NZ Dairy 2017 Autumn

Autumn 2017

www.waterfordpress.co.nz

In his element Brent Pocock loves the business side of farming in his role of operations manager at Braeside Dairies in the Manawatu.

Page 81

INSIDE

Autumn calving on Andrew’s radar - PAGE 7

Monitor keeps an eye on cows - PAGE 22

• Can apply raw effluent at application rates below 7mm/hour and application depths below 3mm • Combines reliable proven method of traveling with the performance of effluent raingun • Save time and money by covering more than double the area of traditional travelling irrigators

Getting the basics right the key - PAGE 37

Clever thinking underpins drive - PAGE 45

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IN THIS ISSUE »

NZ Dairy

15 Eyes firmly set towards the future

The passion and enthusiasm for life on the farm resonates in young North Canterbury farmer Ben Abernethy’s voice as he talks about his farming journey.

18 Dairy couple focused and motivated

Central Plateau Share Farmer of the Year 2017 winners Carlos and Bernice Delos Santos are not newcomers to the Dairy Industry Awards.

24 Milking robots way of the future

Waikato farmers David and Glenys McConnell have leapt into the future after 30 years milking cows the traditional way.

27 Living a pretty ‘awesome’ lifestyle

The opportunity to live a farming lifestyle in a coastal location was all Hamish Campbell needed to persuade him to retire his voltage metre.

38 Rangitata farm ticks all the boxes

Henry and Erin Bolt are two thirds of the way through their second season since they purchased their first farm.

87 Finalists the ‘cream of the crop’

The 33 finalists in the 2017 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards won’t be taking a break over Easter.

>> Index | 95

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Aaron & Jo Passey

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Cow health drives once-a-day plan Russell Fredric Once-a-day milking is a permanent feature of Aaron and Jo Passey’s share-milking operation.

The Dannevirke couple are in their first season as 50:50 share-milkers after working in a lower order position on another farm in the area for the previous two years.

Over a period of about 10 years they built their herd up to 180 cows and leased them from the age of rising two year-olds. In addition they owned 60 head of young stock.

Their present herd of 270 cows is supported on a 110 hectare milking platform owned by Koro and Mavis Mullins.

It is expected the herd will produce about 85,000kgMS this season from an average of 314kgMS per cow.

“We are targeting long-term to get up to 380 (kgMS) a cow,” Aaron Passey says.

The Passey’s have budgeted for their share of farm working expenses at $1.80 from a total FWE of $3.80.

Summer feed is grown on 7ha, comprising turnips, and lucerne because of its resilience in dry conditions.

Aaron explains the reasons for milking their herd on a once-a-day system.

“We’ve got quite a long skinny farm so there’s a fair bit of walking involved; it cuts down the walking and with it being summer dry it helps hold their condition through the summer time.”

As well as improving overall animal health including reduced lameness in the herd, improved mating results and better body condition, it also reduces the day-to-day workload, particularly as the Passey’s do not employ any staff.

The herd is milked through a 20 a-side herringbone shed which takes two-and-a-half hours.

“It gives a better work-life balance. I don’t have to come back to the farm and milk in the afternoon. There’s nothing worse when you go to town than having to race back to milk the cows, or when you’re out on the farm halfway through a job you have to stop and come back and milk.”

Cows also spend more time in the paddock eating grass; grazing is on-farm throughout the season, but this is set to change because of upcoming environmental rules.

One of the challenges the farm operation is facing is nitrogen leeching limits being imposed under Horizon Regional Council’s One Plan for the Manuwatu-Wanganui region.

The focus of the plan is four keystone environmental issues: surface water quality degradation, increasing water demand, unsustainable hill country land use and threatened indigenous biodiversity.

“Through the One Plan you’ve got to show

Aaron Passey is in his first season as a 50:50 sharemilker on the Dannevirke farm of Koro and Mavis Mullins.

improving N (nitrogen) loss levels. We are going to have to make some big changes to get ahead of that.”

Because the soil is free draining and leeching occurs during high rainfall periods, cows will be wintered off-farm during June and July this year.

While this will come at a cost, there will be advantages for pasture; the workload will also be reduced during the six week period the cows are away from the farm.

Although once-a-day milking reduces the daily work load, winter milking will extend the season, while capturing the premium paid for winter milk.

To achieve this, early calvers will be sent away for grazing, while late calvers, empty cows and autumn calvers will milk through the winter.

“The climate of the farm suits it pretty well and then the premiums this year are pretty convincing.”

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NZ Dairy

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Technology helps in monitoring farm Hinuera farmer Rod McKinnon doesn’t even need to be on his farm to monitor key aspects of his irrigation and effluent system. He can do it all from his smartphone no matter where he is in the world.

“We travelled to Egypt last year and it was really great to be able to monitor everything while we were away. It was a wet spring and I could monitor the water in the pond, it gave us real peace of mind that everything was being done as it should be,” he says.

Rod, who with wife Sandra, runs a 120ha effective unit milking a herd of 380 friesian and friesian cross cows, has been farming there for 25 years. When it became apparent that his effluent system needed updating after they installed a concrete feed pad on the farm he called in the experts at Reid & Harrison.

The pump that was already in the pond had come from them so it made sense to ask for their help when he built a new pond capable of holding 2.7 million cubic litres.

“Their gear has always been really reliable and because they are locally based, which is good for back up and servicing, it was an easy choice,” says Rod. The system that Reid & Harrison came up with utilises their Yardmaster products.

Central to the system is Yardmaster Halo, a super smart effluent monitoring and control system to monitor the whole system – floodwash, pond levels, pumps, stirrers and irrigators. Each Halo system starts with a Gateway base station, incorporating a GSM data connection.

The GSM connection communicates all on-farm data directly to cloud based servers.

Software and system updates are taken care of via this link also.

The Halo system is complemented on Rod

and Sandra’s farm with a Yardmaster self priming multi stage pump and Yardmaster shore mounted stirrer.

The pump is a new release for Yardmaster developed for effluent systems with shore mounted applications to provide high efficiency, low maintenance and safe service access.

Designed and manufactured in New Zealand for New Zealand conditions it incorporates a patented multi-stage design capable of passing fibre as well as small solids and offers up to 40% efficiency increase over standard pumps meaning lower running costs.

The fact that the pump is operated by a variable speed drive was a key selling point for Rod as it will adjust motor speed to required effluent disposal rate.

The Halo platform has the capacity to work seamlessly with a wider suite of farm management systems and can monitor milk vat storage, primary cooler efficiency, water usage, tank storage, silo level alerts, weather stations and much more allowing Rod and Sandra to keep a good handle on many aspects of their operation.

They have been using the system for about a year and a half and have already noticed a number of key benefits including safer operation as the self priming multi-stage pump was designed in order to remove the risks from traditional floating frame options.

Other benefits include making compliance and record keeping easier and the ability to utilise nutrients more efficiently on their farm to benefit their bottom line. Another key benefit has been the amount of time the system has saved them.

“I can do everything from my phone

Central to the system is Yardmaster’s Halo platform, a super smart effluent monitoring and control system to monitor the whole system.

– I don’t have to be at the pump. Reid & Harrison have been very helpful and really engaged with me all along and have been open to feedback and ideas from me. They have even started using my farm as a bit of a demonstration farm so we have people

come and look at the system to see how it all works.

“I’m over 50 so I may be an old school farmer but I also know how to embrace the latest technology and this has definitely made me a more efficient farmer.”

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NZ Dairy

FARM SERVICES » Ag-Worx

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Milking system that keeps it simple Kelly Deeks Matamata milk and water systems provider Ag-Worx has recently taken on the dealership for a technologically advanced and userfriendly milking system, offering dairy farmers more efficiencies around both milking and herd management, in the simplest way.

Ag-Worx has been selling and servicing Dairymaster milking systems around the upper North Island since September 2015, after finding the system offered dairy farmers cutting edge technology, but was also simple to use.

“That’s what we like about it, and a lot of farmers like that too,” says Ag-Worx general manager Craig Hawes. “There have been issues recently with other milking machine companies bringing in technology from Europe that is just too technological. Dairy farmers want a machine which can get milk from the cow into the vat, and from the vat into the tanker, in the simplest and most efficient way possible.”

Dairymaster is an Irish brand which tests all of its products and developments on its own farm in Ireland, where farming systems and environmental conditions are more similar to New Zealand, as opposed to somewhere like Sweden.

Dairymaster has been in New Zealand for about 20 years, but mainly in the Taranaki area where the company’s New Zealand head office is based at Stratford.

“We are now bringing Dairymaster to the upper North Island, and offering a great point of difference for people who are wanting something new, something different, something that works well, and something that’s simple.”

One of Dairymaster’s technologies is called MooMonitor, which is a GPS collar worn by the cow, sensing movement potentiometers and telling the farmer via an app or a computer programme when the cow is eating, drinking, resting, on heat, lame, or about to give birth, within a half hour window.

“Farmers have had access to this kind of information before, but it isn’t as accurate, and they’ve had to use other means to get it,” Craig says. “Most of it is visual. This information system goes deeper, and allows for more efficiencies on farm.”

Dairymaster rotary platforms also offer more efficiencies. “We order the whole rotary platform from Ireland and it turns up in a 40 foot container. Every nut, bolt, and screw is in the container and we assemble it on site.

There is one contractor doing the whole thing, rotary platform and milking machine.”

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Ag-Worx has been selling and servicing Dairymaster milking systems around the upper North Island since September 2015.

“We are now bringing Dairymaster to the upper North Island, and offering a great point of difference for people who are wanting something new.”

than other clusters on the market.

Dairymaster milking equipment is designed to have the lowest levels of liner slip and the most stable milking vacuum while applying a very low vacuum in the rest phase, just like a calf suckling.

As Ag-Worx works to familiarise the upper North Island with the Dairymaster brand, it is still available to service De Laval milking machines. “We’re not going anywhere,” Craig says. “It’s business as usual between us and our customers, and if they’re looking for something different, our product offering is now bigger and better.”

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FARM PEOPLE » Andre & Annelies de Leeuw

NZ Dairy

Carterton farmers Andre and Annelies de Leeuw with children Janiel (13), Lydia (7), Aline (12), Marco (14), Simona (9), Claudia (6) and Janine (10)

European ideas augment Kiwi farm Karen Phelps Andre and Annelies de Leeuw have brought European ideas to their New Zealand dairy farming operation.

The couple, who farm a 68ha unit milking 235 cows at Parkvale, southeast of Carterton, have introduced an unusual milking breed which they say is netting results. It was at the suggestion of a student from Europe who worked on the couple’s farm that they decided to give Simmental Fleckviehs a trial on the farm in 2008 importing straws from Germany. The Fleckvieh is a dual-purpose breed suitable for both milk and meat production. It originated in Central Europe in the 19th century from the cross breeding of local stock with Simmental cattle imported from Switzerland.

Initially the breed made up 20% of the de Leeuw’s herd and Andre says the cows proved to have less health issues and better fertility and condition scores while production has remained the same as their friesian/jersey cows. The results caused them to use 35% fleckvieh for their insemination programme last season rising to 50% this year. Andre says that measuring the results by breeding worth figures is not a true indication of how the animals have been performing as Simmentals are generally

viewed as a beef rather than a milk breed in New Zealand. He is just one of a couple of farmers in New Zealand using the breed on a dairy farm and says he has had discussions with Dairy NZ about the results he’s been experiencing. The top production the farm has achieved is 92,000 kilograms of milk solids. This season, due to a heavy cull because of a somatic cell count issue previously, the target is slightly lower at 84.000 kilograms.

It’s not the only idea the couple have imported from Europe. They also have a composting herd barn with a mix of wood chips, wheat and oat straw on the floor. This is allowed to build up throughout the year and is then used as compost on their paddocks. The barn is better for animal welfare, prevents pasture damage and gives them around 250 cubic metres of nutrient rich compost each year markedly improving the organic matter in the top soil of their paddocks.

This also means their land holds and utilises water better. They crop 9ha each year, which is put back into permanent pasture: 3ha of fodder beet, to reduce their grazing bill, and 6ha of turnips for summer crop.

Andre originally hails from the Netherlands where his family owned a farm. He headed to New Zealand on work experience working on a farm at Tokoroa. Because of his ties to the family farm in the Netherlands he says it wasn’t

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an easy decision to move to New Zealand and his parents took some convincing. He made the move in 1999 and worked on farms, mainly in the Wairarapa. Annelies had grown up in New Zealand and the pair married in 2001. The farm at Parkvale was purchased in an equity partnership with Annelies’ parents. Andre and Annelies owned it outright by 2015.

Andre takes the management role on the farm. The couple have seven children: Marco, 14, Janeil, 13, Aline, 12, Janine, 10, Simona, 9, Lydia, 7 and Claudia, 6. Because of this they made the decision a few years ago to employ a full time staff member to give them more time to spend with family and to take part in off farm

activities – mainly at their church and on the local school board. Andre says the three eldest children are already taking an active role on the farm with Marco getting cows in and putting up fences, Janeil driving the utility tractor to mow lawns and top paddocks and Aline taking a keen interest in keeping cow records. The aim is to keep increasing their land to enable them to either be more self-sufficient (they currently graze some cows off farm over winter) or to extend the dairy platform and milk more cows.

But more than that family is their first priority: “It’s important to have enough time – lifestyle,” says Andre. “That’s more important than cow numbers.”

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Andrew Hodgson

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Autumn calving on Andrew’s radar Kelly Deeks Waikato dairy farmer Andrew Hodgson is considering a return to full autumn calving on his Morrinsville family farm, where growth through winter far outstrips summer growth, and milk volumes drop considerably during February and March.

Andrew has been running his parents, David and Diane’s farm, for the past 16 years.

Over the years the farm has grown to 220ha and is now milking 580 cows, the majority in winter milk, and about 100 spring calvers.

When Andrew first came home to the farm, David was only spring calving, and it was about another three years before the family started winter milking. They got to a point where they winter milked only for about three years, drying the cows off in January and having time off in February and March, then calving in April.

“We get summer dry here, there is no doubt about it, and you never know how long it’s going to last,” Andrew says.

There would be efficiencies to gain in autumn only calving he says, including freeing up some time to do maintenance works on the farm. “You don’t necessarily realise everything that needs to be done when you’re milking all year,” he says.

Feeding the cows could be more efficient too, since Andrew has found with lots of land out for maize silage, about 35ha total on the dairy platform and the 50ha run off block, there is no more room for turnips or anything else for the spring herd.

All the cows would be able to calve on nice, dry land, and the farm is well set up with all the facilities to handle a winter milking herd.

Full autumn calving is still only a consideration on the Hodgson farm at present, with the low milk pay outs of the past few years taking their toll. “We have to catch up first before we do anything different,” Andrew says.

“The advantage of milking all year round is the continuous cash flow, though we are noticing there’s not much during March or April.”

In other news, Andrew was lucky enough in

Andrew Hodgson has been running his parents’ farm in Morrinsville for the past 16 years.

mid March to go along with his brother in law Ross Heappey in the milk tanker he drives for Fonterra Waitoa.

His day began at 6am with a half hour health and safety meeting, before heading off to the Kaimai Range for the first pick up of the day.

The tanker truck pulled in to a farm on the way to pick up 2000l of milk, to put some weight on the axle and allow it to get up the hill.

There had been a good deal of rainfall in the

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days leading up to Andrew’s day out, and the main road was closed, so Andrew and Ross had to make a detour up the road aptly named by truckies as ‘Snake Gully’.

“The track was so windy, it was an old forestry track by the looks of things, and we had to make sure there were no other trucks coming the other way,” he says. “I’m pretty sure the tanker drivers appreciate coming to our place, because we’re right on the roadside, and there is a good amount of milk here most of the year.”

The amount of work that goes into scheduling milk pick ups was a surprise to Andrew, with each tanker running two or three shifts per day. The truck Andrew was in had more than a million kilometres on the clock.

He says his milk tanker trip has given him a better understanding of that side of the industry, and understanding is the key to everything.

“They have a job to do, we’ve got a job to do, and hopefully it all works together in harmony.”

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FARM PEOPLE » Andrew & Karen Singer/Andrew & Gaylene McLean

Environment, animal welfare drive upgrades Richard Loader Caring for the environment, animals and people are key drivers behind Waikato farmer Andrew Singer’s decision to invest in a modern effluent plant and a covered stand-off pad.

Farming in Waeranga since 2002, Andrew and Karen Singer milk 260 cows off an 84ha platform of mostly flat land that gets very wet in the winter due to its heavy clay soil.

“Last winter was particularly wet and we had to stand the cows off on a sacrifice paddock for long periods of time.” Says Andrew. “It does take the pressure off the rest of the farm but it’s not a particularly environmentally friendly option, nor is it good for the animals and man alike.”

With a stand-off pad high on the capital expenditure calendar for a number of years, last year’s wet winter finally provided the motivation to invest both in farm and animal welfare.

A covered area of 1000sqm was decided on, using a base of ground rock, fine gravel and 500mm of woodchip to construct a nice soft platform. The cover is a white fibre dome like structure that lets the light through.

“Woodchips on uncovered stand-off pads normally last 12 months before needing to be replaced,” says Andrew. “We expect the cover to extend their life to three years.”

Next winter the cows will get fed silage on the farm’s feedpad and then go to a paddock for a couple of hours before being moved onto the nice dry covered stand-off area.

Andrew says that a further advantage will be calving the cows under cover on the pad so they aren’t out in the mud and cold.

Complementing development of farm infrastructure, Andrew and Karen decided to replace the aging effluent plant that was on site when they bought it in 2002.

“I’ve been researching effluent systems for the last two or three years, looking at

Kliptanks, lined ponds, weeping walls, the rotor system, unlined ponds—all sorts of things,” says Andrew. “But we finally settled on a pond where the whole thing is made out of concrete.”

A major influence for Andrew was the ability to dredge sludge from the bottom of the pond without damaging it, which you cannot do with a plastic or rubber liner.

“It was definitely dearer than a lined pond but not a lot dearer than a Kliptank and to me it’s a permanent structure,” says Andrew.

After determining the placement of the pond and doing the calculations for the size of the tank, a geotech soil analysis was obtained to determine specific engineering requirements.

Sitting 300mm above ground level and constructed of a concrete floor and 20 in-ground precast panels, the pond has a capacity of up to 700,000 litres. An electrified fence surrounds the pond for the safety of animal and humans alike.

“To me, effluent is a real asset as it saves on a lot of fertiliser over the years,” says Andrew. “Being able to store it and use it as needed is certainly a benefit.”

Like the vast majority of this Country’s food producers, Andrew and Karen care dearly for the environment and their animals.

Like so many, they have invested in costly infrastructure to protect the environment, provide good animal welfare and enhance production of both pasture and ultimately milk solids.

Environmental concerns and animal welfare were drivers for Andrew and Karen Singer to invest in a covered stand-off pad and new effluent system.

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NZ Dairy

Bigger herd next step for Taranaki sharemilkers Kelly Deeks Taranaki dairy farmers Andrew and Gaylene MacLean are on the lookout for an opportunity to take them to the next step in their sharemilking careers.

The couple are into their ninth season on the Wiremu Road farm at Okato owned by Gaylene’s cousin Darryl Hickey. They are even living in the house Gaylene grew up in.

There are definitely emotional connections to this farm, but in order to grow their business in the most profitable way, they want to find a larger sharemilking job than the 285 cows they are currently 50/50 sharemilking.

“We’ve been up to system five with 345 cows and back down again to system two when the pay out hit rock bottom. Our stocking rate is now 2.5 cows to the hectare, and that’s where it will stay from now on,” Andrew says.

Dropping the stocking rate increased the quality of the herd and condensed calving back to nine weeks, with four and a half weeks of AI then putting the bull out for another four and a half weeks. If the cows were empty, they were culled.

This season the calving spread is back up to 12 weeks, with the couple looking to increase their herd again so they are in a position to grab that opportunity to grow once they find it.

Over the past nine years, Andrew and Gaylene have put blood, sweat, and tears into the farm, completing drainage, cropping, and regrassing on 33 per cent of its 116ha.

They’ve increased production from 100,000kg milk solids to 134,000kg for the season they wintered 345 cows, and each cow consistently produces more than 400kgs milksolids.

They employ farm worker Tahi Bradley, who has been working on the farm for the past four years. Andrew has known Tahi since he was a youngster and Andrew says he remembers Tahi milking cows at nine years old.

“He is such an awesome worker, I just don’t have to worry about anything,” Andrew says.

“He even tells me to go home early in the spring time. He is quite prepared to come with us wherever we go, I’m just not sure about the South Island…”

Andrew and Gaylene hope to find a larger 50/50 sharemilking job in their current area, where their kids are settled in school and they enjoy the support of family. They realise though sharemilkers are moving from north to south for the big jobs, which are getting scarcer and scarcer in Taranaki.

“Farming has changed as people now own multiple farms and are likely to employ lower order sharemilkers or contract milkers,” says Andrew.

“This makes it harder for 50:50 sharemilkers to progress to farm ownership.”

The MacLean’s dairy farming policy begins with the grass first, and their passion for dairy farming sees them continue to improve farm production by reviewing systems and applying rigid management techniques.

“We’re passionate, and we treat the farm like our own,” Andrew says.

“We work seven days a week, we’ve got one speed and that’s full noise.”

“We’re passionate, and we treat the farm like our own. We work seven days a week, we’ve got one speed and that’s full noise.”

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FARM PEOPLE » Andrew & Sheree McKenzie

|9

New workshop complements farm Karen Phelps Andrew and Sheree McKenzie’s farm is a little outside the norm in that the couple have just built a fully functioning engineering workshop on their land.

“Having been trained as a builder this enables us to maintain our own gear to a high standard,” explains Andrew.

One gets the feeling that the workshop is not all about work though and that it is also a passion for Andrew. He has equipped it with a lathe, mill drill, welders and a plasma cutter.

He even made a hydraulic press himself.

Andrew says the couple have been taking advantage of the cheaper machinery available at the moment, prices dropping because of the pay out.

They own all their own cultivation gear including a set of rippers for primary cultivation and Andrew has made his own land leveller for secondary cultivation. They also own a power harrow and direct drill. The aim is to be more self sufficient, a lesson driven home during the low pay out. They do most of their own cultivation, planting, spraying and fertiliser work.

Located at Shannon, just north of Levin, Andrew grew up on the farm while Sheree was a ‘townie’ growing up in Palmerston North and following a career in administration. Andrew completed a building apprenticeship before returning to the farm when he and Sheree started their family.

“We thought if we didn’t give farming a go then we wouldn’t be able to afford to later,” he says.

They did one season on another farm before Andrew’s father offered them the opportunity to work on the family farm – contract milking for a season followed by a season lower order sharemilking.

They are now in their fourth season and in an equity partnership with Andrew’s parents milking a herd of 450 crossbreed crows.

The 200ha total/150ha effective unit has a 40 bail rotary shed with no mod cons.

“It’s got an on-off switch and that’s about it,” says Andrew.

Andrew and Sheree McKenzie with their children, Hunter, Sophia and Georgie. They farm in an equity partnership with Andrew’s parents.

The couple is constantly aiming to increase efficiencies and Andrew says this is improving each year they spend on the farm.

One change has been aiming to grow crops that can be fed directly to the herd, such as fodder beet and chicory, to save harvesting.

They grow 5ha of fodder beet on the dairy platform and 5ha on an 85ha run off located ten kilometres from the farm.

They also grow 30ha of chicory and 18ha of maize on the dairy platform and run off, although most of the maize is contract grown

for another local dairy farm.

They graze approximately 150 of their own cows on the run off and about the same number from another dairy farm.

There’s not much profit in contract grazing but it helps pay for the lease of the run off block, says Andrew. They are also focusing on re-grassing and weed control and do around a sixth of the farm each year in chicory, feeding it from 9 December, then re-grassing the area.

Running the farm is a combined family effort: Sheree does relief milking and

bookwork while John and Nelly babysit the couple’s three children – Sophia, 6, Hunter, 4 and Georgie, 2. John also does a lot of the run off work such as tractor work and shifting stock.

Like all dairy farmers the McKenzies are hoping the pay out will improve and plan to eventually purchase the farm when the time is right. “Our timing was a little bit poor to go into dairy farming,” says Andrew with a smile. “It’s been a struggle but we enjoy living here and bringing up the kids on the family farm.”

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10 |

FARM SERVICES » Austrex NZ

NZ Dairy

New markets planned for the future Karen Phelps China was the destination for the latest shipment of live dairy cattle sent off-shore by livestock exporters Austrex NZ. Tom Slaughter, general manager of the New Zealand branch of the Australian-based firm, says the shipment of 3900 unjoined holstein heifers arrived in late November.

“We are continuing to work in China to provide training and technical support to our partners in this market. Farms in China have been audited both pre and post shipping to ensure their readiness and capability to provide nutrition, water quality and housing to Austrex standards.

“It is critical we invest this time and resources to ensure our clients are ready and have the capacity to receive the livestock into appropriate conditions,” he says.

In 2015 and 2016, Austrex NZ exported 42,000 friesian and jersey heifers to China, its main market. The stock was sourced from all over New Zealand, and shipped from PrimePort Timaru and Napier Port. Slaughter says the firm is committed to meeting the stringent export protocols governed by China.

“We have forged excellent relationships with our working partners and the Chinese government and believe open communication, trust and a mutual respect for the protocol requirements is critical to delivering a great result.”

Austrex has qualified, bi-lingual in-market staff focused on safe and efficient procuring, assembling, health testing, quarantining, loading and shipping of livestock, he says.

“Our staff are well trained to offer advice at every stage of the supply chain. They listen to customer needs and provide expert selection and delivery of livestock alongside world best practice animal welfare practices.”

Slaughter says the live cattle trade is a “complex business” which is why Austrex NZ offers a range of pre and post shipment consultancy services to ensure the best outcomes for the livestock.

“Austrex management knows that unless we do it well, look after our livestock and require our customers to do the same, our economic future is very much at risk. Our thorough consultancy services continue well after the stock are received.”

He says solutions are tailored to the individual requirements of its clients, ranging from “the provision of a full turnkey technology transfer implementation, to providing brief technical inputs on nutrition, animal husbandry, traceability and farm management programmes.”

Austrex NZ can even assist its clients with the design, development and operation of world best practice feedlots, dairy farms and cattle breeding operations.

During the export process, the firm uses an online integrated livestock management system, which provides up-to-date livestock monitoring and traceability.

“This system allows us to track the health and wellbeing of every animal from the point of purchase through to delivery to the customer,” he says.

Livestock can be identified from the property of origin to slaughter, maintaining food safety and product integrity. The system also captures relevant breeding information for further integration to the destination country breeding management program.

Since it was established in 1973, Australian Rural Exports Pty Ltd (Austrex) has been regarded as a pioneer of the livestock export trade, and as a leader in the safe and humane export of quality breeder and feeder cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, goats, horses, buffalo and genetics.

In 2015 and 2016, AUSTREX NZ exported 42,000 friesian and jersey heifers to China, its main market. The stock was sourced from all over New Zealand.

“As a group, Austrex is continually developing quality supply chain alliances with targeted producers around the world.

By dealing with suppliers directly, the company has greater control over the supply chain, which means our customers can count on the delivery of high quality livestock to meet their specifications.”

From 1977 to 1992, Austrex had a joint venture company in New Zealand called NZ Agricultural Exports, exporting dairy cattle, sheep and lambs all around the world. This venture was sold in 1992, with the New Zealand operations re-established in 2002 as Austrex NZ. “The New Zealand business continues to support a strong dairy cattle export business into China,” says Slaughter, “and we look forward to the ongoing development of China market and other new markets for New Zealand farmers around the world.”

“The New Zealand business continues to support a strong dairy cattle export business into China and we look forward to the ongoing development of China market and other new markets for New Zealand farmers around the world.”

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Barry & Mary Montgomery

| 11

Where experience counts for a lot Richard Loader

Barry Montgomery and his wife Mary farm 10kmw south of Dargaville on a farm originally purchased by Barry’s grandfather in 1910 .

changing weather conditions.

“To me it’s about reacting quickly to the conditions and moving stock when you have to. If you start getting pugging damage and knocking things around it takes a long time to heal,” says Barry.

“It tends to seal up and it will come back to bite your backsides forever. The ground is so much heavier than other parts of the country and you can’t just get in with a harrow and repair it straight away.”

He says that the dairy flats are very fertile country and a lot of grass can be grown.

“It’s about looking after the soil and pasture in that winter and spring period and hoping you catch some summer rainfall. If push comes to shove I will often open the wire so

Stud was established in 1936 by Barry’s grandfather and today, Barry’s entire herd is registered with the Jersey Association.

A TOP (traits other than production) inspector for Jersey New Zealand, as well as a classifier for Jersey New Zealand, Barry is also a ‘Judge with Merit’ for Jersey New Zealand.

“I’m pretty well tied up these days with breed stuff,” says Barry.

“But I employ a very capable young woman who can look after the farm in my absence.”

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the stock have a little more access to feed and don’t knock things around. I always think that a full cow is a happy cow.”

A passionate breeder of jerseys, Barry says the breed is ideally suited to Northland conditions.

He says jersey’s have less live weight, less pressure on the ground, are a more efficient animal and can tolerate the hot humid weather better than the larger black and whites.

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Fifty years experience farming the difficult Kaipara Clay soils of Mititai has taught pedigree jersey breeders Barry and Mary Montgomery a thing or two about reading and reacting quickly to the region’s volatile weather conditions.

Located 10 kilometres south of Dargavile, on SH12 and bordered by the Northern Wairoa River, the original farm was purchased by Barry’s late grandfather in 1910.

Today, the milking platform is about 72ha of dairy flats intersected by the highway that was cut through the farm in 1932.

Crossing the highway for milking at least twice each day with no underpass can be challenging.

Barry says it’s manageable but the road has got increasingly busy over the last 10 years. There was a time when he put the cows on the highway in the early morning with flashing lights on the roadside to warn motorists and there was never an issue. He wouldn’t do that now.

Calving down 180 - 170 cows, Barry hopes to achieve 380kgMS/per cow this season from a predominantly grass based system.

Prior to the drop in dairy payout, Barry typically added a couple of kilograms of tapioca/PK mix to the cows daily diet in troughs on the paddock.

He hasn’t done that for the last three years, which has impacted on production.

“We reviewed everything when the payout dropped and I felt there wasn’t the margin to justify using supplements,” says Barry.

Young stock and winter grazing is done on the balance of the farm, including the Kaipara sandhill, known as Te Kopuru sand - sand over a very hard silicon pan.

Varying in thickness between 75mm 230mm, the pan is so hard that if you drive a pick into it sparks fly out.

The milking platform on the Kaipara flats is winter wet and invariably summer dry. A system of open drains, some sub drainage and the use of a mole plough help maintain the soil but it’s also about being proactive to

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12 |

FARM SERVICES » Bay Milking Equipment

NZ Dairy

Services on offer from Bay Milking Equipment, owned by Steve and Llaurelle Darrah, includes milking machine sales, installation, testing and maintenance and farm effluent system design.

Expanded services on the cards Karen Phelps Bay Milking Equipment is under new ownership and the couple who purchased the company late last year, Steve and Llaurellee Darrah, say they have plans to offer customers an even more enhanced service.

“We will continue to operate the business at the high standard it is renown for as well as expand and offer our customers extra services. We are open to customer feedback and welcome suggestions,” says Steve.

The couple come from a rural background so they walk the walk and bring a wealth of experience to their customers. Steve grew up on a dairy farm in the Hauraki Plains at Turua.

He worked his way up the dairy system and he and Llaurellee took over the 65ha family dairy farm.

They still own part of that original family farm - a small dairy block – which they lease out. Steve also operated an agricultural contracting business in the past while Llaurellee bring office administration experience to Bay Milking Equipment 2016 Ltd. The couple have already added a significant new service to Bay Milking Equipment’s comprehensive offering purchasing a trencher capable of digging in water and effluent pipes and electrical cable.

Other services offered include milking machine sales, installation, testing and maintenance, farm effluent system design,

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“We talk to each client and identify what could save them time and make the job easier. How do they plan to grow in the future? We can ensure that the milking system we install can easily be added onto when the time comes to future proof their business.”

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sales and service, domestic and farm water pump and filtration sales and service and the sales and servicing of pools and spas.

Communication with clients to identify their requirements is always a key part of the service along with the expertise offered by the highly experienced team who have been kept on when the Darrahs purchased the business.

For example when it comes to milking machines and water related equipment such as wash down pumps, vat wash pumps and farm related pumping equipment for effluent and irrigation systems, Steve says that no two sheds or farms are alike.

“Each client has a different way of farming with some moving towards full automation and at the other end of the spectrum others just requiring a basic milking system to get the job done.

“We talk to each client and identify what could save them time and make the job easier.

How do they plan to grow in the future? We can ensure that the milking system we install can easily be added onto when the time comes to future proof their business.”

Bay Milking Equipment also offers annual milking machine testing and repairs and maintenance of all brands of milking systems employing three qualified milking machine technicians on staff ready to service customers’ needs.

“This means we can identify issues that if left can become big problems. We can service their machines over winter when they are not milking.

“This ensures their equipment is always up and running and avoids unnecessary break downs and down time.”

A big point of difference for the company is that Bay Milking Equipment Ltd offers a 24/7 emergency breakdown service with calls answered by an actual member of the team who is on-call - not an answer machine.

“When farmers need help they need it quickly as they have cows waiting to be

milked. Our aim is to get their milking system up and running for them again as soon as possible,” says Steve.

Bay Milking Equipment Ltd is a member of the New Zealand Milking & Pumping Trade Association and are agents for Waikato Milking Systems.

“Waikato Milking Systems is New Zealand’s only 100% owned milking equpiment company so customers know they are supporting the local economy as well as having access to

local support when they need it. Products are made in New Zealand for New Zealand farming conditions,” says Steve. Other agencies include Davey, Aqua Tanks and Hansen.

As many rural clients also have swimming pools the company are agents for Paramount Pools, Pool Master chemicals and Trueform Spa Pools.

Bay Milking Equipment supplies and installs these brands but offers a repair service to all types of pools and associated equipment as

| 13

well as a full pool valet service The pools and spas side of the buisness is operated from the front shop while the back building is dedicated to milking equipment.

“We will offer more and more services as we continue,” says Steve, who credits the on-goin efforts of the team as a big part of the company’s success. “We are enjoying getting to know our customers and we are both on the shop floor so people are welcome to come in and say hello any time.”

Bay Milking Equipment Ltd is a member of the New Zealand Milking & Pumping Trade Association and are agents for Waikato Milking Systems.

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NZ Dairy

14 |

Quality the foundation of business Quality is everything for four year old variable speed electronic equipment manufacturing company Sema, which was founded on the belief of its managing director electrical engineer Maurice Coates that quality always sells.

In the past four years, Maurice has taken his company from a one-man band working out of his own garage with a ridiculously small budget, to a market leader in milk, vacuum, water, and effluent pump controllers with eight employees.

Maurice says on building his business, for inspiration for his philosophy that quality is everything he looked to other successful companies like Apple, Toyota, and Stihl.

“What identifies all of their products is quality,” he says. “They make very high quality, user friendly products, and they make them accessible and affordable.”

He says the way Sema controllers interact with the user is similar to the way Apple products do.

“We don’t present them with hundreds of confusing screens that you have to be a computer engineer to work your way through. We present them only with the information they need, in plain English, in order to set it up. That’s how technology should be. If a customer finds a product difficult or confusing to set up, it is not the customer who is wrong, it is the design of the product.”

That’s why Sema simplifies its controllers as much as possible, and never uses technical jargon on any of its screens.

Mauricr Coates of Sema.

Sema simplifies its controllers as much as possible, and never uses technical jargon on any of its screens.

Sema controllers can be set up in a matter of minutes, if not seconds, and no manual is required. If something needs adjusting, the process is simple and explained in plain language.

When Maurice talks about quality, he’s not just talking about the components used by Sema. “Quality is in the design of our products, in the good relationships we have cultivated with our suppliers, and in our employees who we try to treat as well as we possibly can,” he says.

“We’ve never paid minimum wage in the operating life of the company, and we don’t intend to.”

Quality can also be found in Sema’s

customer service, and the reliability of its products.

“We go through many lines of testing regimes to make sure we’re producing a really reliable product with an unlimited lifespan.”

With such a great quality product, Sema is able to offer an industry leading three year warranty, and while Maurice has received very few warranty claims, he has never declined one either.

Sema invests heavily in ongoing development with new products and improvements to existing products continually being released. Nothing goes to market before being tested and

developed on New Zealand farms.

“A lot of our developments are led by our customers, who will ask for a particular feature we don’t currently have, and in return they agree to test the first prototype. Then when we develop the final product, they get to keep it.”

A prime example was when Sema was asked for a milk sweep controller.

“There are others on the market, but they are expensive and sometimes the quality isn’t good.

“We made a very good quality product that was exactly what the industry wanted, and priced at about half of its closest competition.”

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Ben & Jemma Abernethy

| 15

Eyes firmly set towards the future Richard Loader The passion and enthusiasm for life on the farm resonates in young North Canterbury farmer Ben Abernethy’s voice as he talks about his farming journey, his new sharemilking position and his farming aspirations.

Now in his 16th season milking cows in North Canterbury, Ben got the bug for farm life as a student at Rangiora High School, which, he says, had a very strong agricultural system back in those days.

“I did all the Ag courses I could at high school and for some reason wanted to go dairy farming. Prior to that I had no farming background and certainly hadn’t milked a cow.”

Farming around North Canterbury since leaving school, Ben started as a dairy assistant, progressing through various roles and positions with ever-increasing amounts of responsibility as his experience, knowledge and reputation grew.

“I’ve been on five different farms over the 16 years that I’ve been farming and two of them I’ve worked on multiple times,” says Ben. “This is my third time working on this farm and my first season as a 50:50 sharemilker.”

When the opportunity arose last year to sharemilk on Ian and Juliet Ward’s Fernside farm, Ben and his wife Jemma seized it as their next big milestone.

“Our main goal was to be 50/50 by the time I was 30,” says Ben. “We were about 12 months late for that but we’ve now achieved it.”

To take up the position, the couple had to purchase 300 cows to add to their existing herd of 130.

While the capital investment was a significant outlay that Ben tries not to think about too much, he says that the lower dairy payouts meant he benefited from lower stock prices.

Milking 410 cows off an 119ha platform, Ben is targeting 175,000kgMS this season and 185,000kgMS next.

“Our herd is mainly 2 year old first calving heifers,” says Ben “That’s why our target is not as high this year as what it will be next year. It’s not until the 4th or 5th year that cows really start to hit their peak.”

Ben and Jemma are very much a team with Jemma utilizing her previous Human Resource and computer skills to do all the administration type activities as well as look after their two little girls.

“She also steps in when our farm worker is having a day off and looks after the calves,” says Ben. “It certainly has been hard work but it’s rewarding as well. Everything that we are

Ben Abernethy and his wife Jemma sharemilk on the North Canterbury farm of Ian and Juliet Ward.

doing is helping ourselves in the long run.”

Entering the dairy industry awards the last couple of years resulted in a 3rd placing in the Farm Manager category the first year and making the finals of the Sharemilker Equity Farmer category last year. Ben says the real benefit is networking with like-minded people and the advice from the judges.

“Getting feedback from the judges in respect to what we should be doing and how to set achievable goals has been a huge career boost,” says Ben. Ben say’s that he’s a little bit of a perfectionist but that having attention to detail is a good thing to have in his line of work.

“I always have and always will treat the cows like they’re my pets,” he says. “If you look after the cows they are going to look after you so good stockmanship and animal husbandry is very important.”

Ben says that building good relationships is also very key for him and that he maintains contact with all the farm owners that he has worked for.

Farm ownership is the ultimate prize, and while it may a few years away Ben and Jemma have got it very clearly in their sights.

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16 |

FARM PEOPLE » Cam & Tessa Hodgson

NZ Dairy

Switch to split calving starting to pay dividends Richard Loader Switching from spring to split calving in February last year has delivered significant benefits to Waikato 50:50 sharemilkers Cam and Tessa Hodgson.

The year round supply of milk has smoothed costs, made cash-flow less volatile and provided Cam, Tessa and the farm owner with Fonterra’s premium price for winter milk.

“It’s leveled workload peaks and troughs and I can wear shorts and tee shirts during autumn calving,” says Cam. He says that switching to split calving was a business decision resulting from all the boxes being ticked.

Located in Horahora, South Cambridge, the farm, which included some dry country, a run off for wintering and a feedpad, was ideally suited to split calving.

A surplus of homegrown maize following Waikato’s particularly good summer last season was the final box to be ticked.

“We ended up with about 120 tonne of maize and I wanted to find the best way to turn that surplus into dollars,” says Cam. “Split calving seemed the ideal option. We did a feed budget and cash flow analysis and submitted a case to the farm owner who was very supportive.”

When Fonterra agreed to provide a contract for winter milk at their premium price on February 25, Cam and Tess sold 150 of their spring calvers and bought 105 in-calf carry over cows. By the March 1, the herd was on the farm - calving.

With a typical empty rate for springers running at 10 percent, another key benefit from split calving for Cam and Tessa as sharemilkers was the significant reduction in wastage.

“Perfectly good but dry cows that might otherwise have been culled in the spring now get a ‘second chance’ with only ‘nonperforming’ cows leaving the herd,“ says Cam. “There is very minimal wastage.”

Neither is there wastage in the autumn calving because they will be used as replacements, valuable beef cattle or bulls.

“We have very minimal bobbies in the autumn,” says Tessa.

“We have a friesian/friesian cross herd and tail off with a hereford bull. People just go nuts over our Hereford calves. The market for them is unreal so it’s pretty lucrative for us.”

Peak milking 420 cows with a 60/40 ratio, production is sitting at 1573kgMS/ha with a split of around 500kgMS per cow for the autumn calvers and 400kgMS per cow for the springers.

Animal health has improved with only one case of milk fever last year, whereas previously the herd average was 10%.

Having established the system and the

Waikato sharemilkers Tessa and Cam Hodgson with their two children, Hunter, 5, and Libby, 3. The couple plan to take up a 30% equity partnership on Cam’s parents farm in June.

calving routine, Cam and Tessa will leave the farm in June 2018 to take up a 30% equity partnership on Cam’s parent’s family farm - a low input ‘once a day operation.’

The autumn herd will stay on the Horahora farm and be purchased by the incoming sharemilker, along with the Fonterra winter milk contract, while the spring herd will be sold on the open market.

“It’s a very good industry to be in if you are prepared to do the work,” says Cam. “Going to equity partnership is our next step towards farm ownership.”

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“It’s a very good industry to be in if you are prepared to do the work. Going to equity partnership is our next step towards farm ownership.”

NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Bryce & Nicola Fleming

| 17

Focus to build on what they have Karen Phelps Improving on what they have already got is the focus for Ruaroa based dairy farmers Bryce and Nicola Fleming.

“Increasing production without buying in extra feed is the aim,” says Bryce.

It’s a high rainfall area – around 1500mm per year – which makes the goal easier to achieve. They are focusing on growing and ensuring the cows eat more grass early in the spring. They plan to cut surpluses and carry these through as well as grow extra crops including 2.5ha of oats.

Extra focus on pasture management has also been important. The cows eat around 11 tonnes of crop and pasture per hectare.

Bryce doesn’t measure the grass growth instead preferring to rely on visual cues and his instincts. They re-grass around 10% of the farm each year through a crop of turnips.

Bryce says the Base and Bealey grass species have worked well on the farm resulting in good palatability and late seeding and seem to suit the farm well. The farm is system two and they only buy in around 300 bales of hay each system.

This combined with better cows coming through the herd should help them reach their target. For the first time they plan to put the heifers on once a day from September.

Bryce says this should result in drying them off in better condition. They have only had one empty out of 70 and an average of 6.8% empty rate over the whole herd. Bryce says this should mean better culling options going forward. The six week in-calf rate was an healthy 73%.

Bryce grew up on a sheep and beef unit in Dannevirke and went shepherding after leaving school. He managed sheep and beef farms in Waipukurau and Dannevirke for eight years before the opportunity arose to share milk on Nicola’s family’s farm at Ruaroa. Although he

Nicola and Bryce Fleming, who farm in Ruaroa, are aiming to increase production without buying extra feed. With them are children, from let, Charlotte seven, Samuel, 11, and Ella, 13.

had had no dairy farming experience, Nicola, a dental technician, had grown up on the unit making the transition easier for the couple who headed straight into a 50:50 position.

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That was in 2008 and they now own part of the farm and lease the rest from Nicola’s parents Janet and Bill. They milk a herd of 300 crossbred cows on 120ha effective/140ha total. The farm has a simple 20 aside herringbone shed.

As Janet and Bill have their own sheep and beef unit located nearby this allows Bryce and Nicola to send 50 heifers to Bill and Janet’s farm from May to May. They also winter 200 cows off farm at another location.

Bryce and one full time staff member take on the day to day running of the farm. Nicola

works for MidCentral District Health Board as a dental technician and also completes administration and farm records. They have three children: Ella, 13, Samuel, 11 and Charlotte, 7 who all like to help out on the farm.

“Family is a big part of the reason we are farming,” says Bryce, who says the family’s aim is to purchase more land. “It’s a great lifestyle for family. And farming should be about lifestyle and work life balance because at the end of the day that’s why we do what we do.”

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18 |

NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Cookson Trust

Listening, talking - and one drink Richard Loader Waikato dairy cow and goat farmer Richard Cookson has formed ‘The Sad Bastards’ club following his personal, albeit brief, journey through depression.

It’s a club of two: Just him and a mate.

They meet once a week and enjoy a drink. Just one drink.

It’s not about the drink or drowning their sorrows.

It’s about the human contact - the listening and the talking, the sharing, understanding and normalizing of problems.

It helps to build resilience, this sharing of problems. It helps to understand that ‘no man is an island’ and that many in fact share the problems experienced by one.

Unhelpful weather, low dairy payouts, high debt burden, exposure to financial risk and a public with their sharpened knives out for dairying combine with exponential impact - all unwelcome companions of the dairy farmer; companions that the farmer has little or no control over and the enemy of their wellbeing.

And of course, all of those things are over and above ‘normal’ issues to be contended with such as changing circumstances, family dynamics and relationship issues.

Richard thinks farmers often just work through undiagnosed mental health problems.

Because, he says, that’s what farmers do.

They just shut up; they get on with it and keep working.

“It takes a lot to tip us over,” says Richard.

“But one thing on top of another on top of another, is now knocking us flat.”

“Now, I think that some of the stigmas are breaking down and guys are asking for help because they realize they need it.”

For Richard, the straw that broke the camels back was an animal health issue following diversification into goats.

Richard’s family farm, between Morrinsville and Te Aroha, supplies milk to both Fonterra and Tatua from 850 cows and Dairy Goat CoOp from 540 goats.

This farm is part of a family trust encompassing a larger farming footprint that is presided over by Richard and his siblings.

The goat milking operation was part of a diversification strategy and was developed and now operated by Richard and his wife Louise.

In their first season, milking goats there was a massive, and very rapid, leaning curve.

“With the goats there was so much I didn’t know and couldn’t control so I was carrying around huge amounts of anxiety” says Richard.

“We all knew about cows, and what to do when things go wrong. But with the goats being so new, combined with my very high expectations and a range of other issues, it got on top of me.”

Richard Cookson and his wife Louise farm between Morrinsville and Te Aroha, supplying milk to both Fonterra and Tatua.

Typically self-reflective and always looking at how things could be done better, Richard realized that he’d fallen into depression when he became overly self-critical and then unmotivated.

“So when I realized that - shit this isn’t right - why aren’t I trying to improve this or do that, I spoke to Louise then went to see my GP and a counselor.

“I came out the other side realizing I needed to make changes to the things I could control and build in resilience to the ups and downs of what I could not control.”

With the goats’ under control and performing well, Richard and Louise made a number of changes to their farming system including looking at ways they could grow crops that provide higher quality feed than grass alone, throughout the milking season.

Richard also reduced his cow-stocking rate from 1150 to 850 while maintaining the same production levels, effectively reducing the cost of production.

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“We’re a much stronger and exciting business, much more resilient to the ups and downs of the volatile dairy payout and climatic conditions,” says Richard.

The Sad Bastards Club was formed as part of Richard’s rehabilitation, which involved helping others. Just normalizing that it’s OK to

be on medication, to see a counselor, to ask for help.

“When I talk about resilient farming, a concept developed by Marlborough farmer Doug Avery, I mean resilience in mental health terms as well as economic and environmental terms,” says Richard.

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20 |

FARM PEOPLE » Carlos & Bernice Delos Santos

NZ Dairy

Dairy couple focused & motivated Karen Phelps Central Plateau Share Farmer of the Year 2017 winners Carlos and Bernice Delos Santos are not newcomers to the Dairy Industry Awards – the couple has previously placed in the competition and won awards a number of times in previous years, including Carlos being named East Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year in 2007.

It is a policy of continual improvement that sees them keep on entering the awards before this year finally taking out the winning title.

“I really like the competition. It’s a lot of work to enter but we learn a lot about our business and how we can continue to improve and put our name out there,” he says.

Carlos, who originally hails from the Philippines, says he never intended to go farming. He was studying towards a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering at university and came to New Zealand in 2001 to be with family.

An introduction to a farmer in Mangakino saw Carlos take up a position relief milking.

Soon after a conversation with another farmer, who told Carlos that one day he could be in his position as a 50:50 sharemilker if he worked hard, meant Carlos’ eyes were opened to the opportunities in dairy farming.

“I used that as motivation to do well,” says Carlos.

He worked on a variety of farms progressing to farm assistant and assistant manager before Bernice, a nurse, joined him in New Zealand.

The couple married and took on a lower order sharemilking position in Morrinsville together on a 300 cow farm. They remained for three years before moving to a 600 cow position in Walton in Matamata where they remained for four years followed by a one year stint on a farm in Piopio.

They then arrived to Ngakuru in Rotorua to take on their first 50:50 sharemilking position

Carlos and Bernice Delos Santos recently won the 2017 Central Plateau Share Farmer of the Year award.

in 2015 on a 90ha effective/140ha total unit.

The couple milk a herd of 300 crossbred cows through a 40 aside herringbone shed.

They are focusing on improving their herd as well as the fertility of the land. Soil tests were conducted last year to improve the pasture on the rolling to steep country.

As they have been building their herd since 2009 in preparation to go 50:50 sharemilking, calving dates were August 1 as the Piopio farm they used to work on milking 1400 cows.

They are now aiming to bring this forward to July 25 with a 10 week calving spread as opposed to 12 weeks. Because of this the empty rate of the herd is higher than they would like – around 17% - but Carlos sees this

dairy shed. They have developed detailed procedures for staff to follow and are proud to have had no grades so far this year.

Carlos says entering the 2017 Dairy Industry Awards meant he and Bernice wrote down specific goals as to the next step in their dairy careers and the pathway they would take to get there.

“It’s made us more focused and motivated,” says Carlos.

“We have also been able to fine tune our health and safety policies and generally improve our business, particularly in pasture management and financial aspects. Our goal is to own a 300 cow farm in the next nine to 12 years.”

“We have also been able to fine tune our health and safety policies and generally improve our business, particularly in pasture management and financial aspects. Our goal is to own a 300 cow farm in the next nine to 12 years.”

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improving quickly as the cows get used to the new calving pattern.

They use six weeks of AB followed up with natural mating with bulls. They also AB the yearlings to build up herd numbers. They will increase cow numbers to 360 next season and will shift from being totally self contained to grazing yearlings off farm. They grow 11ha of chicory as summer crop and made 75 round bales of silage this year.

Carlos and Bernice, who both take active roles on the farm, are also parents to Carl, 6 and Nicole, 4.

Carlos particularly credits the fact the couple won the Dairy Hygiene Award last year to Bernice’s fastidious standards in the

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Craig Clausen

| 21

New feed system helps in tough year Russell Fredric An in-shed feed system has mitigated some of the ups and downs of a tough year faced by Craig Clausen.

Weather and facial eczema have played a big part in testing the mettle of the Waikato dairy farmer, who runs a herd of 350 on 118 hectares effective in Gordonton, north east of Hamilton.

Early last year, warm, wet weather in parts of the North Island resulted in high facial eczema spore counts; Craig Clausen’s herd was hit “big time”.

He admits taking a bit of a gamble in increasing his herd to 350 from 340 last year, but is banking on an in-shed feeding system, installed the previous season, contributing to production of 154,000kgMS or better this season.

The advantages of the in-shed system include convenience, time savings, less mess and less wastage of feed. Feeding meal to the herd also means less molasses is consumed, Craig Clausen says.

“I was sick of feeding palm kernel in troughs around the farm. I already had a molasses feeding system which has been in for about five or six years.”

The system is helping compensate for a large deficit of grass silage cut last spring, which resulted in 90 bales being produced instead of the usual 600.

The farm’s milking shed was built in 1952, but has been expanded and upgraded.

Cows are also fed maize silage, grown over 10.2ha, of which 100 tonne is stored in a Buster Cover wrap system; this eliminates deterioration and wastage, particularly from Pukeko’s which last season “annihilated” silage conventionally stored.

Plantain is included in the annual feed regime and will be planted in October this year, direct drilled by Otorohanga contractor Greg Muller with a Cross Slot drill.

“Plantain is my choice of preference as opposed to chicory. Plantain is a deep root and its like chicory [in terms of] minerals.”

The impact of facial eczema last year reduced milk production to 143,700kgMS. “We dried off about 30 cows. We lost something like $200,000. Since then we’ve refinanced at a loss back into a mortgage and we’ve since paid that back, so even though it was bad we’ve come right again.”

All but one of the affected cows recovered after being put into a “hospital” paddock. The herd sheltered under a stand of oak trees and was treated with Manderson’s Mix, a drench containing a combination of oils.

Following last year’s difficult spring, pasture conditions this summer have been lush because of cooler temperatures and high rainfall. Consequently, facial eczema spore

ABOVE: A 100 tonne silage bag made on site (Buster Cover meal system) at Craig Clausen’s Gordonton, north east of Hamilton, farm.

counts have been low.

Although the amount of grass silage cut was drastically reduced, the season’s ups and downs have been highlighted by the fact that unseasonal summer growth is also helping compensate for the deficit.

Craig’s parents Bryan and Jenny own a 500ha run-off block in Te Kuiti where Craig’s heifer replacements are reared each season.

Bryan and Jenny also own two farms next to Craig run by his brothers Karl and Marc.

“It’s been a tough season, but due to the in-shed meal feeding, I’ll come through.”

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22 |

FARM SERVICES » Dairymaster Milking Systems

NZ Dairy

Monitor keeps an eye on cows Karen Phelps Hundreds of thousands of dairy farmers throughout the world are now relying on MooMonitor to keep a track of their herd’s health and fertility, says Julian Bentley, Dairymaster key account manager. He says the system has helped farmers to make big savings and improvements in these key areas of their business by getting cows into calf quicker and easier.

MooMonitor was first created in the early 2000s and was the first system to use very sensitive motion sensing to track animal behaviour 24/7 with the use of quick release collars fitted to the cows.

“Earlier systems, and a lot of current systems, use increased animal activity to define oestrus. This has the downside that there are a lot of false positives when the animal increases activity for any other reason,” explains Julian.

“In the MooMonitor collar is a very sensitive motion sensor allied with a 32-bit processor that does over three million measurements per cow per day. This individual cow information is measured against that cow’s normal behaviour over the previous weeks to determine when there is a major change to that animal.”

This information is stored, if the cow is not in range, before being sent by radio signal to a base station.

“The information is then sent to the internet where it is processed and available on any device connected the internet. This means that the farmer’s vet, nutritionist, AI provider etc can also have log ons to see what needs doing on the farm.

The farmer can control many things from a MooMonitor smart phone app such as taking the collar off, putting the animal on a watch list, adding a heat or insemination (including which bull), setting drafting, putting in a calving, pregnancy check, body condition score, putting in a health event or a ‘do not breed’ time on the animals, adding a dry off event or deleting the animal from the farm.

The app also lets farmers load bulls so when the farmer puts in an insemination they can say what bull was used.

Because so many farmers around the world use the system this has brought cumulative advantages as the technology can be improved more rapidly by collecting large amounts of date, says Julian.

MooMonitor+ is the latest version and

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enhancements include tracking and measuring the cow’s rumination, feeding, resting and activity.

In fact MooMonitor+ has 24 times the data of the original MooMonitor.

“As the system is internet based we are continually developing it and all developments are applied to the systems in the field so our customers get continual upgrades,” says Julian.

MooMonitor was released in New Zealand about two years ago and is supplied by Dairymaster. Julian says the product has had benefits for all farmers - even those that were not having problems getting cows in calf save significant amounts of time, freeing up staff to focus on other tasks on farm.

“A good tool is a tool that gets used,” says Julian.

“As the information comes straight to the smart phone, and information gets put in the smart phone we find people do use MooMonitor+ regularly as it is so easy. I find as a reproduction consultant the failings in breeding are often in time and record keeping. MooMonitor+ customers save a lot of time and have records in the cloud. The big improvement I see is that pre joining all cows can be assessed on the desktop to see if they are cycling normally or not.

“Cows that are cycling normally are likely to be inseminated early in the joining season for a good calving pattern but, importantly, cows that are not cycling pre joining can be health checked to see why they are not cycling, and treated so that they will also get joined early in the joining period.

“These cows on most traditional systems will only be picked up as not having been inseminated at the end of joining or open – too late to fix. If 15% of cows are not cycling you cannot get a high submission rate.”

He says that the MooMonitor+ picks up a lot of heats which otherwise would have been missed, for example short heats at night or heats where the animal did not get ridden by other animals for some reason.

“In this way on most herds it pushes up submission rate, improves the calving pattern and gets heifer calves on the ground early which helps them come back in the herd in two years. MooMonitor+ also means that it doesn’t matter as much who you employ, who gets the cows in or who milks the cows as the electronic stock person is always keeping an eye on them.”

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » David & Heather Gray

| 23

Watching the grass grow pays off Richard Loader Northland dairy farmer David Gray has built his life around watching his grass grow.

A life long passion for good pasture management has contributed to the successful operation of David and Heather Gray’s Awanui farm.

Trained as a medical microbiologist, David travelled to Oxford, UK, in the early ‘70s working in the esteemed laboratories of Radcliffe Infirmary.

A defining moment came when looking out the lab window he was confronted with a brick wall. It was that very moment when he knew an outdoors life on the land was for him.

Returning to New Zealand in the late ‘70s, David purchased a 200-acre lifestyle block with sheep and breeding cows. Three years later, another defining moment occurred.

“I had a friend who milked cows down the road and I helped him for seven mornings,” says David.

“After the shortest apprenticeship of any dairy farmer, I sold my lifestyle block and bought a dairy farm.”

Over the next 25 years, David and Heather farmed in Takahue before making the decision to move to Awanui in Northland.

“We initially bought 120ha then added adjoining pieces effectively doubling the farm,” says David.

“It’s now 231ha effective of beautiful flat land.

In the 10 years or so that David and Heather have farmed at Awanui they have increased production from 500kgMS to 1260kgMS per hectare.

David attributes this to good pasture management, measuring feed, focusing on quantity and quality and having the cows to eat it. They now milk 730 - 750 jersey/cross cows.

David says that with a temperate climate and reasonable rainfall in New Zealand, albeit not always when you want it, we have a real competitive advantage over the rest of the world.

“Pasture management is looking after the

The team from West Road Farm, from left, Kodi Dean,2 IC, Shane Taylor, manager, Laura Mc Kenzie-Edwards, herd manager, and Jenny Williams, farm assistant calf rearer young stock manager.

grass first. If you look after your grass, it looks after your cows,” he says.

“It’s using the power of the sun to grow feed, using the attributes of the ryegrass and clover plant and managing that in a way that maximizes both the quality and quantity.”

The farm’s focus is to graze ryegrass at the three-leaf stage. Decisions made around when the grass is cut off have a major impact on how much is grown and the quality of feed.

Ultimately it impacts on milk solids.

With 45 – 55 percent of total yield in the 3rd leaf stage, any grazing before that misses out on half the yield.

“Dairy NZ has a focus on using grass well, particularly with low payouts, and that’s

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something that we have always done because we’ve measured it,” David says.

“I’ve always been amazed about how few dairy farmers plate measure their grass regularly. It makes such a difference to pasture utilization and management.”

Using a Rising Plate Metre to determine dry matter for every paddock every 10 days, David is able to determine which paddocks need grazing by how many cows as well as what supplement is required.

The data is entered into a spreadsheet which has intelligence built into it that predicts future pasture growth.

David says that the entire process, including feed allocation, takes 3.5 hours

every 10 days and is therefore very time efficient.

“If you manage your pasture in a way that maximizes growth and its quality, your cows will do well and you will get good production at no extra cost,” says David.

Having the confidence in his ability to make a life change from something he didn’t particularly enjoy doing to dairy farming has paid dividends for David.

But he’s also quick to compliment Heather to whom he has been married throughout his 40 years on the farm.

‘I’ve been very lucky. Heather has been very supportive of me and that has made a difference.”

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24 |

FARM PEOPLE » David & Glenys McConnell

NZ Dairy

Milking robots way of the future Richard Loader Leaping into the future after 30 years milking cows the traditional way, Waikato farmers David and Glenys McConnell decided to entrust milking to a team of four Lely Astronaut robots.

That was 2012, and they have never looked back.

“There’s no human interaction, no pushing or dogs barking, we get a lot less lameness and mastitis and the cows produce a lot more,” says David. “There’s a 15 – 20% increase in production just because of the robots.”

Originally farming in Northland and the Waikato before crossing the great divide to Southland in 1996 to milk 600 cows, David awoke one day looking for a new challenge.

He’d seen a grass based, robotic milking system in operation in the South Island and when a 72ha dairy unit in Ruakura, near Hamilton, came available he seized the moment and the challenge.

“The farm had a 20-aside herringbone shed which we gutted, put the pit in and installed the robots. There was no going back once we did that,” says David.

He says that the first year of transition to the robots was quite demanding learning the system and training the cows.

“Most of the cows take 2 – 5 days to learn to use the robots and, because milking is voluntary and feed driven, you have to train your first 30 cows to go to the robots to be milked. It took about four weeks for the first 30 to start flowing in and out of the robots by themselves.”

Once the first 30 got into the swing of things, the others started to follow and the learning process got a lot quicker.

Structured into four grazing zones (A, B, C & D), including a cow barn, the cows, wearing transponders, get drawn through the zones several times in any given 24-hour period looking for food spending up to 5 hours in each zone.

Reaching a gate between zones, the computer recognises whether a cow has been milked within a 5 – 12 hour period, either sending her to the robot for milking or to a different grazing zone, including the cow barn where she may graze for up to an 8-hour period.

“The robots operate 24 hours a day continuously which means that a cow will get voluntarily milked at any time of day or night a minimum of twice and up to four times within a 24 hour period,” says David. “It means that rather than carrying 30kgs of milk around, she may only be carrying 15kgs, which is a lot better on their udders.”

Peak milking 240 cows in a split calving system of 120/90 with a few carry overs, the

Waikato farmers David and Glenys McConnell decided to entrust milking to a team of four Lely Astronaut robotic milking systems, similar to this one.

robots work tirelessly all year round providing good cash flow and taking advantage of the higher winter premium.

Currently doing 620kgMS/per cow and hoping to reach 630kgMS by the end of the season, David is aiming for 700kgMS which he believes is achievable due to better breeding, better feed and much less stress.

The 2520sqm cow barn forms an integral part of David’s ‘system five’ operation with all inputs being fed there and the cows voluntarily choosing to enter looking for shade in the summer. It’s also invaluable during the winter months when pasture is vulnerable to pugging damage.

“I have a lot of tours coming through the farm here and they see my cows in the cow barn happy as Larry, eating, having their backs brushed and it’s 8 degrees cooler than outside, “ says David. “If you are a dairy farmer and want production you have to make them comfortable. The cow barn and the robots are significant contributors to that.”

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » David & Brian Yates

| 25

A fusion of organics & robotics Richard Loader If a fusion between organic farming and robotic dairying seems like a brave new world, then it’s one that South Auckland farmer’s David and Cathy Yates and their son Brian have courageously embraced and made their own. A leap towards Utopia perhaps.

Located in Karaka on the shores of Manukau harbour, Heritage Farms is a selfsufficient 130ha dairy unit comprised of three 30ha-grazing areas with the balance being run-off.

Spray free since the 1980s, Heritage has been USDA-NOP (Organic) certified since 2005.

Milking 165 cows through two robots, a split calving system enables year-round milking.

Heritage Farms sits on land that’s been in David’s family for 100 years, starting when his great-grandfather bought it to grow seeds.

“Although very nice gentle to rolling land to farm, there’s a great lack of phosphate in the soil, which my great-grandfather addressed with Belgium slag.”

Cathy says that the soil is so poor that not even the bracken grew well.

The farm was converted to beef and sheep

by David’s grandfather, perhaps unwittingly spurring events that would lead to David’s change to organic farming.

Both grandfather and father died of cancer at young ages, 47 & 31 respectively.

In hindsight David feels that DDT or organophosphate sheep dip had a big impact on why they got cancer.

David converted the farm to dairy in 1977, commencing his chemical free journey 10 years later.

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Brian Yates, and his parents Cathy and David, farm in South Auckland. PHOTO CREDIT: DeLaval

“I was using the agricultural chemicals that most others would use and I started to get quite ill. Pretty much constantly run down and not functioning properly,” says David. “I started taking quite an interest in agricultural bio-dynamics and thought it would be a lot better than dying of cancer. That’s how we got started.”

From the early days of cow-horn manures and fish fertilisers, David’s understanding of what it meant to be organic and how to get the best from the soil and pasture has been a process of trial and error.

“With being organic you can’t just stop using chemicals,” says David.

“You have to replace them with organic methods of fertlising and that didn’t happen with us initially.”

To compensate for super-phosphate, rockphosphate was applied and while it took a few years to get it working properly, David says that pasture growth is now healthy.

With a lower stocking rate of 1.8 cows per hectare, partly to fit within the USDA-NOP certification requirements, and party because of dry summers, there’s been a reduction in annual production.

“Our production rate is sitting at 390kgMS per cow but on a grass based system like ours I think that’s doing pretty well,” says David.

“Our animals always look very healthy. That’s partly the stocking rate and partly the correct

balance of trace elements in the soil.”

David says that divorcing himself from penicillin to treat foot-rot was a major leap of faith. However a bio-dynamic farm advisor told him that by getting the ground biodynamics right foot-rot would disappear, which it did.

He says that animal health is certainly a benefit of organic farming and that as neither lice nor worms are an issue for his stock he doesn’t need to drench for them.

While entry into the world of organic farming was to protect life against the dangers of chemical fetilisers, their adoption of robotics has been to protect life style and to ensure succession.

When the farm’s aging rotary shed required replacement in 2011 much thought was given to the options available.

A key deciding factor was finding an option that would reduce labour intensity in the milking process, enabling David and Cathy, then in their early 60’s, to stay on the farm longer.

The farm didn’t have the scale for a sharemilker and when focus fell on robotic milking, their son, Brian, became very interested in the concept.

“Our son showed an interest if it was robots so we went down that path. He has come back on the farm and will become the 5th generation,” says David.

When the product goes to the gate you know there’s been no chemicals poked into the cows or on the ground. But you also know that through the use of hi-technology David and Cathy’s organic vision will carry on through their son.

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26 |

FARM PEOPLE » Kurt Vickery & Theresa Rowe

NZ Dairy

Change proves beneficial to farm Kelly Deeks The Vickery family farm at Tikorangi has run a jersey herd for six generations, until the property came under the management of lower order sharemilkers Kurt Vickery and Theresa Rowe last season.

“After building a large covered feed pad in 2015, we were finding the jerseys just weren’t capacious enough, and we wanted something a bit framier, with a bit more gut fill,” Kurt says. “If you can have less cows and more milk, it’s got to be more economical.”

Kurt’s dad Derek and grandad Malcolm, who are both still working on the farm, are open to change.

The proof for them was in the 10 or 12 budget, half recorded jersey cross heifers Derek had bought for $700 each when he extended the farm seven years ago. “Eight or nine of them are in our top 10%, they’re proving to be awesome cows,” Kurt says.

Kurt is also pioneering on the farm, which has been in his family since 1857, with its first season of winter milking this year.

A reasonably high empty rate of 15% is pretty common in the area this season due to wet weather, and Kurt says his first three weeks of AI was a waste of time.

“I decided to do 15 weeks of mating, tailing off with short gestation, mating for an extra three weeks, and calving into October.

They only need to be dry for four to six weeks, so I’m going to milk all my empties and late calvers right through. I’ve had cows doing 2kgs of milksolids on once a day milking at the end of May, and I know a good cow will milk right through.”

The Vickery farm has the ability to feed winter milking cows with the big covered feed pad which was built when Kurt came home.

“We feed a lot of maize and palm kernel, and we found a lot of wastage from the maize especially, and a lot of damaged pasture from your palm kernel trailers. We looked into in shed feeding, but went with the feed pad.

Anything you can put in the shed you can put through a feed pad, and with the feed pad, I can also feed silage, maize, and fodder beet.”

The 123ha effective farm has seen some

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changes since it came into the Vickery family in 1857.

The front half of the farm used to run a nursery, a blood and bone fertiliser mill, and 50 dairy cows, while the back half was West Coast leased and ran sheep and beef. In 1908, Kurt’s great-grandad bought the West Coast lease part of the farm.

The nursery has now been gone for five generations, Malcolm bulldozed the old fertilizer mill, central raced and re-fenced the property. He went on to build the farm’s first herringbone shed, an 18 a side which milked 150 cows.

When Derek came home in 1987, the herringbone was extended to 30 a side, and the rear of the farm was converted from beef to dairy and milked 225 cows. After building up numbers over time, Derek built a new 40 bail rotary shed in 2000 to accommodate the 350 cow herd, and in 2010 purchased a neighboring 22ha property taking cow numbers to 420.

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“We feed a lot of maize and palm kernel, and we found a lot of wastage from the maize especially, and a lot of damaged pasture from your palm kernel trailers. We looked into in shed feeding, but went with the feed pad.

Anything you can put in the shed you can put through a feed pad, and with the feed pad, I can also feed silage, maize, and fodder beet.”

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Hamish Campbell & Adele Shaw

Living a pretty 'awesome' lifestyle Russell Fredric The opportunity to live a farming lifestyle in a coastal location was all Hamish Campbell needed to persuade him to retire his voltage metre.

The former electrician decided to “have a crack” at dairy farming after completing his OE more than 14 years ago.

He is a now a 50:50 sharemilker and 20% equity partner on his parents Opunake generational family farm with his partner Adele Shaw. The couple have boys aged seven and 11.

“I had gone as far as I wanted to with being an electrician; the next step would have been maybe starting a business, but I’m a country boy at heart,” Hamish Campbell says.

The farm is about 4km from the coast.

“The lifestyle around here is pretty awesome and farming allows you to enjoy that bit of lifestyle.”

Consequently, when Hamish is not tied up on the farm or with family responsibilities, he enjoys fishing, diving and surfing.

Two years ago, Hamish and Adele became 20% equity partners in the 164 hectare effective property which milks 450 holstien fresian on a 150ha platform.

The plan is to try to increase equity depending on pay-outs while still remaining 50:50 sharemilkers.

The farm is a highly productive dairy unit which has several attributes in its favour and can grow grass on the “sniff of an oily rag”, Hamish says.

Although coastal and exposed to westerly weather, pasture cover is usually 2500kg DM/ha going into calving with cows typically averaging about 500kgMS per season.

Fertile, free draining volcanic soils combined with a warm, temperate climate with an average annual temperature of 13.5 °C and annual rainfall of 1274mm spread reasonable consistently results in the ability of pastures to grow grass with ease for most of the year.

“We haven’t put any fertiliser on for three years, we haven’t had to; we are going to put a bit if fert on this autumn though.”

While pasture could sometimes struggle during dry periods, this summer had been a “blinder” due to more rain than usual.

Because of this production this season is targeted at 230,000kgMS. Winter feed consisting of total spplements of about 150 tonnes of silage plus turnips at 16 tonnes a hectare or better, and hay is grown on farm; 150 tonnes of silage is bought each year to ensure sufficient feed if needed in addition to 250 tonnes of maize grain Hamish has an unconventional method for growing his own silage which involves putting 200kg of urea per hectare on dedicated silage paddocks, treating it as a crop. “Heaps of

Hamish Campbell, with partner Adele Shaw and sons Mahlee and Jethro, 50:50 sharemilks his parent's Opunake farm.

people think I am mad.”

By doing this he is able to get the paddocks up to a high level of dry matter per hectare with phenomenal regrowth after the silage is cut.

“With urea at $500 a tonne its a pretty cheap supplement.”

Hamish acknowledges this practice might not be allowed under future environmental regulations, but believes the topography of the land and nature of the soil means there is little to no leaching because the nutrients are taken up by the grass. After a period of volatile milk solids pay-outs, Hamish is hoping for some stability and says a pay-out of around $6 for the next five years would be “very nice”.

“Everyone would be back on track again.”

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| 27

28 |

FARM PEOPLE » Hayden & Narelle Hilhorst

NZ Dairy

Drought, low payout baptism of fire Sue Russell Located almost equidistant between Lake Taupo and Tokoroa, Hayden and Narelle Hilhorst farm a 262 effective hectare dairy unit.

The farm’s total area is much larger, with 20 hectares used to run nurse cows and the rest a mixture of gully and wasteland.

The couple are in their fifth season lower order share milking on the farm bought by Hayden’s parents Peter and Wendy in 1995 in an equity partnership. They bought the other shareholders out in 1999.

“We managed the farm for a season before taking up lower order share milking here and since starting we’ve contended with drought conditions and lower pay-outs so it is fair to say things have been a bit tough,” says Hayden.

Whenever the pay-out improved Hayden and Narelle used any available funds to purchase more stock and traded their way up.

This season the weather has continued to play its part in affecting milk production with a very wet spring.

“It was a little bit hard physically and mentally because it was so wet. We calved down 710, a little less than the previous season and the cows never peaked as such. Hitting the best production for the season in September is not really ideal.

"Now we are in a bit of a dry patch. Production is lagging two per cent behind our target this season of 310,000kgMS,” Hayden says.

Assisting the couple on the farm is a 2IC and two farm assistants, and while not responsible for the farm’s day-to-day operation Peter still takes care of all the calf rearing and other jobs.

“General dogs-body is a good way to describe what Dad does. The 2IC and I share general farm management responsibilities and I take care of pasture management.”

The ‘Healthy Rivers’ regulations and its potential to impact on farm practices is something Hayden is keenly aware of and while building a feed pad may offer a solution he says whatever actions are taken need to be underscored from the perspective of cost verses return.

“We have to stay at the nitrate leaching levels of the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 seasons and we’re currently going through the process of looking at various options to ensure we can achieve this.”

The farm’s 44 aside herringbone has recently had automatic cup removers installed.

“Having protrac in the shed would be a great help along with a heat detector camera. With 10

Hayden Hilhorst and wife Narelle are in their fifth season lower order share milking on the farm bought by Hayden’s parents Peter and Wendy in 1995 in an equity partnership.

weeks of AB it takes a toll on us drafting cows out every day.

"We have done 10 weeks of AB for the last two seasons and plan on continuing down this route.

Fodderbeet is being grown over 8 hectares this season, to see how it yields and how the cows perform on it.

With two young children, William at nearly four years of age and two year old Zoe, life is busy in the Hilhorst household.

Narelle helps out standing in when staff are having a break and also takes care of all the bookwork.

While Hayden’s skills as a qualified diesel mechanic come in handy he says he wouldn’t go

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“We’re taking small and steady steps to secure our farming business and while there have been some challenging years it’s certainly a good lifestyle.”

back to life off the land. “We have a couple of tractors and do all our own ground work, silage cutting and fert spreading.”

Hayden and Narelle have recently purchased a 30 hectare block for June 1 takeover. They initially intend to lease to Hayden’s parents to increase the

farm size and stock numbers on the smaller dairy unit that Peter and Wendy own.

“We’re taking small and steady steps to secure our farming business and while there have been some challenging years it’s certainly a good lifestyle,” Hayden says.

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Geoff Wilson/Geoff Irwin

Geoff's got a passion for holstein friesians Get Coastal Otago farmer Geoff Wilson talking about holstein friesians and it’s instantly clear that the black and white breed is his passion while his 300 registered pedigree animals are his pets.

On a good day he says he can recall the name of each and every one of them.

“I’ve always been very much hands on, working with them all since day one,” explains Geoff. “In some cases I’ve worked with their mums, their grandmums, their greatgrandmums and great-great-grandmums even. So you get to know so much about each individual cow.”

We talk about his drive for breeding pedigree cows and he says that while his farm is a business that aims to be profitable, there’s a passion for what he does that’s so much more than dollars and cents and the cows are a big part of it.

“You know, you have calving time and that’s very closely followed by mating time and it’s a hell of a busy time of the year. But while being involved in the breeding is tiring it’s actually quite exciting.”

Geoff describes waking up in the middle of the night knowing that such-and-such cow is due to calve. He knows who the sire is and that the calf could have quite an exciting potential.

So even though he’s just worked 18 hours straight and dog-tired, he’s actually chomping at the bit to get back down to the herd home - rather than being the last thing he wanted to consider.

That’s passion.

Geoff’s other passion is music - something that was inspired by his grandmother. He plays drums and guitar, along with other instruments. Playing in bands, including one with his grandmother, he saved his pennies along the way and invested in himself to become a low order sharemilker on a family farm in Outram, on the Taieri Plains.

That was 15 seasons ago and since then he’s formed his own herd of holstein freisians continuing the family’s stud prefix of Telesis, progressed to 50:50 sharemilking and bought into the farm.

Geoff’s decision to go the holstein friesian way was partly influenced by his parents and partly from others around him.

“I was lucky that when I started farming there was a significant presence of friesian breeders locally and from around New Zealand who were passionate about breeding and loved their cows – I just seemed to gravitate to that.”

Geoff’s template for perfection is a cow with high protein production, strong fertility, along with good conformation and capacity, good rump angle, resistance to mastitis and lameness—and has good management traits.

While acknowledging that this is a tall order, he says that one of the advantages with working closely with LIC and CRV Ambreed is the benefit of the collective wisdom of their sire analysts along with all the other breeders.

Geoff says that school tours often come onto the farm.

“It’s cool to share it and the positive of what’s actually happening on the farm rather that some of the negative perceptions of the industry.”

““It’s cool to share it and the positive of what’s actually happening on the farm rather that some of the negative perceptions of the industry.”

C

Richard Loader

EBRATING EL

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Herd shelters tick all the boxes on Kereone farm Richard Loader Capital investment in herd homes on Geoff and Lee Irwin’s farm has resulted in a significant reduction in nitrogen leaching, better animal condition, improved pasture management, higher productivity and improvements to the bottom line.

The Piako River, the Hamilton to Tauranga rail line and a roadway divide their 83ha effective rolling hill farmland in Kereone near Morrinseville. Geoff says that it’s a little complicated but it makes farming interesting.

Long and narrow at the far end with a 1.8 kilometre walk from the back paddock, the loss of animal condition was partly behind the decision to install herd homes onto the farm.

“Before we built the herd homes we peak milked 270 cows, going onto16-hour milking if the cows lost too much condition, then returning to twice a day once condition returned,” says Geoff.

“We had a 10-year average of 110,000kgMS so we were just cruising along doing the same thing and getting the same result.”

He says that the healthy payout three or four years ago provided a great opportunity to move forward as a business by making the improvements that would provide environmental sustainability as well as a small gain in production.

“I’d been studying herd homes, how other farms use feed and the herd homes for quite a few years.

"So it wasn’t as though the big payout came along and I just decided that ‘shit this is the thing to do’.”

Used for the first time on Christmas Eve 2014, the herd homes also presented Geoff with the opportunity to venture into split calving.

A short duration AB mating in the spring moved 50% of the herd onto autumn calving, providing Geoff with sufficient empty cows for winter milking and flushing the season up to 135,000kgMS.

Supporting the decision to move to a split calving system, Geoff planted 13.5ha of maize in the spring of 2014 and by the following autumn enough maize had been grown to feed it out every day of the year.

“All of these things started to come together,” says Geoff.

“It’s stuff that I’d been watching for a long time and wanted to use but wasn’t willing to unless I could eliminate wastage.”

Using a mixer wagon and nutritionist, bins on the side of the herd homes are filled with a mix of maize, a little bit of PK, DDG and stale bread saved from going into landfill, and from time to time some grass silage, without wastage.

Expanding the herd to 340 cows, with a 50/50 autumn/spring split, Geoff is on track to achieve 185,000kgMS this season.

Effluent from the herd home and milking shed now irrigates 100% of the farm and the use of hard nitrogen has halved.

“To me it feel like a good return on investment,” says Geoff.

“Our cows are easy to milk, in exceptional condition, health issues like lameness and animal reproductive problems are minimal and matings are ticking along very well. And it’s environmentally friendly.”

“Our cows are easy to milk, in exceptional condition, health issues like lameness and animal reproductive problems are minimal and matings are ticking along very well. And it’s environmentally friendly.”

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30 |

FARM PEOPLE » Buchanan family

NZ Dairy

Succession planning? Start early Richard Loader The benefits of a well thought out succession plan have been highlighted to Inglewood farmers, George and Leigh Buchanan, through Leigh’s daytime job as a rural chartered accountant.

Leigh says that she sees many examples where farming families leave succession planning to the last minute when it’s often too late, resulting in farm and benefits lost to future generations.

Originally sheep and beef farmers, with some dairy experience, George and Leigh purchased their 84ha effective farm in 2008 with the expectation that son, Robert, would eventually take over the reins.

“The transition from sheep and beef was partly timed with where I was in life,” says Robert.

“I was about to go to Lincoln University in Canterbury and Dad had done his dash on sheep and beef. Prices weren’t good and dairy was making a bit of money. I had always shown interest in dairy so that influenced the decision for mum and dad.”

On leaving school Robert completed a BCom in Agriculture then worked as a technical field rep with PGG Wrightson for five years, gaining valuable experience in many facets of farming and farming systems.

Returning to the family farm in June this year, Robert is now working as contract milker, enjoying the opportunity to work along side his father.

With Robert back on the farm, and daughter Sarah working as a pharmacist in town, the couple has taken early steps to ensure a

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sustainable family business with equitable benefits for all family members.

With the farm owned by a Trust and the cows and plant owned under a company structure, the plan is for Robert to buy shares in the company, through his own family trust entity, so that it eventually owns the plant and cows.

As a first step towards ownership he will either transition to 50/50 sharemilking or lease the farm.

“In my mind succession planning is setting things up for future generations so that everyone is happy and it’s fair for all family members – not just those who are living on the farm,” says Robert.

Currently milking 265 friesian cross cows through a 28-bale rotary shed, the farm’s record production is 111,000kgMS achieved in the 2014/15 season. This year 105,000kgMS is being targeted.

“We are in a great spot here and it’s a beautiful location. It grows good grass and has relatively good production,” says Robert.

“Our number one goal to get the farm cranking along and get the production at 110 – 120,000 milk solids to really maximise our returns and profits. “ The Buchanan family is working hard to build a sustainable family future that is providing good returns for everyone and everyone is happy. Early succession planning where the interests of all parties are taken into account is key to that.

“We want to keep on growing the business and my ultimate goal would be to milk 500 cows. That might mean selling this farm and buying a bigger one. We have to keep looking at growth opportunities – always looking forward.”

10x2 HEL Electrical Services Ltd Succession planning is "setting things up for future generations so that everyone is happy and it's fair for all family members, says Inglewood farmer Robert Buchanan, pictured with parents George and Leigh. The family milk 265 cows on 84ha.

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Logan Hewlett

| 31

Figures back extended lactation Kelly Deeks Drying off cows which were still producing good volumes had Northland dairy farmer Logan Hewlett looking for a better way to maximise production.

After much homework, including a trip to Victoria, Australia to talk with researchers from Dairy Australia, he settled on extended lactation, and is now into his third season of milking his 450 cows in two herds, each for an average of 16 months, calving on average every 18 months.

“What that has done is lower our expenses, since 90 per cent of your animal health costs are during mating, calving, and drying off,” he says.

“We’re paying less vet bills, using less Dry Cow and less Teat Seal, and everything to do with mating, calving, and drying off is less.

And on top of that, they’re producing more milk.”

He says for an extended lactation system to work, farmers firstly will need to be milking year round, then they will also need to have the capability to farm intensively.

“It’s a three year cycle so the second season we have to take two herds through summer, and the third we take season two herds through winter, which puts on a lot of pressure.”

Taking two herds through the winter is the three-yearly pressure point on this low-lying, clay farm.

Logan says the idea first came up about 40 years ago, before he was even born, when his parents Graeme and Shirley hosted some agricultural students from England who were milking their cows at home for 500 days.

“Dad mentioned it to me, and didn’t really think I’d do anything with it, but I picked it up and ran with it,” Logan says.

“I went to Victoria to see Dairy Australia who had done a lot of research on extended lactation, and I also met a couple of Kiwis over there who were milking for two years.

They had different reasons for doing it, but I

“I went to Victoria to see Dairy Australia who had done a lot of research on extended lactation, and I also met a couple of Kiwis over there who were milking for two years.

They had different reasons for doing it, but I got to see how their operation ran. They had challenges with it, but it worked.”

got to see how their operation ran. They had challenges with it, but it worked.”

Now Logan knows it has worked for him too, with the past two years of financial results showing farm expenses coming down, and average milk solids going up.

“A lot of people who winter milk run carry over cows, so they are doing what we’re doing, just not 100%, whereas we decided to go all in,” he says.

“If you look at some of those cows that are carrying over they are going to do pretty phenomenal production, and that’s what we’ve found.”

Logan is aiming to reach 1000kgs milksolids per cow over 16 months, and the

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autumn calvers he has most recently dried off hit 850kgs milksolids average.

“We’re heading in the right direction,” he says.

Elsewhere on farm, Logan has planted sugar beet for the first time this season. He tried fodder beet for two seasons, and was happy with the energy level of the product, but the dry matter yields were too low.

“We’re growing sugar beet to increase our overall yield,” he says.

Logan has been contract milking on his parents’ farm for five seasons, and succession planning is now in place with a view to him and his wife Michelle entering an equity partnership with Graeme and Shirley

next season.

He says the succession planning hasn’t been easy. “I’ve got friends going through the same thing and all the stories are the same,” he says.

“When there are brothers and sisters involved it’s a drawn out process and a bit tolling both physically and emotionally. It just has to be spoken about, it’s the only way to deal with it.”

Logan got the ball rolling about 18 months ago when the whole family was sitting around the dinner table for the first time in about a decade.

“Now everyone has an idea of what’s going on and they’re happy with it.”

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32 |

FARM PEOPLE » Greg & Amy Gemmell

NZ Dairy

Greg and Amy Gemmell have embraced robotic milking on the 82ha farm they sharemilk near Feilding. The robots allow the couple to spend more time with sons Flynn, Hadley and Ronan. Photo credit: S Buchanan.

Robotics – 'Flintstones to Jetsons' Sue Russell Pioneering a fully robotic dairy operation on the 82 hectare effective dairy farm they sharemilk a few kilometres from Feilding has been a positive learning experience with exciting outcomes for Greg and Amy Gemmell.

The enterprising couple have seen significant benefits flow from their decision to go, from what they describe on their fun website, ‘from The Flintstones to the Jetsons’ in terms of farm systems with the full support of Amy’s parents, farm owners Brian and Margaret Schnells.

“Amy and I and her parents sat around one

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NZ Dairy night discussing a Rural Delivery episode we saw on TV which show-cased robotic milking working successfully on a Waikato farm.

Later on we met the Weal’s, the farmers on the programme and undertook some robotic training on their farm and have become friends,” says Greg.

With support from Feilding based Lely Manawatu Trevor Ward and Steve Bromley, who Greg says bent over backwards to provide as much information as possible about the pros and cons of changing the farm from its traditional milking system to something completely new, the decision was made to invest in three robots.

When asked about the transition from cows in paddocks all walking to a milking shed to cows choosing when to walk to one of three machines in the milking station when they choose, up to three times in any 24 hour timespan, Greg says it was surprisingly easy.

“Brian and I had 60 days to prepare for the next season when calving would commence.

With Trevor’s constant support we prepared the farm ourselves for the transition. Once a cow got calved she got collared and trained in the robot.”

A key benefit that comes from a less stressed cow, able to choose when it will approach the milking shed on its own and in its own time, is a reduction in effluent.

“Cows poo when they are being pushed along the track and there is significant less lameness as well. When stress is reduced significantly the cow’s condition improves and she produces milk at optimal volumes.”

Each time a cow is milked a massive amount of information is retrieved.

“The saving in time that I can use to do other things on the farm is huge.”

FARM PEOPLE » Greg & Amy Gemmell The decision to retrofit the old herringbone shed to a robotic area meant that options were limited regarding the farm layout for the three designated areas (ABC) that robotic farming requires for optimum cow traffic flow.

A grazeway system, which on exiting the postmilk area after milking, automatically sends the cows in one of three directions (each direction for approximately 8 hours).

“In a perfect world the three areas would be all of a similar hectarage. In our case we have a very large A with smaller B and C areas, so we close up some areas of A for baleage earlier and hay over the summer. As we are in only the first summer of robotics we are still very much learning.”

Once a cow has entered the milking unit and the back gate has closed behind it, the position of the cow is measured using lasers.

Brushes are used for cleaning and to stimulate milk flow prior to the teats being individually scanned before the cups are attached one at a time. It doesn’t take long before a cow learns the best way to stand for attachment to be quick and easy.

“It’s quite amazing to see how forthright and confident they are entering the robot box,” Greg says.

Cups are removed individually as milk flow dips below a certain volume thereby reducing the total time each teat is cupped impacting positively on udder health.

Following milking teats are sprayed and the robot gives itself a quick steam clean before being available for the next cow of choice.

“Our farm has created a lot of interest from those contemplating converting to a robotic system or who just want to see how it can work so well or those simply interested in the technology in general,” says Greg.

“Our farm has created a lot of interest from those contemplating converting to a robotic system or who just want to see how it can work so well or those simply interested in the technology in general."

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| 33

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a d th an t en th t e wh w ole le ffaar arm!”

2 mont nth nt ths lat ate at ter: al a most no o crust Brian a car an a ried out ar ou Dav avi av vid’ ds’s instructions an a d wi wit ith thin tw two wo mont nth nt ths, go g od biologi g cal gi a activ al ivi iv vit ity ty wa w s pre r sent re n an nt a d th t e wit wi ith th how o Slu ow l rry Bugs we lu w re r perfo f rming. fo

T solv To lve lv ve th t e ro r ot o -cau a se of pond au d crust s (a st ( nd poor animal hea e ltlth ea th and lo l w milk l pro lk r du ro d cti t on) ti n , fa n) far arm rmers need to t fo f cus on soiliil condi dit di iti tions. If th t e soiliil condi dit di iti tions ar are re righ ght gh ht, eve ev very ryt yth thing n el ng e se wil wililll ffaal allll int nto to line,, lik ikkee dominos.

So, wh w at a ar are re th t e ‘righ ght gh ht’t’ soiliil condi dit di itions?

A bal a an al a ced d pH of 6.4 Dav avi av vid de d scri rib ri ibes soilili as a fo fol ollllows. o “F “Fa Farm r ers r sh rs s ould ul th uld t ink of o

Brian a Sch an c nel ch nellll’ls l’ phone call al all

with t tr th tri rillllilions of o wo w rk rke kers r – th t e micr crocr ro-org rga rg ganis i ms th is t at liliv ive ve t ere th re. re e.

“He “H Here r ’s th t e pro r ble ro l m I was le w having ng. ng g. My M pond w was cruste st d ste over v and I was ver w lo los osing n holdin ng lding ldin ding ca cap apacity ty. ty y. No N t only l th ly t at,t,t th t e solililds d we w re r co c nsta st ntl sta tly tl ly blo l ck lo c ing n th ng t e irrig iga ig gati t on n jets, wh w ich c ch was a maj w a or pain.” aj Brian a had had th an t ese pro prob oblems befo f re fo r an a d had pai ad ai cont n racto nt t rs to to to come in an a d stir th t e pond an a d suck c out ck u ut t e solids. He ev th eve ven had a digg gger gg ger bro br ugh ght gh ht in to to ex exc xcav ava vat ate te t e crust. But th u th ut t e crust al alw lwa way ays ys cam a e back am c . ck

“Yo Y u ca Yo c nnot ove v rst ve rsta state t th t eir imp m orta mp t nce ta nc fo f r gr gra ras ass ss gr gro rowth t . th

t at lil quef th efy ef fy th t e pond by b eatin ting tin ing th t e crust.t.t So, oo, I ca c lllle led David

t e enviro th r nment th ro t es e e goo g d micro r bes ro e pre es ref re efe ferr. 6.4 enable les le es

Slu l rr lu rry ry Bug ugs ug gs do d th t e job or ddo I need more r mech re c anica ch cl ca solu l ti lu t ons?’ He H told l me not to ld t sp s end anoth t er ce th c nt on mach c ines ch e .” es

Dav avi av vid dro rov ro ove ve fr fro rom Ham a ililt am lto ton to to inspect Brian a ’s pond. an Wit Wi itthin hin 10 minu nut utes tes, he noticed th t re r e th t ings. aero r bic micro ro r bes ro e are es r at wo re w rk, r eatin tin tin ingg crust and lil quef efy ef fying n ng t e pond. I saw no bubble th les le es at allllll.l. gre gr ree een co c lo l ur occ c urs cc r wh rs w en nC Chlo l ri r ne kill ills ill ls micr cro cr ro-org rga rg ganis i ms. is

t ge to g t 6.4 th t rou roug ouggh h a goo g d bala l nce la nc of of a ra r ng nge ge of o nutr t ients, tr ts ts, not just by b add ddin dd ding ing lime.”

Dav avi av vid th t en told Brian a th an t e deeper trut uth ut th ab a out ou pond crust: th t at a th t e stat ate at te of his pond wa w s mere rel re ely ly sym sy ymp mpto t mat a ic of a nu at nut utrient nt imba n mbal balan a ce in his soilili. “ to “I t ld l Brian th t at th t e crust on his i pond is is i undi undig ige gest este sted ed feed fe eed and th t at undi dig di ige gest este sted fe feed is i di d re r ctl tly tl ly re r la l te t d to t th t e lo lw pH in th t e rumen of o his i co is c ws. w Low pH is i an n enviro r nment ro t at stu th t nts th tu t e wo w rk r and re rep epro r du d cti t on of ti of go good, d di d, dig ige ges esti t ng n org rga rg ganis i ms. is nutr t ient imbala tr l nce la nc in th t e fe f ed, d wh d, w ich c is ch i dire r ctl re tly tl ly re r la l te t d to t an imbala l nce la nc in th t e soil. It I ’s alllll about th t e soil.l.l”

Int n ro nt r duci d ng th t e BioCirc rcl rc cle Dav avi av vid sees ev eve veryy fa far arm as a BioCirc r le rc l of o tr tra ransf sfe sf fere r nce nc .

W at Wh at’ts’s in th t e soilili go g es int nto nt to th t e gr g ass. Wh W at at’ts’s in th t e g ass go gr g es int nto nt to th t e cow ow. ow w. Wh W at at’ts’s in th t e cow o go ow g es int nto nt to But u Slu ut l rry Bugs ar lu are re aero rob ro obic.

“Slu l rr lu rry ry Bug ugs ug gs need ox oxy xyge ygen and lilig igh ght.t To T surv r iv rv ive ve, e, th t ey e eat

1. Low ow pH stu ow t nt tu n s th t e wo w rk r of goo g d org r an rg a isms 2. Low ow pH hel ow helps lps disease-cau a sing pat au ath at thoge g ns ge

Forwa war wa ard rd Far a ming car ar a ried out ar u a soilili te ut t stt (te t ste t d in te Missouri, USA). Ev Eve ven th t ough g th gh t e te t st re rev eve veal a ed Brian a ’s an soilili had an an ideal aal pH of 6.4, it i wa w s ach c iev ch eve ev ved th t ro r ugh g an gh a Calc a ium, alc i Mag agn ag gnesium i , Potassium ium i , an ium a d Sodium i . ium Brian a ’s soilili Mag an agn ag gnesiu si m wa siu w s to t o high gh in re gh rel elat a ion to t Calci ciu ci ium on soiliil enzy nzym ymes. Te T sts al a so re rev eve veal a ed th t at a th t e org r an rg a ic mat att at tte ter,r wh w ich c fee ch f ds soilili biology gy, gy y, wa w s to t o low ow. w.

g ts tran ge a sfe an f rre fe r d. re First, we w added d lime at a 625kg/ kg ha to kg/ t ge g t Brian a ’s Calc an a iu alc i m lev eve ev vel els up u to t 68%. Incre r asing Calc re a ium alc i by b th t e corre r ct re a ount am n au nt aut uto tomat a ical at alllly al ly re r duc d ed Mag agn ag gnesium i to ium t th t e ideal a al rang ang ang ngee in re rel elat a ion to t Calc a ium alc i .

Slu l rr lu rry ry Bug ugs ug gs eat th t e crust,t,t th t ey e th t en ex e cre r te re t th t e solililds d in a “ ut more “B r th re t an th t at,t,t th t eir di dig ige ges esti tiv ive ve sy syst yste stems ch c ange n th nge t e c mp co m os o iti t on of ti o th t e pond nutr t ients – fr tr fro rom unsta st ble sta l to le t st ble sta l org le rga rg ganic forms r th rms t at pla l nts ca la c n eas a ily as l use. ly

To incre T r ase org re r an rg a ic mat att at tte ter,r 240kg/ha of comp m ost wa mp ws added to t th t e fe f rt r ili iser mix. Ph P os osp sphate t wa te w s not added becau a se iitt w au waas al a re r ady d wi dy wit ith thin an a acceptab a le ran ab a ge an g.

f r bett fa tte tt ter fe ferti t lilis ti iser.r.r”

Brian, a do th an, t ese th t re r e th t ings

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Dav avi av vid aske k d Brian ke a to an t do th t re r e imp m ort mp r an rt ant nt th t ings.

1. Change g th ge t e at a mosphere r of th re t e pond so Slu l rry Bugs lu 2. Add A a booster t of Slu ter l rry Bugs int lu nto nt to th t e pond.

3. Ke K ep ch c lorine ch c emical a s out al u of th ut t e pond by b using a al an alt lte ternat a ive at iv san a it an i ising pro pr du d ct.

• Nu Nut utrient n s ge nt g t tran a sfe an f rre fe r d: bal re ba an a ced or imba mbal mba balan a ced • Org rgan rg a isms • pH lev lev eve veells ge g t tran a sfe an f rre fe r d: acidic or neut re u ral ut a al

6.

Bett tter tt ter gr g ass gr gro row owt wth th + gr gre reat ater ter biologi g cal gi aal activ ivi iv vit ity ty Cases of mastit i is dow it own ow wn fro f m 25 to t 3 Cases of lam a eness dow am own ow wn fr fro rom 15 to t 2 Milililk lk Ur Ure rea dow own ow wn 39% fro f m 29.44 tto 18.11*

added

*Octob to er 2015 comp tob m ar mp are red to t Octo t ber 2016 to

T contact David: 027 490 9896 To

T read more: www.fowardfarming.co.nz To

NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Carlton & Michelle Smyth

| 35

Ownership no mission impossible Richard Loader “Farm ownership by young people is still possible,” says Kaiwaka dairy farmer Carlton Smyth.

He advises young people wanting to go farming that as long as they are dedicated to farming there is light at the end of the tunnel but they need to apply themselves.

Carlton believes that the country is in drought of young people who are prepared to take that next leap to farm ownership, with many giving up the dream of ever owning their own farm – a dream that this country was built on.

“A lot of guys have gone right through 50:50, have their own cows, their own machinery but they still think that next step is too big,” says Carlton, who attributes increasing land values as a primary cause.

He says that while the pathway to farm ownership may not be the same as it was 30 years ago, other viable options are available.

Working on the family farm on wages from 1986, Carlton progressed through to 50:50 sharemilking until 1996 when, at the age of 33, he was in a position to buy his first farm in Kaiwaka.

Over the next six years, Carlton and his wife Michelle added neighbouring properties on either side, increasing their farm holding to 229ha. He admits that the land market of the day was a key enabler.

In 2008, Carlton and Michelle entered into equity partnership in another farm.

Carlton says that their experience with going into partnership with another like-minded couple has been a positive one that has been beneficial for both parties.

He strongly advocates equity partnerships as a way forward for young farmers wanting to get their foot in the door of farm ownership but unable to do so on their own.

Carlton says that another key advantage with equity partnership is the ability to communicate with your equity partner.

“We’ve probably made each other better farmers because we bounce ideas off each other all the time,” he says. “If there’s an issue then it’s talked about.”

While agreeing the bank loan required to get into farm ownership, even as an equity partner, can appear daunting it’s all relevant to your ability to service the debt.

“They need to know how to do their cash flows and budgeting – and not be scared of the figures as long as the debt is serviceable,” says Carlton.

An equity partnership may also have the advantage of enabling a young farmer to enter into partnership with one or more white-collar investors, without the need for a hefty deposit.

“Equity can be increased or built by

Michelle and Carlton Smyth, who farm at Kaiwaka, with Ethan Pou (green overalls ) and Blake Anderson.

developing the land, improving pasture and production levels and trading stock,” he says.

The couple says that a determination to succeed in today’s world, taking calculated risks and not being afraid to borrow money to transform a dream to reality are key to success.

They are very clear that anyone going into farming has to realize that they are in it for the long haul – it’s not a short-term investment.

“Farming is a lifestyle, but it’s not an easy one,” says Michelle. “It does have the rewards at the end of it eventually, but its not handed to you on a plate and it doesn’t just happen.”

Another thing that Carlton and Michelle are adamant about is the value they provide to each other as a couple.

“Michelle and I have been a team all the way through which has been important, says Carlton. “She understands the day-today challenges on the farm that I have gone through because she has been there, too.”

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36 |

FARM PEOPLE » Hamish & Sheree Germann

NZ Dairy

After four years of drought, Te Awamutu equity partners Hamish and Sheree Germann are tracking towards a bumper season.

Roller-coaster ride for equity partners Russell Fredric Following plenty of ups and downs during the past five years, equity partners Sheree and Hamish Germann are tracking towards a record season.

The couple are in partnership with Hamish’s parents Mike and Sue Germann on a 140 hectare effective property which milks 500 KiwiCross cows near Te Awamutu.

Hamish’s story is a tale of two careers; he is a qualified builder having worked full-time in the trade from 2002 to 2007, but with being brought up on a dairy farm, he thought dairying would ultimately be his calling in life.

“I did five years of building and then one year on Dad’s home farm working directly under him and went back building for another two years,” Hamish Germann says.

His parents subsequently bought the 140ha farm as a second property which created an opportunity for Hamish and Sheree to get on the dairy ladder, initially as contract milkers.

“Then we went into lower order for the past three years. It’s my fifth season now so this is the first season that hasn’t been a drought.

“The first season, I think it was the driest summer in history in our area and the second year the second driest.”

Last season, with the farm gate payout below $4 and production at 176,000kgMS on the back of the drought, Hamish’s building experience came in handy; he returned to his trade full-time for four months which meant he did not have to lay off one of his two staff.

“You’d never think you’d go onto a farm and have a second job to be able to afford to live, but it just got ridiculous, the amount of money farmers were getting.”

Production is now on track towards a record of 200,000kgMS, from a base of 166,000kgMS and a herd of 540 in the Germann’s first season in 2012/2013; cows are milked through a 20 year-old 44 bale rotary shed.

Hamish attributes the bumper production to date to a combination of factors: Favourable weather has produced green grass this summer for the first time since the couple has been on the farm; genetic gains and good reproduction resulting in improved six-week in-calf rates with more days in milk for earlier calvers, combined with the overall age of the herd being close to its optimum, have also contributed to peak production.

Supplementary feed consumed annually usually consists of about 200 tonnes of maize, 200 tonnes of palm kernel extract – seasonally adjusted according to pay-outs – along with grass silage cut from the farm, with 6ha of chicory added as a summer feed during the past

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two years. When given the hypothetical scenario of three or four years of good pay-outs, Hamish says his priorities would be to continue to look at ways of improving production and profitability.

Developing adequate effluent storage capacity to allow more flexibility for effluent application is the next priority capital project which Hamish hopes to be completed in the next year or so.

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in the context of production, pay-outs and profitability are ongoing priorities.

The Germann’s completed a Diploma in Small Business Management the season before they started contract milking.

“That gives us a better sense of how to run a business. It’s had benefits in budgeting; enough accounting to (help us) know what we are doing.”

NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Dylan & Emily Hilhorst

| 37

Getting the basics right the key Kelly Deeks Coming home to manage the family dairy farm at Tirohanga in 2014 after years of running his own building firm, Dylan Hilhorst wanted to get the basics right from the start.

A lot of that was about understanding his pastures, fixing any problems straight away, keeping a clean and tidy farm, and talking to the right people.

“My performance over the past couple of years has been based on getting the basics right,” he says. “I’m not complicating things too much, I’m making it easier for myself, and I’m willing to try different things.”

Dylan has only been in the industry on low pay out years, so as much as he’s been thrown in the deep end, he says having your hands tied a little bit is a good way to learn about being careful and aware of costs, and he has kept his at $3.19.

He reckons he is on the right track, saying his parents Wendy and Peter set him a target of 80,000kgs milksolids for his first season, and he ended up doing 104,000kgs milksolids.

Next season, Dylan and his wife Emily are taking the next step with a move to contract milking, and an increase in cow numbers from 280 to 380, with his brother and sister in law Hayden and Narelle having purchased just under 30ha across the road and adding it to his 74ha milking platform.

Dylan is having a busy end to his last season of managing, with an entry into the 2017 Central Plateau Dairy Manager of the Year competition keeping him on his toes.

“I wanted to enter the awards not just to participate, but to give it everything I’ve got,” he says.

“I like to put 110% into everything! The awards experience has been so awesome for our goal setting for next season, and to highlight the importance of some areas we haven’t given much attention.”

Dylan placed third in the competition, and is already using the experience to make improvements on farm.

His business’s financial position is now being monitored more closely, particularly as Dylan and Emily attempt to set themselves up

Dylan Hilhorst is having a busy end to his last season of managing the family dairy farm at Tirohanga.

for the changes next season will bring. He also wants to work on future proofing the farm and his business in an environmental sense.

Dylan has also been working through Dairy NZ ‘warrant of fitness’ type resources which break up the day to day running of the farm and show what can be improved on.

“I really enjoy being on the farm, it’s like one big project,” Dylan says.

“Emily and I have been pretty quick to put our roots down, and we’re at home on the farm. We understand how lucky we are to have family backing to get us into farming, but we still work pretty hard. This is our first season we’ve had someone full time on the farm over calving, and for next season with a larger farm and more cows, we will be able to employ someone full time.”

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38 |

FARM PEOPLE » Henry & Erin Bolt

NZ Dairy

Hamish and Erin Bolt with their children Ashley, Cullen and Lance. The Bolt’s are into their second season since purchasing their first farm.

Rangitata farm ticks all the boxes Karen Phelps Henry and Erin Bolt are two thirds of the way through their second season since they purchased their first farm. They have sought to make their system self-contained seeing clear benefits in protecting their business from fluctuating market prices.

Henry grew up on a dairy farm in Putaruru and Erin hails from town in the same region.

Farming was always a huge interest for Henry who helped out on the family farm and neighbouring farms growing up.

He went straight into a dairy farm career upon leaving school at 15 years old and moving to South Canterbury as a farm assistant. Two years later he was contracting milking for his parents back in Putaruru in the South Waikato by the time he was just seventeen.

At 21 years old he bought the herd and went 50:50 sharemilking with 300 cows. Erin was working on a nearby farm, which is how the couple met and she joined him in this job.

At 25 they bought 860 cows and went 50:50 sharemilking on a farm in Geraldine to grow their business.

They were there for four seasons before purchasing the farm they are on now, a 194ha total/187ha effective unit at Rangitata. The farm milks a herd of 600 friesian cross cows through a 44 bail rotary shed with automatic cup removers.

“We looked around a lot of New Zealand for a farm, but for tonnage grown per hectare this was good buying and is pretty hard to beat in New Zealand,” says Henry. “We harvest over 19 tonnes of grass per hectare each year including 160 tonnes of silage and 70 bales of hay.”

Another plus which attracted the pair to the unit was low water cost as water comes from shallow and deep on-farm bores meaning they can irrigate the whole unit. This mitigates the main factor they can’t control – drought. They are careful about environmental impact as a spring on the farm feeds into the Rangitata salmon hatchery run by Fish & Game New Zealand. They also love the location of their unit: “We like the diversity of farming in South Canterbury – sheep and beef, cropping and dairy. There are good outdoor past times as well such as hunting, fishing and tramping,” says Henry.

When the pair bought the farm it was a high input unit. They have scaled back the operation, reducing cow numbers and destocking. They graze all their young stock on farm. Henry says this gives them better control over costs as economic farm surplus is their main focus.

They produce well at a low cost – last season total farm working costs, before interest and drawings were $2.84 per kilogram of milk solids. This season they are on target for $2.25. Henry says they

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achieve this by attention to detail, strict cost control, and robust farm systems, particularly around pasture management, letting cows into paddocks when pre-grazing covers are optimum then pulling them out when the paddock reaches a residual of 1500.

Any grass left behind is cleared up by the R2 heifers. With having R1 and R2 heifers on the platform all season Henry has to have very strict rotation lengths. They are on 21 day round from 20 September to 1 February when they push out to 25-30 day round until the start of March then slowly extending to 60 days for the rest of the season.

As the farm is new to them they are finding their best stocking rate to get the best return off the land. Last year repairs and maintenance were undertaken fixing up lanes, filling in pivot ruts and putting a new I-beam in the rotary shed.

Henry says the per cow production is almost at a maximum – 440-450 kilograms of milk solids per cow – so the focus will be on maintaining this. They don’t buy in feed and supply Synlait on a grass fed contract to gain a premium for their product.

For a bit of extra cash they sell surplus cows or young stock and last year sold 60 rising one year olds and 70 fresian bull calves as well as sending away empty cows early to capture the high meat prices, targeting stock sales between 60 cents to $1 per kilogram of milk solids annually.

Both are hands on farmers with Erin

in charge of feeding calves from July to December as well as helping out with general day-to-day jobs. The couple have three children: Cullen, 8, Lance, 7 and Ashley, 4 ½.

“The plan is to grow our business as much as we can and we have a great passion for the industry. As long as it keeps giving us the business and lifestyle opportunities we want we’ll keep growing within it.”

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NZ Dairy

DAIRY PEOPLE » Stephen & Lynlee Langridge

| 39

New shed mirrors development Richard Loader

Relaxed and pampered with tails and toes trimmed while listening to the soothing sounds of ABBA, Stephen and Lynlee Langridge’s cows might well compare their new 50-bail Milfos rotary shed to a five-star hotel, replete with beauty parlour.

The milking process, a pleasure now looked forward to by bovine guest and man alike, is somewhat different from the four-hour ordeal from the previous 34-year-old, 28-bail rotary.

And that was state of the art in comparison to the original four-bail, walk-through shed installed on the West Coast farm in 1947.

The transition from low to hi-tech sheds mirrors the development of the Langridges’ dairy and deer farm since it has been in their family’s ownership.

Located 22 kilometres inland from Kumara in the tiny settlement of Taramakau, the 429-hectare farm was bought by Stephen’s father in 1967.

“At that stage only 50 acres were in pasture with the rest was largely native forest along with river flats that flooded,” says Stephen.

Stephen, who was just five when his parents moved onto the farm, says they milked 45 cows through the walk-through shed for four years before his dad decided dairying wasn’t his thing, and changed to beef, sheep and venison.

The native bush abounded with deer and in his first three years on the farm, Stephen’s father put 600 deer in the venison chillers.

“It was the deer that really gave us our start,” says Stephen. “It set us up with the houses, sheds and other infrastructure.”

In his teens Stephen and his father worked together clearing gorse and heavy bush from the farm, turning it into usable farmland. Stopbanks were also placed along the edge of the Taramakau river to prevent flooding, enabling the river flats to be used.

After leaving school Stephen worked on neighbouring farms clearing scrub and bush by day, milking mornings and afternoons, and capturing deer on his parents’ farm by night.

“It was full on in those days, living on four hours’ sleep a day,” he says.

“We carried on with the live capture of deer for 15 years and built our herd up to 400. It’s now a large part of our farming operation.”

In the early ‘80s, with Stephen and Lynlee back on the farm, a decision was made to convert back to dairy with a herd of 170 jersey-cross milked off a platform of 210ha. A flash new 28-bail rotary was installed for the purpose.

The herd now sits at 500, split in thirds between jersey, friesian and ayrshire.

“We’re quite cold up in the top end of the valley, it’s a lot higher than the other farms,” Stephen says.

“My lovely big ayrshires just keep on munching and, as far as converting grass into milk, just don’t go down. A lot of our ayrshires do over 400 kilograms of milksolids.”

In December 2014, the dairy payouts were looking good and they decided to replace the aging rotary with a larger one that brought lots of automation.

“It had got to the stage that, with 480 cows, it was taking four hours’ of milking each morning and night.

“And it needed a lot of compliance work done to get it up to speed. Having people stand around wasting time milking cows is just ridiculous.”

So, they bought the state-of-the-art Milfos rotary and, amidst a plummeting dairy payout, the new shed was switched on in September 2015.

With a high level of automation and labour saving devices, milking is now a one-person job that takes a couple of hours, including the washingup. The time and labour savings are redeployed to other areas on the farm.

“One of the great things is a wash gland that enables the system to be washed down while the table is still in rotation. That allows activities like drafting and AI to continue after milking.”

Stephen says it’s a happier place for everyone to work in and wishes he had one when he was

PHOTOS: Top: Lynlee and Stephen Langridge, in their Taramakau pasture with their daughter-inlaw to be, Rachel. Above: Ryan Langridge on the job in the Langridges’ new 50-bail MIlfos dairy.

One person can now do the milking in half the time it used to take.

putting the cups on. These days that job is left to his son, Ryan, and farm managers Colin and Michelle Holmes.

One of the great things is a wash gland that enables the system to be washed down while the table is still in rotation. That allows activities like drafting and A1 to continue after milking.

40 |

FARM PEOPLE » Ben & Susan Carter

NZ Dairy

Production gains in Ben’s sights Kelly Deeks Ohakune dairy farmer Ben Carter has set himself a challenge with his new contract milking position, where he aims to take production from 850kgMS per hectare to 1000kgMS per hectare during his three year contract.

Ben has been milking cows for the past 20 years, starting as a youngster milking the neighbours cows, and also doing a couple of stints working in town. He and his wife Susan are now into their fourth season contract milking.

Ben had a bit of a challenge when they arrived on farm this season for this new contract, which is a 144ha dairy farm milking 330 cows, and part of a larger 1300ha sheep and beef block.

“When I got here, 30 per cent of the R1s and R2s were unrecorded, and 20% were singly recorded, there was about 400 hours worth of fencing to do, and a lack of calving sheds,” he says.

He got stuck into the fencing and has completed about 200 hours, enough to get it functional, and is now working on moving some fence lines to improve cow flow around the farm.

The two half round hay sheds used for calving provides storage for about 120 calves, but a new farm policy to supply 250 beef calves, which previously would have been bobbied, to the sheep and beef property, means calving facilities need to double. Ben has is using his building skills to extend one of the sheds.

Prior to mating, Ben has done an assessment on all of the cows. He has put the worst of the herd in calf to beef, and is focusing on improving the genetics in his top line. He has condensed calving on the farm from 14 weeks last season to 10 weeks this season, and is keen to get it down to eight or nine weeks.

“On our last farm we had 80% calved in six weeks, and everything done by nine weeks,” he says. “Coming from that to 14 plus weeks totally blows.”

He says he will reach his production per hectare goal with pasture management and animal management.

The regrassing programme already in place was good, and Ben has improved it by taking out three grass paddocks which were only getting one or two grazings a year, and put them into turnips. “They were just weak paddocks which were lucky to grow one tonne of grass, and I’m going to get about six tonne of turnips out of them. Then I’ll put some more fertiliser on, build the soil biology back up, and put them back into grass.”

The herd is a bought-in herd with a lot

Ben and Susan Carter contract milk 330 cows on a 144ha dairy platform that is part of a larger 1300ha sheep and beef block in Ohakune. Feeding the calves is a family affair.

of carry over cows and heifers, and quite surprisingly 10 angus cross cows which had been tagged as dairy replacements.

“One of them ran out of the shed and never came back,” Ben says. “But they’re doing

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » John & Jill Bluett

| 41

Animal husbandry a core value Russell Fredric Holding a degree in agricultural science and experience in animal husbandry continue to be strong influences in the way John Bluett runs his family farm.

John gained his degree at Massey University in 1977 and subsequently worked for two-and-a-half years as a New Zealand Dairy Board consulting officer.

A former national vice-chairman of Federated Farmers dairy section and Waikato Federated Farmers chairman, he presently works in a private consultancy role.

The consultancy work and dealing with rural professionals provides a good insight into other dairy operations, he says.

The Bluett family, John and Jill, along with family members Nathan, Pamela and Aaron are equity partners in their Te Pahu, Waikato, home farm comprising 230 hectares effective.

The farm has been operating under this structure for the past 12 years, since the family moved from Matamata.

Nathan and his wife Ashlee took over a separate 500 cow dairy unit at Rangitoto, about 60 kilometres south of Te Pahu last June.

The home farm’s annual milk solids production of 250,000kg comes from a crossbred herd of 690 cows.

“Last year’s farm working expenses were $2.78 because we weren’t buying in a lot of feed. Even in the low payout year we made quite a good profit,” John Bluett says.

“We run quite strict financials on the budgeting side.”

The farm’s profitability is helped by a high breeding-worth herd, “probably in the top two or three per cent”; the quality of the herd is reflected in a low empty rate of just 6%.

Stock sales are also an important driver of profitability, helped by low death rates, and being proactive in animal husbandry.

“We (also) sell surplus cows each year, about 10% of the herd gets sold as in-calf dairy cows. Our income from stock sales last year was (equal to) $1.40 per kilogram of milk solids compared to the national average of 40 cents a kilo.”

The climate is winter wet and summer dry; drought has been a feature of several past summers, however this season and last season conditions have been much more favourable with plenty of grass grown.

As a result, the farm is transitioning from (Dairy NZ) system three to system two which means from 4% to 14% of total feed is imported, instead of 10% to 20%.

The dairy unit is supported by a nearby 40ha run-off block on which 70 heifers and 10 to 15 carry-over cows are usually grazed and 60 late calvers wintered.

Maize for silage is grown on 7ha. John’s animal husbandry background was a catalyst for the addition of a second, 16 bale milking shed.

Installed three years ago, its facilities, include a calf milk vat, stock handling facilities, a calf drench race, a covered veterinarian’s race, truck and car trailer loading facilities, and

a wrangler for treating cow’s feet.

“We use that cow shed in the spring time, when we usually have three staff on, so one gets the second herd in and milks all the colostrum and penicillin cows, so it actually keeps them separate.”

“One of the advantages is that we get a lot better gold colostrum for the new-born calves.”

During spring, having the second shed eliminates having to wait until milking in the farm’s main 50 bale rotary shed is finished and the system purged.

“It makes everything run a lot more time efficient.”

Because the person running the second shed has a specific role and more time, animal health issues such as mastitis and lameness are more readily noticed and treated.

“Every cow gets checked before the cups go on because staff have time to do it.”

“With having that facility, we are a lot more proactive because we’ve got good animal husbandry facilities; things get done in a timely manner and there’s less risk of injury to animals and operators.”

Built a cost of $110,000, excluding its plant which came from a farm sold two and a half years ago, it can also serve as a back-up if the main shed is affected by an outage or breakdown.

“We run quite strict financials on the budgeting side.”

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42 |

DAIRY INDUSTRY » Women in Dairy Awards

NZ Dairy

Leading the way in the industry Three of New Zealand’s emerging dairy industry leaders are finalists in the sixth annual Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.

They are Claire Nicholson, from Bay of Plenty; Jessie Chan-Dorman, from Canterbury; and Jolene Germann, from Southland.

Claire Nicholson (Ngāti Ruanui) is a director of Paraninihi Ki Waitotara (PKW) and chief executive of Sirona Animal Health, Jessie Chan-Dorman is a Fonterra Shareholders Councillor and a director of the Ashburton Trading Society, and Jolene Germann is an Agribusiness Consultants dairy consultant and chair of Rural Business Network Southland.

One of them will receive the coveted Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year title at an awards evening during the annual Dairy Women’s Network conference, this year held in Queenstown, May 11-12.

Dairy Women’s Network chief executive Zelda de Villiers says a common theme among this year’s finalists is the high extent to which they contribute to the business of dairy in New Zealand.

“We have three outstanding finalists who are making big decisions and contributions that affect the future of dairy in this country,” she says.

“They are all recognised as leaders in their networks and communities, are highly influential at a national level and have a real commitment to progressing our dairy industry internationally.”

Jo Finer, Fonterra’s general manager NZ industry affairs, says Fonterra is proud to have been on board with Dairy Woman of the Year since it began.

“As an organisation we’re 100% behind initiatives like this that celebrate high performers in the dairy industry.

“The calibre of the finalists this year is outstanding – every year we see incredibly worthy nominations coming through and I have no doubt each one of them will continue to excel in dairy leadership well into the future.”

Nicholson, a qualified veterinarian, has had several leadership roles in the dairy industry including general manager for Intervet New Zealand and business development and marketing manager for Agrifeeds. She says she’s honoured to be among such a strong group of finalists.

“I’m a big advocate for protecting and enhancing our dairy assets for future generations, and being nominated for an award like this signals to me that the work I’m doing is on the right track.”

Chan-Dorman has had a wide range of rural professional roles across policy, research and development and sustainable farming.

“I’m really excited about the future of the dairy industry in New Zealand and progressing further into a leadership role that will allow me to make further contributions to the industry.”

Germann is a relative new-comer to the dairy industry, milking her first cow just seven years ago.

She and her husband own a 570 cow dairy farm in equity partnership in Aparima, Southland, and she has just been offered a partnership role at Agribusiness Consultants.

She also volunteers her time as a mentor for DairyNZ Dairy Connect and Primary ITO. She says she’s surprised to be nominated for the award, “but incredibly humbled at the same time – I’m constantly impressed with the opportunities and passion that is so widespread within the dairy industry.”

This year’s Dairy Woman of the Year will

Finalists for 2017 Claire Nicholson, a qualified veterinarian, established Sirona Animal Health in 2012 to develop and promote unique products for the animal health market. Sirona has recently launched its first product, Alpheus, a controlled release capsule for the prevention of parasites in cattle. She is a director of the Paraninihi Ki Waitotara (PKW) and is a past associate director for AgResearch. She has qualifications in veterinary science and business from Massey University.

Jolene Germann, a relative newcomer to the industry who milked her first cow only seven years ago, is a dairy consultant for Agribusiness Consultants and has recently been asked to become a partner with the business. She has a PhD from the University of Waikato, which she did in conjunction with AgResearch Ruakura investigating the biochemistry of the clover root weevil. Jolene and her husband own a 200ha, 570 cow dairy farm in equity partnership in Aparima, Southland. She volunteers regularly, including as a Primary ITO mentor and DairyNZ Dairy Connect mentor farmer, and has held a variety of leadership positions with New Zealand Young Farmers. She is currently chair of Southland’s Rural Business Network and recently completed the Kellogg’s Rural Leadership Programme.

Jessie Chan-Dorman owns a dairy business with her husband leasing 420ha near Rakaia, milking 950 cows. She is on Fonterra’s Shareholders Council, Federated Farmers National Dairy Executive, is a Director of the Ashburton Trading Society and a member of New Zealand Asian Leaders. She has a first class honours degree in animal science and has worked in various roles across policy, research and development and sustainable farming. She has completed the Fonterra Governance Development Programme and received the Canterbury Institute of Directors Aspiring Director Award in 2014.

“The calibre of the finalists this year is outstanding – every year we see incredibly worthy nominations coming through.”

receive a scholarship prize of up to $20,000 to undertake a professional/business development programme.

Past Dairy Woman of the Year winners are Landcorp business manager Rebecca Keoghan (2016), Westland Milk Products board member Katie Milne (2015), Agri-Women’s Development Trust chair Charmaine O’Shea (2014), Milk New Zealand agribusiness chief executive Justine Kidd

(2013) and Taranaki-King Country National MP Barbara Kuriger (2012).

About Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year The Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year award has been sponsored by Fonterra since its inception six years ago and recognises the

passion, drive and leadership of women in the dairy industry.

The winner will be decided by a panel of judges which include representatives from Dairy Women’s Network, Fonterra, Global Women, Ballance Agri-Nutrients and a previous winner. The winner will be announced at an awards evening on May 11, during the Dairy Women’s Network conference in Queenstown, May 11-12.

NZ Dairy

DAIRY INDUSTRY » DiA Awards

| 43

Award winners thrive on challenges A former adventure tourism guide and former secondary school teacher have been named as major winners in the 2017 CanterburyNorth Otago South Dairy Industry Awards and both say they thrive on a challenge.

Christopher and Siobhan O’Malley were announced winners of the region’s Share Farmer of the Year competition at the Canterbury-North Otago Dairy Industry Awards annual awards dinner held at the Airforce Museum of New Zealand in Christchurch last night. The other big winners were Kerry Higgins, who was named the 2017 Canterbury-North Otago Dairy Manager of the Year, and Ben Haley, the 2017 CanterburyNorth Otago Dairy Trainee of the Year.

The O’Malley’s, both 34, are sharemilking 515 cows on Graham Brookers 138ha farm in Ashburton. They won $12,607.86 in prizes.

They entered the awards to give them an understanding of where they fit in the industry.

“The competition process created a focus for parts of the farm and business that we may not have been as energetic towards,” say the couple.

With eight seasons experience in the dairying industry, they see their partnership as a strong foundation on which to grow their business. “We have a common drive to succeed, we’re on the same page in regards to risk and we understand when the other is under pressure, which helps to share the load,” says Christopher. “It helps to have someone to enjoy the journey with.”

“We are relentless,” says Siobhan. “We are both willing to think outside the box and achieve more desirable results.”

Prior to beginning his dairying career, Christopher worked as an adventure tourism guide in the Abel Tasman, Taupo and Ireland. He has previously sailed across the Pacific Ocean and was named the 2016 Mid-Canterbury Rugby Referee of the Year.

Siobhan holds a Master of Arts in Classical Studies and a Diploma in Agribusiness Management, and was a secondary school teacher with a passion for English. The couple have three children aged five years, three and a half years and eight months .

Future farming goals include farm ownership. “Along the way to that goal, we are going to refine our systems so that our farm will be efficient and sustainable,” say the O’Malley’s. “We want to take every opportunity that comes our way.”

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, DeLaval, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda Motorcycles, LIC, Meridian Energy, New Zealand Farm Source and Ravensdown, along with industry partner Primary ITO. Runner-up in the Canterbury-North Otago competition went to Tania Riddington, 34, who won $6128.57 in prizes.

Tania sharemilks for Ken Riddington on his 450-cow, 130ha property in Culverden.

Tania holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) from Otago University, and worked in microbiology before entering the dairy industry.

She see her farm’s low-input system, where the focus is on profit not production, as a strength in the business.

“I hold a passion for my animals and I know every cow in my herd,” explains Tania.

Future farming goals include farm ownership by 2027, and the ability to run a sustainable farming business. “I would like to be good a role model to the industry by

leading through my actions.”

Third place went to Simon Clisby and Nadia Trowland, who entered the competition to meet others in the dairy industry and learn from them. “We wanted to examine our business and receive feedback on it, as a whole,” say the couple. They won $3628.57 in prizes.

The couple are equity partners on James and Belinda McCone and Stuart Nattrass’ 160ha farm at Culverden, where they milk 492 cows.

The couple see their attention to detail and rigorous recording and monitoring as one of their strengths. “We regularly update and reforecast budgets and targets and have the ability to change and adapt systems if necessary,” they say.

Simon, 37, and Nadia, 36, hope to continue to grow their equity within their current farming operation, with the ultimate long-term goal of farm ownership.

The winner of the 2017 Canterbury- North Otago Dairy Manager of the Year competition has entered three times previously and believes being able to analyse the farm business has helped him learn more about his business and the dairy industry.

Kerry Higgins won $6270.00 in prizes and is the farm manager for Leon and Bronwyn Mckavanagh on their 433ha, 1340-cow farm at Hororata.

“The awards have pushed me outside my comfort zone and have made me take a long, hard look at the way in which I approach my business,” he says. “This has helped me build a greater understanding of my strengths and weaknesses.”

Kerry, 32, grew up on a high country station in the McKenzie, and before entering the dairy industry in 2011 held a variety of roles in the Security industry, culminating as a Senior Parliamentary Security Officer. He is married to Anita and the couple have two children.

Kerry aims to continue to progress through the dairy industry, moving into a contract milking position in the 2017/18 season. “Farm ownership is the ultimate goal,” he says.

Kerry believes working on an established farm gives him the strength and financial resilience to deal with hard times, and an understanding of balancing production with profitability.

“Being self-contained, the business is not at the whim of the market for silage, young stock or wintering costs.”

Bankside farm manager Russ Young, aged 33 years, was second in the Dairy Manager competition, winning $2500 in prizes.

Russ sees the awards experience as a great chance to self-evaluate and the business model.

“It’s a time to look at the opportunity for improvement and to celebrate what you are doing well,” he says.

Currently working for Purata on their 402ha property, milking 1222 cows, Russ believes the strong team culture is a positive aspect of the business. “People are involved and there is mentorship provided along with goalsetting.”

“The farm is quite large-scale, with two sheds we have the ability to move cows and use resources effectively,” he says.”

Culverden farm manager Emma Gibb, 27, placed third and won $2000 in prizes. Emma works on Hilary and Emlyn Francis Kenmare Dairy 630ha farm, milking 1485 cows.

Emma graduated with a Diploma of Interior Design in 2008, however had always wanted

Christopher and Siobhan O’Malley, 2017 Canterbury-North Otago South Share Farmers of the Year.

The 2017 Canterbury-North Otago Dairy Manager of the Year, Kerry Higgins.

to enter the dairy industry, and whilst looking for design work, successfully applied for a calf-rearing position.

“Thankfully, I made an impression and I’ve never looked back since. It was the best decision I have ever made,” she says.

Emma sees the focus on developing people and encouraging employees to learn and grow as a strength of the business she works for.

“Whether it’s through further study, short courses, discussion groups or field days, Kenmare staff will always be there,” she explains. “I think this is great because not only are you upskilling staff and keeping them motivated, employees feel happier and more contented in their jobs, leading to a lower turnover of staff.”

The 2017 Canterbury-North Otago Dairy Trainee of the Year, Ben Haley, thought entering the Awards would test his knowledge of dairy farming and push him in the right direction to further his career in the industry.

The 24-year-old has been in the industry for three seasons after spending 14 months as a station hand on a cattle station south of Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory of Australia.

He is currently farm assistant for the New Zealand Rural Property Trust on an 1100cow, 300ha property at Ashburton. Ben won $5890 in prizes.

Future farming goals include a promotion to second-in-charge and securing a management position in the next five years.

Runner-up in the Dairy Trainee competition was 24-year-old Ashburton second-in-charge Cheyenne Wilson, who won $1475 in prizes.

Cheyenne currently works for Craig and Grant Fleming on their 205ha, 780-cow farm.

“I enjoy challenging myself and the judge’s feedback gave me things to work on and points to consider,” says Cheyenne.

“I also enjoyed the opportunity to speak with industry leaders and rural professionals that I wouldn’t have met otherwise.”

Cheyenne keeps busy outside of farming as co-convenor for the Dairy Women’s Network Mid-Canterbury region and is secretary of the Hinds Young Farmers club.

“My ultimate goal is to own a farm which will give me the comfort of trialling new initiatives, while opening up an avenue to teach farming practices to younger generations,” says Cheyenne.

“I want to be fully involved in the dairy industry and be viewed as a Young Maori Female leader.”

Third place in the Dairy Trainee competition went to 19-year-old farm assistant Luke Roberts who won $1250 in prizes. He works for Thomas and Paul Kerr on their 170ha, 500cow farm in Selwyn.

• Further details on the winners and the field day can be found at www. dairyindustryawards.co.nz.

44 |

FARM PEOPLE » Kieran Clough

NZ Dairy

A relationship built on co-operation Richard Loader Kieran Clough is expanding the family farm business, in Eltham, South Taranaki, with support from his parents, farm owners Stephen and Deborah.

It’s a mutually beneficial relationship, built on a spirit of co-operation, that will lead to eventual succession for Kieran who says that right throughout school he wanted to go dairy farming.

Memories of being outdoors and an awesome family life growing up on the farm shaped his determination to share that same lifestyle with his own family.

“At 27, I’m quite young to be into gardening and that kind of stuff,” says Kieran. “But I have my chooks out the back and fresh eggs every day. My partner, Olivia, and I keep a good vege garden and we have big grounds around the house that we enjoy maintaining while watching the chooks do their thing.”

Now in his 8th season on the farm, he has progressed from farm assistant to lower order sharemilker with 100 of his own cows mixing with the 420 cow herd.

While the succession plan allows for Kieran to one day take over the reins of the farm the initial objective is to expand the business rather than transfer debt immediately to Kieran.

Kieran recently purchased 44ha of his own land 15 minutes from the home farm.

While set up as a separate business, the two operations are combined with the small block used as support for the home farm.

The additional block also enabled Kieran to move to the home farm and his parents to a house on Kieran’s farm.

The transition is designed to support his parents’ eventual move to retirement as well as Kieran’s role in the day-to-day management of the home farm.

“The support block is used for growing all the young stock which mum and dad look after. There are 90 replacements as well as 10 hold-overs. Mum likes to keep 10 or so beefies.”

Four hectares of maize is grown on the support block, part of the home farm’s

Kieran Clough is expanding the family farm business, in Eltham, South Taranaki, feed resource. A further 8.5ha of rotational cropping is grown on the 122ha effective home farm, a system 2 operation.

As well as taking care of the young stock on the support block, Kieran is quick to acknowledge his parents significant help on the home farm.

“Mum and dad are full time during calving,” he says.

“Mum is a big help getting those calves started in the shed with all the feeding done in the morning before we finish milking.”

“Then mum and dad are out in the paddock with my worker and me drafting out the calved cows, tagging and taking them back to the shed, and doing it all again the next day.”

Kieran’s dad provides year round assistance with jobs such as weed control and trips into town for supplies.

The spirit of co-operation goes both ways with Kieran working the mower for silage and hay on the support block as well as taking control of the cropping side of the operation

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The next step in Kieran’s business expansion is to purchase another small drystock farm where all the beef cattle will be reared up to 18 months.

“That’s the focus over the next 3 – 5 years,” says Kieran.

“After that it will be time to look at what’s

going on and potentially transfer the rest of the debt over to me and let mum and dad enjoy retirement a bit.”

“Mum and dad started with nothing and they worked their way up to a 400-cow operation. They are not going to give anything away, we have to work for it - but we are going to work together to get us there.”

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » John & Kathryn Blythe

| 45

Clever thinking underpins drive Richard Loader Thinking outside the square and making the most of opportunities underpins Otorahanga dairy farmers John and Kathryn Blythe’s drive for farm ownership.

Now in his mid 30s, John left school at 16 and completed a Certificate in Farming before joining a farm at season start, quickly progressing to farm manager.

Working as a contract milker on his uncle’s farm three years later, John’s entrepreneurial flair came to the fore, leasing out in-calf heifers and selling them on when they returned home as cows.

Building up a herd of 60 heifers by the age of 21, John progressed to a 50:50 sharemilking position, purchasing the balance of the cows from his uncle.

“I stayed on that farm for about three years until the owner’s son wanted to come back.

At that point I had no job and my uncle said to me, ‘We can fix that problem - let’s buy a farm’. That became my first equity partnership with my uncle, milking 280 cows.”

A successful partnership that lasted four years, it also resulted in a successful partnership of a different kind when he met Kathryn.

Now in their 9th season as 50% equity partners on a larger 150ha effective farm with John’s uncle, John and Kathryn are 25% sharemilkers for the partnership.

In total, the farm is 189ha of rolling to steep country, with 450 friesian-cross cows milked twice a day off a 150ha platform.

Since taking over the farm and carrying out much needed deferred maintenance, production has increased from 91,000kgMS to a peak of 161,000kgMS. Last season’s production dipped to 156,000kgMS, reflecting a reduction in bought in supplement due to reduced payouts.

For John and Kathryn, thinking outside the square means finding additional income streams outside of the partnership to complement the production of milk solids.

“We still lease in-calf heifers, generally for one season, selling them on when they come back,” John explains. “We also buy in jersey bull calves, rearing them to 90kg on milk and meal with a bit of grass. We sell them to guys who take them through to yearlings then sell them on as service bulls.”

With a NZ Certificate in Artificial Insemination, Kathryn has done an LIC AB run for the last 12 years, servicing about 12 herds plus their own annually.

“The additional income streams probably account for 50 – 60% of our annual income and will help us complete our ultimate goal of buying the rest of the farm,” says John.

Recently achieving 3rd place in the 2017 Waikato Dairy Industry Sharefarmer of

John and Kathryn Blythe recently placed 3rd in the 2017 Waikato Dairy Industry Sharefarmer of the year award

the year award, the Blythes were pleased with the placing and the resulting learning opportunities, particularly in regard to financial, health and safety and HR monitoring systems.

“We realized that we weren’t monitoring enough just by the information that we compiled for the competition,” Kathryn explains.

The Blythes are adamant that farm ownership is still very possible for young people, but thinking outside the box, networking with positive and progressive people and learning from others is key to success.

“Surrounding yourself with the right people, showing that you are a hard worker and want to progress in the industry is key to progressing and finding opportunities,” Kathryn says.

John and Kathryn have not just worked hard but smart as well to achieve their goals, which they’re justifiably proud of.

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46 |

FARM PEOPLE » Landcorp Aspiring

NZ Dairy

Health & safety under the spotlight Richard Loader Health and Safety has been a key focus for Andy Patterson since stepping into the drivers seat as manager for Landcorp’s Aspiring Dairy unit in Levin 24 months ago.

Identifying a range of hazards, normalising hazard identification with his team, cleaning up the farm environment and making significant changes to the work place and operating practices were a high priority in Andy’s first year as manager.

With a 10-year background in the police force before making the decision to change career paths, Andy has brought a lot of proactive thinking around Health and Safety to the farm.

“That mindset around thinking about what you are doing before doing it, so important on the beat, is just as relevant on the farm,” says Andy.

“I’ve tried to teach my guys to think the same way—like don’t treat tasks as mundane.

Think of them from a safety perspective as to how they could go wrong in seconds.”

Andy’s strengths were quickly recognised when he commenced work for Landcorp and, after 12 months, was asked if he would accept the challenge of managing Aspiring.

“We agreed to shift our focus from production in the first year to concentrate on fixing the farm before moving forward and refocusing on the cows, pasture and production.”

Selling a cultural change and shift in mindset to the four full-time staff was the first step in the journey for Andy.

“Changing the way people think sets them on the right path so they no longer take shortcuts. They actually stop and think about what they are doing.”

A farm drive around was the next step where all the hazards, repairs and maintenance were identified and a 12-month action plan was drawn up.

At the same time a five-year plan was drafted for how the farm as a whole was going to be attacked.

Safety hazards were identified in the shed and modifications made to prevent injuries to animal and man.

A clean floor policy was adopted with any non-essential equipment removed and the rest located in shelves and cabinets or tucked away at the place where it was needed.

Andy says that with no previous recording of hazards, near misses or accidents on the farm, the staff was initially suspicious of the rationale behind it. They now see it as

Selling a cultural change and shift in mindset to the four full-time staff was the first step in the journey for Landcorp Aspiring manager Andy Patterson, who took on the role 24 months ago after 10 years in the police. a positive thing, and regardless of fault, it’s designed to ensure that everyone goes home in one piece.

Health and safety is something that is talked about and has become an every day topic and not something that the team is afraid of.

“Landcorp has made health and safety a high priority with many new initiatives coming out, including assistance with farm related stress,” says Andy.

“They have really identified health and safety as a key area to work on, wanting to lead the industry in safe work practices.”

Andy is proud of the health and safety transformation that he and his team have been able to achieve for Aspiring - perhaps it should become ‘Inspiring’.

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“I’ve tried to teach my guys to think the same way—like don’t treat tasks as mundane. Think of them from a safety perspective as to how they could go wrong in seconds.”

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Landcorp Bounty

| 47

Dairy platform nearing completion Richard Loader Development of Landcorp’s new dairy conversion within the Central Plateau’s Wairakai Pastoral venture, Bounty Dairy Unit, is nearing completion and will be operational

by June 1.

Initially milking 1200 cows off a 515-hectare platform, the unit will expand to milking 1800 - 1900 cows off 740 hectares by 2019.

In 2003, Landcorp entered into a 40year lease agreement with Wairakei Pastoral with the intention of converting 25,000ha of forestry land into 40 individual dairy farms.

While 16 conversions have been carried out since 2003, for environmental and other land use reasons, Landcorp recently made the decision to cap Pastoral’s dairy conversions at 22, Bounty being one of the last to be operationalized.

Landcorp business manager for Central Plains, Louis Weitenberg, says that Bounty is still in its development phase with infrastructure such as the milking sheds, calving bays, effluent pond and staff housing either currently under construction or about to commence.

“The development team are managing those parts of the process, but I am there on a weekly basis to catch up with the people on the ground and the project manager just to make sure all the little but important details are right,” says Louis.

A 60-bale Melfos rotary shed is nearing completion and while high tech componentry will not be included initially, the infrastructure is in situ to allow retro fitting down the track.

Louis says that a Protack drafting system is being installed now to make that part of the job more manageable.

A 13-bay pole shed is being erected for the calves with each bay 4m x 10m. Louis says that its size takes into account the farms future growth.

“It’s also to do with our animal welfare as

• To page 48

Landcorp’s new dairy conversion within the Central Plateau’s Wairakai Pastoral venture, Bounty Dairy Unit, is nearing completion and is expected to be up and running by June 1.

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“The development team are managing those parts of the process, but I am there on a weekly basis to catch up with the people on the ground and the project manager just to make sure all the little but important details are right.”

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48 |

FARM PEOPLE » Landcorp Bounty

NZ Dairy

Dairy platform due for completion by June 1 • From page 47 well these days,” he says. “With the bobby calves we need to have enough shedding.”

A massive 42m x 42m effluent pond holding 3.5 million cubic litres will also be constructed on the farm.

Louis says that Bounty will initially employ 6 permanent staff, including a farm manager, along with some casuals but will grow to 9 or 10 when the farm reaches full capacity in 2019.

“We are building a 4-bedroom home for the manager, 3 three bedroom homes and a 2-in-1 duplex unit,” he says.

“As the cow numbers increase over the next 2 – 3 years we will have to build more housing.”

As business manager, Louis has responsibility for writing farm budgets and business plans including expected production and cost structure for the whole farm, even though it is still in the development phase.

Production is expected to settle around 860kgMS per hectare based on a low stocking rate of 2.5 cows and given the pumice soil that the farm sits on.

Louis says that Landcorp’s four cornerstones of people, environment, animals and processes will be reflected in Bounty’s approach to sustainable farming.

“Everything from staff recruitment, induction, company and personal KPI’s, the way we care for the environment and our animals is at the very core of what we do,” says Louis.

A massive 42m x 42m effluent pond holding 3.5 million cubic litres will also be constructed on the farm.

“Everything from staff recruitment, induction, company and personal KPI’s, the way we care for the environment and our animals is at the very core of what we do.”

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Landcorp Resolution

| 49

Lucerne crop a saving grace for farm Richard Loader Currently experiencing a particularly dry and hot January, Landcorp’s Resolution Dairy Unit’s farm manager, Simon Fairhurst, has been grateful for the farm’s crop of lucerne.

He says it has been the farm’s saving grace this season and without it a lot of supplement would have been bought in.

Located in the North Island’s Central Plateau and part of the Wairakei Pastoral venture, Resolution is a 467ha dairy unit milking 1100 cows through a 60-bale rotary shed.

“While the ryegrass pasture cover is very low, my lucerne is pumping out the feed and I’m feeding the cows 6kg’s each day,” he says.

Starting as a dairy assistant with Landcorp on the Wairakei Pastoral Estate in 2009, Simon is now in his second season as manager on Resolution, which he describes as a hidden gem tucked away from the road.

“We have been growing lucerne here about four years. Starting off with 10ha, it’s now up to 50ha and we intend adding another 10ha or so in the coming year.”

The farm has recently increased in size, benefiting from the development of neighbouring land.

Simon says that as a result the herd will also increase to 1300, as will the lucerne - a valuable source of environmentally friendly and protein rich feed.

With 50ha of lucerne, which is mainly used for grazing, at its peak the farm grows more than the cows can graze so it’s cut and baled, feeding it out as needed.

The lucerne has been strategically planted in paddocks reasonably close to the dairy shed so that the cows can be brought in for a feed about an hour prior to milking.

He says it’s almost like bringing the cows half way for an afternoon snack before going into the shed.

“Because lucerne is high in protein the cows put good condition on and they milk off the lucerne extremely well. At the start we only fed them 2kg just to get them used to the

“Production has dropped to about 1.2kgMS and with extremely hot conditions and some long walking distances we didn’t want to strip condition off the cows.

We milk once-a-day in the mornings to avoid the heat; cups on at 5am – finishing about 10.30am. Once the cows have been milked they are given about a hectare of lucerne.

I can’t see myself doing anything else. I love that I am always learning and being the manager is golden for me. ”

lucerne. After 7 days we upped it to 4kg and production jumped 2000 litres. “ Simon says that growing lucerne fits perfectly with Landcorp’s focus on looking after the environment and animals.

Lucerne has far greater water efficiency than ryegrass because it has a root system far greater than ryegrass does, which Simon says can be several metres deep, making it very drought resilient.

“It doesn’t require the same level of irrigation that ryegrass needs. This is the thing that I love so much about lucerne,” says Simon. “Because we have been so dry here this season, we will get a small splash of 5mm of rain and the lucerne just responds to that minimal amount, where as it doesn’t have the same effect on ryegrass. The lucerne just

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absorbs all moisture and recovers so much faster.”

A further benefit is that lucerne fixes its own nitrogen and doesn’t require fertiliser and saves money.

“In our eyes it’s our way of trying to help the environment,” he says.

When asked if there were any down sides to the use of lucerne, Simon replied that the question of ‘bloat’ always comes up during pastoral management meetings when he encourages other managers to put lucerne in their farms.

“We haven’t had any bloat cases at Resolution and I think that‘s because we give those cows a hectare of grass in the morning so they don’t go onto the lucerne gorging.”

Interestingly there are a number of other

Pastoral Estate farm managers that have started to plant lucerne this year.

Even with the lucerne, the farm has now had to switch to once-a-day milking.

“Production has dropped to about 1.2kgMS and with extremely hot conditions and some long walking distances we didn’t want to strip condition off the cows,” says Simon. “We milk once-a-day in the mornings to avoid the heat; cups on at 5am – finishing about 10.30am.

Once the cows have been milked they are given about a hectare of lucerne.”

Talking to Simon, it is clear that he is passionate about farming and his job as the manager for Resolution.

“I can’t see myself doing anything else. I love that I am always learning and being the manager is golden for me. ”

6x4 Camco Dairy Services

50 |

DAIRY REGULATIONS » MPI

NZ Dairy

New milk cooling standards New Zealand has a long history of producing high quality raw milk, which is amongst the best in the world.

The rapid cooling of raw milk is one of the most important steps in ensuring that quality of milk from the animal is preserved and is of the highest possible quality when it’s delivered to the factory.

The New Zealand standard for milk cooling was designed to satisfy traditional herd sizes and milking practices and has been proven to be sufficient for the traditional range of dairy

products manufactured. However, as herd sizes have grown and farming systems have become more varied the standard milking times have become longer.

The New Milk Cooling Standards will modify the current cooling requirements to better meet the demands of current dairy farming practices and ensure that New Zealand maintains its position as a producer of premium quality milk.

The new standards will require raw milk to be:

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· cooled to 10ºC or below within four hours from the commencement of milking; and · cooled to 6ºC or below within six hours from the commencement of milking or two hours from the completion of milking (whichever occurs first).

Raw milk must also be held at or below 6ºC without freezing until collection or the next milking and must not exceed 10ºC during subsequent milkings.

In situations where there is continuous or extended milking, such as robotic milking systems, the milk must enter the bulk milk tank at 6°C or below. Continuous or extended milking is defined as milking for six hours or longer from the time that milk first enters any bulk milk tank.

By comparison, the current milk cooling standard requires milk to be cooled to 7ºC or below within 3 hours of the completion of milking.

We are taking a staged approach to help farmers transition to the new standards. The new rules will take effect on 1 August 2016 for new farm dairies or dairies that are making

Advice: Keep it simple “Keep it simple, avoid complex controls and moving parts,” is Dargaville refrigeration engineer Phil Doouss’ strong advice to farmers considering dairy shed cooling systems in light of new MPI regulations coming into effect June 1, 2018.

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significant changes to their refrigeration system. For existing farm dairies the new rules will apply from 1 June 2018.

The likelihood that there would be a new milk cooling regime imposed was first flagged

by MPI in 2013. We then provided farmers with a long transition period so that farmers contemplating an upgrade to their milk cooling system could opt for a system that would meet future requirements.

Dairy companies have also assisted in helping farmers to understand what impact the new milk cooling requirements might have in their individual situation.

To ensure farmers find a cost effect solution, MPI recommends that farmers consult their dairy company, refrigeration service provider, farm dairy assessor and the EECA website before committing to capital expenditure.

Over coming months MPI will be working with Federated Farmers, dairy companies and other organisations to provide further information to assist farmers who may be affected by these changes.

With 40 years experience in the electrical and refrigeration industry Phil has long been an advocate for snap-chill ice bank cooling systems due to their ease of use, maintenance and energy saving properties.

Establishing the Kwikkold brand of ice bank cooling systems several years ago the first units manufactured by Phil were for large dairy conversions in Northland. He says these systems have been extremely effective and reliable and believes that snap-chilling of milk will eventually become compulsory.

“We’ve now developed a range to suit any site from a small boutique farm to large a scale dairy operation and made significant improvements to the original industry design’s tank insulation, return water flow and the coil design.”

Cooling through the use of pure water avoids the risk of contaminant leakage in the milk supply and the need to install leak detection systems.

Significant energy cost savings, through the use of night rates for cooling and heating and minimizing the use of the secondary vat cooling system is a key advantage of the Kwikkold ice bank system.

“The most efficient milk cooling system is one that utilises night rate power and preheats the wash water overnight ready for hot wash after morning milk,” says Phil.

Water that has been chilled in the ice bank

er night, taking advantage of night rates, is made available to the farmer for morning and evening milkings.

The ice cold water is pumped through a plate cooler and when the milk hits the plate cooler at 32° it’s instantly cooled to 4° before hitting the vat.

When the freezer unit comes on again at nighttime, heat is taken from the unit and transferred to the hot water cylinder heating to 65°.

With monitoring options available for phone or computer the system provides the farmer with a high level of confidence about what is happening in the vat.

Offering free on-site appraisals looking at the existing cooling system, stock numbers, milk volumes and milking system, Phil is able to tailor a Kwikkold ice bank system to meet the farmer’s specific needs.

“As part of the appraisal we often find that the existing cooling system isn’t optimised to cool the milk as much as it could,” says Phil.

“With some adjustments the farmer may not need to install another system at all to comply with the new standards.”

A 5-year warranty and service contract accompanies every Kwikkold ice bank unit and with the short term objective of having units operating on both Islands Phil is currently establishing a network of service agents.

“The keep-it-simple principle ensures that the system is not only user friendly but very easy to service by any experienced electrician or refrigeration engineer,” says Phil.

“When milk is in the vat getting warm the last thing you want is a cooling system that is complex to fix.”

NZ Dairy

DAIRY REGULATIONS » MPI

| 51

INSTANT MILK COOLING Milk cooling regulations will soon change, here at Dairycool Milk cooled instantly prior to entering the milk silo.

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YOU DO NOT NEED TO SPEND $80,000 PLUS TO COMPLY WITH THE NEW MILK COOLING REGULATIONS! Reputable refrigeration companies are seeing more farmers in recent times who are under the impression they need to spend $80,000 to $100,000 upgrading existing refrigeration equipment to comply with the 2018 MPI milk cooling regulations!

THIS IS NONSENSE! So what are the facts?

The new regulations, while being somewhat more stringent than the existing regulations, require a shorter cooling period and not instantaneous cooling to storage temperature as some would lead you to believe 1. Many existing farms are already compliant with the new regulations 2. A number of farms are so close to compliance, a smaller investment such as installing silo insulation wraps or electronic expansion valves will be enough to enable compliance. As these are energy saving products and in the event this is not quite enough, the investment will pay for itself in a reasonable time in energy savings 3. A number of farms may only require installing additional refrigeration on the milk silos to ensure compliance (with or without the addition of the energy saving products in No. 2 above) 4. Where more capacity is required to achieve compliance than can be achieved with the above, instantaneous chilling will be required, although in most cases compliance may be achieved by installing water chilling systems (starting from under $27,000 excluding plate cooler) and accepting a milk entry temperature of 8 to 10 degrees C. 5. The remaining ‘High Level’ chilling option will instantaneously cool milk to storage temperature and (contrary to some misinformation in the marketplace) reliable, energy efficient systems can be installed from under $50,000.

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Consider leaving your existing refrigeration on milk silos as this provides a backup in case of fault.

A trend is to remove and dump existing equipment to free up power loadings and make an expensive system appear more cost effective. Consider what happens when the system breaks down and the location of the service base a service Technician will be responding from.

DON’T BE LAST! ENSURE YOU WILL BE COMPLIANT FOR JUNE 1 2018 The date for the change to milk cooling regulations is only a little over a year away.

If you’re a farmer holding off thinking the date may get pushed out or the changes will not go ahead.

Unfortunately the answer is they will.

This is a Ministry of Primary Industries led initiative, not the dairy companies.

Some farmers are also not aware that new sheds need to be compliant with the new regs immediately at the time of installation and not 1 June 2018.

And if you’re a farmer wondering just how long you can wait? The smart decision would be to act now and not run the risk of non-compliance by waiting any longer.

Independent industry estimates suggest around a third of dairy farms need significant upgrades such as increased refrigeration capacity or pre-chilling to be compliant. Another third needs only relatively modest tweaks and the remainder already comply.

A last-minute rush makes almost

certain there will not be enough product or resources in NZ to meet this high demand. Shortages in product have already been experienced in some areas.

be a grade etc. I didn’t want to have dumped or graded milk”, says Graham of his decision to take action early.

Getting in early earns peace of mind For Hauraki Plains dairy farmer, Graham Brocklehurst and his wife Vicki, getting ahead of the game was all about peace of mind for them.

“Fonterra had been issuing notes on their tickets saying in 2018 this would

His advice is simple.

“I also saw there was a risk to waiting in that every second farmer in New Non-compliance means you run the risk Zealand could then be wanting to get of demerit points or grading costs. Who sorted at the same time.” wants that?

The good news. Getting sorted is easy.

“I wanted to get it out of the way, to have simplicity, and peace of mind. I Just get in touch with your local also wanted to have it in for at least one Tru-Test Milk Cooling rep. They’re summer to make sure it works through happy to come on farm and assess the hottest months.” your current milk cooling system. Along with an understanding of your future “The solution required for our operation business plans, they can then talk was smaller and cheaper than I thought through suggested solutions, if needed, and we’re not ever going to have to to be compliant. worry about our milk getting above Their goal is to get you to where you 10°C at end of milking.” need and want to be, whether that’s Although smaller, Graham has future ‘meeting, beating or thrashing’ the new proofed his refrigeration with as he puts regulations. it “a man’s system doing a boy’s job”.

“Get on with it as soon as you can so you can make sure you’re happy with it and know it’s working before 1 June 2018.”

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NZ Dairy

DAIRY REGULATIONS Âť MPI

Dairy Cooling Solutions are stockists of the Packo milk cooling tanks. In this model, ice water is used to cool down the milk in the insulated horizontal storage tank.

| 53

Cooler milk & unlimited hot water, thanks to DairyChill DairyChill is helping farmers to cool their milk quickly and easily with the added benefit of producing unlimited hot water. DairyChill sales manager James Thomas says that DairyChill systems achieve this as they are all sized to suit the particular farm, in terms of shed size and cow numbers, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

“This ensures that their milk enters the vat at a consistent temperature rather than fluctuating during the milking,” he explains.

DairyChill offers a range of systems for farmers to choose from to suit all types of farms and budgets. The OptiChill unit is the most popular product chilling warm fresh milk down to storage temperature using a unique heat exchanger.

“The OptiChill can cool milk from 20°C to 8°C in a single pass. Economically produced, cold thermal storage is used to chill the milk ultra fast, resulting in top quality milk. The OptiChill not only chills the milk but it also produces 75-85 degree hot water, making it a very efficient dairy chiller combination all in one unit,” explains James. “It is ideally suited to farms that might have limited power available

as this system will use less power as it doesn't need to run while the farmer is milking.”

Another popular option is the Instachill Combo pre-cooling solution, which gets milk into the vat at just 4-5 degrees as it cools the glycol to temperatures between -5 and 5 degrees depending on what it is set to. This unit also heats the hot water for the dairy shed to between 75-85 degrees. It is popular as it is such a small, compact unit (just 1m x 1.8m) and doesn’t need to run between milkings.

Other products in the range include Instachill (an instant milk cooling system), Eco Boost hot water heater and the Vatchill water-cooled condenser unit.

Of course significant power savings are an additional bonus and James says that DairyChill systems have been typically saving farmers up to 50% on their milk cooling bills and up to 80% on their hot water bills.

“DairyChill systems are the most efficient on the market in New Zealand at the moment.

Payback on the investment with a DairyChill system can be as quick as three to six years.

We are offering 24 months interest free and

different payment terms to help farmers invest in something that will save them a lot of money in the long run. In fact the savings they make could cover their repayments for the system in some cases,” he says.

DairyChill, which is owned by ACR Agri Limited, has been developed by refrigeration engineer Terry Carter, ex owner of Enersol, who was looking to develop an efficient and cost effective way to chill milk.

Importantly the systems comply with the new pending regulations regarding milk chilling times and keeping the stored milk from the first milking below the regulation temperature, when adding fresh milk to it.

By chilling the milk quickly farmers get better milk quality and less run time for their chiller unit, says James.

DairyChill products can be fitted to new or existing sheds and farmers are offered a free assessment of their current milk cooling system. All systems offer turnkey pricing meaning no hidden extras. Systems can be supplied New Zealand wide through the DairyChill network of installers, refrigeration technicians and agents and the systems are backed up with a 24-hour call out service.

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Quickly Chill Milk – AND - Save Money, while meeting the regulations.

Ag Journalist Ken Strugnell visits a special cool Dairy Farm near Rotorua with Keith Turner from Temprite.

I’d been told it was possible to meet Fonterra’s new milk chilling regulations and save money on power. So I was keen to find out how this special farm achieved it.

To find out more, I decided to talk to the installer of the heating and chilling equipment used on well known farmer Lachlan McKenzie’s Kaharoa dairy farm. The farm on rolling country uses a once a day milking program and as I was to find out the PROMAX insulated 30,000 litre tank works well here.

Arriving at Ngongotaha I met Temprite’s Managing Director Keith Turner. Temprite, well known in the Waikato Bay of Plenty, was the company that had installed the cooling system that I was there to look at.

I asked about Keith’s company, its relationship with PROMAX and just how the farm owner justified the claimed $350 a month on its cowshed electric bill, that was all down to the Promax Tank:

FEATURES

Regulations are set to change for the 2016 season for the cooling of milk from the cow to the collection tanker. In the vat at collection time it now has to be chilled to 6 degrees within 2 hours of completion of milking.

On this farm it was to be a retro fit to meet the new rules, one which will occur on most existing dairy farms, to abide by the regulations, as they are phased in.

I asked Keith how it worked: The ‘double bank plate cooler’, Keith explained was really the heart of the simple system.

This ‘double bank cooler has milk flow through each side of the cooler unit. On the left it is chilled from the cow at around 37 degrees, by ordinary spring or tank water at around 14 – 16 degrees, as in most farm dairy sheds. That brings the milk down to around 16 – 18 degrees. The milk continues its journey round the plates this time on the right hand side, that run to and from the Promax insulated tank which has the water at 6 degrees. This brings the milk into the collection vat at around 8 degrees, sometimes less. So all the collection vat has to do is lower it by at most 2 degrees.

This not only saves money but it also is incredibly quick. Andrew Grant the farm

manager joined us to show the latest power bill which had a $350 saving compared to the same month and 900 Friesian/Jersey cross cow as numbers last year.

“Quick he said the system is because the PROMAX tank water is chilled overnight on low rate power. It means that we are not spending time and energy on chilling liquid after milking, other than the cow’s milk”.

Keith’s suggestion of partially burying the PROMAX tank by just over a metre, as in the photo was used to good advantage.

When I undid the tank lid and felt the temperature of the water at around midday, in full sun it was ‘shockingly cold’. The temperature gauge on the PROMAX tank read 7 degrees after milking and yet there was no condensation on the outside of the tank.

“How then did they chill this water down again following milking”? I asked “Simple really, we use the same 25kw chiller hooked up to the milk vat through which we pump the insulated tank water, using off peak overnight power. Then the 30,000 litre tank easily copes with the daily production from the 900 cows and will easily do more as you felt from how

cold the water was after milking” Keith said the tank is so efficient at keeping the milk cool that even absorbing 10 degrees off the cow’s milk does not really alter the water temperature much.

Keith explained that the retro fit to meet the new regulations is an easy one to do both in terms of down time in the shed and space required.

This very ‘cool’ Dairy farm now meets the new regulations, saves money on its power bills and the fully automatic operation of the new system means little or no retraining to make it work optimally.

“

Andrew Grant, the farm manager joined us with the latest power bill which showed a $350 saving on the sheds power account compared to the same month and 900 Friesian/Jersey cross cow numbers as last year.

“What I really like” says Andrew “is its simplicity and automatic operation!

”

MOVING TOWARDS A ROBOTIC FUTURE The latest robotics technology was showcased at the inaugural Grasslands Robotics Convention hosted by DeLaval in Tasmania, Australia from March 20-23. The convention featured presentations from some of the top robotic farmers, scientists and DeLaval robotic specialists from around the world.

Kiwi farmer and convention speaker, Brian Yates, says that figures discussed at the convention indicate that there are now 22,000 automatic milking system operating worldwide or 40,000 robots totalling around 30% of all dairy farms.

In Northern Europe and North America, uptake on automatic milking systems is a lot higher, however over this side of the world, uptake has been a lot slower. The main difference this side of the world is that we operate a predominantly grass-based system, says Brian, along with Australia, Chile and Ireland.

One of the aims of the convention was to showcase the possibilities of robotics in a grass-based system.

Brian, who peak milks a herd of 165 cows at Karaka, with his parents David and Cathy, south of Auckland, is a case in point. They have been using DeLaval robotics on their

Milking Robots they work for us.

farm since 2010 and has two robots.

He spoke at the convention about the Herd Navigator system, the first one in use in the Southern Hemisphere, which measures progesterone levels in the milk so farmers can accurately pinpoint the stage of the reproductive cycle the cow is at.

“The system shows when the cow is on heat and when it needs to be inseminated within 48 hours. We put the system in last September and have already seen a 10% improvement in in-calf rates and the calving window is one week shorter.”

Interestingly Brian farms organically and says that robots go well with this way of farming even though they might at first seem an unlikely match.

“We were the first pasture based organic farm in the world to use robots. Because health is so important in organic farming the technology offers a lot of tools which can be used in a preventative way to manage this. For example, there is a test in Herd Navigator to test an enzyme called LDH, which gets elevated when infection is present.

So this can alert us to a case of potential mastitis before it manifests allowing us to treat it naturally and preventatively,” he explains.

Brian, Cathy and David Yates, Karaka, 170 cows

The convention was attended by around 100 delegates from countries including Europe, North America, South American and Japan, indicating the international level of interest in grassland robotic farming.

The usage is also increasing in Oceania with Ian Halliday, managing director of Dairy Australia, speaking about trends in Australia. Brian says currently Australia has around 44 farms using automatic milking systems with predictions this figure will increase to 150-260 by 2026.

“There is a hub of farms in Tasmania who are really pushing the boundaries in terms of productions using robotic systems and getting impressive results,” says Brian.

approach that works for us, it works for my family, and there’s no reason it wouldn’t work for you.

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“There are ideas I will take away and implement back home. There were also a lot of farmers who were looking to get into robotics and they came away quite enthused after seeing the potential of the technology.”

NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Malcolm & Alma Wallace

| 57

Sticking together in tough times Kelly Deeks Otaki dairy farmer Malcolm Wallace has been full time in the dairy industry for the past 10 years, and finds his local DairyNZ discussion groups to be a great source of help and support.

“We’re meeting people who, when things are challenging, they’re all in the same boat,” he says.

“The past couple of years have been very tough, but everyone stays positive and works a bit harder. The old Kiwi attitude shines through and makes things a bit more positive.”

Malcolm and his wife Alma have owned their 85ha, 180 cow farm at Otaki for 17 years.

Malcolm trained thoroughbred racehorses for 40 years, and when the couple’s partner in the dairy farm wanted to leave 10 years ago, Malcolm decided he had achieved everything he could in the racing industry, and to focus instead on the dairy farm.

He retired from training racehorses about five years ago, and he and Alma now run the farm together.

“The farm was a challenge, and the racing had become second nature,” he says.

“I really always strive to accomplish and understand things.

Dairy farming is a high performance industry like racing, but there is a broader knowledge you’ve got to have, and of course you’re dictated to by the weather.”

Thoroughbred racehorses are high performance animals, and Malcolm takes the same attitude to his dairy cows.

“The best bred ones produce better, so we’re always striving for better genetics,” he says.

“And better pastures and quality feeds. That’s one reason we got into feeding inside the shed, installing an in-shed feeding system about six years ago. We feed meal in the shed for the first three months of calving. We can quantify feed in the shed, it’s instant

“We’re meeting people who, when things are challenging, they’re all in the same boat.

“The past couple of years have been very tough, but everyone stays positive and works a bit harder. The old Kiwi attitude shines through and makes things a bit more positive.”

access to energy for the cows, it helps them get through calving and gets them ready for mating. We can see the difference it makes.”

The Wallaces used to strive for high production but now they look at their operation a bit differently.

“Now we focus on the highest production at the lowest output, so we may only do 70,000kgs milksolids, but we’re not spending twice the amount of money to get it.”

The couple grow most of their own feed and focus on regrassing to keep operating costs in check.

“Rather than feeding lots of meal in the shed, we only use it as a tool to get the cows to where they need to be,” Malcolm says.

He says after 17 years of dairy farm ownership, he still hasn’t really got his head around pasture management.

“I’ve been trying for about 15 years and I’m still trying to learn,” he says.

“Every year is so different to the last, and I’m learning something

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different every year about pasture management.”

Discussion groups and field days play a big part in the Wallaces’ learning.

The Wallaces’ farm hosted a field day on February 2 and the group talked about running a dairy farm in tight times.

“Every farming operation is different, so we looked at what we’re doing to get through these tight times,”

Malcolm says.

“Wages are one of a dairy farmer’s biggest outgoings, so we are lucky in that we don’t have a lot of labour units as Alma and I run the farm together.”

The couple use Ron Halford as their farm consultant, who has been looking after their farm for about 20 years now.

“You can’t just go down the road and buy $10 worth of experience – you need to hire it,” Malcolm says.

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58 |

FARM PEOPLE » Marcus & Lisa Smith

NZ Dairy

Production on Marcus and Lisa Smith’s Strafford farm has hovered around 160,000kgMS for the last three years.

Carrying on the Beaufort legacy Richard Loader

Sacrificial paddocks, feedpads, pre-graze topping and a ‘little and often’ approach to the application of fertiliser mix are all in Marcus and Lisa Smith’s pastoral toolbox for their Stratford farm - Beaufort Farms.

Purchasing the original family farm that’s

been in the family since the 1920s, Marcus and Lisa have added an additional 40ha effective of neighbouring farm and leased 23ha of adjoining land up the road to form their current milking platform of 103ha.

Milking 340 friesian/friesian cross cows through a 30-aside herringbone shed with the luxury of auto cup removers, Marcus’ production has hovered around 160,000kgMS for the last three years.

During the summer months 3kgs of palm

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“Rather than growing crops, we’ve gone to a wintering system where we sacrifice 10% of the farm, targeting the worst growing paddocks. You want to prevent pugging as much as you can during those winter months. Getting up early in the morning to get the cows off the paddocks— that’s quite stressful.”

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Marcus & Lisa Smith

kernel, soya bean mix are fed to the cows on a feedpad to maximise feed utilisation. In the winter it can get up to 7kg of supplement.

“It varies throughout the season depending on pasture growth rates,” says Marcus.

“We look very carefully at the cost of buying supplement in and jump on the likes of PK when at its lowest price, trying to buy enough to last the season.”

A regime of pre-topping ahead of the cows going into a paddock if needed ensures that pasture is good quality, correct residuals are maintained and silage is made when there’s genuine surplus.

While Taranaki has enjoyed a very nice summer this year, Marcus says winter and spring were very tough right through to November.

Typical rainfall for the region is between 2 – 2.5 metres annually and Lisa says that sometimes it feels as though it just pours continually from one day to the next.

In the early days, Marcus grew crops for winter-feed but when the dairy payout dropped they decided that was one of the cost elements they could cut out.

“Rather than growing crops, we’ve gone to a wintering system where we sacrifice 10% of the farm, targeting the worst growing paddocks,” says Marcus.

“You want to prevent pugging as much as you can during those winter months. Getting up early in the morning to get the cows off the paddocks - that’s quite stressful. Now I can sleep pretty easy during the winter.“ Come September when the conditions are right or it’s dry enough, the sacrifice paddocks will get sprayed out, ploughed and put back into a permanent perennial ryegrass.

The following season the least productive paddocks are selected for that season’s sacrifice paddocks.

“We are slowly turning our least productive paddocks into our best by rotational winter sacrificing,” he says.

Adding a feedpad to the farm’s infrastructure 10 years ago has proven to be invaluable, particularly during those very wet winter months.

Splitting the herd into two mobs, one mob comes onto the feedpad in the morning to get their grass silage, palm kernel, while the other mob remains on the paddock. Then they swap around.

“We use that as a tool for a bit of on-off grazing - feeding supplement on the pad instead of the paddock - so we get better utilisation of the feed because its not being trodden into the ground,” says Marcus.

Departing from the annual spring and autumn dressings, Marcus now follows the cows around their grazing paddocks with a light fertiliser mix, spreading it evenly all year round.

“We’re definitely growing more grass. It’s always working, breaking down and working in the system and we’re not getting the patchiness in the paddocks anymore.”

Marcus and Lisa say it’s privileged responsibility to caretake the land that has

Marcus and Lisa Smith with their children, back, Pieta, eight, Kean, four, Marnie, six, and, front, Nate, two. The Smiths farm in Stratford, milking 340 friesian/friesian cross cows.

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With careful management of the land future generations may carry on the legacy of ‘Beaufort’, if they so wish to.

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FARM PEOPLE » Noldy & Bev Rust/Mike Keeling

60 |

NZ Dairy

Tailoring the right product Once a day milking frees for the right paddock up much needed time Kelly Deeks Te Pahu smaller herd farmer and Pioneer Brand Products Waikato West and King Country area manager Noldy Rust has firsthand experience of the benefits of using maize, which he has grown on his dairy farm and his run off block since building a feed pad in 2007.

Noldy and his wife Bev have run 200 cows on a 52ha effective farm in a rural community south west of Hamilton since 1996.

Noldy is national committee chairperson for SMASH (Smaller Milk and Supply Herds), a group of farmers offering support, information, and a sense of community for smaller herd farmers.

The Rusts changed their farming system when they built their feed pad, from a relatively all grass system to a more intensive system, and lifting their stocking rate from 3.2 to four cows per hectare, and bringing in maize and palm kernel.

“We built the feed pad to minimise wastage and feed our cows effectively, and we bought a maze block to grow our own feed,” he says.

“We’ve stuck with maize and palm kernel because they are good, cheap, and efficient feeds. We grow some maize on effluent paddocks and have found we can grow good feed very cheaply. If you grow your own maize and if you put in contracted palm kernel, you’ve got control over your feed costs. It all comes back to using your grass first, then supplement feeding with a premium, cost effective feed like maize.”

He says his role of area manager and that of Pioneer Brand Products and its specialist agents is to grow the use of maize in New Zealand, by helping farmers with better preparation, all the way through to growing maize, harvesting, storing, and utilising it effectively, and helping with the animal nutrition aspects.

“We’re more than just selling seed, we’re

helping farmers to implement maize into their farming systems,” he says. “We help farmers to understand the benefits of using a low protein feed, and also the limitations, so they know when to feed it at the right time. Maize is low in protein but high in carbohydrates and energy, so it’s good alongside other high protein feeds like grass in the spring.”

Pioneer Brand Products runs an extensive trialling system in each local area to ensure its maize hybrids’ agronomic traits suit the area it will be grown in. “We make sure we tailor the right product to the right paddock,” Noldy says. “We want to help farmers to grow the best crop they can, then use it as effectively as they can. If it works for them, they’ll keep using it.”

Pioneer Brand Products’ focus is very much on growing and feeding maize, and its environmental impacts such as removing potash from soils, but the company is also into lucerne, has a range of forage sorghum sudan cross grasses, and has also branched out in the past 12 months into the Aber range of perennial and short-term ryegrasses and white clovers.

Noldy Rust is national committee chairperson for SMASH (Smaller Milk and Supply Herds).

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Kelly Deeks A change to seasonal milk supply and once a day milking on the Keeling farm in the Horowhenua district has freed up some time for contract milker Mike Keeling to focus on an endless list of jobs to upgrade the infrastructure on the ‘pretty run down’ farm.

Mike is the fifth generation of the Keeling family to run the 132ha effective dairy farm and 109ha support block.

He has been home since 2014, contract milking on his parents David and Robyn’s farm near Levin, which also runs beef stock outside of the dairy platform. On his return the dairy farm was milking 320 cows, and split calving about 100 cows in autumn and the remainder in spring. Production was sitting at about 109,000kgs milksolids, as well as raising all the calves for the beef operation.

Since his return Mike has introduced seasonal supply and this year is heading for a production target of 100,000kgs milksolids.

“The farm has been split calving since dad converted to dairy in 1978,” he says.

“The reason it was split calving was because the farm tended to get summer and autumn dry. Dad was town supply and got a premium for winter milk. Now I’ve come in and changed it from split calving to seasonal supply to get a better lifestyle and some time to work on upgrading the farm. Dad thought it was great but he was worried about the potential for a bad, dry summer, which we’ve had since I’ve been back. We’ve got some limited irrigation on the farm, but we’ve also had to bring in using some turnips as a grazing crop in case it gets dry.”

The once a day milking was always planned to start some time during this summer, and did in December, and now Mike wants to carry on with it.

‘We wanted to put some condition on the cows and free up some time to get other jobs done,” he says. “The previous manager wasn’t

really pushing for efficiencies like I’m doing, so the farm has been pretty run down.”

Mike has been catching up on fencing, fixing up the water supply and spraying out the remaining weeds and the ragwort, which has been a horrendous issue in the Horowhenua district this season.

David Keeling was open to the idea of fulltime once a day milking, but required detailed budget plans from Mike around the cost of lost production. “Production will come down, income will come down, but costs will come down as well,” Mike says. “Our production target for next season, milking 340 cows once a day, is 95,000kgs milksolids, and rearing 275 calves.”

He is working on a 15% loss of production for the first year, then 10% the following year, then 5%.

Once a day means Mike and his full time labour unit are both freed up for four or five hours every afternoon, and when David is on hand to help, which he often is, there are 15 hours of extra work being completed every day. The Keeling farm is turning around quite quickly, and Mike is looking forward to moving up to a 50:50 contract next season.

Mike is the fifth generation of the Keeling family to run the 132ha effective dairy farm and 109ha support block.

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Montie Hare

| 61

The Hare’s 400ha Manawatu farm now boasts a 290ha milking platform with the remainder of usable land used as run off resulting in a self contained system.

No regrets swapping tie for boots Karen Phelps Manawatu dairy farmer Montie Hare admits it’s been a big change from the office to the farm.

It was just over two years ago Montie made the career shift from commercial finance to dairy farming when he returned home from London to the family farm at Cheltenham. But he says his financial background has certainly been helpful in running the farm – especially as the pay out dropped a year after they converted the unit.

“Dad says I do a lot of farming from an excel spreadsheet,” he says with a smile. “I try to run the financial side of the business efficiently as that frees up my time to do other

things on the farm.”

When Montie grew up on the unit it was sheep and beef and he had previously only helped out on the farm for short periods of time. It was about five years ago the decision was made to convert to dairy.

The 400ha farm now boasts a 290ha milking platform with the remainder of usable land used as run off resulting in a self contained system.

They peak milk a herd of 680 cows through a 60 bail rotary shed with the help of three full time staff and Montie’s father Bill helping out as required. The recent addition automatic cup removers have helped them to drop a labour unit.

“It was always in the back of my mind that I’d one day return to the farm. It was just a matter of when and I’ve loved it. A couple of months ago I milked the cows for the first time for a profit after being here for two years. That was a good feeling.”

• To page 62

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62 |

FARM PEOPLE » Montie Hare

NZ Dairy

No regrets swapping shirt & tie for gumboots • From page 61 “Adjusting to managing staff has been my biggest challenge,” admits Montie. “But we’re lucky we’ve got a good team here.”

Being a low cost system with farm working expenses of around $3.20-$3.50 has certainly been a blessing during the low payout years, says Montie.

A focus was placed on keeping the core of the business strong and not dropping cow numbers or reducing feed. This has now stood them in good stead as times look better ahead.

There is also potential to convert more of the farm. The next plan is to convert a further 20-30ha and graze stock off farm, which should allow them to increase herd numbers by 60-70.

They don’t buy in feed rather preferring to grow crops on farm. This season, they have planted their first crop of fodder beet, which Montie hopes will allow them to keep cows off paddocks more during winter by feeding them on land outside the dairy platform.

They re-grass around 10% of the farm each year to keep pasture quality high and have now re-grassed the whole farm since converting.

Montie says that they have been trialing different grasses to improve performance on their drier paddocks.

Most of the farm is in tetraploid and they have experimented with hybrids but he says a good growing season this year has seen all species perform well so it has been hard to make an accurate comparison. One thing he has noticed though it that by focusing on feeding cows well this has been reflected in cow performance and in the vat.

Last season, the farm produced 250,000 kilograms of milk solid and is on target this year to exceed this.w Montie is not the only one who has had to make a big lifestyle change. His wife Tessa has made the move to farming, as well. Tessa works as a project manager for Toyota in Palmerston North but Montie says she also does more than her fair share on the farm at the weekends.

Montie, who is now the fourth generation to farm the land, says he certainly has no regrets swapping the shirt and tie for gumboots.

“It was always in the back of my mind that I’d one day return to the farm. It was just a matter of when and I’ve loved it. A couple of months ago I milked the cows for the first time for a profit after being here for two years. That was a good feeling.

“It’s definitely been challenging but I’d never go back to an office again.”

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Montie Hare says adjusting to managing staff has been one of the biggest challenges since returning to the family farm just over two years ago.

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FARM PEOPLE » Nick & Cathy Prendergast

| 63

Third time’s hopefully the charm Karen Phelps Two big fails with fodder beet would be enough to put off many farmers.

But with a focus on driving down costs, Waikato farmers Nick and Cathy Prendergast are still keen to master the notoriously tricky crop and say lessons learned from two past unsuccessful plantings have stood them in good stead for success this season.

The couple planted the crop in 2010 and 2011 without luck: the first season results were poor due partly to a dry summer and not getting cultivation correct. The second time accidentally spraying out the ground with a chemical containing anti-beet ingredients was probably a factor in the failure of that crop.

This year they are having another go and things are looking promising.

“We knew the potential and there are a lot of people are doing it really well,” says Nick.

“It’s a very particular crop and so when our agronomist tells us to spray today we spray today and not tomorrow. We were also a lot more particular this time in regard to applying effluent to the paddocks, lime and fertiliser.”

“We didn’t fully appreciate the level of cultivation and preparation it needed to be a successful crop,” agrees Cathy. “You need to get it right, do your homework and get the right advice, preferably from a local professional who knows the area you are growing in.”

They operate a system 3.5-4 farm and fodder beet is also part of the couple’s bid to reduce reliance on palm kernel, something that also fits in well with Fonterra’s philosophy.

“We realise we may be restricted in terms of palm kernel use in the future,” says Cathy. “It’s about looking ahead and fodder beet could be a very useful tool for us.”

The 147ha unit in Arohena milks 550 cows through a 40 aside herringbone shed. The land has been in Cathy’s family since 1929. When Cathy grew up on the unit it was sheep and beef. Part of the farm was converted to dairy and she and Nick started contract milking there in the 1984-85 season.

Nick, who has originally been studying to

After less than successful results planting fodder beet, Waikato farmers Cathy and Nick Prendergast hope it’s third time lucky this season.

become a Catholic priest, admits dairy farming was quite a shift so what attracted him to the profession?

“The long hours and tiredness,” he jokes. “It was the lifestyle and the potential to grow a business and go ahead.”

After a couple of years the couple did just that moving to a sharemilking position near Tokoroa, eventually returning to the family farm and entering an equity partnership with Cathy’s parents. By 2000 they had bought out the entire farm.

Over the years the farm has undergone a lot

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of development – two technosystems farming bulls were installed in 1993 and have resulted in more intensive and efficient pasture use. A track was installed across the gully in 2008, which allowed the two separate plateaus of the farm to be joined together as one to create a larger platform.

They say the last three years has taught them the importance of operating a tight farming system: “If you don’t watch every dollar you spend your profits can disappear quite quickly,” says Nick.

The farm employs 2.5 labour units and the Prendergast’s say they place a big focus on ensuring staff is happy including giving time off to spend with family and opportunities for professional development.

“We encourage a team atmosphere,” says Nick. “For example you wouldn’t leave a motorbike without any fuel in it around here.

It’s all about thinking about each other and making the job easier for everyone.”

Compliance with ever changing regulations is another area they are concentrating on.

Several years ago the farm effluent system was upgraded and they now have a plastic lined pond offering 1.5m litres of storage and have 30ha under effluent irrigation.

The best ever production the farm has achieved was 250,000 kilograms of milk solids.

This season the target is 245,000 kilograms. The couple have five daughters, three of whom are pursuing rural careers: Abby, 28, is working with her husband as a sharemilker in Otorohanga; Alice, 21, has studied at Massey University and Sophie, 24, is studying animal nutrition, using a comparison between the fodder beet diet and pasture based diets as the basis for her research, which will no doubt prove useful to her parents.

Emma works in London and Victoria is about to take up a position at Auckland University.

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64 |

DAIRY PEOPLE » Niels Modde

NZ Dairy

Sights firmly set on farm ownership Karen Phelps Niels Modde hails from the Netherlands but moved to New Zealand as he saw more potential to have his own dairy business.

“In the Netherlands because of the high price of the land it is harder to make a buck.

Little farms are getting bought up by the larger farms. In the Netherlands in order to have my own farm I would have had to have worked full time off farm then farmed after hours and in weekends,” he says.

Niels grew up on a small dairy unit in the Netherlands milking just 35 cows. When this no longer became a viable business his parents sold their dairy shares and converted it into a beef farm with around 200 stock units.

The farm was too small for Niels to work on it when he finished his studies so the invitation of a friend farming in New Zealand was difficult to resist.

Seeing it was possible to build a dairy business from nothing through the system in New Zealand he moved permanently 12 years ago and worked his way up the ladder. Interestingly, Niels has achieved this by working for just one couple – Art and Helen Blom – who he credits as having been instrumental in his success.

He started off working as a farm assistant on one of their farms at Balfour – a 200ha unit milking 500 cows.

Just six months later Niels assisted with the conversion of another of the Bloms’ units and started as manager then took on a lower order position starting with 200 cows and building the herd up to 300.

He is now on a 272ha unit owned by the Bloms nearby which he leases with his partner Jodie Templeman.

The couple has been on the farm six years and say being able to lease the unit while owning the herd and equipment has fast tracked their careers giving them complete control over how they farm.

The 240ha effective unit milks a herd of 500 cows including around 250 pedigree holstein friesians under the name Mojo Stud.

They started their stud about four years

Niels Modde and his partner Jodie Templeman farm a 272ha unit owned by Art and Helen Blom. The couple has been on the farm for six years.

ago largely as a hobby but with an eye to improving the production and type of their overall herd.

“We started at the bottom – we didn’t buy in any pedigree cows – so the aim is to breed better cows that produce more milk and last longer over time,” explains Niels.

The herd is milked through a 40 aside herringbone shed and the farm employs 2.5 labour units.

Jodie, also an experienced dairy farmer, was brought up on a dairy unit in the Marlborough Sounds and has spent five years working for CRV Ambreed conducting

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Mating is an important focus for the couple with the traits of each cow individually assessed then matched with the right genetics to improve traits such as increased protein in milk and good udders – particularly important as their farm is high production.

They feed each cow over lactation around 1000 kilograms of grain, canola and peas, 750 kilograms of palm kernel and 1000 kilograms of silage.

They have a 400 cow wintering barn and the remainder of the herd along with calves and heifers is wintered outside on kale.

The herd is currently producing close to 600 kilograms of milk solids per cow and the couple says they would rather milk fewer cows but get better production off each one.

Last season, the herd produced 290,000 kilograms of milk solids and the couple is aiming for a similar target this season.

Their personal target is farm ownership and they have their sights set on a modest 250-300 cow unit they could run themselves as their next goal.

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FARM PEOPLE » Rob & Shiralee Seerden

| 65

Planning for the family’s future Richard Loader

A strong sense of family is a key driver for 50:50 sharemilkers, Rob and Shiralee Seerden, who farm at Norsewood on the cusp of Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay. Creating a future for their family drives everything from their development and growth as farmers, the care of their animals, the land they work on, and the homeschooling of their seven children.

“Our vision is for our kids to work along side us as a family and to see them prosper, whether it’s in dairy farming or something else,” says Shiralee. “The end goal is that through our training and succession plan their children will also be able to work on our dairy farm.”

Homeschooling has played a significant part in their family life, despite the challenges of balancing the demands of farm management.

Bringing their children up in a setting where learning and development is as much about everyday life experiences as it is the formal part off education, the farm provides fertile ground for a positive and happy learning environment.

Rob says that while the farm may not be the ultimate life goal for all their children, if they get the foundation of working and learning on the farm before they leave home, there’s a better chance of them returning to the industry.

Their eldest son, 19, is at animation college in Auckland this year, while their second eldest is working on the farm and training within the dairy industry.

As part of their own self-development and encouraged by last year’s merit awards, Rob and Shiralee entered the 2017 Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa Share Farmer of the Year competition.

Rob says that the competition has helped them focus more holistically on the business rather than on those areas they are passionate about.

“We spend lots of time talking to others in the industry and learning from them,” says Shiralee. “Fertiliser reps, soil experts, finance people as well as other farmers have all been so helpful.”

Rob says the competitions provide them with the opportunity to promote themselves as farmers ready for that next step up the sharemilking ladder.

Sharemilking on the 80ha effective Norsewood farm since 2009, the couple calved down 230 cows this year and currently milk 225 cows through a 25-aside herringbone shed.

“We’ll probably do about 110,000kgMS this season - an 8% drop in our earnings,” says Rob. “ Really frustrating given the recent lift in

The Seerden family, from back left, Jorden, Samuel, Ashton, Shiralee. Front row left Suzannah, Peter, Daisy, Bob and Rob. INSET: Rob Seerden, right, checks the farm’s weaner calves with farm consultant Bruce McCluskey, from Parry Matthews and Associates.

payout.”

One of the things that Rob is very proud of is the quality of the farms pasture and their management of it.

“The proof is in the pudding in that we get told a lot that our property is always green,” says Shiralee. “But it does take a lot of work to keep that quality going all the time.”

Rob puts the quality down to a strong regime of topping in the spring when the grass is growing.

“Our saying is if they don’t eat it – top it,” he says. “Whatever is left behind in the paddock we mow to get it down to get the quality. When the cows come back the second time it’s all quality lush grass.”

Rob says their graphs show that when the pasture grows back after topping the protein percentage in the milk increases significantly.

Their focus going forward is a larger

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“That’s where our focus is,” says Rob. Rob and Shiralee Seerden were recently named Hawkes Bay Sharemilkers of the year 2017.

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66 |

FARM PEOPLE » Paul Franklin

NZ Dairy

Hawke’s Bay farmer Paul Franklin (centre), flanked by his Springhill Dairies’ staff, has recently completed building a 500,000 cubic metre dam on his property to manage the risk of an uncertain water supply.

Storage dam eases water woes Richard Loader With the climatic extremes of Hawke’s Bay, Paul Franklin says that the most predictable thing is unpredictability.

Managing the risk of uncertain water supply to his farm is an essential part of survival in the very dry Springhill District of Ongaonga.

The development of a 500,000cubic metre dam on Paul’s farm on the foothills overlooking the Ruataniwha Plains, Central Hawke’s Bay, is one step closer to ensuring farming sustainability in the unpredictable environment not traditionally known for dairying.

Now in the dam’s second season, it has proven to be an invaluable source of irrigation water from late December right through to the end of February. In all, there’s been 8 weeks careful use of the precious resource, when the availability of alternative sources dried up.

The Waipawa River runs next to the Franklin’s farm and several years ago Paul put a case to the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) enabling him to access irrigation water from the river.

At the heart of the case was that supply could only be triggered once the flow rate reached much higher levels than the 2300litres/second that other consent holders complied with.

Through perseverance, Paul obtained two consents; one that triggered at 3400 litres/

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“Water security was my problem. It had been in the back of my mind to explore water storage so that when I did get cut off from the Waipawa I had my own supply.

So I started the process and built this big dam. We still haven’t got total water security but we would have been toast without the dam”

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FARM PEOPLE » Paul Franklin

second and the other at 3600litres/second.

Effectively it means that once the flow rates drop below those levels, Paul’s supply is turned off much earlier than other consent holders.

“For the first few years I averaged maybe 7 – 10 days when I couldn’t take water, which didn’t have a major impact,” says Paul.

Then disaster struck. About 4 years ago, the flow rate dropped below the minimum for three and a half months leaving Paul with no water.

“Water security was my problem,” says Paul. “It had been in the back of my mind to explore water storage so that when I did get cut off from the Waipawa I had my own supply. So I started the process and built this big dam.”

Employing a hydrologist to look at the catchment, a small stream from a 200ha catchment area was identified as a viable source of water to supply the dam.

The best location for the dam was sited, consents were obtained through HBRC and Opus was engaged to do the construction work.

“We started building the dam just before Christmas 2014 years and got it finished in about April the following year – so about 4 months,” says Paul.

“It has a 12 metre high wall with over

| 67

100,000cubic metres of compacted earth going into its construction. The whole thing went very smoothly.“ When the dam is full it covers an area of 7ha and holds about 500 million litres of water—8 to 10 weeks worth of judicious irrigation.

Paul makes the point that you can’t just dig a hole for a dam in most farms in Hawke’s Bay. “People talk about on-farm storage but you really do have to have a lot of ducks lined up to make it work, including water source and a good site with good materials along with a suitable site for a spillway.”

Now, at the start of March, with the dam’s water level very low from 8 weeks usage, the flow rate at the Waipawa River has fortunately returned to good levels enabling the tap to be turned on for Paul and vital pastoral irrigation to continue.

“We still haven’t got total water security but we would have been toast without the dam,” says Paul.

The proposed Ruataniwha Dam would provide significantly more water security and the ability to expand irrigation for Paul and other farmers in the Ruataniwha Plains.

“The dam will have a real flow on effect throughout Central Hawke’s Bay, not just to farmers, but all the community.”

Springhill Dairies’ on-farm water storage dam at Wakarara Road in Hawke’s Bay covers seven hectares and holds about 500,000 cubic metres of water.

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68 |

FARM PEOPLE » Paul Vanner

NZ Dairy

Awards galore for Jersey breeders Russel Fredric Jersey cow stud breeding and showing, combined with running a small commercial dairy farm provide a desirable lifestyle for Paul and Christine Vanner.

Their Taranaki property is a generational family farm, previously owned by Paul’s parents.

The couple have two adult children, Mitchell, an engineer and Kelsey who is studying towards a degree in Agricultural Science; the family enjoy the lifestyle offered by small scale dairy farming and showing their cows competitively.

“The kids are very much involved.

Whatever we do in terms of the stud stock, they are part of that,” Paul Vanner says.

Kelsey has started her own stud by the name of Tasman which is Christine’s grandfather’s stud name.

The couple are well known in the Taranaki A & P show circuit for achieving many top results in the four shows they attend each year in Hawera, Stratford, Levin, and the Taranaki Purebred Jersey Club show, also held in Stratford.

“This year we took a team of ten cows to Stratford, and then about five to six to each of the others, so, for us, we’ve got a reasonable size team,” Paul Vanner says.

Other family members including siblings and in-laws, nieces and nephews are a big help during shows.

“Without them we wouldn’t be able to do it.

They are our number one supporters.”

Among their long list of achievements, this summer the Vanner family won Supreme Champion Jersey with Beauvue Revs Riana at the Hawera A & P Show, as well as a first and second with two-year-olds Loch Raven Hi Low and Allendale Vals Quest.

At the Stratford A & P Show Allandale Vals Quest was placed first as a two-year old heifer.

“We got Intermediate Champion and also Intermediate Reserve Champion All Breeds with Low.” At the Levin A & P Show they achieved

The Vanner family from Kaponga’s Loch Raven Stud won Supreme Champion Jersey with Beauvue Revs Riana at the Hawera A & P Show as well as first and second with two-year-olds Loch Raven Hi Low and Allendale Vals Quest. At the Levin A & P Show they achieved Supreme Champion Jersey with Loch Raven Char Lisa, who also won Reserve Champion All Breeds.

Supreme Champion Jersey with Loch Raven Char Lisa, who also won Reserve Champion All Breeds “The previous year was very similar in terms of results.”

Despite the many accolades in the public eye, Paul Vanner says there is room to improve the cows’ performance on the commercial side of their 52 hectare effective farm at Kaponga, on the southern side of Mt Taranaki.

The farm presently has three Jersey stud bulls.

Its herd of 185 cows is expected to produce about 69,000kgMS this season.

Production averages around 400kgMS per cow, which Paul concedes is below par for a New Zealand commercial herd.

He agrees that his focus on selecting for

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type and conformation has come at a cost to production, due to “one or two bull selections on my behalf”, but is aiming to lift individual cow production to around 450kgMS a year.

About 20% of the herd is producing below 400kgMs. “We need to group together cows that are not performing as they should be, and maybe looking at ways and means of improving their progeny to achieve that (performance).”

“Some of the bloodlines that I’ve entered into, they are very nice looking animals, but they’re not quite doing the business in the production side.”

To boost production, the Vanner’s have identified a core of well performing cows and are working with these to achieve their production goals.

“The first goal is to get all the herd

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averaging over 400 (kgMS) for a start, and then achieving a more satisfactory production level right through.”

Because there is not a large pool of Jersey genetics to draw from in New Zealand, the Vanners are looking overseas, which is not unusual.

“Sometimes, it’s not a quick, easy fix I suppose.”

Milking the herd takes about one-and-ahalf hours through a 17 a-side shed and the small scale of the farm means it is not allconsuming, leaving time to enjoy other parts of life.

“It certainly does give us a lifestyle; we certainly do achieve what we like to achieve in terms of giving ourselves a break or whatever.

Christine can milk for me and I can milk for her, or my kids can milk.”

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FARM PEOPLE » Jared & Sue Watson

| 69

Dairying environmentalists rewarded Kelly Deeks Opotiki dairy farmers Jared and Sue Watson’s enthusiasm and passion for sustainable dairying and doing the right thing by the environment has won the couple the Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment Award.

Award judges commended the Watsons on working to each other’s strengths, with Jared’s ability on farm with livestock, pastures, and stewardship a perfect partner to accountant Sue’s analytical abilities.

The couple also took out the Ballance AgriNutrients Soil Management Award, LIC Dairy Farm Award, and a Bay of Plenty Regional Council Environment Award.

Since 2002, Sue and Jared have been 50:50 sharemilkers and are now milking 282 cows once a day on a 120ha platform in the Waiotahe Valley.

95ha of the effective milking platform is owned by Jared’s parents Kent and Cherry Watson. Sue and Jared lease 25ha to the dairy unit, and carry 54 R1 and 21 mixed-age beef cattle on the remainder of their 74ha block, which also has a 15ha block of native bush. A 10ha support block is also leased nearby and grows maize, lucerne, and winter oats.

Jared and Sue moved to once a day milking this season and are investing some of the time saved into focusing on the environment, and continuing the tradition of planting trees begun

by Jared’s great grandfather.

The farm features many native and exotic trees which provide shelter and shade and beautify the property. The drains on the farm are well managed, fenced, and planted.

Maintaining the water plants and dense vegetation on the banks has reduced nutrients in the water and provides habitat for fish, birds, and insects.

At any time of year, floods can inundate up to 80 per cent of the Waiotahe Valley property, which is just 20 metres above sea level in a valley with a river running through it. Jared manages this challenge with a nopugging policy, two loafing pads, and a feed pad. As well as river flats, the farm includes a moderate to steep runoff block, which has retired and well planted areas.

Jared and Sue have applied significant consideration to their nutrient programme.

“The use of foliar N and our fertiliser policy has resulted in a more diverse, deeperrooted sward,” Jared says. He has a good understanding of the soil types and soil testing is carried out biennially.

The herd is in good condition and knowledge of its breeding is a clear strength for the Watsons.

With the change to once a day milking, the Watsons have stopped feeding palm kernel, and are now growing maize and lucerne on a neighbouring lease block, and chicory is

Jared and Sue Watson, flanked by Jared’s parents Kent and Cherry, with the Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment award. The couple are 50:50 sharemilkers milking 282 cows once a day on 120ha in the Waiotahe Valley.

incorporated into the grazing round on the milking platform.

While production has dropped with the change to once a day milking, the couple’s energy for dairying has been renewed.

“Before we changed to once-a-day this season, I was seriously wondering how many more years I could keep dairying,” he says.

“Now I’m enjoying farming again.”

Sue says it has also enhanced family life for them and their sons Luka, 13, and Niko, 11.

“Jared no longer has to rush off for the afternoon milking and he’s so much more relaxed,” she says.

Competition judges noted the change of farming practice had reduced costs and resulted in healthier, happier humans, as well as cows.

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70 |

FARM PEOPLE » Peter Overdevest & Tania Akehurst

NZ Dairy

Lucerne key crop on dryland farm Kelly Deeks Bay of Plenty dairy farmers Peter Overdevest and Tania Akehurst recently hosted a Focus on Dairying field day, facilitated by DairyNZ, about the best establishment and management practices for the successful use of lucerne.

Peter and Tania have been growing lucerne since they first moved to Galatea to sharemilk in the early 1990s.

“Lucerne has been grown in Galatea since the 1940s, and farmers went away from using it for a while, but when we had the drought in 2012/2013 a lot of people went back to growing it,” says Tania. “Lucerne grows well in hot weather and pumice soils, and puts its roots down more than 2m deep, so it can source water that other plants can’t. It’s also quite versatile, you can use it for silage or graze it.”

Peter and Tania have tried other options over the years to suit their dryland farm including turnips and chicory, and say lucerne is definitely the best option for them. “It’s not a one year crop, you plant it and it’s there for seven years,” Tania says. “You can get a whole round of grazing in the summer time with a round length of 30 to 36 days in good summer weather.”

Due to a farm policy to winter on, Tania and Peter keep the amount of winter dormant lucerne on farm at 8% to 10%, any more and the stocking rate on the remaining pasture area would be too high.

The Bay of Plenty Focus on Dairying lucerne field day on Peter and Tania’s farm at the end of January had about 100 attendees who heard from Lincoln University expert in lucerne management Dr Derrick Moot.

“Hopefully the field day will encourage farmers to improve the way they grow and use Lucerne,” Tania says. “If other people decide to take it on as part of their farm system, they need to take into consideration things like calving dates, stocking rates, wintering on or off farm, and whether they are going to use it for supplement or grazing. It has to be worked in to the whole system.”

The field day topic is particularly pertinent

The Bay of Plenty Focus on Dairying lucerne field day on Peter Overdevest and Tania Akehurst’s Galatea farm at the end of January had about 100 attendees who heard from Lincoln University expert in lucerne management Dr Derrick Moot.

for Galatea at the moment, as the settlement is in an over-allocated catchment and the Bay of Plenty’s Plan Change 9 seeks to change the management of water allocation in the region.

“We need to know how to be a profitable farm, how to farm a dryland farm, and making the best use of lucerne is part of that,” Tania says.

Peter and Tania own two dairy farms at Galatea, the home farm on Horomanga Road purchased in 2001 and the second farm on Mangamutu Road in 2012. Both farms are 150ha and both were milking 400 cows, until this season when the couple dropped the stocking rate and cow numbers on each farm to 375.

Having been building cow numbers on both farms and not herd testing for a while,

the couple wanted to get rid of some low producing cows which they did based mainly on low PW. “It’s all running how we want it to now,” Tania says.

Tania is expecting to have a bit more time to focus on the farms now that she has finally graduated with the Bachelor of Applied Science she started studying for 20 years ago.

Fitting in her study around her family and farm work, one of Tania’s final reports was on the culling she and Peter did this season, and the efficiencies they gained from doing so.

Peter and Tania’s sons Nick, 26, and Kurt, 24, are both dairy farming, with Kurt managing a 900 cow farm at Dunsandel and Nick and his partner Kelly starting thier first 50/50 sharemilking job this June.

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Lyndsay & Alison Trounce

| 71

‘Good producing cows’ stud’s aim Karen Phelps South Island stud Fairview Holsteins fared well at the NZ Dairy Event held recently in Feilding.

The two and a half day event held from 2527 January aims to showcase to dairy farmers and breed enthusiasts the best dairy genetics and cattle from around the country.

Fairview Holsteins, operated by Lyndsay and Alison Trounce, took out the Reserve Senior Champion Holstein with Fairview Windbrok Pauline VG89.

The stud also won the Holsteins and All Breeds Junior Champion and Supreme Junior Champion title with Fairview Doorman Resolute. Despite the stud’s success Lyndsay says his breeding programme is not rocket science.

“I still milk the cows and I like to milk good producing cows. Being in the shed helps our breeding programme,” says Lyndsay.

Fairview Holsteins was established in Ashburton by Lyndsay’s parents Noel and Norma in the late 60s. Lyndsay grew up on the family dairy farm and worked there after schools and during holidays.

The farm was sold in 1980 and Lyndsay and wife Alison went into partnership with Lyndsay’s parents on a farm at Seadown.

Lyndsay and Alison took over the farm in 1996. They employ two full time staff but both have a hands on role with their business.

Lyndsay takes on the day to day running of the farm and Alison completes the bookwork and gets the cows in every night.

Lyndsay says the family has always aimed for high producing cows to complement their dairy operation.

Most genetics is sourced from North America, which he says excels in the better type traits. Lyndsay and Alison favour larger cows as they feel they give better production and tend to have better type and traits such as udders.

They used to have an annual sale to sell stud cows in the early 90s but now have sporadic sales when they feel they have surplus stock. In 2015 they sold 35 calves, yearling heifers and a couple of bulls averaging

“I still milk the cows and I like to milk good producing cows. Being in the shed helps our breeding programme.

The herd is averaging 630-640 kilograms of milk solids per cow.”

Lyndsay and Alison Trounce are champion holstein friesian breeders. PHOTO CREDIT: Holstein Friesian New Zealand

$6500 per animal.

“People buy our stock on conformation and production. The herd is averaging 630-640 kilograms of milk solids per cow,” explains Lyndsay.

The unit is 330ha total and milks a herd of 400-450 pedigree holstein friesians year round. The farm has a 36 bail rotary shed with automatic cup removers, automatic drafting and milk meters.

The farm is flat and irrigated from underground bores. Centre pivots and travelling guns irrigate 220ha of the unit.

The solids are dispersed onto work paddocks after running through a separator.

Green water is pumped to a 30 day storage holding pond then dispersed by travelling irrigator.

There is a wintering barn built in 2013 that can bed 450 cows.

“We are a wet farm in winter,” explains Lyndsay, “and having stock inside helps

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protect pasture and improves feed utilisation.

It’s definitely paying off having it.”

Son Andrew, who works as a consultant nutritionist for Milk Map Consulting in Ashburton, offers his expertise to this side of their farming operation working out feed regimes. Lyndsay says feed inputs have been

reduced though in response to the payout.

Lyndsay says their recent success at the NZ Dairy Event is a good indication they are on the right track with their breeding programme.

After all this time they still maintain a real passion for cows and take joy in producing a great animal.

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72 |

FARM PEOPLE » Roger Dickie NZ

NZ Dairy

‘Fully feeding the cows’ pays off Kelly Deeks Utilising every blade of grass on the farm has been key to managing operating costs at Eastbourne Dairy Farm, now in its third season in Southland.

Eastbourne Dairy Farm was purchased and syndicated by forestry and farming investment company Roger Dickie NZ in 2014.

The 242ha farm at Thornbury comprises a 170ha milking platform and a 71ha run off block, 500m away. The farm milks 520 cows and supplies milk to Open Country Dairy.

Roger Dickie NZ general manager Will Dickie says Eastbourne Dairy Farm was brought to market when milk prices were very high, and good dairy farms were making up to 10% cash returns per annum. “However as anticipated, this milk price was unsustainable, and the wheels fell off in the past couple of seasons with the low pay out,” he says. “It has brought us around to a back-to-basics farming model.”

For an absentee owner farm in a low payout year, it was important to eliminate as many external costs as possible, move back to utilising every blade of grass on the farm, only using supplement as a buffer to cover any holes in the feed wedge, and ensuring the cows are always fully fed.

“We were lucky with our situation because our variable order sharemilker Ben Worker was proving to be a highly competent person on his first variable order sharemilking position, and working with consultant Jack Ballam, they were able to make the changes required to survive the low payout years, says Will. “Ben’s constant mantra is “fully feeding the cows” and this has worked well for Eastbourne.”

Eastbourne Dairy Farm has the ability to use in-shed feeding, but this hasn’t been embraced.

Instead the focus has been on a slightly longer round length of 30 days and carrying a buffer of grass forward.

When covers go above 3400, the grass is mown in front of the cows. The feed is wilted, and the cows eat a bit more. If the covers aren’t there to mow in front of the cows, the paddock is topped as required behind the cows. This ensures that the grass in the next round is top quality right to the base of the plant.

Colostrum cows are milked once a day for the first 10 to 20 days, helping to put on condition straight after calving, then back to twice a day milkings until late December, early January. Then the farm starts 16 hour milkings.

“The theory behind that is the cow hits its peak milk production eight weeks after calving, producing more than 30 litres per day,” Will says. “After that, production goes down about 6 per cent a month. The cow’s udder can still

Roger Dickie, left, with sharemilker Ben Worker on Eastbourne Dairy Farm. The 242ha farm at Thornbury comprises a 170ha milking platform and a 71ha run off block. The farm milks 520 cows and supplies milk to Open Country Dairy.

hold 20 litres, so we can milk them three times in two days. The cows are more relaxed and they don’t waste energy walking.”

Will says the intention with Eastbourne Dairy Farm from the start was to build from 410kgMS per cow to 480kgMS per cow by its sixth year, with operating costs staying at the $4.40 mark.

“We’ve got an excellent sharemilker with Ben Worker, who has managed to get us to 478kgs per cow in year two, which is awesome. His costs are well under $4 at $3.82 which we are very happy with for an absentee owner farm, as these costs include additional administration and consultancy costs that owner operators may not be faced with.”

The Dickies are really happy, “And since the farm was structured with no debt, it’s all money in the bank as we move back to a more sustainable milk price,” Will says.

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Royce Kokich

| 73

Birdlife, waterways passion for Royce Richard Loader Well fenced waterways, riparian plantings and the dulcet ‘whoop’ ‘whoop’ tones of the kereru (kukupa) as it flies gracefully overhead; simple pleasures that will complete Royce Kokich’s work on his Northland farm.

Royce and Lorraine, his wife of 45 years, have spent the last 40 on their 120ha effective dairy farm 18km west of Whangarei in the Kokopu district, caring for the animals and developing the land.

With a herd of 300 cows, Royce says that it’s a small farm by today’s standards but it’s a land that he and his wife know and love.

These days, at 68, he has two full time staff and his job is to help out with a bit of maintenance, some fencing work and driving the tractor from time to time. He says his main job is to look after the calves, which keeps him busy during the spring months.

Delving deeper into conversation with Royce, it is clear that his days are now spent fulfilling his passion of protecting the waterways and ensuring that sediment doesn’t escape from his farm and find its way to the Kaipara Harbour.

“Our big problem in Northland is sediment in the water and a large part of Northland drains into the Kaipara Harbour.”

The harbour is a major habitat for juvenile snapper, trevally, parore, spotties, piper, pipefish, and other species. It’s also home to shellfish like cockles and scallops.

There is a real risk that the continued build up of sediment will affect this vital habitat.

“We think that it has resulted from the clearance of vegetation. We don’t actually know whether it was building up before then but it probably started when the bush was cleared during colonisation,” says Royce.

With the waterways on Royce’s farm fenced some while ago, he has focused on several swamp areas, making sure they are fully fenced and that there is adequate grass areas between the waterway and fence.

“If you can leave a metre and half or so of grass between the fence and the creek or stream or drain or whatever it is, the grass will

Royce and Lorraine Kokich farm 18km west of Whangarei and one of Royce’s passion these days is to protect the waterways.

act as a filter for any run off so that there is less sediment going in,” explains Royce.

In addition to the fencing, Royce has been busy plantings thousandsTh of trees and flaxes around the wetland areas for the last ten years.

His specimens include flaxes, titoki,

cabbage trees, kowhai, manuka, karaka, puriri, kahikitea and a few kauri.

In time the bigger trees will also provide shade, shelter and act as a wind break.

“The puriri is really there to attract the wood pigeon/keraru,” says Royce.

“They are close by but haven’t made it to

my farm yet. I am told to keep at it and they will come eventually. We are getting lots of tui and smaller native birds.”

Protecting the waterways and attracting bird life to the wetland areas on his farm is very important to Royce. Lets hope that the Keraru decides to reward him for his efforts.

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“If you can leave a metre and half or so of grass between the fence and the creek or stream or drain or whatever it is, the grass will act as a filter for any run off so that there is less sediment going in.”

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74 |

FARM PEOPLE » Sanjay Singh

NZ Dairy

Singhs feel at home on the farm Richard Loader Sanjay Singh proudly carries the mantle of three previous generations of the Singh family who have farmed in Waikato since the 1930’s.

His great grandfather, Mangal Singh arrived in New Zealand as a 12 year old with his uncle in 1923 searching for a better life than what they had back in India.

With no opportunity for education in India and unable to speak English, Mangal’s story is one of pioneering spirit where over time and through sheer hard work he established a dairy farm in Otorohanga along with the Mount Cosy Jersey Stud.

The Singh’s story is also one of intergenerational support, helping each other achieve goals and to succeed. Sanjay is the next generation to be given the support of a close-knit family helping him to move into farm ownership.

While the original home farm has now been sold, Sanjay, his father Selwyn and uncle Paul formed a partnership to buy a 238ha (total) farm on the foothills of Mt Pirongia in 2015.

The partnership is a way of enabling Sanjay to move into ownership while providing him with family support until he’s in a financial position to increase his investment over time.

“It’s perhaps more of a succession plan,” says Paul.

“Ideally we would like to get Sanjay’s younger brother onto a farm as well eventually.

The goal is to keep our family dairy farming in Otorohanga.”

Sanjay’s role on the farm is operations manager while his father looks after the young stock on a 95ha run-off down the road and relief milks for Sanjay. Uncle Paul, a chartered accountant by trade, also helps out on the farm and provides accounting support.

Despite being on the side of a mountain, the contour of the land varies from easy rolling to medium with some steeper sidings. With good rainfall, and free draining ash soils the farm is considered summer safe.

Primarily a pasture-based system, the Singhs buy in about 200 tonne of maize and 250 tonne of palm kernel each year to fill the spring deficit following calving.

‘The grass really comes in late October/ November so growth in early spring when the calves are coming is not at its best,” says Sanjay.

The Singhs planted chickoree in their first season on the farm but have now made the decision to pull it out and put 45ha of hybrid ryegrass in.

“That will help with the deficit in that spring period after calving,” says Paul. “It’s a grass that grows really well in the spring and the colder weather. We know that because that’s what the previous owner of the farm was doing and he swore by it so we won’t reinvent

Sanjay Singh farms 238ha (total) on the foothills of Mt Pirongia in the Waikato.

the wheel.”

Sanjay says that his two main objectives for the next season or two are pasture management and production.

Milking 500 friesian and jersey cows off a platform of 185ha effective, 2015/2016 was Sanjay’s first full season of production, achieving 170,000kgMS. The objective is to increase that to 180 – 185,000kgMS while at the same time replace bought in supplementary feed with grass.

“We were very pleased with that being our first season,” says Sanjay.

“We’re confident we can push that up to 180 – 185,000kgMS but we’re also mindful that all of Waikato has had a very wet spring this season and that’s likely to impact on everyone’s annual production.”

The closeness of the Singh family is very apparent. It’s an intergenerational closeness that has ensured successive generations have worked together for a common purpose and that’s to stay very much part of the Otorahanga landscape.

“It’s where we belong,” says Sanjay.

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“Ideally we would like to get Sanjay’s younger brother onto a farm as well eventually. The goal is to keep our family dairy farming in Otorohanga.”

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Sofus & Jacqui Hahn

| 75

Keeping it simple the key for couple Russell Fredric Keeping things simple in the midst of a large dairy farming operation is a key for Te Kuiti couple Sofus and Jacqui Hahn.

With a dairy conversion presently in progress in Benneydale adding to the couple’s three existing farms, streamlining operations as much as possible is as important as ever.

The scale of the farm businesses means six staff are presently employed; this number will soon be boosted by another worker as Benneydale comes on stream.

The Hahn’s Te Kuiti farms comprise 160ha with a herd of 500 cows, and 240ha with a herd of 600; from a business perspective the dairy’s are run as one unit producing 370,000kgMS annually, but are milked through separate sheds.

Part of the herd on the second dairy, 180 cows, are once a day milking on a grazing block of 317 ha added five years ago; some of

these cows will move to Benneydale.

“We try to keep a low cost structure. We are not high input, but run an intensive selfcontained farm,” Jacqui Hahn says.

“We made an unusual loss of 1.4 cents per kilogram of milk solids last season, so a $6/ ms payout will mean a good profit.”

Benneydale, bought two years ago, is a 45 minute drive away; of its 490ha, 300ha is effective.

Jacqui, who is the Waikato Federated Farmers dairy chairwoman, explains why, with three properties already in their portfolio, they bought another farm. “We’re always kicking tyres and having a look, and we were the first ones on it and we bought it. We were just impressed with the land.”

One of the attractions was that Benneydale has easier contour than the other farms.

“At the moment we are thinking 200 hectares is going to be [for] cows, it’s only going to be stocked at two cows per hectare

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• To page 76

“We just like to keep it simple. If it’s simple we can fix it, it’s something we control. The distance we are away from services is what drives that a fair bit.”

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FARM PEOPLE » Sofus & Jacqui Hahn

76 |

NZ Dairy

The Hahn’s Te Kuiti farms comprise 160ha with a herd of 500 cows, and 240ha with a herd of 600.

RIGHT: Tom McCall, unit manager, and Liam Anselmi.

Keeping it simple key to success on the farm • From page 75

because of the shorter growing season and the other 100 hectares will stay as dairy beef. ”The property has large areas of unfenced bush, so fencing is a priority as part of the conversion which will include a third 44 a-side herringbone milking shed without any of the technology common-place today, in keeping with the Hahn’s other dairy farms.

“We just like to keep it simple. If it’s simple we can fix it, it’s something we control. The distance we are away from services is what drives that a fair bit.”

Another reason for keeping the milking sheds the same is to create a seamless transition for cows using any of the sheds from farm to farm.

Despite dairy being at the core of the businesses, the Hahn’s are increasingly looking to diversify with beef and a small

number of sheep in the steeper country.

Because of the number of staff employed, they are a key asset who contribute towards profitability; included in the muster is an operations manager who oversees the day-today running of the farms.

“We get a consultant in every six weeks because we want them all involved in understanding in what’s going on. We believe that different people have different abilities and we try [to help them] do the best they can do and we like people to have variety in their jobs.”

Ten years after Jacqui’s parents Beverley and Basil Lynch enabled them into their first farm, the 365ha home farm where the Lynch’s still live, the Hahn’s remain extremely grateful for the opportunity they were given to start on the dairy ladder.

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Southfreeze Dairy

| 77

Business booming despite downturn Russell Fredric Southfreeze Dairy has been extremely busy since starting last year despite the dairy industry downturn. Company owner Matt Cammock says that farmers have been investing not only in maintenance but also new plant to bring their farms into line with the new Ministry of Primary Industries milk chilling regulations.

“Dairy farm refrigeration systems are a vital part of the farm operation and need regular maintenance. We are also seeing lots of farmers upgrading to the latest snap chilling systems,” says Matt.

He says it is not necessary to spend big bucks to upgrade to meet regulations, which is where his expertise really comes to the fore working with farmers’ budgets and goals to find the ideal system to suit their farming needs.

“There is no one system that suits every farmer. We talk to the farmer about their budget and what they want to achieve, see what equipment they already have, then advise the best way forward,” explains Matt. “For example some farmers are willing to invest more upfront for long term gains, such as big savings on power bills. Others just want something basic that will get the job done.”

He says no matter what an examination of the farmers’ plate cooler is key to achieving the right results. It needs to be working efficiently no matter what system is being installed or upgraded.

Matt says the Varicool Snap Chillers made by Coolsense in Hamilton have been particularly popular with farmers’ nicknaming the system ‘chiller in a box’ because it does everything they need in one simple unit.

“Snap chilling is becoming more and more popular with the future cooling requirements closing in. There are several benefits to having cold milk before it even enters the vat, including a huge reduction in bacteria growth and milk being at temperature ready for collection at any time with minimal work being done in the vat,” explains Matt.

“In the Varicool system, the plate cooler is used to pre chill the milk using bore water typically down to around 15-18 degrees depending on area/situation. The milk then goes through a second plate cooler chilling process before heading to the vat. This second cooler has a one degree water/glycol mix pumped through it (food grade glycol acts as an anti freeze) therefore the milk is leaving this cooler and heading to the vat at 6 degrees.

The Varicool is also pumping the same water/ glycol mix through the refrigerated pads on your milk vat. Because milk is entering the vat so cold there is very little cooling to do in the vat. As a byproduct of chilling the milk, heat removed from the plate cooling process and vat chilling is recovered by this machine and returned to farm hot water cylinders as 70 deg water free of charge.”

Matt says customers have been experiencing cost savings of $700-$950 per month on their power bills as a result.

The system also offers off farm access to all monitored information including milk temperature and faults, which is another beneficial feature.

The unit is sized to shed capabilities rather than herd size, says Matt, and being made in New Zealand has good back up and support.

Matt grew up on a farm in North Canterbury

Southfreeze Dairy’s Matt Cammock is seeing lots of farmers upgrading to the latest snap chilling systems, such as the Varicool model.

so it made sense that when he completed his apprenticeship in refrigeration and air conditioning he decided to specialise in the rural sector. He has been servicing and installing on farm dairy units since 1997 before starting Southfreeze Dairy in 2016.

Other services offered by Southfreeze Dairy include ice bank systems, as well as insulating tanks and vat wraps – something Matt says can also result in significant power savings. The company also offers preventative maintenance checks and emergency breakdown service. Matt says the company takes pride in offering a quick response and a first time fix, recognizing the importance to farmers of having their plant up and running again as soon as possible.

The company completes retrofits/ upgrades of existing sheds or installs on new sheds. Based in West Melton, Southfreeze Dairy works as far north as Culverden and Parnassus and in the south to Hinds.

“Dairy farm refrigeration systems are a vital part of the farm operation and need regular maintenance. We are also seeing lots of farmers upgrading to the latest snap chilling systems.”

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Stephen & Karen Fullerton

| 79

Family affair: Connor Fullerton, who along with parents Stephen and Karen, and brother Ben, run a family business milking 900 cows across three farms in Ohaupo.

Key benefits from winter milking Karen Phelps Karen and Stephen Fullerton’s farming business has grown significantly since the pair purchased their first farm in 1997. They now milk a herd of 900 cows over a series of farms located side by side in Ohaupo.

Mill Ridge home farm milks 380 cows on 120ha through a 30-aside herringbone shed.

This is the only winter milking farm, which, according to Stephen, presents a number of

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key benefits for the operation.

“This means we can utilise the elite empty cows from the other units who are winter milked then become autumn calvers. We do more production and can benefit from the winter milk premium.

It also enables us to sell extra stock as we are doing two calvings so tend to keep more animals. Excess heifers go to the Chinese

“All New Zealanders, rural and urban should take responsibility for the environment in which they live.

The fact is that all New Zealand streams have never had 100% clear drinkable water, especially on peat land where the water will never run clear but appears brown in colour.”

• To page 80

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FARM PEOPLE » Stephen & Karen Fullerton

80 |

NZ Dairy

Running a winter milking farm ‘definitely more challenging’ • From page 79 market – usually between 50-100 each year. This gives extra cash flow,” explains Stephen.

It also presents a much needed challenge.

“I’ve farmed all my life so I needed something different and running a winter milk farm is definitely more challenging.

“When it’s wet and cold you don’t grow as much grass so you need to plan and implement inputs into the system. We feed palm kernel, maize, grass silage and whey over those months.”

He says it wouldn’t be practical to winter milk on the other farms – a 97ha unit milking 285 cows and a 72ha unit milking 235 cows – as it wouldn’t be worth keeping all the dairy sheds operational all year.

So these farms have remained on a seasonal milking system. It suits the family well as sons Ben, 24, and Connor, 21, can each take a significant role on two of the farms.

The family business also includes a 53ha dry stock farm, located two kilometres away, with 240 spring born calves, 70 autumn born calves and 80 rising two year old heifers. This season the family hopes to achieve 450,000 kilograms of milk solids and the aim is similar next season.

Health and safety, staffing and environmental compliance are on-going challenges and Stephen says he is a big supporter of clean water ways and thinks it is important to have realistic expectations.

“All New Zealanders, rural and urban should take responsibility for the environment in which they live. The fact is that all New Zealand streams have never had 100% clear drinkable water, especially on peat land where the water will never run clear but appears brown in colour,” he says.

Stephen met Karen, who originally hails from England, when Stephen was on his OE. They remained in touch after he returned to New Zealand to work on his family’s dairy farm and eventually married five years later when Karen decided to live in New Zealand.

Up until a few months ago there were three generations of the family working side by side on the farms until Stephen’s parents sold their farm.

“We all get on really well here, there is never a cross word,” says Stephen proudly.

The family is currently looking at farm succession plans with Ben and Connor starting to buy into the family business.

Stephen says the aim is to keep growing the business – moving forward not standing still is his motto.

The family also have off-farm business ventures: a fencing company called Fully Fenced, which is owned in an equity partnership with a long standing staff member,

Stephen Fullerton, with sons Connor and Ben, run a family business milking a herd of 900 cows over a series of farms in Ohaupo. One of the farms, Mill Ridge, is a winter milking farm, and this season the family hopes to reach 450,000kg of milk solids.

and Karen has a gift shop called Middletons in Ohaupo. The immediate priority is to establish better work-life balance.

“That’s always the hard part,” says Stephen with a smile.

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Pocock/Whitelock

| 81

Driven by the business of dairy Kelly Deeks A dairy farmer who loves the business side of farming, Brent Pocock is in his element as operations manager for the growing Braeside Dairies at Linton, Manawatu, owned by Braeden and Caroline Whitelock.

Brent started as a manager on one of two the 500 cow Braeside farms 18 years ago.

Now, the operations manager is looking after three farm managers, 2300 cows and 850ha.

The latest addition to the farm was an increase in cow numbers from 1800 to 2300, and a new manager and assistant manager with a 60ha block bought last June.

This has since been developed with drainage, water lines and refencing, and its existing herringbone cow shed milked 300 heifers for most of this season.

“I pulled that farm back to 167 cows to finish the season off, as we’d lost 40ha that couldn’t be milked off because of all the trucks and excavators going in,” Brent says.

Elsewhere on Braeside Dairies is an eightyear-old 80 bale rotary shed milking 1400 cows, and a 36 a side herringbone shed built in 1981 milking 600 cows.

The next plan in the pipeline, production and pay out dependent, is to amalgamate the two herringbone sheds with a new 80 bale rotary shed. Brent says this would give Braeside Dairies the infrastructure and efficiencies to better milk 2300 cows, increasing per cow production.

“Although this new shed depends upon a good season’s production and a good milk pay out, we will be hoping to start the new shed this season, and have it operational by March 2018.”

It was this potential that saw Brent return to Braeside Dairies last year, after having stepped aside briefly from his role to take up a contract milking position in the Waikato.

“I kept in contact with Braedon and Caroline, and helped out where I could with feed budgets and pregnancy tests,” he says.

“When the opportunity came up to come back and develop more farm and more infrastructure to a farm that could potentially

As operations manager for Braeside Dairies, Brent Pocock looks after three farm managers, 2300 cows and 850ha.

be milking 3000 cows with a couple of 80 bale rotaries, I jumped at the chance. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Brent loves farming animals but says his drive for it is the business element. His business skills are self-taught, as well as taking in every valuable insight he can from those around him.

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Driving the business structure of Braeside Dairies is the total cost of production, which for the team means breeding an elite group of animals, early calving, increasing lactation time and milk in the vat, and making good decisions around the property.

Every heifer calf born from the predominantly friesian heard is DNA tested to

100% identify and record its ancestry.

“This year we’ve got 700 heifers coming in fully recorded,” Brent says.

“We try to identify where we are trying to grow the business, and by having high BW and PW stock we get a margin on selling surplus stock. We try to keep things in house and do the best we can.”

82 |

INDUSTRY NEWS » Dairy leadership awards

NZ Dairy

Community leadership celebrated Community leadership, a willingness to share knowledge and a passion for rural life are all qualities shared by this year’s Dairy Community Leadership Award finalists.

The Dairy Community Leadership Award is a Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) initiative which recognises the unsung heroes of rural communities. This year’s award will be presented at an awards ceremony during the DWN conference in Queenstown, May 11-12.

This year’s finalists are dairy farmers Cathy Prendergast, Katrina Thomas and Alison Ferris.

Prendergast lives in the Arohena district in Waikato, south east of Te Awamutu. As well as being a registered nurse, she is involved in most of Arohena’s community initiatives and groups including playcentre, school, church, and has been a member of the Arohena Rural Women Committee for 30 years. She has just completed her first year of a MBA at the University of Waikato.

Thomas worked in the tourism industry for more than 20 years before returning to her farming roots in Southland. In 2012, she became DWN’s regional convenor for Invercargill and in 2016 took on a new role as the Southern Regional Hub leader. She’s involved with several community groups including Takitimu School PTA, Western Southland Tennis, Takitimu District Board Pool, is editor of the Takitumu Community newsletter and much more.

Originally from the UK, Ferris lives on a 500 cow dairy farm outside Te Kuiti, and she and her family also own farms in Waikato and Southland. She is active on several school and community boards and groups and represents DWN’s regional convenors on its board of trustees.

“I have often said that our dairy communities are supported by people just like Cathy, Katrina and Alison,” says DWN chief executive Zelda de Villiers.

“In any rural community you have those special people who keep the wheels of groups and initiatives turning, while continuing to milk the cows and raise families. While it may seem effortless from the outside, we know there’s a huge amount of work and dedication there and too often it goes unrecognised.”

The Dairy Community Leadership Award is sponsored by ASB and Tompkins Wake and includes a scholarship prize to attend a leadership programme. The selection panel comprises DWN’s CEO, ASB and Tompkins Wake representatives and a DWN regional convenor.

The award recognises the voluntary role dairy farming women have in leading their communities and sharing their time and skills beyond the farm gate.

Prendergast says the passion she has for her community, and agriculture in general, makes community involvement fun.

“It’s not a job for me at all. I genuinely enjoy giving back to my community. I feel like I’ve gotten so much out of living here – I’ve spent most of my life here and I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else,” she says.

Thomas says she gets a lot of satisfaction from seeing newcomers to the rural community “establish themselves” and find enjoyment in a farming lifestyle.

“I wear many hats in my community and as a result I’m constantly meeting new people who have arrived to live in our part of New Zealand. It’s great being able to work with them and help them settle in and see for themselves how great our community is.”

Ferris’ journey to community leadership

Finalists in the Dairy Community Leadership Awards are top, Alison Ferris, bottom left, Cathy Prendergast, right, Katrina Thomas.

began at a DWN conference in 2014. “A friend asked me if I wanted to head along, so I went and ended up leaving feeling really inspired,” she says.

“I’ve found the opportunities that have been made available to me as a DWN member have given me fantastic experience and an even bigger love of farming and all things rural.”

Previous Dairy Community Leadership Award winners are: Lisa Hicks from Manawatu (2016), Rachael Nicholson and Jo Sanford from Southland (2015) and Chris Paterson from Rotorua (2014).

About the finalists Cathy Prendergast has been farming in partnership with her husband Nick for 32 years. Together they milk 550 cows in Arohena, south east of Te Awamutu. She has been involved with the community ever since moving to Arohena more than 30 years ago.

She has been president and patroness of Arohena Playcentre, chair of Arohena School’s board of trustees, president of Arohena Rural

Women for two years and a member for 30 years. She currently coordinates the Arohena/ Ngaroma St John Community First Response group and just completed her first year of a MBA at the University of Waikato.

Katrina Thomas was born and raised on a sheep farm in Tuatapere, Southland and returned back to Southland after spending 21 years in the tourism industry overseas and in New Zealand. She and her husband James converted their Wreys Bush sheep farm to dairy in 2011 and are currently milking 840 cows, with Katrina project managing the conversion while being Branch President of Central Southland Plunket. She became DWN’s Invercargill regional convenor in 2012 and later helped set up a DWN regional hub for Otago and Southland regions. She is the president of Takitimu Primary School’s PTA, the Western Tennis Association, a committee member of the Takitimu District Pool, the Takitimu District Pet Day and each month produces the Takitimu Community Newsletter.

She is currently working with Southland Hospice and Winton FarmSource Store to establish a calf rearing scheme for this season.

Alison Ferris was teaching in Cambridge, UK when she met her husband Nick. She followed him back to New Zealand to live on their 500 cow dairy farm outside Te Kuiti.

Since then they have had three daughters and built up their farming business alongside family to own farms in Waikato and Southland.

She continues to teach one day a week at the primary school while looking after HR and health and safety across their farms.

She is on the Rangitoto School board of trustees and is chair of the Rangitoto Hall’s board. She was previously chair of the Te Kuiti Plunket committee and currently sits on the parent support committee for her youngest children’s’ daycare. Alison is a regional convenor for DWN and represents other convenors on DWN’s national board of trustees.

NZ Dairy

DAIRY INDUSTRY » 2017 Dairy awards

| 83

Finalists the ‘cream of the crop’ The 33 finalists in the 2017 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards won’t be taking a break over Easter – they will be too busy preparing for the final round of judging which gets underway on April 22.

The finalists represent 11 regions and will compete for prizes worth more than $190,000 and the honour of winning either the 2017 New Zealand Share Farmer of the Year, 2017 New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year or the 2017 New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the year title.

General manager Chris Keeping says the 33 finalists are the cream of the crop from the 424 entries received, and it was a hard-fought battle.

“The feedback was that the calibre of entrants in all regions was outstanding, making the judges’ job very difficult. It is very clear that the New Zealand dairy industry is in good health with passionate farmers, managers and trainees with positive attitudes leading the way.”

“It was fantastic to attend all 11 regional finals and feel the excitement of the wins and see the journey each finalist has taken, both professionally and personally. There is a real mix of age, farming experience and career backgrounds but all have the confidence to handle the next level of judging as they head towards the national finals.”

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, DeLaval, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda Motorcycles, LIC, Meridian Energy, New Zealand Farm Source and Ravensdown, along with industry partner Primary ITO. The 11 finalists in the New Zealand Share Farmer of the Year competition consist of 10 sharemilkers and one contract milker.

They oversee herds ranging from 225 cows to 800 cows and have varied career backgrounds including a past accountant, an adventure tourism guide and a qualified mechanic.

The New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year finalists include three females amongst the 11 finalists who are aged between 23 and 38 years and work on farms with herds ranging from 325 cows to 1340 cows.

There is a sole female amongst the 11 New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year finalists. Five finalists are employed as farm assistants, three as herd managers, two as second-Incharge and one assistant manager.

The winner will be announced at a black tie awards dinner at SkyCity in Auckland on Saturday, May 6.

Tickets to the dinner can be purchased online at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.

2017

New Zealand Share Farmer of the Year finalists:

Northland: Niall & Delwyn McKenzie, 38 & 36, 50% sharemilkers 230 cows, Kaiwaka Auckland-Hauraki: Fraser & Amber Carpenter, 32 & 33, 50% sharemilkers 180 cows, Papakura Waikato: Phillip van Heuven, 30, 50% sharemilker 230 cows, Tirau Bay of Plenty: Cameron & Margaret Bierre, both 30, 24% sharemilkers 800 cows, Whakatane Central Plateau: Carlos & Bernice Delos Santos, both 30, 50% sharemilkers 300 cows, Ngakuru Taranaki: Dion & Jo Bishell, 42 & 36, 50%

sharemilkers 470 cows, Hawera Manawatu: Jarrod & Nikki Greenwood, 33 & 30, sharemilkers 320 cows, Palmerston North Hawkes Bay-Wairarapa: Rob & Shiralee Seerden, 45 & 44 years, contract milk 225 cows, Norsewood West Coast-Top of the South Jon & Vicki Nicholls, 39 & 37, sharemilkers 470 cows, Murchison Canterbury-North Otago: Christopher & Siobhan O’Malley, both 34, sharemilking 515 cows, Ashburton Southland-Otago: Russell & Tracy Bouma, 40 & 37, sharemilking 762 cows, Clydevale

2017 New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year finalists:

Northland: Greg Imeson, 34, farm manager 510 cows, Hukerenui Auckland-Hauraki: Rachael Foy, 24, assistant manager 500 cows, Te Kauwhata

Waikato: Euan McLeod, 35, farm manager 380 cows, Taupiri Bay of Plenty: Hayden & Linda McCartie, 35 & 38, farm managers 710 cows, Whakatane Central Plateau: Anthony Kiff, farm manager 1180 cows, Reporoa Taranaki: Shaun Neal, 23, farm manager 325 cows, Auroa Manawatu: Hayley Hoogendyk, 28, farm manager 600 cows, Rongotea Hawkes Bay-Wairarapa: Kenny Henderson, 37, farm manager 330 cows, Woodville West Coast-Top of the South: Jack Raharuhi, 24, farm manager 1150 cows, Westport Canterbury-North Otago: Kerry Higgins, 32, farm manager 1340 cows, Hororata Southland-Otago: Ann Linton, 25, assistant manager 800 cows, Gore

2017 New Zealand Dairy Trainee

of the Year finalists:

Northland: Blake Anderson, 19, farm assistant, 420 cows, Kaiwaka Auckland-Hauraki: Alexander Voysey, 23, dairy production manager, 600 cows, Ngatea Waikato: Kobus Liebenberg, 23, herd manager 420 cows, Ohaupo Bay of Plenty: Hayden Goodall, 24, herd manager 750 cows, Matata Central Plateau: Taylor Macdonald, 20, 2IC, 470 cows, Reporoa Taranaki: Tim Bonner, 23, assistant manager, 800 cows, Kapuni Manawatu: Stephanie Walker, 22, farm assistant, 840 cows, Foxton Hawkes Bay-Wairarapa: Brandyn Beale, 21, herd manager, 350 cows, Dannevirke West Coast-Top of the South: Clay Paton, 23, 2IC, 450 cows, Wakefield Canterbury-North Otago Ben Haley, 24, farm assistant 1100 cows, Ashburton Southland-Otago: Ben McLean, 22, farm assistant 980 cows, Lumsden

84 |

FARM PEOPLE » Waka Dairies

NZ Dairy

Part of the Waka Dairies team, from left, Michael Phillips, operations manager, “Bubbles”, farm manager, and Michael Mallard, engineer.

Family culture to the forefront Richard Loader A clear understanding of the family farm’s ‘reason for existence’, supported by strong governance, operational plans and thoughtful succession, provides the framework for Waka Dairies sustainability as a family business.

Located in the lush pastoral farmlands

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of Dannevirke, Southern Hawke’s Bay, the original 58ha has been in the family for 112years with Russell and Karen growing this to 244ha milking area plus 150ha support land.

Fourth generation family member, Michael Phillips, is the farm’s 30-year-old business

“We are trying to develop more of a family culture and better understand the needs and personal goals of our staff. We have good people here and we want to retain them through training and team development.”

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NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Waka Dairies

| 85

Family culture to forefront at Waka Dairies • From page 89 minded operations manager with a strong focus on governance along with family and staff culture.

With two elder siblings and one younger, Michael is the only one on the farm full time, though the others maintain an active interest with varying degrees of involvement.

Michael’s parents, Russell and Karen Phillips, are still immersed in the farm operation, which remains a passion for them.

“Dad researches capital plant and machinery, and manages farm development projects,” says Michael.

“He’s also our farm consultant and helps with planning. “Mum does all the finances, wages and looks after the young-stock.”

Peak milking 830 cows through a high-tech 54-bale rotary shed, and aiming to produce 400,000kgMS this year, the farm employs 7 staff, inclusive of Michael.

“We have a big staff including a farm manager, herd manager, engineer and three farm assistants.” says Michael. “We do a lot in-house including all our engineering and cropping.”

Originally a partnership, the farm was transformed into a company structure about 10 years ago primarily to enable succession planning.

Three years ago and we decided to form a board for governance and develop a succession plan, so that we could actually achieve all the things that we wanted to do,” says Michael.

“We put some structure to the board and decided on roles and responsibilities including my elder brother Jason as the Chair and dad as CEO of the business.”

While Michael and his parents make up the remainder of the board, the other two siblings have ready access to all monthly board reports so that there’s total transparency.

“For us, succession planning is a spreading of responsibilities so the decision making is vested with the board rather than wholly on mum and dad,” he says.

“It’s also about understanding the pressure

The team at Waka Dairies settle down for some well-deserved tucker after a hard day.

points of the farm. It’s not an instant transfer of control but happens over time by learning and managing together.”

As well as sharing the responsibility for decision-making, the governance and succession plan enables a growth in capability in respect to the farm and people management.

That equates to sustainability of the family

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Michael says that the board operation is a work in progress with advice sought from a number of sources in respect to governance and succession planning and to assist with some of the more challenging aspects.

“We clearly defined why the farm was there and what its purpose is. That had to come from mum and dad,” says Michael.

“Effectively they want to see the family farm carried on for the benefit of the family.

That became the purpose statement and was so important because everything that happens on the farm now must support that purpose.”

The active parts of the purpose statement were identified as ‘Carries on’. ‘Family’ and ‘Benefits’.

Identifying those components then allowed for definitions to be established along with what they meant in practical terms.

Michael says that the ‘Benefits’ section is the largest section, making a clear distinction from dividends.

“What we don’t want to be doing is returning a dividend to the shareholders,“ he says.

“The benefits are more to do with providing access to farm resources, guaranteeing loans for family members; enabling individual family members to achieve personal goals without compromising the farm as a business.”

An integral part of the farming operation is the staff who make it all work. Staff culture is a key focus for Michael.

“We are trying to develop more of a family culture and better understand the needs and personal goals of our staff,” says Michael.

“We have good people here and we want to retain them through training and team development.”

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86 |

DAIRY PEOPLE » Craig & Megan McGregor

NZ Dairy

Southland sharemilkers Craig and Megan McGregor have introduced ‘three-in-two’ milking into their farm operation. The couple peak-milk 490 cows through this 42-a-side herringbone shed at Riverton.

Animal health behind milking regime Richard Loader Driven by animal welfare and ‘thinking smarter not harder’, Southland 50:50 sharemilkers Craig and Megan McGregor have introduced three-in-two milking on their Riverton farm.

Craig says practices need to change to make farming more profitable, sustainable, enjoyable and kinder on the animals.

He says traditional systems, such as twicea-day milking as the only option, are being challenged as more farmers include once-aday and three-in-two in their milking regimes, or make a total conversion.

“The biggest thing that we’re trying to achieve is animal health. You know, if we look after the animals, they will look after us. But it also makes farmers’ lives easier with more time to use in other areas of the farm.”

The three-in-two system sees the herd milked three times over a 48-hour period rather than the traditional four times.

Now in their third season on the 169-hectare (effective) farm, Craig and Megan peak-milk 490 cows through a 42-a-side herringbone shed. Each milking takes two people three hours.

Milking times are now 5am and 5pm, then 11am the next day.

The cycle starts again with a 5am milking the following day, and so on.

The system is driven by seasonal production times using a combination of oncea-day, twice-a-day and three-in-two.

During calving from August 10- 25, it’s once a day, which allows more time to spend

with the cows and gives the cows more time to reach peak production.

“It also helps reduce the hours and fatigue on people,” says Craig. “Fatigue is probably the biggest thing for farmers at this time of year.”

The farm goes twice-a-day from August 25 right through to mid-January when the cows are at peak production.

From mid January to end of April, it’s threein-two, then once-a-day from May 1-30 when the cows are dried off and wintered.

Craig says the key benefits of three-intwo are more rest time in the paddocks for the cows, less walking involved, reduced lameness, and greater retention of condition.

“There are 52 fewer milkings, equating to around 156 kilometres the cows aren’t walking. It also impacts on shed costs with direct savings on power, water and human resource. Milking three-in-two also allows everyone involved to have breakfast and dinner with their families once every two days.”

However, he stresses that you do have to feed your cows exactly the same as though they were being milked twice a day.

Into his second season of three-in-two, he hasn’t noticed any significant adverse effects.

While production dipped a little bit, he’s able to milk longer, and overall production has increased from last season.

He is also very pleased with the somatic cell count, which sits around 110.

“I think our system has made us more profitable. The production costs are less, the cows are healthier, and we are not slogging the hell out of them.”

There are 52 fewer milkings, equating to 156km the cows aren’t walking, and direct savings on power, water and human resource. Milking three-in-two also allows everyone involved to have breakfast and dinner with their families once every two days.”

NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Wayne & Leeanne Taylor

| 87

Top cows trace to single matriach Richard Loader “Old cows don’t get to be old unless they are good cows,” says Wayne Taylor who, along with his wife Leanne, breed pedigree holsteinfriesian cows in North Taranaki.

With a long bloodline going back to one single matriarch, Wayne says he has no qualms about milking aged cows because each year you get them back in calf there is the potential to breed the next generation.

“As long at they’re earning their keep and doing better than the herd average they’re worth pursuing with even when they do get old,” he says.

The Taylor’s passion for the ‘black and whites’ started when they took on a job as farm assistants milking cows in the early 1980s and the farm owner allowed them to bring one of their own heifers to the herd each year.

Following several years contract milking, the couple went 50/50 sharemilking, which is when the herd really stepped up.

In their eleventh season sharemilking on Ian and Janet Finers Tikorangi farm, the Taylors own the respected Muritai Stud, which they established in 1985.

Wayne and Leanne now have the distinction of winning the prestigious Valden Cow of the Year four times since its inauguration in 2012.

“The first year that we won was certainly pretty amazing but to pick it up again the following year and 2 years subsequent to that and have the cows recognized in that way has been a privilege,” says Wayne.

Awarded to a cow that has completed at least four lactations and contributed to or is deemed to have the potential to contribute to the holstein-friesian breed the winner is automatically calculated from NZAEL national database information.

Criteria includes; production worth, protein breeding, number of lactations, star brood status, recognition of superior production, daughter performance in production indexes, daughter proven sons in AB, classification, and North Island, South Island, Royal Show and NZ Dairy Event Show Championships.

“All the cows that we have won the Valden Trophy with come back to one matriarch that we purchased as an in-calf heifer called Kiri Vale Winsome,” says Wayne. “We later bred from her and that established the legacy for us.”

Wayne says that there are several factors that have made the bloodline special; they have all made aged cows with many being milked at 14 – 15 years, good conformation and they breed well.

“I’m not sure I can lay claim to anything myself really special other than we have made some fortunate choices in regard to the bulls that we have sired them with to generate the progeny,” says Wayne.

The Valden Trophy was last presented to the Taylors in 2016 for 12-year-old Muritai Pierre Wanetta-ET VG87 SP. Her best season was 2012/2013 when she produced 8915 litres of milk, 337kg of protein, 416kg of fat in 274 days.

In her nine lactations, she produced 5955kgMS and 68,212 litres of milk.

“She has left a legacy of sons and daughters, granddaughters, grandsons and obviously the next generation will come through from in-calf heifers resulting in progeny with great-great granddaughters,” says Wayne.

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Tikorangi sharemilkers and holstein-friesian pedigree breeders Wayne and Leeanne Taylor have won the Valden Cow of the Year award four times since it was established five years ago. Their 2016 winner, 12 year-old Muritai Pierre Wanetta-ET VG87 SP, has produced 5955kgMS and 68,212 of milk in nine lactations.

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88 |

FARM PEOPLE » Waianiwa Holstein Stud

NZ Dairy

Protein and volume breeder’s goal Richard Loader A passion for the land, the ‘black and whites’ and high quality/ low cost production are key drivers for Southland farmer and holsteinfriesian breeder Johney Adamason.

Johney’s parents purchased the farm in the tiny settlement of Waianawa, near Wallacetown, in 1957.

They established Ros Mhor Stud, named after Johney’s dad’s Scottish home, at the same time and began registering cows from 1959.

Born in 1958, Johney has been on the farm ever since. It’s his farm now - sole operator of both farm and stud.

It’s in his blood and DNA; the ‘Southern Man/Southern Land’ recipe for getting things done.

At 92, his father still likes involvement on the farm though, and has a daily routine of setting up the shed and bringing the cows in for the afternoon milking.

Johney says that it gives his dad something to do and keeps him fit and healthy.

The predominantly holstein-friesian herd are milked through a 14-aside herringbone that Johney built himself, replacing the old walkthrough.

“We’re from the old school,” he says.

“Basically, we do everything ourselves. That’s the way we’ve been brought up.”

Milking 140 cows off a 97ha platform, the farm put 603kgMS per cow through the factory last year and, even now in late February, on average 2.2kgMS per cow per day is being achieved.

Supplying Open Country Dairy for the last seven years, the farm achieved the highest Open Country payout in New Zealand for the first five years.

“Protein to fat ratio (P:F) through the factory last year was .95 to 1, which is very high,” says Johney. “At the moment we actually have a P:F of 1.07 and our cost of production is running at 38%, which is very low. We’re pasture based and the farm is run as a self-contained unit with no stock sent

Southland farmer Johney Adamason has supplied dairy company Open Country Dairy for the past seven years.

away for grazing.”

The low stocking rate of 2.5 cows to the hectare allows Johney to cut silage and balage from his own land.

There’s approximately 30 in-calf heifers due for spring calving and a further 60 heifer calves that were born in the springtime last year, of which 30 will be retained.

Johney says that the first cow he bought was named Ashgrove Echo Royal. He paid

$400 for it in 1973 when he was 15 and still in High School.

“She was in the herd till she was 16 and I still have most of her family in the herd to this day—some of them are doing very well.

That’s about 17 generations on. One bull made it into CRV. They have to be in the top to stay in there.”

Achieving a high P:F ratio is high on Johney’s propriety and one of the first traits

6x4 Malcolm McLean - Invercargill

“At the moment we actually have a P:F of 1.07 and our cost of production is running at 38%, which is very low. We’re pasture based and the farm is run as a selfcontained unit with no stock sent away for grazing.”

LOCAL. PROVEN. TRUSTED.

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he looks for in a bull catalogue is it’s protein breeding value.

“Down the track you have other traits,” he says. “What ever weakness that we may have in the herd we try to pick a bull that is likely to bring out as many good traits as we want.”

A high volume of protein rich milk solids is Johney’s objective, without buying production.

“At the end of the day I want to be making money.”

6x4 Hughes Contracting 2002 Ltd

HUGHES

CONTRACTING 2002 LTD

Waikiwi Vet Services Ltd 299 North Road, Invercargill Phone - 03 215 9237 vsi@vetservices.co.nz www.vetservices.co.nz

• • • • • •

Silage Contractor Round Baling Cultivation Direct Drilling Effluent Spreading Diggers

Brian: 0274 332 535 Chris: 0272 939 800 Waimatua No. 11RD, Invercargill 9877 Ph/Fax: 216 3082 Email: office@hughescontracting.co.nz

NZ Dairy

FARM PEOPLE » Wendy & David Harker

| 89

Nurturing next generation of farmers Richard Loader

“Farming and cows are more than just an occupation,” says Wendy Harker, Holstein Friesian NZ’s enthusiastic President.

She says that it’s about a love of animals, the land and a sense of community spirit that influences people’s lives and attitude towards life.

None more so than the youth whose lives become so entwined and bonded with those of the calves and cows that they show at Calf Club and A&P shows.

Wendy says that the youth are the lifeblood of rural New Zealand who with the right support and opportunities are the optimistic future of farming.

That Wendy is passionate about Holstein Friesians, her own Westell Stud and the future of farming is a given. But she is also deeply passionate about creating opportunities for young people to grow and learn by showing her pedigree calves.

Wendy wanted this story to be about Brad Seager aged 13 and Jay Seebeck aged 12, who have developed responsibility and life skills through their connection with calves.

“I have had the joy of working with these two young boys for four or five years now,” says Wendy. “I’ve watched them grow and learn about farming, develop wonderful stockmanship skills and be passionate about dairy cows.”

Every spring Brad and Jay each choose a 4-week old calf from Wendy and, supportive husband, David’s farm in Te Awamutu, which are then reared on a paddock a few kilometres away in Pironga. The calves become the boys’ responsibility for the next few months, mixing up the milk powder, feeding them twice a day and giving them meal and hay.

The next time Wendy will see the calves is when the boys take them to Calf Club.

“The first big pedigree competition is at the Waikato A&P show in October and we give the calves a haircut,” says Wendy. “We clip them all over and get them ready to show, competing in ‘Type’ and ‘Young Handler’ competitions.”

After the Waikato show they all travel down to the Fielding show and another two or three shows in the New Year. By then the calves have come back home to Westell Stud and running with the mob so they need to be pulled out for preening and clipping in preparation for each event.

“The boys have learned to clip the animals themselves, wash them up and are very good at getting everything packed up ready to go,” says Wendy.

Show day is a long day for both calf and boy. Up at 4.30am for cleaning and more

Holstein Friesian NZ President Wendy Harker helps create opportunities for young people to learn about farming and stockmanship by showing pedigree calves from her Westell Stud.

preening, the event itself and then further care and attention throughout the day, with often more than just one day involved.

The boys are on duty the whole day; it’s not just about the pretty stuff leading them around the ring.

“The last show was full of Brad’s Calf Club calves. His calf was there, yearling, rising 2 year old and three year old were all shown.

The calf off one of his calves was also shown.

So they have a long connection with these animals.”

Wendy says that the boys develop quite a

6x4 Stewart Rose Builder

bond with the animals and come back to the farm during the holidays to see how they are getting on.

“These are special kids and you can tell they have a potential future in farming. I can let them lead big 500kg cows around without being concerned because I know they will look after them and follow rules – and that’s really what I want them to get out of it.”

Wendy says whether or not the boys go farming, they have learned life skills, respectfulness and responsibility that are all transferable.

“The boys have learned to clip the animals themselves, wash them up and are very good at getting everything packed up ready to go,”

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For all your contracting requirements

Stewart Rose Builders Ltd is proud to be involved with Wendy and David Harker’s building needs

For new homes and cottages, renovations and implement sheds Call Stewart on 027 271 6161 or Email to srbuilders@xtra.co.nz

Phone 07 872 0000 www.johnaustinltd.co.nz

90 |

FARM PEOPLE » Whakatohea

NZ Dairy

Trust farm provides training for Iwi Sue Russell Josh Collier is in his fourth season managing Whakatohea Maori Trust Board’s dairy unit on the Waioweka Flats near Opotiki.

The farm has an effective milking platform of 235 hectares, though currently 210 hectares is used for grazing cows while a further 38 hectares acts as a support block, growing 16ha of maize and 22ha of Lucerne.

Helping Josh is Nick Drummond who has seen 2 calvings through.

When NZ Dairy interviewed Josh another full-time worker was about to start. A couple of casual farm assistants are brought on to help over the busy times.

“We peak milked 735 cows this year. We dropped back by 200 cows from last season because we’re keen to move more toward a grass-based feeding system rather than a reliance on bought in supplement feeds.

It’s a case of finding the balance between achieving good kgMS/cow and kgMS/ha while keeping the cost of production down. Long term we have to work on our genetics and aim at getting a good cow producing milk from grass,” Josh says.

The engine-room of milk production is a 60 bail Milfos rotary which is seeing its fourth season in use.

The plant comes complete with protrak, automatic cup removers and CellSense in every fourth bail which in theory means every cow should have a SCC reading every 10 days enabling a risk report to be activated for each cow. The shed is set up in such a way that it is manageable for one person to undertake the milking with another one bringing in the herd.

Josh works to a eleven days on three days off roster during which each staff member has at least one 8am start.

Josh says one of the aspects of his role that he most enjoys is working with a very supportive trust and for the Iwi. “It’s a different farming structure from a privately owned farm or a corporate. This operation is for our Iwi to benefit from and the training opportunities that come for our young people working on the land are really important.”

He liaises with the Whakatohea Maori Trust every 10 days, reporting on pasture growth and production KPI’s. Every two months the Boards farm committee meets. Part of the purpose of the farm is to support future generations to acquire land-based skills and provide opportunities for them to earn a living working on ancestral land.

The Board runs an alternative education pathway for some of its youth. Last year two arrived for work experience. In conjuction with the local college they were enrolled iin a gateway programme which saw them gain NCEA credits.

The engine room of Whakatohea Maori Trust Board’s dairy unit near Opotiki is this 60 bale Milfos rotary shed. The farm peak milked 735 cows this year. .

“At the end of the school year they had earned themselves a summer job with us due to their hard work and willingness to learn while on work experience,” Josh explains.

Long term the Trust hopes to offer an actual agricultural course for its people to learn the necessary skills to be a successful farmer.

“We’re looking at different models at the moment with the aim of moving more of our young people to employment. Underpinning this we have got to be producing a quality product. It’s all work in progress.”

Josh recalls how lucky he was to cut his teeth in agriculture in the South Island. He knows the challenges that come with farming these days require not only technical farming skills but a good understanding of how an agricultural business operates.

“Farming is in my blood and I like its challenges. If I make a bad call one day I like to figure out what went wrong and learn to not repeat it.”

In early February, milking was reduced to once a day as grass growth had dropped below 20kgDM/day. “We have extended our round length and started feeding maize and grass silage to try and keep our residuals above 1500KGDM/HA.”

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www.rmt.co.nz

E. dispatch@rmt.co.nz P. 07 315 6454 (Opotiki Depot )

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0274 749 813 • 07 315 4613 • admin@wbeltd.co.nz

NZ Dairy

FARM SERVICES » Tenua Engineers

| 91

Dairying bread and butter for Tenua Sue Russell A passion for rural engineering and taking pride in their work are hallmarks of Foxton’s Tenua Engineers.

With an impressive and growing body of both rural and commercial work the company has a lot to be proud of.

Managing Director Kim Kuiti is probably prouder than anyone of his company’s achievements as well as the workmanship of his team of engineers and his own accomplishments.

Leaving school at 15 and spending time on a dairy farm before starting work with the forerunner of Tenua Engineers, he’s risen from tea-boy to qualified tradesman to proud owner of the business.

Working for the firm for 40 years, Kim got to know most of the customers and when the opportunity arose to buy the business he felt it was the right decision to make.

While the business was originally known predominantly as a rural engineer it’s now getting involved in a wide variety of work with a large geographical reach.

“We do work within Taranaki, Manawatu, Horowhenua, Wairarapa and Wellington areas,” he says.

“We recently did the steel work for a threestory building in Levin that’s going to be a café on the lower level with the owners living in the upper two. We’ve also built the Te Takere library in Levin and the Foxton Health and Medical Centre.”

However, the dairy industry still provides the bread and butter work for Kim and the team at Tenua.

They will do anything from 80-bale rotary sheds, herringbone sheds, herd homes and feedpads to gates and pipe work and general maintenance work.

Being the original cow shed builders in their service areas, Tenua has a vast amount of experience, enabling them to help customers identify their individual needs.

Kim says that he will often sit down with farmers and talk about what they want, then draw it up to help them visualise how it’s going to look.

“I used to be quite shy around people but I can talk to farmers until the cows come home - I seem to speak their own lingo.”

He says the big thing with the shed is to ensure that there is good flow so that the cows are all going in the same direction.

He often hears the comment – ‘but it’s just a cow shed’.

“But it’s not just a cow shed. It’s going to cost the farmer anything from $300,000 to well over a million dollars and it deserves just as much attention to detail as a million dollar house does.”

All steel, pipe and structural work is

A passion for rural engineering and taking pride in their work is at the forefront for Foxton’s Tenua Engineers. completed at their Foxton workshop with the assistance of a 1.5 tonne gantry and crane truck. Painting is done out the back and then transported on-site where the crew construct the framework.

Tenua Engineers will soon be going to a new level with the purchase of the building that they are currently operating out of.

“This will provide more workshop space, an office at the front of the building, road frontage and better signage.”

6x4 Caldow Builders

“It’s not just a cow shed. It’s going to cost the farmer anything from $300,000 to well over a million dollars and it deserves just as much attention to detail as a million dollar house does.”

6x4 Tenua Engineers

Phone 06 363 5135 Email: office@tenua.co.nz

www.tenua.co.nz

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Trade Page

92 |

NZ Dairy

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NZ Dairy

Trade Page

| 93

WAIKATO TRADE SERVICES & EQUIPMENT DIRECTORY AGRICULTURE

AUTOMOTIVE

Farmers−Now is the time to get your effluent spread

For all your lime and fertiliser needs Obligation Free Quotes Mob 027 487 8981 *Steve 07 827 3164 OR Mob 027 220 2010 *Grant 07 827 4857

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**See notes in Hemi, client wants to make sure this advert under heading “Farm Machinery Maintenance”

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94 |

NZ Dairy

TARANAKI TRADE SERVICES & EQUIPMENT DIRECTORY AUTOMOTIVE

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NZ Dairy

Trade Page

| 95

NORTHLAND, TARANAKI, WAIKATO & BOP TRADE SERVICES & EQUIPMENT DIRECTORY AGRICULTURE

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FEATURE INDEX » Aaron & Jo Passey ................................................... P3

Hayden & Narelle Hilhorst ...................................... P28

Niels Modde ........................................................... P64

Ag-Worx ................................................................... P5

Geoff Wilson/Geoff Irwin ......................................... P29

Rob & Shiralee Seerden ........................................ p65

Andre & Annelies de Leeuw ...................................... P6

Buchanan Family ................................................... P30

Paul Franklin ...................................................... P66-67

Andrew Hodgson ...................................................... P7

Logan Hewlett ......................................................... P31

Paul Vanner ............................................................ P68

Andrew & Karen Singer/Andrew & Gaylene McLean P8

Greg & Amy Gemmell ......................................... P32-33

Jared & Sue Watson ............................................... P69

Andrew & Sheree McKenzie ..................................... P9

Carlton & Michelle Smyth ....................................... p35

Overdevest & Akehurst ........................................... P70

Austrex NZ ............................................................. P10

Hamish & Sheree Germann ................................... P36

Lyndsay & Alison Trounce ...................................... P71

Barry & Mary Montgomery .................................... P11

Dylan & Emily Hilhorst ............................................ P37

Roger Dickie NZ ..................................................... P72

Bay Milking Equipment ..................................... P12-13

Henry & Erin Bolt .................................................... P38

Royce Kokich .......................................................... P73

Ben & Jemma Abernethy ........................................ P15

Stephen & Lynlee Langridge .................................. P39

Sanjay Singh ........................................................... P74

Cam & Tess Hodgson ............................................. P16

Ben & Susan Carter ............................................... P40

Sofus & Jacqui Hahn ........................................ P75-76

Bryce & Nicola Fleming ......................................... P17

John & Jill Bluett .................................................... P41

Southfreeze Dairy .................................................. P77

Carlos & Bernice Delos Santos .............................. P18

Kieran Clough ........................................................ P44

Stephen & Karen Fullerton ................................. P79-80

Cookson Trust ........................................................ P19

John & Kathryn Blythe ........................................... P45

Pocock/Whitelock .................................................. P81

Craig Clausen .......................................................... P21

Landcorp Aspiring/Bounty/Resolution ................ P46-49

Craig & Megan McGregor ...................................... P86

Dairymaster Milking Systems ................................ P22

MPI ................................................................... P50-56

Waka Dairies ..................................................... P84-85

David & Heather Gray ............................................. P23

Malcolm & Alma Wallace ...................................... P57

Wayne & Leeanne Taylor ....................................... P87

David & Glenys McConnell ..................................... P24

Marcus & Lisa Smith ........................................ P58-59

Waianiwa Hostein Stud .......................................... P88

David & Brian Yates ................................................ P25

Noel & Bev Rust/Mike Keeling ................................. P60

David & Wendy Harker ............................................ P89

Kurt Vickery & Theresa Rowe ................................ P26

Montie Hare ....................................................... P61-62

Whakatohea ............................................................ P90

Hamish Campbell & Adele Shaw ........................... P27

Nick & Cathy Prendergast ...................................... P63

Tenua Engineers ..................................................... P91

96 |

DAIRY INDUSTRY » News

NZ Dairy

Environmental team expands Ravensdown has appointed Colin Tyler as a Principal Consultant in the company’s environmental team, as part of its drive to help farmers through ever changing regulations.

Colin is based in the Hawke’s Bay and has over has over 15 years’ experience in the industry. He was most recently a senior land management advisor at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.

Colin is no stranger to Ravensdown, having worked for the company earlier in his career.

“I’ve kept up to date with what Ravensdown has been up to over the past few years and was really impressed with the work the environmental team is doing. It’s great to be part of a team with such a high level of technical expertise.”

Colin has extensive experience in nutrient management and budgeting and understands the specific requirements farmers have when putting together environmental plans.

“A key part of my role will be helping farmers in the region navigate their way through the ever-changing environmental regulations. By keeping customers up-to-date with changes, and breaking down how the rules affect them, our team can take some of the guesswork out of environmental planning,” he said.

Previously a sheep and beef farmer in the region, Colin has an extensive knowledge of rural Hawke’s Bay.

HP ROP Zeecol Ltd

“A key part of my role will be helping farmers in the region navigate their way through the ever changing environmental regulations.”

“I still own land in the Tukituki catchment and understand the current issues that we’re facing. I believe we can develop tailored solutions that are specific to our area,” he said.

Mark Fitzpatrick, Ravensdown Business Manager, Environmental, said he is thrilled that Colin has come on board.

“Colin’s appointment is part of our ongoing strategy to develop Ravensdown’s environmental consultancy. Recruitment is currently underway to find more experts to join our team so we can fully service the growing demand from customers,” he said.

Ravensdown is one of the largest employers in the Hawke’s Bay. Its Napier site won Large Business of the Year at the 2015 Hawke’s Bay Chamber of Commerce Awards.

Colin Tyler has joined Ravensdown’s environmental team. Colin was senior land management advisor at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and has extensive experience in nutrient management.