to 50 tonne Graders and Rollers - Trucks for Metal spreading - Transporters These are available for Hire Now covering West Otago

FORESTRY ROADING SERVICES LTD 300A UNION ST MILTON SOUTH OTAGO For further inquiries or a quote please contact Ronnie Pierce - 0274 321 517 Phone: 03 417 4898 Fax: 03 417 4897 Email: admin@frsmilton.co.nz

At our Milton Depot we stock Garden Supplies: Various Grades of: Metal - Bark - Ornamental Gravel Compost - Cement - Concrete Gravel Deliveries Available & Eftpos facilities

Five years ago, Fox’s son-in-law, Stuart Millar, joined the business. Millar is an agricultural engineer who previously worked for Claas Harvest Centre.

The company now runs about nine staff, increasing to about 15 over summer. Staff have include class-five truck drivers, excavator operators, and two with a quarry manager’s ticket.

The firm has operated a quarry for the last 10 years. Millar says the company’s agricultural work, including dairy conversions and the construction of lanes on dairy farms, has created enough demand for lane material for the company to lease a quarry at Berwick and obtain a resource consent to operate it.

This move has seen Rod Fox Contracting become involved in civil projects as well, carting and supplying rocks for roading projects, including railway access roads and forestry roads.

The company has recently been involved in many new effluent-pond builds and upgrades in the wake of new council regulations requiring effluent ponds to built 300mls higher than the level of the last recorded flood. Many dairy farmers are having to fill in ponds and build new ones on top.

Proud to support Rod Fox Contracting

be to ith ng ud ed w cti Pro ciat ontra so C as Fox d Ro

Airport Turnoff ALLANTON 03 489 8886 www.claasharvestcentre.co.nz

A natural fe f rmentation aid fo f r all silages Call Customer Services 0800 REMEDY (736 339) www.nutritech.co.nz

• Tipping Trucks • 4-Axle Trailers • 4-Axle Low Loaders • Tractor Units • Water Carts • Crane Trucks

Ph. 03 489 6458 or 027 221 9075 info@commercialhire.co.nz

www.crtfuel.co.nz

Chopping counts Since its launch, the JAGUAR has made a name for itself thanks to outstanding performance and unmatched chopping quality. It is yet another example of the successful application of consistent and practical development work carried out by CLAAS in the field of forage harvesters.

Whenever we set a new benchmark, we challenge ourselves to do even better. See how at CLAAS Harvest Centre Otago.

CLAAS Harvest Centre Otago

Granular silage inoculant

HIRE & LEASING

www.commercialhire.co.nz

0800 66 66 26

Proudly supporting Rod Fox Contracting

Together,

WE’ll make

a difference

Thompson, Lang & Associates Ltd are proud to provide Business Advisory Services to Rod Fox Contracting Ltd www.tleg.co.nz

Level 6, Burns House, 10 George Street, Dunedin // P.O. Box 620, Dunedin 9016 Phone: 03 477 3032 Fax: 03 477 2854 Mobile: 021 665 735 Email: michael@tleg.co.nz

Business Rural / Summer 2013

SERVICES: DUNCAN ENGINEERING

43

Wool for carpet ‘a poor man’s game’ • From page 44 “Wool weight will go down, but the value will go up,” he says.

“Producing wool for carpet is a poor man’s game, so something has to change. The breed has never pushed its boundary in this direction, so it’s certainly a different challenge.”

Taylor himself runs 1300 commercial ewes and 200 stud ewes on 370 hectares.

In partnership with another farmer, Glenn Morris, he also runs up to 3000 head of cattle on their properties at Oxford.

Left: Hugh Taylor’s special commercial romney ewe, with her four lambs in tow.

Staff invaluable in engineering world Kelly Deeks Low staff turnover has proved a major asset for Temuka-based Duncan Engineering. It’s a trait that has proved valuable not just through the retention of skills and experience – it’s an invaluable thing in a small town and an industry where good staff can be hard to find.

“There’s just not the people in the labour market at the moment with the type of skills we need,” says Jill Duncan, who, with husband Gary, owns and runs the business.

“We need general engineers that Gary can leave to do their job. Those people qualified in general engineering aren’t shifting jobs like they used to.

A lot of people class general engineering as quite physical work and, over the years, we have lost a few good staff to easier jobs.”

Some of the company’s 21 staff have been there for more than 20 years. The firm has two apprentices and the plan is to take on two more this year.

Some of the company’s 21 staff have been there for more than 20 years. The firm has two apprentices and Jill Duncan says the plan is to take on more this year.

When Gary, a fitter-turner, and Jill Duncan started Duncan Engineering 29 years ago, they were involved mainly in repairs and maintenance for local farms, industry, and factories.

One of its clients was Fonterra’s Clandeboye plant “when it was just a wee place in Temuka,” says Jill.

The company’s rural work has always involved building platforms for dairy sheds. Twelve years ago the company took on the Milfos dealership for the Ashburton area, and began installing plant into sheds from north of Culverden, in North Canterbury, to south of the Waitaki River.

Milfos has a brilliant product and very switchedon staff, says Jill.

Milfos International Ltd, formed in 1987, has developed a strong background in precision stainless-steel manufacturing that has diversified into electronics, plastics and mild steel products.

The firm operates on a policy of in-house manufacturing so that it can control all of the product life-cycle. It also invests significantly in research and development.

Duncan Engineering’s general engineering workshop in Temuka has undergone three large extensions.

The latest rebuild was completed two years ago – an extension to the workshop and the development of a large showroom displaying bolts, bearings, and fittings.

The Duncans have continued to buy new machinery, and the workshop is equipped to tackle a variety of engineering projects.

The Proven Performers

DOMESTIC INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURAL For pumps that offer excellence in both performance and construction.

Pedrollo - proven performance!

Duncan Engineering’s showroom was developed two years ago.

Proud to support

Duncan Engineering www.saecowilson.co.nz

When you need quality hose ENZED

Total Hose & Fitting Service

0800 4 ENZED www.enzed.co.nz

CHRISTCHURCH BRANCH: 227 Annex Road • Phone 03 338 8533 • Fax 03 338 8518 HORNBY BRANCH: 172 Waterloo Road • Phone 03 348 7171 • Fax 03 344 5162 SYDENHAM BRANCH: 39B Gasson St • Phone 03 379 3732 • Fax 03 365 4173

44

MEAT & WOOL - ROMNEY MEAT YIELD TRIAL

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Four from one: This commercial romney ewe belonging to Hugh Taylor has done what few others manage – produced and reared four lambs.

Learn from dairy – sheepman Karen Phelps Sheep farmers can learn a lot from dairy farmers, especially about measuring and technology, in the view of stud breeder and Romney New Zealand president Hugh Taylor.

His farm has been part of the Merial Ancare romney meat yield trial. Although the trial has been going for six years, this is the first time CT scanning technology has been used to measure meat, bone and fat content of each sire involved.

EMA scanning technology has been used, but with CT scanning, accuracy levels have risen from 60% to 90% in identifying the superior rams to use for breeding, says Taylor.

The trial has already identified all of the topperforming ewes using Via Scan technology at the Alliance Meat company.

A photograph is taken of a carcass when it hits the rails, and computers calculate the meat, bone and fat content. The information is then

put against the lamb’s mother to work out the performance of the ewe.

Romney NZ has invited romney breeders for high-yielding rams to across these ewes. Taylor says the aim is to measure the performance when it comes to meat yields of both sires and dams.

“For the first time we’re able to identify the traits a romney ewe can produce,” says Taylor.

“We had no measure of this, but now we have good, hard evidence of how our breed can perform.”

The trial has identified ewes that produce progeny of 60% meat yield, and he believes measuring meat yield will become increasingly important to sheep farmers.

“Sheep farmers have to become like dairy farmers in terms of how they focus on increasing and measuring production,” Hugh Taylor says As part of its push to produce finer wool, Romney NZ is also taking part in a wool trial testing 1300 ewes on the Taylor property.

Pastoral Management Ltd technology has

identified a big variation – from 36 to 52 micron.

Taylor says that with this technology, he can now focus on getting his wool finer.

This trial has been prompted by the Wool Equities mill in Milton making yarn and its Palmerston North weaver that manufactures cloth.

The aim is to put the fine-wool rams identified by the technology over the finer-micron ewes.

Taylor believes this will have a big impact on the quality of the wool New Zealand romney farmers produce.

• To page 43

STUBBS GROUNDSPREADING LTD 174 High Street, Oxford | Phone: 03 312 4505 | Fax: 03 312 4115

Pleased to support Hugh Taylor For all your fertilising requirements: • Lime • Super • Seed Mixes For all your Fertilising needs: Contact : Ivan 021 312080 Spreadmark Certified

Ag

Mehrtens Services Ltd.

FINE CHOP BULK SILAGE BALEAGE, HAY & STRAW ROUND & SQUARE BALING FULL HARVEST SERVICE CULTIVATION DRILLING CARTAGE

Proud to be associated with Hugh Taylor • Seed Drills • Post Drivers • Harrows • Tyre Rollers • General Engineers

Taege Engineering Ltd

Main West Road, Sheffield Ph: (03) 318 3824 • F: (03) 318 3646 E: sales@taege.com www.taege.com

Steve: 021 825552

Kevin: 027 4339508

Phone: (03) 3124 184

Fax: (03) 3123 184

www.mehrtensag.co.nz