NZ Dairy Summer 2014

Summer 2014

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Moa rises from ashes A little over a year after its premises were gutted by fire, Moa Milking & Pumping is back on the same site – bigger and better than ever. The company has continued to operate, but now has a base in Inglewood that is 50

INSIDE

Early arrival sparks career - PAGE 9

Continual learning - PAGE 18

• Can apply rates below 7mm/per hr and depths down to 3mm, while still dealing with raw effluent • The GBMagnum has a mounted rain gun to provide twice the application area you would cover with a conventional travelling irrigator • Low Application rates, while cutting down the labour input

per cent larger than the old building, with improved workshop facilities and a showroom. This means capacity to hold more stock and a larger range of filters and pumps.

• More on Moa: page 35.

Mochaccinos to milking cups - PAGE 25

Good effluent advice ‘critical’ - PAGE 43

www.waterfordpress.co.nz

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DAIRY PEOPLE » Grant & Lindsay Blake

NZ Dairy

Encouraging good staff key Sue Russell Grant and Lindsay Blake have had a very busy time of it since the Waikato Ballance Farm Environment Awards in 2011. With Grant’s parents, Gordon and Pamela Blake, they entered for the first time – and came away with the regional supreme title.

Their success was recognition for what the judges described as outstanding commitment to creating “an excellent example of inter-generational sustainability, both environmentally and businesswise”. That commitment was not spared when it came to enhancing the farm’s bush and wetland areas as well.

“There has been so much happen in the last three years,” says Lindsay Blake. “We’ve had a complete water-reticulation system replacement, bought another farm, Gordon and Pamela are in retirement after 50 years in the industry, and Grant has had to cope with a back injury.”

All while bringing up their family of two boys and a girl.

Restructuring really began in 2007, a year after the couple returned from the United Kingdom.

They changed their business structure from a trust to a company (Waiomou Valley Farms Ltd), consolidated two dairy farms into one, and built a new dairy shed. The home farm now sustains 545 kiwicross cows on a 166-hectare milking platform.

Last year production totalled 202,000 kilograms of milksolids, and it is tracking five per cent ahead of that in the current season, heading towards 210,000kg if the current level is maintained.

“Stage two of sustainable governance has really been born out of circumstance when last season Grant pinched a nerve lifting and turning during calving,” says Lindsay. “He has struggled to a degree ever since, but we decided to see this as an opportunity to rationalise the roles on the farm and to prepare the next succession pathway.”

Part of that has involved the purchase of a dairy unit at Hokitika, on the West Coast in the South Island, a property carrying 380 cows and employing a contract milker.

The Blakes have also engaged a contract milker on their home farm to give Grant the opportunity to ease away from his daily role in the shed.

Now seven years into retirement, Gordon and Pam Blake have stepped back from the day-to-day operation, but are fully involved in the governance.

“We have a strong focus on debt reduction,” says Lindsay Blake. “Generally, we feel pretty positive about the dairying industry. If you save in the good years, you can get through the tougher ones.”

She terms it resilient profitability, and says it can’t happen without focusing on farm operating costs. She would like to see dairying promoted more in schools as a career path Sustainability and growth is just as much connected to caring and engaging well with staff and nurturing their own farming aspirations, she says. She sees the hallmark of a good farm-owner in the ability to encourage good staff.

“DairyNZ was a huge source of information for us and there are lots of groups you can draw

• To page 4

Calf club: Caleb and Ashleigh Blake with pet calf Nachos.

Well done the Blakes, we’ve been working together for 40 years constantly progressing the business www.candygillespie.co.nz

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NZ Dairy

DAIRY PEOPLE » Hawkes family

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Mangatoki father and son Paul and Peter Hawkes have celebrated 50 years on the family farm during 2014.

Third generation takes charge Karen Phelps The Hawkes family have this year been celebrating their 50th anniversary on the family farm at Mangatoki, between Eltham and Kaponga.

Jack and Shirley Hawkes bought the property in 1964. Jack was a sharemilker a couple of roads over, and when the 40-hectare farm came up for sale, he seized the opportunity to own his own property.

The farm subsequently passed to their son, Peter, and his wife, Breeda, who, by buying neighbouring land, expanded it to 111ha. Their son, Paul, and his partner, Sarah Buchanan, are now in their first season as lower-order sharemilkers on the property.

Paul Hawkes says he grew up on the farm, so it has been an easy transition from manager to sharemilker.

“It’s special knowing that my grandfather and father have farmed here. I’m taking on a good herd of cows and a fully developed farm, so I am reaping the benefits of their hard work over the years.

“It has been a little bit of a challenge being a low-payout year, but everything’s been going smoothly and I’ve hit the ground running.”

He milks a herd of 320 friesian-cross cows through a 32-bail rotary dairy with automatic cup removers and Protrack. He says the aim is simple – to grow as much grass as possible and ensure it is used effectively.

“It’s about best-practice pasture management and keeping a close eye on residuals and pregrazing covers.”

Paul Hawkes does not intend making any big changes to the simple, low-cost system, but will rather make small adjustments to enhance what is already there.

A lot of development work has been done over the years, including drainage work to turn creeks and wet areas into usable farmland, fencing rivers and waterways, and planting thousands of natives.

He says the family has sought to improve the land and to look after the environment. The next improvement will probably be an effluent-storage pond. At present, effluent is spread daily over about a third of the farm.

The farm is classified as a system-two farm and 900 kilograms of supplement was fed per cow last year. About a third to half of this was grown on the farm in the form of maize and grass silage.

A hundred and sixty tonnes of palm kernel was bought in last year.

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The herd’s breeding worth is 151 with a production worth of 175. The Hawkes are breeding for BW by mating all the yearling heifers with artificial insemination. No bulls are used on the farm. They normally rear double the number of replacement calves required and sell the bottom half, around 40 calves a year.

Last year the farm produced 137,714 kilograms of milksolids – 1377kg per hectare, or 433kg per cow.

One full-time staff member is employed, and.

Sarah, who is a pharmacist in Stratford, helps out on the farm. Peter helps with calf-rearing in spring and is the farm’s “free farm consultant”, says Paul.

He adds that he gleans years of farming knowledge from his father.

Paul says his ultimate goal is to one day take the farm over. He is presently focusing on building equity so he can grow as a sharemilker.

Right: Paul Hawkes and partner Sarah Buchanan surrounded by native plantings on one of the fenced waterways.

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DAIRY PEOPLE » Lance & Hayley Chadwick

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NZ Dairy

Sharemilking job the next step Sue Russell While Lance and Hayley Chadwick will be moving away next season from the 115-hectare (effective) farm where they are in their second season as managers, they say their short time on the Taranaki farm has proved productive.

They came to the Huinga property keen to take on new challenges offered by a management position. They saw this change as the best prospect of moving to a sharemilking position.

Next season, another chapter will begin for the family when they take up a variable-order sharemilking job.

“One of the reasons I got the job was that Brendan (farm owner Brendan Attrill) was looking for someone who wanted to get ahead. This new shift is part of that process for us and we’re looking forward to it.”

The herd of 350 friesian-cross cows on the Attrill farm is milked through a Dairy Master, 50bail rotary shed. A late dip in production thwarted last season’s goal of reaching 140,000 kilograms of milksolids. But Chadwick says they look set to achieve that, and some, this season.

“It’s always the case in the first season on a new farm that you’re getting to know the systems.

So you’re not going to achieve the potential the property has, straight up.

“We’re operating to feeding-system three and now we’ve also introduced palm kernel to improve overall cow condition with good results.”

He says the farm has very good soil and is stocked on the basis three cows to a hectare He describes it as a very smooth and efficient space in which to operate, which he believes stems from the fact Attrill, who lives just down the road, was a farm manager for Fonterra Farms.

“It has meant that this farm’s systems

Above: Lance Chadwick (above) in the shed at Huinga milking 350 friesian cross cows. Below: Lance with wife Hayley and children Noah and Koen. have evolved very efficiently to give maximum productivity out of the infrastructure.”

A 46ha run-off within the boundaries of the farm is used at times as a stand-off pad to feed stock with a cow condition less than four – which has made a difference to fertility, he says, When Lance Chadwick left school, his sights

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were set on becoming a builder. But, a few years later. his father-in-law needed help milking 500 cows on his farm at Kaponga.

It signalled a career change: “I grew up on a dairy farm so it wasn’t like a completely new thing for me. We stayed on that farm for nine years, increasing the herd from 380 to 500 cows.”

Asked if he would want to see new technologies introduced into the dairy shed, Chadwick’s answer is clear. “Everyone you talk to who has got a fancy shed struggles to use its capacity fully. The shed we have is very basic, there’s no training needed, and very little can go wrong.”

Dealing with changing environments is something that’s in his blood - he went to 13 primary schools.

“You get used to this as a youngster. It’s part of farming life and I’m sure our boys will cope just fine with the new move.”The couple have two boys, Koen, nine, and Noah, seven.

“We’ve just bought the boys their first motorbikes, so they’re enjoying getting out and about on the farm with them. It has given them some independence as well.”

Encouraging good staff crucial • From page 2 yourself to. It is really an industry that is about growing knowledge quick.”

Grant Blake sees some losses in the overall capacity of the dairy industry to attract and encourage new people toward farming.

“The dairying industry has proved a great industry that has served its country well during tumultuous economic times.

“I am impassioned, with elections coming

up both electoral and Fonterra’s co-operative governance, to support candidates who look at the world with more balance, appreciating how farmers have served our nation, and are mindful and express a willingness to meaningfully support them back.”

The Blakes are happy with what they have achieved, and see their new farm in the South Island adding another layer of security to their situation – something they have both worked hard to achieve.

“Ongoing research & development results in superior products & performance advantages including; more yield, faster milking, no slip and no teat end damage.”

Never miss an opportunity for a bit of trench-jumping : Caleb (foreground) and Joshua Blake get in some practice before new water-lines are laid on the Waikato farm where they live.

NZ Dairy

DAIRY PEOPLE » Brett & Rachael Gordon

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‘Explore your bottom line and learn’ Sue Russell Brett and Rachael Gordon used the experience of competing in this year’s Dairy Business of the Year competition to benchmark their farming operation relative to other entrants.

Brett says he gained a great deal from the competition’s emphasis on matters financial, and encourages other farmers to consider competing.

“I recommend the whole process. There’s a lot of value getting into the final. You have got seminars and meetings to go to. The way the competition is focused, about 70 per cent on your financial reality, 15% or so on labour practices and 15% on environmental matters really means you have the opportunity to explore your bottom line and learn from it.”

Twelve finalists competed for the supreme title, won by Martin and Linsey Furrer (Canterbury).

The Gordons shared best equal for Waikato/Bay of Plenty with David and Sue Fish, from Waitoa.

Easy riders: Brett Gordon with children Patrick, Hannah, Amy and Danielle.

At 37, Brett Gordon has been involved in dairy farming for 20 years. Through a lot of hard work, he has evolved his farming career to where he and Rachael now lease his parents’ farm at Eureka.

They are also equity partners in another farm at Karapiro.

The 150 effective hectares, divided into two milking platforms with two 20-a-side herringbone

sheds, processes milk from 480 friesian-cross cows. Last season’s milksolids figure of 178,000 kilograms is likely to be achieved again this season, though Brett has a philosophical attitude to setting goals.

“We milk all the big cows through one shed, and our heifers and small cows through the other. It’s a system that works well and I’m expecting we’ll attain 900kg milksolids per hectare by Christmas.”

Compared with when he began working on the land, he doesn’t think today’s farmers necessarily works any harder than their industry forebears, but he can see differences.

“These days you have got to do things outside the square. You’ve got to be a little bit different and not just replicate traditional methods. We also try to make money elsewhere by investing profit made, working smarter not harder.”

Left: The Gordons amongst their cows: From left, Patrick, Hannah, Brett, Danielle, Amy and Rachael.

Ph: 07-824-3565 Mob: 0274-894-496 Email: info@grainandfood.co.nz Web: www.grainandfood.co.nz

The couple employ two managers, one for each milking shed, freeing Brett and Rachael to oversee the operation and to keep their heads in the future more than the day-to-day.

As a point, he says, they always employ first-time managers, people they can see are keen to progress in farming once they have learnt from their experience on their farm.

It’s a way, Brett Gordon says, of giving back to an industry that creates a lifestyle second to none.

Recognising that a balanced lifestyle, with time away from the routine of the daily tasks, is important for the staff keeps him connected with the core process of collecting milk as the relief milker. He also milks over mating time and is the farm’s trouble-shooter!

“I can take care of any unexpected challenges so that the managers’ days run more smoothly and they are able to achieve what they set out to do in their day as much as possible.”

The Gordons have four children, ranging in age from five to 11. Brett acknowledges that one of the spoils of their hard work over the past 15 years is a “whole heap of freedom” they enjoy to spend with their family as they grow up.

Some of that spare time will be spent in Raglan where the couple have recently bought a holiday home.

“I enjoy fishing and Raglan’s a great little place for the family to enjoy some time out.”

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DAIRY PEOPLE » Alistair & Margo Robertson

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NZ Dairy

Wish to make a difference ‘spins wheels’ Kelly Deeks Margo and Alistair Robertson’s desire to make a difference has led them to join the Te Hou Farms Ltd Partnership management team, which is farming ex-AgResearch farm Flock House.

The 1100-hectare property, which has a 332ha dairy unit and a 768ha sheep-and-beef unit, was sold in May 2014 to Rangitikei-based Iwi Nga Wairiki-Ngati Apa, represented by Te Runanga o Ngati Apa in partnership with Atihau-Whanganui Incorporation and Waitatapia Station Ltd. Atihau-Whanganui Incorporation is a large Maori farmer based primarily in the inland Whanganui and Ruapehu districts. Waitatapia Station belongs to Rangitikei farming brothers Hew and Roger Dalrymple, who are inter-generational farmers with substantial experience and knowledge in the area around the former Flock House farms.

“We are working closely with the Dalrymples to develop the dairy farm,” says Margo Robertson.

“We got involved to help make changes. We like to make things better, that’s what spins our wheels.

We saw in this project an opportunity to make a difference.”

The Robertsons are also making a difference off farm.

Margo Roberston is a convener for Dairy Women’s Network, and is project-managing Understanding Your Farming Business, a nationwide course developed by Agri-Women’s Development Trust, with the aim of helping women understand their role as critical farming partners.

Alistair Robertson has been busy in his roles of discussion group convener for Bulls/Ohakea/ Sanson, and chairman of the Rangitikei Field Horsetail Group, which is now two years into a Landcare Research-managed, three-year biocontrol trial aimed at identifying and trial ling biological-control agents.

The group is also educating farmers, contractors, and councils about how the invasive weed is spread.

“Field horsetail is as old as the dinosaurs, but there has been a lot of learning in the past 12 months about what this weed is capable of,” says Alistair.

The Robertsons’ 218ha (effective), 600-cow dairy farm is also part of a study by Dairy New Zealand and Massey University graduate Trevor Salsberger to examine the impact of the Horizons Regional Council One Plan on profitability.

Above: Margo Robertson, pictured above front right, with Alistair and their children (from left), Campbell, James and Briar, is a convener for Dairy Women’s Network and is project-managing a national course developed by Agri-Women’s Development Trust aimed at helping women understand their role as farming partners.

Below: This creek is an example of some of the two kilometres of riparian planting Alistair and Margo Robertson have done on their Rangitikei property.

• To page 31

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DAIRY PEOPLE » Mike & Louise Wilson

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Waikato couple part of an elite world group Karen Phelps

Above: Alistair Robertson (top) is discussion convener for Bulls-Ohakea-Sanson areas and chairman of the Rangitikei Field Horsetail Group bio-control trial.

Below: Some of the Robertson’s 600 cows enjoy green pasture. Their 1100-hectare property has a 332ha dairy unit and a 200ha (effective) dairy platform, which is 50 per cent irrigated, 50ha by centre pivot and 50ha by pod,

‘We like to benchmarked against the best to see where we stand’ • From page 30 Margo says the couple have approached the requirements of One Plan as a bit of a challenge, and so far some good ideas have come out of the study.

“We can change the way we farm, and maintain our profit, and still meet the reduction requirements,” she says.

The Robertsons have been in an equity partnership on their farm since 2007. They converted part of the property in the first season, which allowed them to increase cow numbers from 350 to 550, then later expand to 600 cows.

In 2009 they extended the 30-a-side herringbone dairy shed to 36-a-side.

They have also doubled the size of the original irrigation area (50ha irrigated by centre pivot), by adding another 50ha of pod irrigation.

“It has been very dry the past couple of years, and, even being 50%-irrigated, it was still very challenging to maintain grass covers and ultimately production,” says Alistair Robertson. “The irrigation

had to be turned off for the first time ever in the summer of 2013.”

Last year the Robertsons introduced palm kernel extract to their farming system, and they are now going through the consenting process to increase their irrigation area with a second transportable pivot.

The couple are finalists in the 2014 Ballance Farm Environment Awards for the Horizons region, having previously been recognised as the Manawatu/Taranaki regional winner in the 2011 Dairy Business of the Year awards, and winning the Livestock Improvement Corporation Dairy Farm award in the 2012 Ballance Farm Environment Award (Horizons).

“We like to be benchmarked against the best to see where we stand and where we can improve our business,” Alistair says.

Feedback from awards prompted the Robertsons to complete another two kilometres of riparian planting, and to investing $250,000 into a new effluent-management system with 800,000 litres of storage.

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Mike and Louise Wilson get a 7 per cent premium for their milk – by producing Stolle milk for Fonterra.

The process is simple and Mike Wilson says other farmers are lining up to become one of the only a small number of Stolle milk producers in the world.

Stolle milk was developed in 1958 by Ralph Stolle, a businessman from Ohio, United States, who developed a method of harnessing, concentrating and increasing the natural immune fractions in cow’s milk.

His method consists of immunising cows with a mixture of heat-killed bacteria from common human pathogens; the cows develop the antibodies which occur in the milk and can be passed on to people through milk consumption. On the Wilson’s farm, these injections are administered every two weeks over a three-month period.

The Wilsons, who farm near Morrinsville, have been producing Stolle milk for 25 years, say the average somatic cell count across the group that produces it for Fonterra is six times lower than the company average. The Wilsons’ farm achieved a count of 120 last season.

Mike Wilson was born and bred on the family farm at Kereone, halfway between Morrinsville and Matamata. When he and Louise started on the farm as managers, they were milking 310 cows on 100 hectares. They managed the farm for five years before moving to a 50:50 sharemilking position.

The property has expanded to 140ha and is now owned by Pakakere Farms, which is owned by Mike and Louise, and Mike’s parents, Pat and Russell Wilson.

Mike and Louise are the 50:50 sharemilkers on the farm, milking a herd of 385 predominantly friesian and friesian-cross cows through a 36-a-side herringbone shed with an in-shed feeding system.

With the lower payout in mind, they plan to tighten their belts this season while continuing to prioritise animal health. The farm empty rate normally sits around 14% and has been a major focus.

“Maybe it’s because Dad used to have a

The average somatic cell count across the group is six times lower than the company average. pedigree holstein-friesian herd and there are a lot of American genetics in the herd which are not known for good reproduction,” says Mike, who admits it has been a bit of a mystery as to why the empty rate is so high.

The Wilsons have three consultations each year with the vet and are being vigilant when it comes to pre-mating; they use KMAR heat detectors, scratchies and tail paint. They have even mounted mirrors in the cow shed so that when a cow walks in, they can get a true view of its back.

“We found that by relying solely on tail paint, we were missing quite a few animals. But, by using a combination of tactics, we are picking up more,” says Mike.

They also run 10 bulls with the herd and use premier LIC genetics.

Through all this, their empty rate has remained the same although they have used no inductions for the past two years. They say this is a result of sorts, but remain mystified as to how people can achieve single digit empty rates.

The Wilsons buy in palm kernel, dried distillers’ grain, and tapioca. They grow 10ha of maize on farm, and 3.3ha of this is fed as green feed where they chop it straight out of the paddock in late January/early February.

“We lose feed value, but the cows milk extremely well on it and it fills in a feed-gap for us,” says Mike.

The Wilsons employ one full-time staff member.

Mike does most of the work, Pat rears the calves, Russell is the odd-job man, and Louise handles the bookwork as well as running a café in Te Aroha.

Last season the farm produced 158,500 kilograms of milksolids. This season the target is 170,000kg.

DAIRY PEOPLE » Blair & Deanne Percy

8|

NZ Dairy

Splitting farm a lengthy process Sue Russell The last few years have been busy for Masterton dairy couple Blair and Deanne Percy as they have settled into securing succession of their farming business.

The couple own and operate their 200-hectare farm, Goodlands, five kilometres east of the town and divided into three blocks by two public roads. Their herd of 580 kiwicross cows look set to produce 220,000 kilograms of milksolids this season.

“We feel a little like we’re farming in a fishbowl because the roads dividing the farm are popular with cyclists,” says Blair Percy. “We have two underpasses for our cows to track as they relocate to different paddocks.”

While they have been farming for many years on the original 470ha family block, which carried a herd of 140, the decision two years ago to splinter off part of that block for the Percys to own outright has meant creating a new dairy infrastructure.

“With the support of my parents, Joe and Carole, we decided to set up our own partnership and operate independently of the family farm,” says Blair Percy.

“It was about future-proofing our situation.

We separated from the family trust and have re-established the farm in its own right by buying Fonterra shares.”

The process of splitting away from the trust off process took quite a long time, he says.

“There was a lot of number-crunching for our accountant, Sid Morgan, and our ANZ bank rural

manager, Peter Bresaz, to do, but once the process was under way, it was just a question of ticking all the boxes.”

June 1 this year marked the first anniversary of that. Looking back on the transition Blair says things have gone well despite a very wet spring this year.

When the split took place, the original farm – considerably smaller at 270ha – retained the 60-bail herringbone shed. The Percys decided to install a new 50-bail rotary with all the bells and whistles, and the first task was to ‘re-educate’ the herd to walk onto it. It now takes a maximum of two hours to milk all the cows split into a main herd of 420 and a heifer herd of 160.

The need for a new milking parlour also brought up the issue of developing appropriate effluent storage nearby. This brought the couple into the realm of the new, more stringent consenting standards articulated in the 2012 Sustainable Dairying Water Accord. The effluent level the pond was built to was calculated around several factors, including expected production, fertiliser application and rainfall.

“We had the support of Ravensdown Agr Manager Greig McLeod to work up various scenarios to ensure the pond would cope with increases in herd size in coming years.”

All that effort and attention to detail has resulted in the Percy’s obtaining a 10-year consent to spread effluent over a 60 hectare area of the farm.

Their consent requires they do not spread effluent within 20 metres of their boundaries, while moisture

• To page 9

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Deanne Percy tailpaints the cows for AI (top) while Blair Percy musters the herd on their 200-hectare Goodlands farm near Masterton.

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NZ Dairy

DAIRY PEOPLE » Robyn & Greg Boswell

|9

Early arrival sparks farming career Karen Phelps The premature birth of their first daughter led Robyn and Greg Boswell to take a farming career seriously.

“Hannah was born at 28 weeks and I couldn’t go back to work as I’d planned; taking care of her became my priority,” says Robyn Boswell. “This led to us focusing on developing our farming business as we knew it would give us more freedom and flexibility to allow us to look after our daughter.”

Greg’s grandfather had been a farmer and Greg had been involved in the farming industry since he had left school. Robyn had enjoyed a career that included project administration and management in the Fonterra laboratory re-organisation programme.

A combination of Greg’s practical farming skills and Robyn’s business career has helped the couple build a successful business.

At the time they made their decision, Greg was managing a farm at Horsham Downs, just north of Hamilton. The couple stayed there for nine years, progressing from 520 cows to contract-milking a herd of 700. They then moved to their present 50:50 sharemilking position at Otorohanga, where they are in their fourth season.

Hannah is now nine and the couple have a son, Joshua, seven. Both of them enjoy helping on the farm and have been involved in the family business since they were toddlers.

Robyn does the administration of the business, the calf-rearing and takes care of the kids, leaving Greg free to do the day-to-day, practical running of the 92-hectare (85ha effective) unit.

They milked 290 cows in their first season, but have decided to reduce herd numbers to 257 while achieving better per-cow production – from 320 kilograms of milksolids to 352kg in a drought year last season. They are targeting 375kg this season.

They milk through a 24-a-side herringbone shed.

Greg Boswell says they enjoy a good working relationship with the farm-owner, Bashi Singh, and have concentrated on not only improving their own herd, but the farm in general. Bashi Singh’s daughter, Monique, works part-time on the property.

The Boswells have controlled noxious trees such as privet and woolly nightshade, fenced waterways, re-grassed, and sprayed weeds. They would like to do more fence maintenance by replacing hedge fencing with post and wire.

They are also working to raise their herd size to ready themselves for a larger job in the near future.

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Above: Robyn and Greg Boswell. Left: Robyn Boswell explains the workings of the cups to Otorohanga South Primary school pupils.

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They graze young stock off farm and buy in around 50 tonnes of maize and 80 tonnes of palm kernel to ensure the herd is fully fed. They feed on a concrete loafing pad capable of holding 80 cows.

This season, for the first time, they are growing 10ha of chicory as a safety measure against drought.

“Last season we saw that chicory was one of the only crops still growing on farms near here during the drought,” says Greg Boswell. “Chicory has a long taproot, so once it’s established, it’s hard to stop. It will be a lot cheaper than buying in feed. We’ll put it on a 20 to 25-day round, and break-feed.”

He says the couple have no set goals, but are intent on running a successful farming business and would like to take on a 600-cow sharemilking position as a next step – although they are aware such positions are hard to come by.

“It took us two years to get this job. We heard about it by word of mouth and we were one of 15

Chicory has a long taproot, so once it’s established, it’s hard to stop. It will be a lot cheaper than buying in feed. We’ll put it on a 20 to 25-day round, and break-feed.

applicants. So, it’s very competitive. We will expand our off-farm investments; we already have a rental property in Hamilton. When it comes to owning a piece of land one day, we are aware it might not be a farm. It could be a grazing block, who knows? A flexible approach to investment will not narrow our opportunities for growth. We go with the flow.”

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Pigeon poses feathery fright • From page 8 probes across the paddocks indicate when the soil is water-logged. When this is the case effluent is not applied reducing the likelihood of run-off.

Their farm is in close enough to Masterton to be in the hub of smaller lifestyle blocks making something of a point of difference from neighbouring houses. A hundred of the farm’s 200 hectares are irrigated through either k-line or a Tailco gun.

“There’s a scheme well into the future to look at accessing more water for irrigation in this area, and that will be welcome,” says Blair Percy.

Acknowledging they are ‘new entrants’ in farm ownership. The Percys rate managing debt a priority, particularly through the initial three years as they buy Fonterra shares.

“We’re buying a third of the value of the shares each year for three years.” says Blair. “Having the ability to pay for them this way is a very good thing.”

While all the building blocks are in place to secure the future of the couple and their two

There’s a scheme well into the future to look at accessing more water for irrigation in this area, and that will be welcome. teenage children, Blair says sometimes strange things can happen out of the blue, as with a recent visitor of the winged kind.

“We had a homing pigeon decide to stop and enjoy the feed we had in our milking parlour for our cows. The cows were scared and I could see it was going to settle in with all the feed on hand. I have a mate who knows a thing or two about pigeons, so we caught it in a net.

“The bands indicated it was from Christchurch, and my friend took care of returning the bird to its home, much to the relief of my cows.”

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10 |

DAIRY PEOPLE » Clarence & Elise Stolte

NZ Dairy

Awards silver lining to the ‘worst drought’ Karen Phelps

Carterton sharemilkers Clarence and Elise Stolte took out the top title at the Manawatu/Wairarapa region at the 2014 Dairy Business of the Year awards as well as the best financial performance for a medium/highinput farm for the whole of New Zealand.

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Drought is normally one of the worst things that can happen to a dairy farmer. But sometimes good things do come from droughts, as Clarence and Elise Stolte have found.

The couple have drought to thank for taking out the top title for the Manawatu/Wairarapa region at the 2014 Dairy Business of the Year Awards, as well as the best financial performance for a medium/high input farm for the whole of New Zealand based on the 2012-13 season.

“We are normally a low-input farm, but we just happened to be in the high-input section this year because of the drought,” says Clarence Stolte.

“Because of the drought, this was the worst financial performance we’ve had on the farm. We entered the competition to learn, not to win.”

Farming smarter was the key to success under such tough conditions – although Clarence is quick to point out that the drought did cost them a huge chunk of their normal profits despite their best efforts.

“It cost us 30,000 kilograms of milksolids, and it cost us more to produce those milksolids,” he says.

The Stoltes sharemilk 500 cows on a 165-hectare farm owned by Clarence’s parents, Willem and Roelie, at Carterton. They started as lower-order sharemilkers, then moved to a 50-50 position after two years. In 2010 they were the Hawke’s Bay-Wairarapa sharemilkers of the year – at just 22, they were the youngest to win the title in 10 years.

The couple are renowned for high financial performance on the farm in good, and obviously also bad, years. Clarence Stolte says they concentrate on two key areas: growing and harvesting as much pasture as efficiently as possible, and controlling costs.

“If you can do these two things well, you will make money,” he says.

The couple approach their budget each season with a blank piece of paper. They do not carry costs over from the previous season as a starting point.

“The problem with carrying costs over is that

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Because of the drought, this was the worst financial performance we’ve had on the farm. We entered the competition to learn, not to win.

you sometimes inherit costs that aren’t necessary.

Firstly, we look at what are the unavoidable costs?

Then, what are the costs that will generate us the best return? And finally, what costs have value that isn’t necessarily in dollars (for example ensuring staff have the right clothing to keep warm)?

Approaching our budget like this is where we make our biggest gains.”

They also avoid wasting grass: “When I see the silage wagon going around the farm feeding out, I don’t see grass silage in the wagon, I see dollar bills. If you leave any pasture in the paddock and are feeding supplement, that’s a cost that doesn’t need to be there. I can’t stand the idea of wasting pasture, so we avoid topping to waste as much as possible.

“We keep a close focus on ensuring residuals are where they need to be, and pay close attention to individual paddock performance. We don’t just do this by eye, but by figures because sometimes a paddock doesn’t look nice, but we’ve found the figures stack up and it is performing.”

They have dropped cow numbers to 480 this season because of lower pasture covers going

• To page 11

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NZ Dairy

DAIRY PEOPLE » Kenneth & Rachel Short

| 11

Production costs key to profit Sue Russell Kenneth and Rachel Short have embraced the attitude that sustainability is uppermost and will be key to their long-term farming success.

In 2013 they won the Taranaki Sharemilker/ Equity Farmer of the Year title In a historical twist, Rachel’s parents, Barbara and Louis Kuriger, were the Taranaki Sharemilker of the Year back in 1987.

This year the Shorts’ company, Shortland Farm Ltd Partnership, received the Dairy Business of the Year Taranaki Best Farm Business gong. The couple were also a finalist in the 2014 Taranaki Ballance Farm Environment Awards and received the Waterforce integrated management award.

“We place a strong emphasis and all our farming practice is tuned towards controlling the cost of production, ensuring we achieve profitability no matter what the payout,” says Rachel, who has been farming her parents’ farm since 2004.

The grass-based system they’ve mastered on their 142-hectare/450-cow mainly flat farm relies on pasture management.

It’s hard work, but very rewarding, Rachel says, to see just what can be achieved through close observation and fine tweaking. She puts success of their systems mainly down to those developed by her parents.

“We came into a farm already operating with solid pasture practices and we are now mixing that with modern-day compliance to ensure sustainability. We’ve done a lot of bench-marking and assessment to get a real sense of the pastures potential.”

The couple have recently gone into partnership with Rachel’s parents on a nearby 200 cow farm. It

Goal-setting is really important, but you have to continually benchmark one season against the last. came along as an opportunity to build capacity into their business and keep options open.

To supplement the grass in their system-one feeding regime, they grow more than 100 tonnes of turnips each year. Instead of wrapping silage, they make their own big rounds of hay because tests have proven its nutritional value. It also costs considerably less to produce than balage.

To be recognised as an outstanding farming business obviously involves a holistic approach to measuring success – across farming practices, production, care of people and the land – as well as creating a sustainable structure for business development.

Rachel Short says a lot of the Dairy Business of the Year competitions process was conducted behind the scenes – the weighting of 70 per cent financial, 15% farming and 15% environmental drove the judges assessment of the farm’s success.

“Once we were short-listed, PGG Wrightson conducted a land evaluation, and at the Hamilton awards, they put us in a business incubator for

Photos – Above: Award-winning Taranaki couple Kenneth and Rachael Short, with their children and their cows. Lower left: Mt Taranaki provides the backdrop to the property. an analysis of where we were at. We found the process really empowering.”

Entering competitions, particularly for farmers who haven’t necessarily moved around a lot, is also an opportunity to learn and see other approaches to farm management, she says.

“Goal-setting is really important, but you have to continually benchmark one season against the last. It’s only through this fine-tuning that you begin to understand just what you can achieve financially from the resources you work with.”

Taylor Field helps on the farm and is almost through his Primary ITO apprenticeship. With

Rachel working part-time off the farm as a health and safety consultant for OnFarmSafety New Zealand, the Shorts count their combined labour input as one and half units.

The couple are looking forward to their annual pilgrimage during summer to the Opunake campsite, not so many kilometres away.

“A whole bunch of farming families use the campsite for a break and it does feel like we’re a long way away from the farm.”

The Shorts currently have a 30 per cent equity holding in partnership with the Kurigers; their longterm plan is 100%.

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Consultancy work opens eyes • From page 10 into calving. They still aim to achieve slightly more milksolids with fewer cows (230,000 kilograms as opposed to 224,000kg the season before); they are hoping that by having more pasture available to the smaller herd, they will be able to achieve this.

This will also enable them to extend milking days per cow.

They will set up for a better wintering system and, for the first time, are growing 6ha of fodder beet to complement the usual kale crop (this year 12ha) on the 140ha run-off that supports the farm.

“These crops will give us more certainty over our feed and higher quality feed as well. We hope this will help us to get the gains we want to get.”

Clarence Stolte says experience gained during the last two years where he has worked as a farm consultant for Baker & Associates has opened his eyes up to different farming systems.

“It’s definitely given us a bit of humility. Every farm is different and has different challenges. Our success to date has been to turn out consistently high profit and work successfully with the farm owners to ensure they get good returns on their asset and now we want to do this again.

“The knowledge and experience I have gained has allowed us to grow, and multiple farm management is the goal for us. We don’t like to stand still. We’re looking for the next opportunity whether it be farm ownership, lease or another sharemilking position.”

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12 |

DAIRY PEOPLE » Graham & Dale Curd

NZ Dairy

Sharemilkers a winning formula Karen Phelps Graham and Dale Curd have chosen to put sharemilkers on their farm, and they count themselves lucky that they have hit on a winning formula straight away.

“I think that as you get older, you haven’t got that drive you once had,” says Graham Curd. “Our sharemilkers are awesome; we want to keep them.”

Lower-order sharemilkers Jason Bidois and Chrissy Baker are in their fourth season on the property, and the Curds say they are young, motivated and talented.

Bidois previously worked for the Curds when he left school; at that time the Curds were sharemilking at Waihi and were building their own careers.

“They look after the farm and stock like it’s their own,” says Graham. “We have a brilliant working relationship with them, and it has freed up my time.”

Curd comes from a farming family background, and says he always knew he wanted to be a dairy farmer.

He trained as a bricklayer and, when the opportunity came up to go dairy farming at Waihi on a 60-hectare, 170-cow farm, he grabbed it. He worked on wages for six months before moving to a lower-order sharemilking position for two years.

His next move was to another farm in the Waihi area – 50:50 sharemilking 160 cows on 65ha. Over five years the herd grew to 200 cows. From then, he headed to a 280-cow sharemilking position, also around Waihi, for six years.

During this time, he bought a 35ha runoff, which he developed and reared young stock. This enabled the Curds to capitalise on rising land prices and sell the run-off and excess stock to fund the deposit for their farm at Waiharakeke, south of Whangamata, where they are still based.

That was 1995; the Curds milked 150 cows on 65ha. They bought a neighbouring property in 1999, and now milk 260 kiwicross cows on

Bay of Plenty dairy farmer Graham Curd (left) and sharemilker Jason Bidois.

90ha effective (108ha total) through a 22-a-side herringbone shed.

There has been a lot of development work, including drainage and new races. Graham Curd’s skills as a bricklayer came in handy more than once by allowing him to do some of the work himself. This included the concrete work when they extended the dairy shed from 10-a-side.

Around 40 per cent of the farm is flat, 50% is medium rolling country, and the remainder is steep.

The farm gets about two metres of rainfall each year.

Curd says the biggest improvement now would

‘I think that as you get older you haven’t got that drive you once had. Our sharemilkers are awesome; we want to keep them.

‘The biggest improvement now would be to change the pasture species. We have a lot of paspalum, and I wonder how much it suppresses grass growth in spring. be to change the pasture species: “We have a lot of paspalum, and I wonder how much it suppresses grass growth in the spring, as it’s a thick grass and could stop clover and ryegrasses coming through.

“Paspalum does grow amazingly in summer though if it’s managed correctly – short rotations (every two weeks) are the key as it tends to go to seed very quickly. In the dry seasons, it just keeps growing.”

He has tried to sow new grass species, but they tend not to persist. He is considering under-sowing with Shogun, a late flowering tetraploid, longrotation, perennial-type, hybrid ryegrass bred from a cross between Bealey and an elite Italian ryegrass that contains the NEA2 endophyte.

Shogun is marketed as having good

establishment, autumn, late-spring and summer production, and very good winter and early-spring growth for its type.

“The NEA2 endophyte contributes to the species’ ability to persist under harsh conditions, which results in a reliable three to four years of production under normal conditions.

Soil fertility has improved markedly through application of lime. Fertility has risen from a ph of 5.1 to 6.

Curd says the focus now is managing costs with the lower payout. Last season the farm produced 97,000 kilograms of milksolids; this season the target is 95,000kg, slightly lower because of a relatively difficult spring with wind and rain which stunted grass growth.

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NZ Dairy

DAIRY PEOPLE » Ross & Joanne Soffe

| 13

Team Soffe: From left Garry Collins, Todd Bishop, Ashleigh Oakes (the Soffe’s daughter), Ross Soffe, and his grandson, Henry.

Shorthorn poised for comeback Sue Russell Ross and Joanne Soffe own and operate a 130-hectare (effective) farm near Stratford, in Taranaki.

Their herd, which Ross Soffe describes as a bit of a mixed bag, includes pedigree milking-shorthorn cows, a breed the couple are keen to see maintain a healthy presence in the dairy industry.

“Shorthorns make for good milkers for a number of reasons,” says Ross. “They have good feet; by that, I mean they don’t have the foot problems other breeds seem to have. The percentage of lame shorthorns in my herd is much lower than the other breeds.”

He believes his shorthorns also suffer from less mastitis, though he acknowledges that perspective is based on a very small representation.

“One of the frustrations we have is that it is hard to accrue really robust shorthorn performance data because the numbers in New Zealand are much less than they used to be.”

As part of wanting to help change this situation and to promote the advantages that come with introducing shorthorns into a herd, Ross and Joanne are active members of the New Zealand Milking Shorthorn Association, which has a membership of about 120, half of whom breed pedigree stock.

“It is really quite difficult to build up the pedigree number given our relatively small gene pool, so we work with Semex to supply semen for AB purposes,” says Ross, who is the current president of the association.

He’s keen to see the association continue to foster a breeding-development programme. The more pedigree stock that are milked, the more real

performance data can be gathered. His own herd of 360 cows includes 100 pedigree shorthorns. ‘’We believe our modern milking shorthorns can and do compete on production with the other main breeds, and overseas trials have proved it is a viable cross-breeding option.

“There are herds where the shorthorns have out-produced the other breed groups. The modern milking shorthorn is vastly improved on the traditional shorthorn of the past.”

Last season the drought impacted to a degree o his herd, but he still surpassed his goal of 125,000 kilograms of milksolids by 3000kg.

“We grew a lot of maize and ordered in palm kernel with the aim of putting a lot of weight on our cows in preparation for this season’s milking. The goal this season is 130,000kg milksolids.”

The Soffes also value the milking shorthorn breed because they experience few difficulties with calving and because the milk they produce has a high protein-to-fat ratio.

“There is anecdotal evidence that children who have lactose intolerance issues do better on this milk, and seem to be able to tolerate it,” says Ross.

Shorthorns were introduced to New Zealand by missionary Samuel Marsden in 1814. Their robust, easy-care nature, along with their high-

volume, milk-production capabilities, saw the breed establish itself strongly.

By the mid-nineteenth century, shorthorns were the primary cattle breed for milk and meat.

However, when jerseys began to come in to New Zealand in force in the 1920s, the inevitable crossbreeding diminished the pedigree shorthorn stock significantly.

However, says Soffe, there are good signs pointing to a rise in shorthorn numbers.

“The Manawatu is a strong region and we have some big herds in the South Island as well. Most of the herds we have are fairly well established and I think a lot of the interest in the breed comes from tradition. These young farmers remember their grandfather and great-grandfather having shorthorns.”

The Soffes plan to phase out their jersey stock in the next few years. They are in their third season on their farm just north of Stratford, having decided ‘for lots of good reasons’ to sell the sixth-generation family farm at Tikorangi.

“We plan to retire in a few years and sell this farm,” says Ross. “If a good opportunity came along, we would look at buying another farm; but what is most important for us is to disperse our trust to our children.”

“Ongoing research & development results in superior products & performance advantages including; more yield, faster milking, no slip and no teat end damage.”

Ross and Joanne Soffe are in their third season on this farm just north of Stratford. They sold the family farm at Tikorangi and bought this property as a transition towards retirement.

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DAIRY » Aad de Groot

14 |

NZ Dairy

Above: Aad de Groot (right) started sharemilking on his property near Morrinsville in 1988 and now runs the family farm with help from his son, Andrew (left). Right: Aad gets alongside one of his 270 cows, which are milked through an 18-a-side heringbone shed.

New tank brings storage capacity Kelly Deeks Waikato dairy farmer Aad de Groot has installed a new Kliptank above-ground, effluent-storage tank this year, allowing him to store effluent when the paddocks are too wet to irrigate.

He says he chose a Kliptank because he is able to gravity-feed effluent back to his in-ground concrete tank, and because it is space-efficient. de Groot is well pleased with his new system, which holds 825,000 litres of effluent and was built in one day, between 8am and 3pm, with minimal earthworks and disruption to the farm.

“The Kliptank guys were really efficient,” he says. “Everyone knew what they were doing.” de Groot runs a family farm on Roache Rd, near Morrinsville, where he started as a sharemilker on one 35-hectare block in 1988.

“We bought the farm off the owner in 1995, then in 2003, we bought the 35ha block next door.

“We went from a 10-a-side herringbone shed to an 18-a-side herringbone shed on the second block, so we doubled the herd.”

When Aad de Groot’s son, Andrew, left school in 2009, he came to work on the farm. He had worked as a relief-milker on other farms in the district, and had dairy farming in his blood.

This move coincided with an opportunity to lease another 35ha block from a neighbour, which allowed the de Groots to put on a few extra cows and keep all the young stock at home.

The family is now milking 270 cows and making quite a bit of supplement at home, including 35ha of silage and 15ha of balage, which gets used to feed the young stock, for drying off, and for leading into the winter.

The milking platform takes up 95ha, with the rest of the farm used to raise about 50 replacement calves and heifers.

The last three years have been dry on the de Groot farm, and they have brought in 60 tonnes of palm kernel to help them get through the early dry period.

They feed the palm kernel on a concrete area by the access race so that cows leaving the shed can choose to have a nibble or go straight back in to the paddock.

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In last season’s dry, the de Groots dried off the herd in early April. Their production was 107,500 kilograms of milksolids, compared with the farm’s best of 113,000kg milksolids.

Andrew de Groot...dairying is in his blood.

Aad is targeting 115,000kg milksolids this season. His experience with droughts means he is making sure he has enough bales to get through another possible dry summer.

NZ Dairy

DAIRY PEOPLE » Sam & Debbie Crowther

| 15

Sam has lower payout on radar Jo Bailey Sam Crowther says he hasn’t felt the impact of the drop in dairy payout just yet, but he is preparing for it.

“We expect to start feeling the effects towards the end of the season and at the beginning of next season when the retrospective payments will be a lot smaller than this year. We’re keeping an eye on spending and trying to reduce it where we can.”

Sam and his wife Debbie are 50:50 sharemilkers on Graeme and Madeline Rhodes’s 101-hectare dairy unit at Rata, about 20 minutes north of Marton.

They have been on the property since 2000 and milk 240 cows, an even mix of friesian and ayrshire.

“I like my little red cows,” says Sam. When Graeme Rhodes retired in 2005, the Crowthers took over the lease of a 169ha block he owns around 6km from the home farm. They use this for growing supplements, wintering and growing heifers out, and taking in some dairy grazing.

The home farm has two terraces, with the stony flats on the bottom terrace just above the Rangitikei River requiring careful management as they dry out badly and “turn into a desert” in summer, says Sam Crowther.

“Every autumn we undersow this part of the farm with annuals. We try to time it for when we think it’s going to rain so that we have heaps of grass to get through the winter.”

He brings between 120 and 150 tonnes of grass and six hectares of turnips across from the run-off to help them manage through the dry season.

The Crowthers milk their cows through a 24-bail herringbone cowshed on the top terrace, and target total production of around 100,000 kilograms of miksolids.

Sam is pretty happy with where the operation sits.

A self-confessed “town bloke” he came into dairying relatively late, at the age of 36. He grew up in Hunterville and, after leaving school, did some casual farmwork and shearing before going truckdriving for 12 years.

It wasn’t until 1996 that he entered the dairy industry after being offered a dairy assistant’s job

by John McManaway at Rata.

“I always wanted to farm and there seemed to be a lot more opportunities for progression in the dairy industry, so I took it.”

He had no experience, apart from a bit of relief milking when he was doing casual work, But, under the mentorship of John McManaway and his wife, Ide, he quickly learned the ropes.

“I went hard out to learn everything as fast as I could. They were great mentors and have helped a lot of people into the industry.”

Sam progressed from dairy assistant, to herd manager, to lower-order sharmilker while with the McManaways. At the same time he completed several courses on production management, business management and office systems, with Ide McManaway’s help.

“It’s extremely important to get the office side of things teed up when you go dairy farming. Ide really helped me get things sorted.”

The Crowthers eventually bought the 240 cows outright from the McManaways, and moved into the

It’s our pleasure to be able to assist Sam and Debbie in their farming life

Above: Sam and Debbie Crowther take a quad tour of the 101-unit they 50:50 sharemilk.

Left: Sam Crowther milks a mix of friesians and ayrshires.

The company with the specialised trucks Greer Ground Spraying is a member of the Rural Contractors Federation 50:50 sharemilking job with Graeme and Madeline Rhodes.

“The Rhodeses are great bosses too,” says Sam. “They leave all the on-farm decisions to us.

We run the major decisions like capital development by them, but they generally don’t have a problem with what we do.”

Debbie Crowther has helped on the farm all the way through, but wants a change from “standing around in gumboots on concrete all day” and is pursuing a new career as a caregiver to the elderly.

The couple’s son, William, is currently giving them a hand on the farm and they usually bring in an extra worker during calving.

Off farm Sam is a keen rugby man, and longtime stalwart of the Hunterville Rugby Club: “I’m still on the committee and the delegate to the sub-union.

I’m mad on rugby, but too old to play it.”

He says growth of their dairy operation is limited by its size: “We can’t milk any more cows without

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16 |

DAIRY PEOPLE: » Paddy & Debbie Thornton

NZ Dairy

No short cut past ‘hard graft’ Karen Phelps Paddy and Debbie Thornton are pleased to be farming in a 50-bail rotary dairy shed with no mod cons on their home farm at Maungaturoto.

“I feel that the person taking the cups off the cow is the most important person in the shed,” says Paddy Thornton.

“That person knows whether a cow is milked out, if it’s lame, or has mastitis. With automatic cup removers, you put the cups on, then never see the cows again.”

Both Paddy and Debbie came off Northland dairy farms – Paddy from Tangiteroria, halfway between Dargaville and Whangarei, and Debbie from Tauraroa. Paddy’s father died when Paddy was 14, and he had to take a more active role on the family farm.

He recalls that marrying Debbie came at a price: “I had a bet that I wouldn’t get married before I was 25. I lost the bet by eight days, so that cost me a keg of beer.”

In the same year, the couple went 50:50 sharemilking at Mata, south of Whangarei. In five years they expanded their herd from 200 to 250 cows.

They then moved to their present farm at Maungaturoto where they started with 330 cows on 145 hectares (effective). When they bought the farm in 1990, it was 160ha (effective) and milking 340 cows.

The Thorntons have amassed a sizeable business. They also own a 280ha-effective/ 359ha-total farm milking 550 cows just out of Maungaturoto, which is run by a lower-order sharemilker. They own a half-share in a 217ha (effective) farm milking 640 cows at Okaihau in the

• To page 17

Paddy and Debbie Thornton have built up a sizeable dairy business from their Maungaturoto base.

I feel that the person taking the cups off the cow is the most important person in the shed. That person knows whether a cow is milked out, if it’s lame, or has mastitis.

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NZ Dairy

DAIRY PEOPLE » Paul & Cherie McCarroll

| 17

Carlisa McCarroll feeds her pet calf (above) on the farm at Taipuha (right) where Paul and Cherie McCarroll milk a herd of 400 friesian cows.

‘All-rounder’ thrives on DIY challenge Karen Phelps Paul and Cherie McCarroll take pride in doing everything themselves on their 280-hectare farm at Taipuha, in Northland.

“My passion has always been to be an allrounder type of farmer,” says Paul McCarroll.

“I don’t like to just be stuck in the shed, I also like being out on the tractor and other jobs like fencing.”

He comes from one of the region’s pioneering families. The McCarrolls immigrated to the area from Ireland more than 150 years ago and started dairy farming.

Early on, Paul knew that farming was in his blood.

“From the time I was three, my parents knew I was going to be a farmer. As soon as I could, I would go out with my father and could stay out on the farm all day. I just lived for it,” he remembers.

After leaving school, which he freely admits was not his thing, Paul McCarroll completed a six-month

dairy course at Whangarei Polytechnic then went straight to work as a farm assistant on a 265-cow farm at Warkworth.

Next he herd-managed 180 cows on a farm at Maungaturoto before trying his luck in the South Island where he worked on a huge, 1300 to 1400cow property.

“It was dead flat in the South Island and irrigated land. It was the complete opposite of Northland. In Canterbury I just ended up spending long hours in the shed and I decided it wasn’t for me.”

Cherie McCarroll grew up on a farm in her early childhood and, when the pair met, they started their dairy career in earnest.

In 1995 they went 25 per cent sharemilking back on the 180-cow farm at Maungaturoto for a season before two years at Mata contract-milking a herd of 240 cows.

They took on another 25% sharemilking position at Maungaturoto on a 250-cow farm for three years before buying their first small farm. The 80ha unit at Waiotira milked 180 cows and it was perfect timing.

Land values rose swiftly coupled with significant

improvements made to the land, which saw them sell the farm for four times what they had paid for it, and raise milksolids production from 30,000 to 54,000 kilograms over six years.

They used the capital to invest in their present farm at Taipuha, which they own with Cherie’s parents, Brian and Nicky Stutt.

The McCarrolls milk a herd of 400 predominantly friesian cows. The unit is selfcontained – they grow all their own supplement and graze on farm. They are split calving and plan to increase the winter herd from 120 to between 160 and 180 to improve profitability, as their main focus is debt reduction.

They say that doing everything themselves gives them more control and works well with the land as the front of the farm is more suited to dairy and the more contoured rear of the property to being a run-off.

“We enjoy doing everything ourselves,” says Paul. “For example, we can’t blame someone if the heifers are too small because we don’t graze off. If something’s not right we have to sort it out.”

The herd is milked through a 26-a-side herringbone shed. The McCarrolls say they are starting to reap the benefits of significant regrassing over the past seven years. They grow 20ha of grass pit silage, 100 round bales, 8ha of turnips and 8ha of maize. Paul does the groundwork for the crops and planted the turnips himself.

Cherie does the bookwork and they employ two full-time staff. Paul says he likes to give school leavers an opportunity to enter the industry and is proud that the majority of them have carried on in the industry.

The McCarrolls have two children: Carlisa, 12 and Kurt, 16. Kurt, in particular, is showing an inclination for perhaps one day entering the dairy industry.

Now in his 26th year of milking cows, time has done nothing to diminish Paul McCarroll’s passion for the industry.

“Even with droughts for the past two years and facing the lower payout and spending long hours trying to find a way to make things work I still wouldn’t do anything else.”

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Equity partnership favoured • From page 16 Bay of Islands. It is run by a contract milker. They also have a 22 per cent share in a 255ha farm at Lochiel, Winton (South Island) milking 750 cows, and lease a 100ha run-off near their home farm for running young stock.

They put heavy emphasis on breeding and retaining cows in the herd. Their empty rate has averaged 5% for the last six seasons; they have achieved this by putting every cow on at least four weeks of once-a-day milking immediately after calving.

Every calf that goes into the Maungaturoto herd has a minimum breeding worth of 200; they sell the rest before they are mated. They say this cash injection has been a big part of developing their business.

The Thorntons say they have got to where they are through hard work and good timing, without any financial family assistance.

Paddy Thornton considers it is still possible for new farmers to come through the system the way they have, although he thinks sharemilking as a pathway can be risky and favours equity partnerships.

“There are not many sharemilking jobs, so you could be left high and dry with a herd if the farm got sold or anything went wrong. Go into an equity partnership on a farm, then be the sharemilker on it,” he advises.

“This way you could get out of the partnership at a later date and buy your own farm. “There are still pathways to go down, but it’s hard work. There’s no doubt about that. It’s seven days a week. The first five years I never had a milking off.”

He runs the home farm with a couple of staff and looks after the lease block. He milks every morning during spring. Right now his aim is to manage costs with the drop in payout.

The Thorntons’ goal for this season is to produce 110,000 kilograms of milksolids on the home farm, 170,000kg on the farm just out of Maungaturoto, 250,000kg at Okaihau, and 370,000kg at Lochiel.

Paddy admits they would like to expand their business further.

“We’d like to invest again, probably in the South Island because of the better consistency of production than in the North Island, where it’s possible to get severe droughts.

“If you sit still, you get left behind.”

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18 |

DAIRY PEOPLE » Lisa Hicks & Graeme Sorensen

NZ Dairy

A matter of ‘continual learning’ It took eight years for me

Sue Russell For dairying couple Lisa Hicks and Graeme Sorensen, life at “the base of the Mountain” near Ohakune is very much about taking each day as it comes.

They have embraced working at AWHI Dairy with a pioneering attitude, and while there are plenty of challenges ahead and just four months on the 490-hectare (375ha effective) farm and with its 770 cows, Lisa says they are enjoying the experience.

“The farm is on average 800 metres above sea-level. The land is continuous rolling to flat with medium fertility soil with its fair share of stones and volcanic ash in the mix. It doesn’t drain that well through the winter and, because it is susceptible to pugging, we graze some of our stock off the farm.”

AWHI Dairy is one of a number of farms and

to complete the diploma because I am dyslexic and have had to cope with this all my life. stations owned by Atihau Whanganui Incorporation, which was established in 1970 following an order of the Maori Land Court to take back and manage just over 40,000 hectares of land originally vested in the Aotea Maori Land Council by Maori of Whanganui at the turn of the century.

The bulk of the land is in sheep, cattle and forestry interests. AWHI Dairy is the only dairy unit

Lisa Hicks(right) teaches Naomi Kan the ancient art of ear tagging. operating under the incorporation’s umbrella.

While Graeme Sorensen was brought up on a dairy farm, he was a mechanic by trade and it was through a conscious decision by the couple to take a new direction that they turned toward dairy farming. To ground herself in this new way of life, Lisa completed an agribusiness diploma through Primary ITO. “It took eight years for me to complete the diploma because I am dyslexic and have had to cope with this all my life,” Lisa explains.

Situated so close to the ski-slopes the life-style change has brought Lisa the opportunity to try her hand at skiing. The farm also borders the Old Coach Road walkway, a popular route for trampers.

The proximity of visitors to the farm is something she is always mindful of, says Lisa.

“We really want to display the farm at its optimum, aware there are visitors looking at it.”

While farm life is busy enough for the couple, Lisa’s 21-year-old son, Andrew, and the two other workers, she has still found the time to establish a discussion group with Dairy New Zealand. The Left: At 800 metres above sea level AWHI Dairy is hit by winter storms, as managers Lisa Hicks and Graeme Sorenson can testify.

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couple hosted their first discussion group visit in mid-October.

The goal this season is to produce 225,000 kilograms of milksolids by making the best use of resources. The ultimate goal is to increase the herd of friesian and friesian-cross stock to 1000.

Their contract is for two years and they’re viewing the hard work they are putting in to the farm as building leverage to assist them with their next professional step in farming.

“Our interaction with Atihau Whanganui Incorporation is very corporate, very professional, with monthly meetings with all their farm managers at the trust’s office in Ohakune,” she says.

“At these meetings we discuss where we are in terms of goals set for the year, and it’s a good way for us to be connected with the total operation of the organisation.”

The couple own a small beef farm in Hawke’s Bay. They use the 35-hectare block to hold carryover cows.

Lisa has also been asked to go to the Dairy NZ leaders’ forum in Wellington. It’s a challenge of a different kind and she is very much looking forward to.

“I think it is about continual learning and embracing new opportunities as they present.

That’s very much our philosophy in life.”

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NZ Dairy

DAIRY PEOPLE » Jos & Hester Slabbekoorn

| 19

Opportunity, lifestyle suits Jos Jo Bailey South Wairarapa contract milker Jos Slabbekoorn came to New Zealand from Holland in 1998 for a “bit of an adventure” and never left.

“I enjoy the freedom of living in New Zealand and the opportunities to build a dairy business here.

There is no way you could do the same in Holland unless you are a farmer’s son, and even then it’s quite hard.”

Jos and his wife Hester are in their ninth season working for Bosch Farming, a 485 ha (320 ha effective) property at Kahutara, near Featherston, owned by Brian and Joanne Bosch. Starting out as farm manager and the last 5 seasons as contract milker.

“Brian and Jo have allowed us to grow within their portfolio, and we now have 250 of our own cows in the herd of 1100 which is great,” says Jos. Milking a large mixed-breed herd through a 48 bail rotary cowshed is one of the biggest challenges of the farm.

To make management easier, Jos has split the cows into three herds, which have different milking regimes.

The largest 420-cow Friesian herd is on twicea-day milking until the tail end of the season; the 320-cow crossbred herd switches to once-a-day milking around Christmas time, and the remaining two-year-old first calvers are on once-a-day milking throughout the season.

“We’ve also started to phase out the Friesians all together and breed back to a Kiwicross herd as the Friesians are less suitable for all-grass farming and hardly fit in the bails in the cowshed.”

The introduction of automatic cup removers within the last year has also taken a huge amount of pressure off Jos’s staff, he says.

“It is basically a one-man shed now, but before we got the cup removers milking took the good part of two hours for two people. Staff management is now so much easier. If someone wants time off it’s a simple decision as there is not so much strain on the rest of the staff if someone is sick or away.”

The Slabbekoorns are responsible for everything to do with the cows, milkings, and staff on the farm, while Brian Bosch does the agricultural work and looks after the yearlings.

“Hester does all the farm administration for our side of the business, and we are about to take on our fifth full time staff member,” says Jos. The 320ha milking platform is basically flat, with the cows sent to a sand hills area on the property for winter grazing.

The balance of the 485ha property is used for

Contract milker Jos Slabbekoorn (far right) , wife Hester and their five children with farm owners Brian and Joanne Bosch at left. The Bosch farm at Kahutara (above), near Featherstone milks a 1100 mixed breed herd through a 48 bail rotary shed. growing barley, maize and grazing young stock.

“We grow about 45ha of barley that we usually feed for about eight weeks from 14 days before mating until the end of AI. However this year we had a big flood with about 60ha under water so started feeding out a bit earlier.”

Otherwise the system is all grass, apart from maize fed from the end of January or early February to put weight back on the cows and extend the round out.

The farm is not quite self-contained, with around 130 of the property’s 285 weaner calves about to be sent out for grazing, with the remainder kept at home.

Jos says the couple is settled in their current position and have a good relationship with the Bosch’s.

“I think getting on with the farm owners is more important than moving to another job just to make more money. It’s worth a lot.”

Jos and Hester have plenty of potential helpers on the farm, with five children, four boys and a girl, ranging in ages from two to 11 years old.

“The kids love the lifestyle. It’s quite fantastic compared to Europe. I could never imagine going back.”

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20 |

DAIRY PEOPLE » Josh & Alex Cooper/ Chris & Jennifer Turner

NZ Dairy

Opportunity knocks right next door Kelly Deeks

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Josh and Alex Cooper have stepped up to 50:50 sharemilking this season, taking on a second job on a neighbouring property at Manutahi, in South Taranaki, Josh Cooper had been making his way up the dairy-industry ranks for 10 years before landing a lower-order sharemilking position on Nicola Luxton’s 400-cow farm at Manutahi three seasons ago.

The couple were looking for a large 50:50 sharemilking position this season, but when the opportunity came up on Murray and Edna Saxton’s 190-cow unit next door, it was too convenient to pass up.

They now have one of their staff from the lowerorder farm managing the 50:50 farm.

Although the farms neighbour one another and have the same stocking rate of 3.5 cows to the hectare, they are running different systems.

“The lower-order job is high input and the 50:50 job is low input,” Josh Cooper says. “It is really interesting this year having the same stocking rate, but on the little farm, fertility and pasture production is so fantastic we can get away with system two, low input.”

The 50:50 farm is supported by a nine-hectare run-off block 10 minutes down the road where the Coopers cut and carry silage and hay, and winter 50 cows.

The lower-order farm has a 125ha run-off block where all the cows are wintered and all replacement stock are grazed.

With judging based on the Coopers’ performance on the lower-order farm, the couple won the Ravensdown pasture performance award at the 2014 Taranaki Dairy Industry Awards.

Josh Cooper describes himself as a proactive farmer, and, especially in running the high-input farm, has to have the confidence he is going to achieve the production he needs to see a financial return.

“You’ve got to have an understanding of what you’re putting into your cows,” he says. “We run high-cost feeds, so we need to make sure we do that at the right time of the season to get the best return.”

The Coopers are heading towards increases in production on both farms this season. They are targeting production of 200,000 kilograms of milksolids (which would be up from 186,000kg last season) on the lower-order property, and 80,000kg milksolids on the 50:50 property (record production on this farm stands at 58,000kg milksolids).

Above: Josh and Alex Cooper (above) have taken on a second job this season – 50:50 sharemilking a neighbouring Manutahi farm in South Taranaki. The couple have been lower -order sharemilking in South Taranaki for three years.

Right: The Coopers also celebrated (right) success at the 2014 Taranaki Dairy Industry Awards. They won the pasture performance award.

Upper left: Heifers graze.

Chis enjoys the benefits of Karen Phelps Chris and Jennifer Turner, who are running a stocking rate of almost four cows to the hectare, say their main focus is to use all the grass on their 68-hectare (51ha effective) property at Kihikihi, near Te Awamutu.

“We can’t make much silage because of the stocking rate,” says Chris Turner. “We grew 1.2ha of sorghum this year for extra feed, but we want to moderate the amount of supplement we use.

“By November we usually stop feeding supplement (palm kernel, molasses, maize silage) for one month depending on grass growth and quality.”

He was raised on the property and is the third generation of the family to farm here. His grandparents, David and Lois, bought the farm in

Proud to support Josh Cooper 94 Broadway, Stratford 4332 E-mail: alfamilker@xtra.co.nz Free Phone: 0800 756 8626 Phone: 06 765 5131

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1955. Chris’ parents, Ross and Carol, eventually took over and Chris completed a dairy-cadet scheme after leaving school.

He gained experience on sheep-and-beef units before returning to the farm as a lower-order sharemilker when his parents wanted to retire.

He has now completed several seasons there.

The farm is owned by a trust, with Chris and Jennifer having a 70 per cent interest.

The couple milk a herd of jersey cows through a 24-a-side herringbone shed. The lighter breed suits the farm well, says Chris.

“They cause less damage in terms of pugging and eat less than a friesian cow.”

The Turners own four bulls, and the Karaka Jersey Stud (185 pedigree jersey cows) and the Kilcreggan Stud (15 pedigree ayrshire cows) are both run from the farm. The studs sell heifer and bull calves by private sales. Ross Turner, who

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NZ Dairy

DAIRY PEOPLE » Jim & Jennifer Haldane

| 21

Jim back in beloved Bay Jo Bailey Contract milker Jim Haldane had always wanted to go back to farm at Patoka in the Hawke’s Bay, where he started his dairy career 17 years ago.

And last season he got his wish.

“I’d been trying to convince my wife, Jennifer, to come here for years. We returned from Australia nearly 10 years ago and worked on farms at Mangakino, Ngatea and in the Manawatu before finally coming back to Patoka.

“Now we’re here we both think it’s one of the best things we ever did.”

Jennifer Haldane says her husband’s persistence paid off, and she is enjoying the close proximity to “beautiful Napier” from the 270-hectare property they farm north-west of Taradale.

“Our previous farms have been quite isolated.

We’ve always been people on the fringe, so it’s great to be close to town.”

Being near good-quality boarding schools for their children, Bridgette, 13 and Timothy, 12, was another reason for the move, she says.

When the couple moved to the farm before the start of last season, it was in receivership.

“We worked with the bank until the property was sold and was surprised how well it performed,” says Jim. “We managed to get 80,000 kilograms of milksolids more than the previous season, and 50,000kg milksolids more than the best the farm had ever done. All it needed was a bit of TLC.” The property has since been sold to Gisborne couple Callum and Jan Sinton from the Sinton Family Trust.

“We’ve got a great relationship with the Sintons.

Callum fell in love with this place as well and could see its potential.”

There have been a few “teething blues” acclimatising a new herd to the 220ha (effective) dairy unit – some of the cows from Auckland had never stepped onto a rotary platform before.

In spite of the challenges, they have set ambitious production targets of 275,000kg milksolids from 600 cows, with a goal of eventually increasing this to 300,000kg.

The next step is to ‘buy some cows or a piece of dirt, whatever comes first’ – Jim Haldane.

“Our strategies are pretty simple really – feed the cows well and keep growing good quality grass,” says Jim. “We are always striving to get the most out of the cows, and pasture management is the key.”

The pastures have good fertility, but quite a bit of re-grassing is required, he says.

The Haldanes employ three full-time staff; Jennifer helps with calf rearing and relief milking, and does all the accounts.

They live about an hour from Jim’s parents, who still farm the sheep-and-beef unit in the next valley where he grew up.

“I originally decided to get into dairying after seeing I could make a bit more money than my mates who were shepherding. My first job was with the late Neil Armitage at Patoka, who ended up being an important mentor. I still miss being able to call in and see him.”

After a year or two there, Haldane went to

Australia, initially to drive big tractors, but lasted only six months before he was back milking cows.

He met Jennifer in Australia soon after, and both their children were born there before they returned home in 2005.

While Jim was working for Landcorp at Ngatea, he won the 2009 Auckland Hauraki Farm Manager of the Year award. He enjoys passing his knowledge on to younger staff, with many going on to contractmilk or manage farms themselves.

“I like to be hands-on, teaching the young staff how to do things. In some ways it’s a tribute to Neil Armitage for all the knowledge he passed on to me.”

As contract milkers at Patoka, the Haldanes own their own machinery. The next step is to “buy some cows or a piece of dirt, whatever comes first”, says Jim. “In the meantime we definitely want to see this farm come forward. We work it like it’s our own and believe it has good potential.”

Congratulating Jim & Jennifer Haldane, wishing them the best in the future

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What Jim Haldane missed so much..the view across to the hill from their Hawke’s Bay farm.

running a small farm started the studs, and remains in charge of most of the breeding.

Last season 16ha was bought and added to the farm and Chris and Jennifer are slowly cultivating this section of the farm and putting in new pastures.

They previously leased 20ha, so buying this land has given them more control and ownership, says Chris.

“We can control the health of the herd better as there is now less chance of disease from them mixing with other cows as we used to have to graze off farm.”

They are concentrating on improving pasture species and re-grassing 10% of the farm each year.

Per-cow production will be improved through better breeding. Last season the Turner farm produced 74,000 kilograms of milksolids; this season they are targeting 80,000kg. They usually milk latecalvers until the end of May.

The Turners employ no staff. Chris does the dayto-day running of the farm, Ross feeds the heifer calves and milks in the mornings, and Jennifer does the bookwork.

Chris and Jennifer have four children: Anna, 10; Benjamin, 7; Caitlin, 5; and Rebecca, 4.

The Turners say their aim is to cut down to a herd of 190 cows so that they can simplify their feeding regime, use fewer inputs, and have more time for family.

Farm ownership is the overall aim.

“Being third generation is useful as the herd has been bred for such a long time they’re good, quiet cows with good udders.

“We don’t have to employ other people and can rely on family. It’s a simpler system, which means we can be completely in control of it. When most other farms have gone bigger, it feels good to run a small farm profitably.”

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NZ Dairy

DAIRY PEOPLE » Brendon & Tania Fernyhough

| 23

Cool milkings at Walton Karen Phelps When cows step into Brendan and Tania Fernyhough’s cowshed during the hot summer months, they are greeted by a cloud of cool vapour.

It’s a new cooling system the couple has had installed in their shed to keep the cows comfortable and, they hope, increase production as a result.

“We saw a system like this in Vegas when we were there on holiday in the United States,” says Brendan Fernyhough. “It was 40-45 degrees Celsius and a system outside some of the retail stores was making a fog that made you cool but not wet.”

With the help of a local electrical company the couple had a similar system installed in their 34-a-side herringbone dairy shed at Walton, near Matamata. Water flows around a pipe that has been installed around the shed, and nozzles on the pipe spray out the water.

Although it is too soon to tell if the system has been successful, the Fernyhoughs are confident it will certainly increase cow and staff comfort, if not have a positive effect on their business. It’s no secret that dairy cows experiencing heat stress have reduced milk production and reproductive performance.

“It can get to 30˚C under the roof of the shed and production does drop with the heat,” says Brendan. “The cows are standing around with their tongues hanging out in the summer time. If the cows are comfortable, they are happy and produce better for you. If you look after the cows, they will look after you.”

Both animal and staff welfare are high priorities for the couple who are the third generation to farm the 110-hectare-effective/120ha-total unit.

Brendan’s grandparents, Merv and Joan, bought the farm nearly 60 years ago. At the time it was literally a 65ha paddock, with a house with no electricity. Brendan’s parents, John and Carol, then took over, and Brendan and Tania followed in 2007.

The family has spent a lot of time clearing areas of swamp, cutting down trees, digging open drains, contouring paddocks, filling in gullies, and doing the majority of any development they could do by hand, such as building the farm’s first cowshed and a silage pit.

Brendan and Tania Fernyhough now milk a herd of 350 friesian and friesian-cross cows. They use on-off grazing in summer to protect pastures and stand cows under trees when it gets too hot. They like to use natural methods to support traditional farming, and use homeopathy on the farm.

“We still use antibiotics to treat mastitis, but back it up with homeopathy. It’s about prevention as well as cure,” says Brendan, who admits the farm has not got on top of mastitis yet.

“We’re culling cows with high somatic cell counts and have bought a mastitis-culturing kit.

This means we can identify the exact type of

Brendan and Tania Fernyhough have installed a vapour cooling system in their dairy shed to keep the herd – and staff – cool and comfortable during the hottest days of summer. mastitis and use the right drugs straight away.”

He says the lower payout has been beneficial for helping them sharpen their operation.

“The challenge will be to take the things we learn and apply them in a higher-payout year.”

Pasture management also crucial for the couple.

They use a pasture meter to measure the farm once a week, which gives them information to work out rounds and identify holes in the feed wedge. This season they have done more mowing ahead of the cows to help set the residuals on the farm.

“Cows are now eating fertility spots because we’ve mown, which has elevated sugar levels in those areas making the grass more palatable,” says Brendan.

Tania’s passion is the business side of the operation. She did a dairy production systems

It can get to 30 degrees Celsius under the roof of the shed and production does drop with the heat.

The cows are standing around with their tongues hanging out in the summer time.

nutrition course several years ago and does a variety of jobs on the farm, including nutrition, sourcing feed, accounts and staff protocols.

Brendan looks after the more physical aspects of the work, such as cultivation, mowing, fertiliser application etc. The farm employs one full-time and one part-time staff member, and Brendan’s dad, John, still helps out.

Last season the farm produced 520 kilograms of milksolids per cow. This season the target remains 520kg, but higher profits through better use

of pasture and buying in less feed. They will grow 21ha of maize on a 28ha lease block and 5ha of maize on farm, as well as 8ha of plantain and 4.5ha of lucerne.

The couple have three children – Liam, 12, Oliver, 9 and Jack, 7 – and have big aims for their business.

“We want to be good stewards of the land and good ambassadors of the dairy industry,” says Brendan. “Our goal is to one day be in the top 10% of farmers in New Zealand for profitability.”

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DAIRY PEOPLE » Brent Pocock

24 |

NZ Dairy

`They give 100% – with a smile’ Neil Grant “Communication is the big thing,” says Brent Pocock.

Pocock manages a large dairy farm on the outskirts of Palmerston North, and the people he is communicating with are four new workers on the farm who come from the Philippines. The other six staff are New Zealanders, and the communication applies not only to that between him as manager and the new staff, but also among all staff members as they go about their daily tasks.

The Filipinos were recruited through Cross Country Recruitment, a company that specialises in finding overseas workers for New Zealand farms.

“Two of them came to us straight from the Philippines and the other two had been working in Saudi Arabia,” says Pocock.

“They have all been very good. There were teething problems, of course, with communication and stockmanship. But if you are looking for reliability – someone who is going to be there in the morning, be willing to work and give 100 per cent, and be polite and pleasant ...”

The two who came directly from the Philippines were qualified as vets in their country. One of the others had worked in a dairy factory, and the other had done tractor work. None had any real experience with milking practice or other daily farm work.

• To page 25

They need to farm here for a year to give them time to learn the New Zealand way. Initially they were shocked at the way we do things, but now they are well settled Four of Brent Pocock’s 10 farm workers are from the Philippines (above and left), and two are qualified as vets in that country.

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DAIRY PEOPLE » Megan & Michael Webster

| 25

Mochaccinos to milking cups Sue Russell A change in career direction that wasn’t completely unexpected led Michael Webster and then fiancé Megan Allott from inner-city Auckland life to return to the home-farm in Ngatea in 2007.

“We were newly engaged and had finished degrees at Auckland Uni,” says Megan. “Michael’s parents, Richard and Gillian, indicated they wanted him to take over running the farm, so that set us on a new course and to the life we now enjoy.”

Eight years on and with a busy young family in the form of four-year-old Ben and Hayley, 20 months, the Websters have worked hard in progressing from farm assistant through contract milking to equity partners.

As well as being fully involved in farm administration and the responsibilities that go with employing staff, Megan works off the farm as a financial accountant for the Thames-Coromandel District Council.

The 629 friesian cross cows are milked through two sheds, with a manager employed for each shed.

“I am still fully on the ground alongside the staff,” says Michael. “It is where I want to be at this stage in the journey. I love it; it’s hard work, but I enjoy the challenges and the variety.”

As part of striving to improve performance and output, the couple were accepted as a focus farm under the P3 Trust in June.

“The top farms on the plain are doing up to 1500 kilograms of milksolids per hectare,” says Megan Webster.

“We are trying to achieve a sustainable 380kg milksolids per per year and eventually hope to increase our stock to 635 milkers per year at a stocking rate of 2.9 per hectare.”

To guide the planning and operation of the farm, they have a strategic plan centred around four cornerstones – animals, people, profit, feed.

Working through the process of stepping back

and thinking about their key goals was a valuable experience that has given them a secure sense of direction, she says.

“We attended the DairyNZ Mark and Measure strategy and business seminars to help Michael and me ground our goals. We did feel like we had found the finish-line.”

To cement their sense that the goals were right for them and the farm, they discussed their thoughts with Michael’s parents to see if there were any differences between them. Megan says this allowed the parents to pretty much work themselves out of the business in time.

She is a member of the P3 Trust, an initiative to spur on productivity of dairy farms in the Hauraki Plains area. It’s a project they are now directly receiving the benefits from, since becoming a focus farm.

“The trust aims to enhance farm profitability and sustainability for the benefit of the whole community,” says Megan.

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Brent Pocock offers a broad dairying experience for his Filipino staff.

Herd’s genetic strength a priority • From page 24 “They need to farm here for a year to give them time to learn the New Zealand way,” says Pocock.

“Initially they were shocked at the way we do things, but now they are well settled in. They do everything with a smile. If they can see a future here, I would love to keep them on next year.”

Two of the workers are married, and all send money home to their families. There are houses available on the farm, but they have chosen to all live together in one house in a flatting arrangement.

They have bought a car, and are involved in social activities with other Filipino workers in the district.

Social media helps keep them informed as to who is where.

Pocock’s farm certainly provides them with a broad dairying experience. For instance, he has concentrated on building up his herd’s genetic

strength rather than increasing cow numbers as a means of maximising profitability, while not putting too much strain on the farm’s infrastructure and environment.

Synchronising the mating of 400 heifers leads to having to calve 1000 cows over eight days, creating surplus stock and then seeing where they are best suited. From the calves, he kept 600 bestof-breed replacements and sold the others. Around 100 qualified for overseas sale to China, Myanmar and Vietnam, all of which are building up their dairy herds.

“I don’t know whether in the long term this is a good or a bad thing (for dairying in New Zealand),” says Pocock. “If it’s not, we can only blame ourselves.”

But with Fonterra’s payout being less this season, the extra income from those overseas sales is a good means of maintaining profitability.

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“Michael has learnt so much through the visits.

Farmers come from around the district and there’s a real sense that every farmer involved wants to see the whole Hauraki Plains area reach its full potential.”

One area Michael is especially keen to develop is the whole business of grazing management and tactics.

Their farm has 120 paddocks of various sizes, and for the next while the Websters intend to concentrate on exploring grass species and summer cropping.

“I’m just amazed at these successful farmers, what they know and what they achieve,” says Megan. “They are very passionate.”

She acknowledges that time management is a big challenge.

“We have so much on our plates, but we’re passionate about farming and know that all the hard work now will make our business stronger,” she says.

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ON FARM » Gerry & Heni O’Donnell

26 |

NZ Dairy

It’s one big happy family Kelly Deeks Exceedingly long-serving farm managers Gerry and Heni O’Donnell have spent the past 32 years working on Bruce and Annette Cave’s Seafield Rd farm near Wanganui.

Gerry O’Donnell graduated from Massey University in 1981 with a degree in agriculture, and decided to set off on his OE. “This job was advertised in 1992 as a six-month contract for casual fencing and stock work,” he says. “I thought that would be a great way to save up for my trip. It was a sheep-and-beef farm then, which is where I wanted to go, and I ended up staying on until it was converted to dairy in 1992.

“The owners asked me if I wanted to take on milking, which I didn’t, but we did a budget and realised that managing the dairy farm would help us achieve our goal of farm ownership.”

In 2005 the O’Donnells bought their first farm, at Ballance, in partnership with a local farm consultant. In 2008 they started looking around for a local opportunity and bought a 75 per cent stake in a 185-hectare run-off block and a 130ha farm just south of Wanganui. In partnership with former staff members Brendan and Kim Gardner, they ran 380 cows there. The Gardners now run both of those blocks while the O’Donnells milk 1100 cows on the 520ha Cave farm with a 250ha run-off.

Gerry O’Donnell says the couple’s tenure has lasted so long because the Caves are very good to work for. The location and quality schools were also good for their children.

“A lot of people struggle with finding staff and retaining them, but our senior staff member has been here for 14 years, and another has been here for 12 years.

“We have no problem retaining staff. It’s a good

• To page 27

The workers and partners, the farm consultant and partner celebrate at a Christmas dinner on November 28. Managers Gerry and Heni O’Donnell are seated on the right-hand end of the front row, and owners are in the back row (Bruce Cave, second from left, and Annette on the far right).

A lot of people struggle with finding staff and retaining them, but our senior staff member has been here for 14 years, and another has been here for 12 years. We have

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NZ Dairy

ON FARM » Hal & Penny Harding

Biological changes couple they’re on the right track Jo Bailey Soil and animal health have improved dramatically on Hal and Penny Harding’s dairy farm since they switched to a biological farming system around seven years ago.

“Within 18 months we noticed evidence of improvements in cow health, with a drop in mastitis and an increase in fertility and production,” says Hal Harding. “Our fertiliser bill has halved, but we’re still growing at least as much grass, and probably more than we used to.”

He says the worm count on the farm is edging up and the cows don’t have to eat as much pasture to produce the same amount of milk as before.

“There have been enough positive changes to convince us we are on the right track.”

The Kaipara couple have been farming the property, two kilometres from Dargaville, for 35 years. Hal’s great-grandfather bought the original part of the farm from local iwi about 130 years ago.

They converted to dairying 10 years ago after running an intensive cropping operation for 20 years, growing mainly squash and kumara.

Around this time they also leased and then bought a neighbouring block from Hal’s brother.

This was incorporated into the dairy unit, along with land owned by two other brothers. The total farm

area is now 513 hectares, 390 of it effective.

After a couple of years of dairying Hal and Penny realised something wasn’t quite right.

“The farm and the cows looked sick and we realised that 20 years of intensive cropping had damaged the soil structure, resulting in limited pasture growth on the flats,” says Hal. “That’s when we decided to investigate other methods of farming.”

After going to several seminars and talking to other dairy farmers following biological principles, they decided it was a good option for them.

“We stopped putting poisons such as insecticides and herbicides onto the land and stopped drenching the cows and using antibiotics.

We reverted to biological products that enhanced the natural eco-systems.”

Soil restoration and pasture quality and diversity are important elements of the Hardings’ biological system.

They sow a range of species that includes four types of ryegrass, four types of clover, timothy, cocksfoot, chicory, plantain and tall fescue, that allows them to produce feed right through winter, the drier summers, and all the months in between.

“We have plenty of pasture year round,” says Hal. “Some of the species have strong taproots that work down to the subsoil to help break the soil and

| 27

Photos (above and lower left): Kaipara couple Hal and Penny Harding are getting good results from the biological system they use on their 513-hectare farm near Dargaville. bring the minerals up to the surface for the animals to eat.”

Pasture regeneration work is ongoing with the addition of biological activators, he says.

“It is not possible for us to renew all the pastures at once, so we’ve focused on repairing the soil structure on the flat land first. However, we do try to apply biological fertiliser over the whole farm when we can. It does vary a bit as you have to try to spend where you are getting the best bang for your buck.”

Their 850 cows produced 340,000 kilograms of milksolids – about 400kg a cow - last season.

“We run a range of systems within the operation, with 350 autumn-calving cows producing winter milk and 500 spring-calvers, around 200 of which go onto once-a-day milking.

The average daily production is around 1.6kg milksolids per cow.”

Production is increasing each year, but with only a three-year history on the dairy farm before the shift to a biological farming system, Harding cannot attribute the increases solely to the new methods.

“I can’t put my hand on my heart and say the production increase is due to biological farming, as many variables distort the results. Last year we had a stinking drought and did our best production ever.

We stopped putting poisons such as insecticides and

With the payout still high we were able to import supplements to keep our cows going, which helped us achieve the result.”

About 20 farmers came to a recent Introduction to Biological Farming discussion day on the property.

“We had a lot of positive feedback with people saying they learned heaps and were really grateful for the opportunity. Our four staff also buy in to the programme and have learned a lot.”

Harding says it makes sense that food grown in well-mineralised soil provides benefits to animal and human health. He and Penny have a large vegetable garden and eat organically where possible.

Around three years ago they signed on as a flagship for the Integrated Kaipara Harbour Management Group, which aims to restore the health of the harbour and ensure poisons are not running into if off farms, affecting fish, animal and plant life.

“One of the best barometers of land health we’ve noticed on our own property has been the return of the wood pigeons,” says Hal Harding. “We hadn’t seen any for years until about four years ago. Now we have half a dozen living near the house.

“After 20 years of beating up the farm it is really satisfying to be on the road to recovery. It’s not an overnight thing but with a long-term change in philosophy and commitment, we are definitely making good progress.”

herbicides onto the land and stopped drenching the cows and using antibiotics.

Farm virtually self-sufficient in terms of labour

Authorized Dealer

• From page 26 environment, we’re close to town, the wages are good, the facilities are good, and the machinery all works well with our on-farm mechanic.”

He says the farm is fairly self-sufficient. He and four staff deal with all the work, including cutting silage and forming races. Contractors are engaged only to spread fertiliser.

“Our boss buys machinery like it’s going out of fashion,” he says. “The only reason we don’t spread fertiliser is because we’re a coastal property and our races are all sand. They get very muddy and running heavy gear down them is avoided.”

Since the old 40-a-side herringbone milking shed was replaced with a new 54-bail rotary dairy in 2011, the O’Donnells have been able feed barley, palm kernel and molasses through the in-shed feeding system. Removing maize from the cows’ diet has reduced the number of silage wagons

UTV - ATV - OFF ROAD SPECIALISTS This 54-bail rotary shed was built in 2011 on Bruce and Annette Cave’s Wanganui farm. using the races and limited associated damage.

But, he says, the main reason for quitting maize was consistently poor yields on the run-off.

Production has also improved since the new shed was built, says Gerry O’Donnell: “Three years ago we were right down at 320,000 kilograms of milksolids; we’re now up to 451,000kg milksolids.

This year we’re looking on target for 470,000kg milksolids with about 30 fewer cows.”

Pasture quality is the big issue on the Cave farm.

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recently, and if the good spring weather continues, O’Donnell says he will have to shut up more silage.

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“That’s the hardest thing to get right because it changes every year. If you don’t get the cows in calf well, it impacts on next year, and maintaining quality pastures always changes because of the weather. You’ve got to be on the ball, monitoring all the time.”

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ON FARM » Matt & Natasha MacInnes/Matt & Wanda Geddes

28 |

NZ Dairy

Sharemilkers move a step closer to their 50:50 goal Kelly Deeks

We have fewer cows

Matt and Natasha MacInnes are on their way towards 50:50 sharemilking with a step up this year from 20 to 36 per cent sharemilking on the MacInnes family farm on the Hauraki Plains.

Last season the MacInneses owned 100 cows, which were leased back to the farm. This season they have bought another 75 cows and now own half the 350-cow herd they are milking. Next season they plan to buy out the remainder of the herd.

The farm area has dropped to 120 hectares after a 65ha block was sold off; herd numbers were reduced from 520 cows to 350. Help on the farm has been cut from 2.5 labour units to just one.

Nick Hooper, who was second-in-charge last season, has gone down the road to manage the MacInnes family’s 200-cow farm, while Ken Stewart, who relief-milked for MacInnes last season, has taken up the full-time farm assistant role on the home farm.

MacInnes is the third generation of his family to work the family farm, and the block that was recently sold was added only about five years ago.

This block was developed and then sold on when land prices were high last year.

The MacInnes family is now looking for another opportunity to expand.

“We have fewer cows but a higher stocking

but a higher stocking rate from last season, so we’re putting in a bit more palm kernel.

Field days proved popular at the MacInnes property on the Hauraki Plains. rate from last season, so we’re putting in a bit more palm kernel,” says Matt. “We used to feed it at a concentrated rate only at the start and end of lactation; now we’re feeding it at a lower rate all through the season.”

He says downsizing was a good opportunity to cull non-performing cows, and he has been left with a really good herd.

He has upped the artificial-insemination period from four weeks to six weeks this season, having not achieved satisfactory results from the bull last season. Eighty per cent of the herd were put through AI in the first three weeks. The bull will go in for four weeks after AI. MacInnes’ six week in-calf rate was 65% last season, and this season he is aiming to get closer to the industry target of 78%.

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Drought forces rethink Kelly Deeks

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Matt and Wanda Gaddes have reconsidered their ideal production level after a couple of tough drought seasons have them looking for something “a bit more sustainable”.

The Gaddeses are lower-order sharemilking 310 cows and have an equity share on a 103-hectare (effective) farm owned by Matt’s parents, Al and Pat Gaddes, near Morrinsville.

The couple have been working on the farm for the past seven seasons.

Matt Gaddes says the past couple of years have been tough with the droughts.

“As two families that needed a better living, we all sat around the table to try to find a production level that’s a bit more sustainable.

“Our main goal is to lift production to 130,000 kilograms milksolids. We were doing an average of 110,000kg milksolids, and we realised we needed to lift that in order to become plummet-proof, year

in year out, with a bit more fixed cost.”

The Gaddes farm got close to its target and produced 128,000kg milksolids last season, while this season the low payout sees the couple now targeting 125,000kg milksolids.

“Because of the low payout, we decided to pull back on our feed,” Mark Gaddes says. “We were bringing in a higher-quality feed through the silo, but now they’re getting palm kernel and tapioca in a little bit less quantity.”

The Gaddeses have had some good financial advice from their farm consultant, Peter Kane, from Waikato Farm Management, to set them on track to reach their goal.

He is getting the couple to monitor their budget on a monthly basis. He has also talked them into increasing the amount of chicory, a feed crop they have been growing for the last three years.

“The first season we only put in 10ha of chicory, this year we’re planting 15 per cent of the farm in chicory,” Gaddes says.

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NZ Dairy

ON FARM: » Chris & Rachel Davison

| 29

Fourth generation looks to future Karen Phelps The fourth generation is starting to make its mark on the Davison family farm near Wanganui.

Originally a 50-acre (20 hectares) ballot block on Rapanui Rd, the farm was bought by Thomas Davison in 1919. Thomas’ great-grandson, Chris Davison, who has recently started managing the farm, says that in those days the land was “pretty rough”, covered in gorse and boxthorn.

Thomas Davison eventually bought out two neighbouring ballot farms before passing the unit to his sons, Eric and Tom. Eric and his wife, Shirley, eventually took over the whole farm and passed it on to their sons, Alan and John, who now farm in partnership with Alan’s wife, Jeanette, and a trust set up by Chris, who is Alan and Jeanette’s son.

The farm now totals 550ha (including a 140ha run-off) with a 410ha dairy platform. Some of the land is leased from Shirley (Eric has died) and some is owned outright by the partnership.

Although Chris now manages the unit, the partners are still involved. John is in charge of the run-off, which is within walking distance on the same road, and tractor work. The run-off is used for making hay and silage, and running young stock and 30 breeding bulls, including young calves.

Alan and Jeanette do most of the bookwork, and Alan manages the fertiliser and is a fill-in milker in the shed. Jeanette rears all the calves and is teaching Chris’ wife, Rachel, about herd and pregnancy testing .

“I don’t know how we’d get on without my mum as it’s a pretty massive burden off us guys in spring when she rears the calves,” says Chris.

Now in his second season managing the farm, he says that having three full-time staff, including Matthew Bowers who has been working on the farm since 2002, has helped ease his transition into the role.

The herd is split into two: 270 predominantly jersey-cross cows milked once a day, and 750 friesians milked twice a day. They winter-milk 180 cows.

The farm has a 50-bail rotary shed with

The next generation: Chris and Rachel Davison with their son, Blair.

Protrack, automatic drafting, an in-shed feeding system, and an artificial breeding shed with a vet race.

The Davisons bought a 150ha neighbouring block bought in 2007, and have been working on re-fencing, drainage, fencing waterways and regrassing to integrate it into the farm.

Chris Davison says they are concentrating on managing mating more efficiently. Last year a hereford terminal sire was put over the low-genetic cows, which resulted in a lot of calving problems, including larger calves, and the loss of four cows.

This season they are using a low-line angus, which should give slightly shorter gestation and easier calving.

on production levels “We break-feed that at the end of autumn on a 20-day round.”

The Gaddes have also put in 5ha of maize, which will be fed in the spring and help give further control over costs.

A a new, five-million-litre, effluent-storage pond was completed on the farm by Enviroline New Zealand in August, and they plan to use most of the effluent to grow the maize. The remainder will be used to irrigate the chicory through the summer.

“We had about three days’ storage, and now we’ve got close to 90 days’ storage,” Gaddes says.

The farm is quite wet, and he uses stand-off pads and on-off grazing. He is also looking at converting an old barn into a 150-cow sheltered feedpad to feed out the maize for next spring and summer.

“We have pasture-utilisation problems through the spring when it’s really wet, so we’ll split the herd in half through the spring and feed out in the barn conversion.”

We were doing an average of 110,000

“The calves won’t be worth nearly as much this season, but we are hoping that by avoiding losing cows and the subsequent production they would have achieved, things will even out. The opportunity cost can be quite a bit when you lose a cow.”

He is also working on general gorse control and weed management. The farm has no water irrigation system, but has a gravity-fed, clay-lined, two-pond effluent system with nine months of storage, built by Belton Contracting. Chris says this is a real bonus. Sandy soils make up about 40 per cent of the ground area, so spreading the effluent over summer when the soils really dry out assists grass growth.

Last season the Davison herd produced 365,307 kilograms of milksolids. The target this season is 375,000kg.

Chris and Rachel, who have a five-month-old son, Blair, intend staying on the family farm longterm.

“I’d like to have the farm in a position one day where my son could have the same opportunities I’ve had,” says Chris. “One of my main aims is to keep the farm open to family involvement from any member of the family who wants to be involved.”

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30 |

ON FARM » Landcorp Pastoral Complex: Achilles Farm

NZ Dairy

Skilled staff scarce on dairy ground Karen Phelps

Achilles Farm is one of nine Landcorp dairy farms on the Wairakei Estate; the organisation with plans to target having 30 farms in the area in next five years.

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The herd is a mix of

As more farms in Landcorp Pastoral Complex are developed the biggest challenge will be finding qualified staff, says Axel Nielsen-Vold, who manages one of the units, Achilles Farm.

“There are generally not enough skilled people in the dairy industry,” he says. “It’s a New Zealandwide problem, so Landcorp has placed a big emphasis on training the staff we have now so that they can develop and move into higher roles as new farms come on board.”

Nationally Landcorp Farming has 59 dairy units milking around 56,000 cows over 22,000 hectares.

These farms are scattered around New Zealand, but predominantly in Northland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, the central North Island, Manawatu, Wairarapa, Canterbury, Westland and Otago.

Landcorp Pastoral Complex is part of Landcorp Faming Ltd, which leases farmland (converted from forestry)just north of Taupo from Wairakei Pastoral Ltd. Nielsen-Vold says Landcorp has nine dairy farms on Wairakei Estate and plans to increase this number significantly – it is targeting 30 farms in the next five years.

The 900ha (effective) Achilles Farm, in its eighth season, is milking 2300 cows through a 60-bail rotary shed with Milkhub, automatic cup removers and in-shed feeding. Nielsen-Vold says the farm is still in the development phase as the ex-forestry land had old trees and stumps cleared. Trees have been planted for windbreaks.

Landcorp’s dairy farms are on land traditionally considered marginal, with soil types that include sand, pumice, gravels, peat and clay. Because Achilles’ pumice-based soils tend to dry out quickly, irrigation could be installed within five years, says Nielsen-Vold.

The herd on Achilles is a mix of friesian, kiwicross and jersey, and moving towards a becoming a kiwicross herd, favoured for its hardiness. At present, 25 per cent friesian straws are put over the jersey cows, and 75% kiwicross over the rest to achieve the desired balance.

Around 10% of the farm is re-grassed each year.

friesian, kiwicross and jersey, and moving towards becoming a kiwicross herd Nielsen-Vold says that this season on Achilles, only 20% of paddocks will be cultivated; direct drilling is favoured instead.

“It saves a lot of environmental problems as, when ground is turned over, a certain amount of nitrogen escapes into the air. Dust and erosion are also created.”

Landcorp places great emphasis on health and safety, he says. New staff are inducted at the start of their employment, then have to do a four-day WorkSafe course three months of their employment.

“New people are buddied up with a staff member for one week on the farm to ensure they understand the safety aspects of their workplace, and to familiarise them with the area before they are left to work on their own.”

Achilles employs nine staff as well as three calf-rearers and two casuals. A social group has been created for all of the Landcorp-managed farms in the area. An inter-farm touch rugby competition was held last year.

Achilles is the highest producing farm in the Landcorp Pastoral Group. Its production target for this year is 800,000 kilograms of milksolids.

Nielsen-Vold says that because of the lower payout, the challenge will be to achieve this as cheaply as possible.

“We’ve been given a target from Landcorp to cut costs and we’re trying to achieve it. Direct drilling will be cheaper than full cultivation, and we’re really focusing on pasture use through weekly monitoring to establish growth and demand.”

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NZ Dairy

ON FARM » Clapcott Farms

| 31

Farms pick up after drought Karen Phelps Two consecutive years of droughts has set the production on two dairy farms in Piopio milked by Clapcott Farms Ltd. Drying cows off early and a good payout from Fonterra during those seasons helped, says Anson Clapcott, who – along with wife Rebecca, his brother, Chris, and his wife, Sarah – runs the company.

The Clapcotts have been undersowing to help pasture recover, but say two good winters and springs have helped set the farms back on track in terms of grass growth.

Black beetle and grub have been a problem with the dry summers, so they are sowing endophyte species to help alleviate this. Animal health is good, and they are targeting normal production levels this season.

The brothers grew up on a dairy farm in Otorohanga. They started 50:50 sharemilking the family farm together in 2003 and set up their company. In June 2006 they secured a second 50:50 sharemilking job on a 310-hectare farm owned by John Finlayson 35 minutes’ drive away at Pio Pio. The family farm was sold in 2009, but they still have the 50:50 sharemilking job and also now lease another 120ha beside the farm, taking cow numbers to 800 milked through a 54-bail rotary dairy shed with automatic cup removers. This farm is run largely by Anson and Rebecca.

Three kilometres down the road, Chris and Sarah are running another farm. Clapcott Dairy Enterprises owns 50% of this 360ha (effective) property (the brothers’ parents, Mike and Jane, hold the remaining shares) and the brothers are 50:50 sharemilkers. They milk 950 cows through a 60-bail rotary with automatic cup removers and Protrack.

Rebecca and Sarah look after the financials for both units.

The two farms are run quite separately, are selfcontained, and run their own young stock, but there is input from all directors.

“Any decision that is made is by all of us and we often bounce ideas off one another,” says Anson.

The Clapcotts are big believers in sharing their knowledge. Each year, they have students from a farming college in France working for three months on the farms.

“The students get the opportunity to learn the New Zealand system – which is quite different from the system in their own country – and we get a helping hand during calf-rearing time,” says Anson,

“It’s also good for our kids to have someone from a different country staying in the house.”

Both farms lost around 15,000 kilograms of production in the drought years, but this season Anson and Rebecca are targeting 260,000 kilograms of milksolids milking 50 fewer cows than normal to take a bit of pressure off the farm and help it recover over summer. The heifers have been

Photos: Brothers Anson and Chris Clapcott have two dairy units in production at Pio Pio under the Clapcott Farms banner, a company they run in conjunction with their respective wives, Rebecca and Sarah.

put on once-a-day milking for the following year because the Clapcotts were not happy with their growth going into calving.

The Chris-and-Sarah farm was a new conversion when they bought it around five seasons ago, so it is still being developed. It has a feedpad and is a slightly higher-input farm. It is being regrassed at 50ha of permanent grass a year, with a further 50ha undersown. Chris and Sarah are

aiming for 320,000km of milksolids this season.

The Clapcotts say they aim to develop their business with their sights set on buying another farm.

“We all get along very well and communicate a lot in terms of what is happening with the business,” says Anson. “Farming is a real give and take thing – if you want to reap the rewards, then you have to put in the hard work.”

GRASS, MAIZE AND WHOLECROP SILAGE SPECIALISTS AGRICULTURAL CONTRACTORS ALLAN HALL 0274 759 794 NATHAN WILSON 0275 421 155 hallandwilson@gmail.com

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ON FARM » Eric & Margaret Smeith

32 |

NZ Dairy

Eric in a flip over green grass Kelly Deeks Bay of Plenty dairy farmer Eric Smeith has discovered a unique method of keeping the grass green on his family farm at Galatea. He literally turns his land upside down, reducing the size of soil particles near the surface to retain moisture.

Smeith and his wife, Margaret, bought his parents’ 67-hectare farm in 1983. They expanded by 84ha (which he irrigated) about seven years later, then bought a 57ha dryland property across the road in 2001. With their daughter, Sharleen, and her husband, Aran Sealey, who have three young children, they now milk 340 cows on contract agreement, Eric Smeith has lived on the farm for all of his 60 years, and has never worked any other land. He knows it pretty well.

“We’ve got mainly volcanic layers with brown soils half a metre below the top soils. When I go to the river flat I look at the soil and I can see all the volcanic layers.”

There have been a few experiments, with the family trying different methods and excavations to improve growth.

In 2002 he excavated half a paddock of the dry land, going down 500-800 millimetres, bringing the brown soil up and putting the pumice layer down, then topping it off with top soil.

“The paddock grew more grass, the grass stayed greener, and the clover stayed in that paddock all year round,” he says.

In 2007 he tried another trial, this time going down to 1.8 metres to a deeper layer of brown soil.

“The first layer of brown soil was not quite enough, but the second layer is thicker and has more material there to hold moisture. You can clearly see the green patch with the Google Earth satellite.”

By 2011, Smeith had got a bit more serious

Left: Harvesting in progress on a 4.4-hectare of maize Eric and Margaret Smeith have grown on ‘flipped’ land. Another 5ha of flipped land (to the left) is ready for levelling.

Below: Growth results from a three-year Dairy New Zealand are clear to see. about his experiments, and with the backing of local farmers and farm adviser Bill Adams, approached Dairy New Zealand for funding from the On Farm Innovation Fund; a three-year trial began, with results measured scientifically.

“I dug up three paddocks in 2011 using a 42 tonne excavator, planted two in maize and the other in oats and rye, then into grass, clover, and cocksfoot. The cocksfoot is still growing quite strongly in these paddocks, and they stay green throughout summer.”

Since 2011 more methods have been trialled, including putting all the top soil into the bottom of a hole, burying it with pumice, bringing the lower brown layer up to the top and growing grass in that.

“This soil would have been the top soil 2000 years ago and in native bush,” he says.

Smeith says that when his father was running the farm, it was a 67ha unit milking 90 to 120 cows.

“I’ve doubled the land area, added irrigation, and we’re farming nearly three times the number

of cows. When we put the irrigation in, production went from 600 kilograms of milksolids per hectare to 1000kg/ha. Last year production increased from 119,000kg milksolids in 2012-13 to 134,000kg.”

Smeith turned over an irrigated paddock about two years ago; he says he can now turn off the

irrigator at times and the paddock grows well.

He has turned over about 15ha of his own farm, including 2.6ha this year, using a 48-tonne excavator, and is growing fodder beet. Another local farm is involved in the Dairy NZ study, and four other farmers in the area are flipping their land.

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NZ Dairy

ON FARM/DAIRY SERVICES » Dave Scott/Aztech Buildings

| 33

Milking cows and pouring pints Kelly Deeks Dave and Pauline Scott took the plunge nine years ago with a lifestyle change from dairy farming to hotel ownership, selling their herd and buying the Cheltenham Hotel, just north of Feilding.

It lasted about five years until Scott was talked into lending a hand to convert Bill Hare’s local farm to dairying. When the conversion was completed 14 weeks later and its sharemilkers fell through, he was talked into milking the cows and took up a contract-managing position which he has held for the past three seasons.

Scott has been dairy farming since he was about 16. When cow prices shot up and Pauline saw their sharemilking job advertised in the local paper, they decided it would be a good time to get out of owning cows.

They went to Hawke’s Bay to work for the Bel Group, and milked 1150 cows there for four years before buying the historic Cheltenham Hotel, the Chelty as it is known locally.

Hare’s farm is 1.5 kilometres away from the hotel; Scott works on the farm during the day while Pauline runs the hotel, then comes home to run the hotel in the evenings.

Cheltenham is a small community with an approximate population of 66; the Chelty is the local watering hole.

Scott says the best thing about his and Pauline’s lifestyle change has been meeting the people who come to the hotel.

“When we were milking cows on the Napier Taihape highway, it was six months before I even left the farm. We had to go out for entertainment, but now the entertainment comes to us.”

The Chelty had been a centre for the community for many years before the Scotts took over, but they have continued this tradition.

Their wide-ranging support for the community has included offering the dining room free to local businesses and organisations, supporting community fundraising events, and gifting shirts to the Orua Feilding Old Boys rugby team.

The Scotts’ hard work was recognised in 2009 when the Chelty was named the only North Island finalist in the Hospitality Association of New Zealand’s Best Country Hotel Award; then, in 2010, it took out the title.

• • • •

We had to go out for entertainment, but now the entertainment comes to us.

Scott says the competition judges liked the way the hotel worked with the community.

On the Hare farm, Scott is milking 750 cows this season, up from 580 last season with an additional 60 hectares of the 400ha farm brought into the milking platform, bringing it up to 310ha.

The remainder of the farm runs all the yearlings and rising two-year-old cows, and grows 12 to 15ha of maize which cuts about 18 tonnes of maize silage per hectare. Last season the farm also grew 13ha of barley as a cash crop, and 10ha was subleased to a local potato farmer.

Scott says his aim is to get the milk into the vat at the lowest possible cost.

“We’re not really into buying our production with feed-out wagons. The past two years we’ve had droughts, and that’s when we do most of our feeding out, with maize silage and grass silage grown on farm.”

Last season’s drought didn’t stop the Scotts from achieving their highest production since the conversion – 211,000 kilograms of milksolids.

Dave Scott says that during his time on a summer-dry farm in Hawke’s Bay, he learned to cope when the weather starts to turn dry by drying off the earlier-calving cows and keeping the latercalvers milking.

Through the droughts last season and the season before, he was feeding out the previous season’s supplements.

“We’ve still got all last year’s grass silage and maize silage in a stack, so we can feed a bit in the spring if we need to,” he says.

The Scotts have three staff on the farm, including their youngest son, Solomon, who also helped with the conversion while he was still at school.

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Aztech Buildings’ shelter designs are centred around the animals and what is beneficial to production rather than human or construction preferences.

Eight-step guide to shed design Kelly Deeks Dairy housing provider Aztech Buildings has developed an eight-step guide to designing a dairy housing.

The process ensures the shelter suits the needs of the dairy system and has a positive effect on the farm’s profitability, says Aztech Buildings’ sales manager, Simon Clare.

The company’s designs have been developed with what is beneficial to the animals and to production in mind, rather than human or construction preferences, he says.

In a typical North Island dairy-farming situation, farmers want the ability to stand their cows off

in a hybrid scenario, rather than according to an intensive 365-days-per-year model, he says.

“It’s all about improving the pasture-based farming system with the cow-in-the-paddock model, but in the wet months, standing the cows off..

“However, farmers are finding very significant benefits are coming through the hot months from the lower temperatures and shade reducing heat stress. We’ve all seen it, whole herds of cows all trying to huddle under the limited shade of some lone tree. This heat stress is a costly inhibitor to profitability, estimated at up to two litres of milk per day per cow during the summer months.”

• To page 34

34 |

DAIRY SERVICES » Aztech Buildings

NZ Dairy

The ideal cow environment ‘should be unpleasant to a human’ • From page 33 Clare says Aztech Buildings staff work to optimise the design and ventilation of each structure to make conditions more consistent and comfortable for the cows, so they can convert that feed into milk more effectively.

Clients have many reasons for wanting dairy housing, and, to maximise return on investment. it is definitely not a case of one size fitting all, he says.

“At the start of the process, we ask farmers what they are hoping to achieve,” he says.

“They may want to reduce their land costs, increase their stand-off ability, get more out of their cows by taking them out of the heat, and, of course, the industry surge towards lessening the environmental impact – taking the stormwater component out of the effluent by using a roof to divert it is a massive benefit.”

Success stories from clients who participated in Aztech Buildings’ initial housing work spurred the company to take its knowledge and experience a step further.

“We thought we’ve got to do this properly,” Clare says. “Our research took us far and wide, to a lot of industry experts, including Sue Macky, clinical veterinarian, dairy cow nutritionist, and principal dairy consultant at Dairy Production Systems.”

The eight guiding fundamentals are: • Increase productivity.

Clients have many reasons for wanting dairy housing and, to maximise return on investment, it is definitely not a case of one size fitting all. – Simon Clare, Aztech Buildings sales manager.

• Reduce feed wastage.

• Increase pasture management.

• Manage effluent-storage capacity and reduce managing costs.

• Improve workplace conditions.

• Improve animal welfare.

• Reduce temperature.

• Zero bird-perch opportunities.

Macky told Aztech Buildings there are a lot of misguided perceptions about needing to keep cows warm, when, in fact, a cow’s optimum ambient temperature is below 15˚C. “Something cold to a human is not cold to a cow,” Clare says. “The ideal cow environment should be unpleasant to a human. The critical thing is air movement, so in all areas, we try to maintain the optimum 2.5 to 5 cubic metres per second.”

Aztech Buildings has also been consulting Dairy NZ and specialists who are developing a new practice note for dairy housing to offer guidance for dairy farmers to achieve best-practice standards.

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NZ Dairy

DAIRY SERVICES » Moa Milking & Pumping

| 35

Dairy specialist rises from ashes Karen Phelps Just over a year ago the Moa Milking and Pumping premises burned down. Now the company is operating from new premises built on the same site and is re-launching the brand.

“We recovered from that disaster really well and began operating within days,” says company director Nathan Hitchcock. “We have a good business that takes care of customers really well, so that definitely helped.”

The new premises are 50 per cent larger than the previous building, which allows for improved workshop facilities and a showroom. Hitchcock says the company can hold more stock, including a larger range of filters and pumps. He has also employed an operations manager as part of his strategy to offer customers an enhanced service.

“This will really change the way we manage jobs, as the operations manager will take the job calls and organise everything, providing one point of contact for customers.”

Hitchcock has worked in the dairy industry in various roles since 1998 when he started with a local Waikato Milking Services dealership.

He learned his trade and studied agricultural engineering at Massey University. In 2003 he ventured to the United Kingdom for his OE. To fund his travels he worked for Waikato Milking Systems installing milking plants in Wales, Scotland and England. While he was overseas, Waikato Milking Systems approached him to establish a new Taranaki dealership in Inglewood.

When Hitchock returned in 2005, he started Moa Milking and Pumping, which still fits rotary platforms for Waikato Milking Systems in the North Island. A second office was opened in Matamata in 2012 where the staff who install and service the Waikato region are based. Seven technicians are now based in Inglewood and five in Matamata.

Moa Milking and Pumping also sells and installs water, effluent and meal-feeding systems.

When it comes to dairy-effluent management, specifying the correct systems and equipment is critical. says Hitchcock.

“The operational and financial performance of a farm could be improved significantly with the right dairy-effluent infrastructure, helping to create better long-term value of the property,” he explains.

The business is now offering a new service – regular maintenance checks for rotary platforms.

Hitchcock says he has identified that this is something not commonly offered to farmers, but which can be valuable to them.

“We jack up the whole platform and check the running gear, welds, operation etc. This helps

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He says the key principle of the milking systems and plant the company supplies is that it is cost-effective, profitable, adaptable, versatile and expandable. A a free site-visit is offered to help

determine what a customer requires in the way of equipment, upgrading or a new installation.

“The plant and products we sell are all high quality and incredibly reliable,” says Hitchcock. “I believe that Waikato Milking Systems plant is one of the best and it’s all New Zealand-manufactured, which makes a big difference.”

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36 |

DAIRY SERVICES » Dairy Tech

NZ Dairy

Design, construction ‘stands Karen Phelps Otorohanga-based Dairy Tech specialises in providing dairy equipment that is adaptable to new milking technologies and management standards, says company owner Peter Gray.

“A farm dairy is now a major investment for a dairy-farm business,” he says. “It’s a milking facility that has to be extremely well designed to accommodate larger herds while improving

efficiency in cow-flow and hygienic milking processes.”

Gray, who was dairying for more than 20 years, started Dairy Tech in 1993. He still operates a small farm growing feed for dairy farmers, which, he says, gives him a sound understanding of farmers’ needs.

Dairy Tech designs and builds dairies and yards, farm structures and commercial buildings in the Waikato region. The company’s 16 staff includes an engineer.

Gray says the firm has established a reputation for providing design and construction that stands the test of time and the increasing demands of dairy farm management.

“Our design of rotary platforms, gates and yard services is part of a dairy-design and construction package that also includes pre-cast concrete

components made exclusively by Dairy Tech.

Various add-on components are in demand to upgrade and significantly improve the efficiency of dairies.”

The company specialises in rotary dairies, which Gray says are designed to reduce labour expenditure and time spent in the dairy:

Below: Peter Gray, who was in dairying for 20 years before moving into the servicing industry, says Dairy Tech’s rotary dairies are an option for farmers looking for a more efficient system to milk increasing herd numbers.

NZ Dairy

DAIRY SERVICES » Dairy Tech

| 37

‘test of time’ “The benefit is the extra time available outside the dairy to do other work on the farm, as well as having more time with the family. For these reasons, rotary dairies are popular with farm-owners and staff.”

He says the rotary is an economic option for farmers seeking an efficient dairy system to milk increasing herd numbers.

“It is the next step when herds are combined and cow numbers become too big for a herringbone or a legacy rotary from 20 years ago. A well-designed rotary can also futureproof herd increases.”

He says rotaries designed, manufactured and installed by Dairy Tech have allowed significant savings.

He quotes the examples of a 50-bail dairy milking 950 cows in a season-average of two hours with two operators in the shed and a third person bringing cows in, and an 80-bail rotary milking a minimum of 600 cows in one hour.

Dairy Tech also manufactures farm bridges, underpasses, covered feedpads, fertiliser-storage bins, silage pits, and concrete components for effluent systems.

In addition, it does curved truss buildings for commercial uses - one of projects was a fertiliser store for Freightlines, at Otorohanga.

Gray says Dairy Tech was one of the first dairyconstruction companies to use Duragal RHS steel – a lightweight, medium-tensile, rectangular hollow section – for portal frames (studs and rafters) to span greater distances at lower costa.

By using this steel in commercial buildings, the company can construct rolled, clear-span trusses

It is the next step when herds are combined and cow numbers become too big for a herringbone or a legacy dairy from 20 years ago. up to 32 metres that reduce the cost of construction when compared to UB section structures, says Gray.

Most components for Dairy Tech projects are manufactured in house, with specialised equipment, such as gate-drive units, acquired from outside sources.

Components produced and supplied by the company include aluminium meal-bins, backing gates, butterfly gates, top-dog overhead gates, electric glands, floodwash systems, pre-cast concrete panels, concrete silo panels, continuous meal-bins, steps, water diverters, water glands, and yard centre-posts.

Dairy Tech offers design consultancy and a maintenance and repair service.

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Dairy Tech offers a full service to farmers, manufacturing rotary dairy sheds covered feed pads, farm bridges, underpasses and silage pits. Components supplied include aluminium meal bins, backing gates, butterfly gates and floodwash systems.

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DAIRY SERVICES » Fabish & Jackson Ltd

38 |

NZ Dairy

Reputation ‘everything’ Sue Russell Taranaki registered master builder Fabish & Jackson (2010) Ltd has been serving the farming and rural industries for more than 30 years and, according to Steve Fabish, is as busy as ever.

Based in Inglewood, 20 minutes away from New Plymouth, Fabish & Jackson Ltd is a significant construction company, with 25 builders on board.

The company is versatile, which, Fabish says, means there is always plenty of work on its books.

“We have got this reputation about delivering the very best quality products, and in the building industry, reputation means everything.”

Fabish & Jackson, the original designer of Octa-Lock dairy parlours, has been building these structures for more than 25 years.

The design suits a rotary milking platform, says Fabish. The roof is supported on eight poles with the walls suspended between them, creating distinct advantages when it comes to the installation of drainage, water and power.

“We’ve built Octa-Locks to cover turntables right up to 100 bails in size. The whole building process is designed to create cost-efficiencies; because of the kitset nature of its construction, we’re able to build most of it off site.”

The roof structure can be built before the floor work, which allows the rest of the installation process to take place under cover – which can create significant savings in construction time.

Fabish & Jackson is also involved in a number of other construction projects, including commercial and industrial buildings, new houses, renovation and alterations, and its design-and-build service.

And, for more than a decade now, the company

• To page 39

Fabish & Jackson is renowned for its Octa-Lock dairy parlours, which can cover rotary turntables up to 100 bales in size.

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DAIRY SERVICES » Caldow Builders

for builder

| 39

Whe n a magnitude 8.3 earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami in Samoa in 2009, Foxton builder Rodney Caldow and his mate, Geoff Lewis, who had 29 Samoan employees in his business, put together a team of 45 certified builders, each of whom donated one day’s labour to pre-build houses to send to Samoa. Caldow and seven builders then all paid for their own trips to Samoa, and spent 15 days building three fales for people who had lost their homes.

Successful Foxton builder a man of many parts Sue Russell Fabish & Jackson also specialise in a number of construction projects and also offers a design and build service.

• From page 38 has been producing and installing pre-cast concrete products. The firm’s pre-cast yard has two overhead gantries.

“We’re able to turn our hand to make just about any concrete item required by the farming and construction sectors,” says Steve Fabish. “You name it, we’ll concrete it.”

The company also manufactures laminated glulam beams, which, he says, offer “superior earthquake resilience and fire resistance”. Timber used in the beams is treated to resist fungal and insect attack.

The construction of commercial chicken sheds, both conventional with iron and fibreglass, and concrete with insulated panel walls has also become significant for the company. Concrete sheds are made off site, which cuts down on the amount of time needed to install them.

“Some coops are getting up to 140 metres in length these days,” says Fabish. “We’ve built a large number of them in Taranaki and we’re about to start building another two.”

Business comes very much by word of mouth, he says. It’s a situation he’s pleased with, because it means the company is maintaining an edge over what he describes as cheaper, imported products.

“We’re not prepared to sacrifice quality to be

We’re able to turn our hand to make just about any concrete items required by the farming and construction

Rodney Caldow of Foxton may have been a builder for nearly 40 years, but he still looks forward to going to work every day, and believes one of the secrets to success is being absolutely passionate about what you do.

Caldow Builders is a diverse business, with the skills and infrastructure to handle rural and commercial building, new houses, renovations, and earthquake strengthening. The company also manufactures pre-cast concrete panels on site in its own facility.

Caldow Builders has been involved in some of Foxton’s major commercial construction projects, including the first medical centre, Te Waiora, during 2014.

“At 900 square metres, this was the biggest commercial building to be built in Foxton for the past 20 years,” Caldow says.

Caldow Builders is a family business; Rodney’s wife, Brenda, works in the office, and their son, Mitchell, is a qualified carpenter and machine operator.

As well as running a multifarious business with a staff of 18, Caldow is Foxton Beach’s chief fire officer, a marine skipper for the Manawatu Coastguard, and a search and rescue volunteer who has run every major search out of Foxton for the past 15 years.

He is also president of the Manawatu Certified Builders’ Association, and owns the local café which is run by his daughter, Mikaela.

• To page 40

sectors. You name it, we’ll concrete it. necessarily the cheapest provider, but the fact there’s always enough work out there tells me the market wants what we have to offer.”

While the company generally operates five days a week, this year will be the first time everyone gets a good break over Christmas/New Year, he says.

“We normally close only for the public holidays, but I’ve made the decision it’s time we all deserve to have some down-time as we’ve have worked hard and, as usual, performed well. In the new year when we’re back, there is plenty of work lined up.”

Foxton’s Caldow Builders is involved in a diverse range of construction, from dairy sheds (above) and other rural projects, to commercial buildings, new houses and earthquake strengthening.

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DAIRY SERVICES » Caldow Builders

NZ Dairy

Coastguard skipper, fire chief... Rodney does it all • From page 39 When a magnitude 8.3 earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami in Samoa in 2009, Caldow and his mate, Geoff Lewis, who had 29 Samoan employees in his business, put together a group of 45 certified builders who all donated one day’s labour to pre-build houses to send to Samoa. Then Caldow and seven builders all paid for their own trips to Samoa, and spent 15 days building three fales for people who had lost their homes.

In 2012, Caldow received the Queens’ Service Medal for his services to the New Zealand Fire Service.

His father was also a Foxton Beach fire chief, and Rodney grew up around the brigade and joined at the age of 15, the same age he started building.

Which, somehow, he still finds time to do in a very hands-on way.

“I’ve been screening concrete this morning, and yesterday I was driving a truck,” he says.“I’ve been back to school and completed businessmanagement courses to help me run my business, and I’ve got a very good foreman, Lee Thompson, who spends more time in the office than I do.”

He says Caldow Builders is still expanding, and is looking for a larger premises to house a growing number of staff, and an “amazing amount” of fleet and machinery, including trucks, tractors, diggers, hiabs and cranes.

Caldow Builders has been involved in some of Foxton’s major commercial construction projects, including the town’s first medical centre, Te Waiora (above), in 2014. It was the biggest commercial building to be built in Foxton in 20 years. The company also manufactures precast concrete panels on site (left) in its own dedicated facility.

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NZ Dairy

DAIRY SERVICES » Ken G Moratti

| 41

Technology ‘the only difference’ Karen Phelps It’s probably one of the oldest agricultural contracting companies in New Zealand. Ken G Moratti Ltd has clocked up more than 50 years of serving the needs of farmers from Stratford, to Awakino, to Okato.

Ken Moratti, who was sharemilking at the time, started the company. When his brother wanted a hand with a bit of contracting work, Ken was hooked. He ditched dairying and went full-time contracting, starting up his own company.

Inglewood-based Ken G Moratti Ltd has been in operation for 53 years, and the only difference these days is the technology the company is using, says Ken’s son, Billy, who is now in the business driving seat.

Billy, who also comes from a dairying background, started as a driver for the company 30 years ago on a week off from dairying when his dad asked for a helping hand.

Like father, like son. Billy was quickly hooked and moved from dairying to contracting and has never looked back.

Ken G Moratti Ltd employs 35 staff and does a variety of work – including pond cleaning, mulching hedges, mowing, rowing, tedding, baling (round, square and conventional), pit silage, stack rolling, cartage, fine-chop silage, hay rounds, hay squares and conventional hay.

The company also offers: full servicing of herd stand-off shelters and feedpads; cultivates, plants and harvests maize; and undersowing and drilling.

Billy says it’s service and having the latest technology that really sets one contracting company apart from the next.

Ken G Moratti Ltd is continually investing in new equipment to keep the company’s plant up to date, he says.

One of the company’s most recent purchases is a ground hog aerator used for cleaning effluent ponds and injecting effluent into the ground.

It is also used to generally aerate paddocks to encourage better grass growth without disturbing the pasture.

“The aerator puts spikes into the ground on a slight angle so that it rips the roots apart to help with drainage and root penetration, providing a finish that leaves the soil structure firm under foot,” says Billy Moratti.

Another recent addition to the fleet is a JCB loader. He says rolling of the stack is a key part of any farm’s process, and this piece of equipment has been designed to maximise productivity for farmers. The company also has air seeders that

Because we’ve been working in the region so long, I know every paddock. Farmers just want a good service.

If we get the job done before it rains, it makes the difference between getting wet or dry hay.

This means we need plenty of gear and manpower so that when a farmer needs us, we can be there. operate with GPS to improver accuracy, and combination balers with wrappers.

Billy Moratti says good equipment is particularly important in the Inglewood area, where farms are often made up of small paddocks with lots of hills and creeks.

“This means we need good gear, and plenty of it, to do the work as it takes longer if the lay of the land is a bit more challenging.”

He puts the company’s longevity down to the wide range of services it offers and a no-nonsense, can-do attitude.

“Because we’ve been working in the region so long. I know every paddock,” he says.” We do everything farmers need, giving them one point of contact and often saving them time and money.

“Farmers just want a good service. If we get the job done before it rains, it makes the difference between getting wet or dry hay. This means we need plenty of gear and manpower so that when a farmer needs us, we can be there.”

The extensive fleet parked up at the Inglewood base of Ken G Moratti contractors (top). The company is continually investing in new equipment.

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42 |

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NZ Dairy

Left and right: Reid & Harrison has established a fabrication department at Matamata. Centre: A Yardmaster® press separator (one of Reid & Harrison’s acquired products) alongside one of the Matanatabased company’s floating frame with pump and stirrer.

Acquisiton broadens pumping product range Liquid and solid slurry pumping specialists Reid & Harrison have undergone dramatic growth over the last few months.

The Matamata firm recently acquired Whangarei-based Industrial Stainless & Design (ISD), which has added a comprehensive range of quality separation and stainless steel products to its well-regarded Yardmaster range of pumps, stirrers and associated products.

“The acquisition is allowing us to provide a complete solution for our customers’ effluent or slurry needs. We already have a great pump and stirrer range, now we can offer separators designed and built with the same level of quality and reliability as our Yardmaster products. The entire range is fully supported by our team’s expert backup and service,” says chief executive Keith Cooke, who joined the management team in February in a newly created position.

Also in February the firm and its sister company Reid & Harrison Engineering moved into new manufacturing facilities in Waihou Street which are ten times the size of its old

plant. ”The growth of the company was always planned to happen both organically, and through acquisition,” he says.

Reid & Harrison’s separator range now includes the original Yardmaster YS200 and YS300 models along with the newly acquired Press, Rotary Drum, Static Screen and Centrifier separators from ISD. Cooke says the ISD operation is being fully integrated into Reid & Harrison’s Matamata site, with five of its staff taking up permanent or temporary contracts.

“We’re lucky to have four manufacturing staff and one Christchurch-based salesperson join the team from ISD. Their specialist knowledge about these innovative products is extremely valuable.”

For more than 50 years Reid & Harrison has designed and manufactured quality pumping solutions for liquid and solid slurries. Bob Dalley took over directorship of the company in 1980 after working for it for 20 years and having significant input into the development of the

original Yardmaster pump.

His son Seaton Dalley joined as co-director in 1993 and with Cooke’s appointment has been able to refocus his efforts on customer contact and product development.

All of Reid & Harrison products are sold through a nationwide dealer network.

“We support the dealers with supply chain management, customisation of products or any core issues. In October we had our first dealers’ conference and are moving towards a Certified Dealer model, where the majority of representatives of the Yardmaster products are fully trained to sell and support the brand.”

Cooke says the agricultural sector currently accounts for around 90 percent of Reid & Harrison’s business, with the new effluent regulations driving a significant amount of new business.

“Effluent is a hot topic in all the dairy magazines and there is a lot of interest at specialist events such as shows and field days.

Managing and recycling water is becoming

another big issue. It makes sense for us to grow our capability to meet the current market demands.”

However the firm’s products are not limited to the agricultural sector. They are used in a range of other applications by industries including food processing, chemical plants, quarries and mines, sawmills, wool scourers, and sewage treatment plants.

Reid & Harrison has recently picked up a Fonterra food products contract through the acquisition of ISD. “We hope other opportunities with come out of the stainless steel business, particularly in the food industry.”

Cooke says Reid & Harrison has lots of new developments in the pipeline.

“We have several new ideas and products to introduce under the Yardmaster brand. However effluent is our core business at the moment, and we will make sure we are doing everything we can to service this market before expanding too much into other areas.”

NZ Dairy

DAIRY SERVICES » Effluent & Irrigation Design NZ

| 43

Good effluent advice ‘critical’ Jo Bailey It’s critical to get good advice before choosing an effluent system, says Marty Forster, of Effluent & Irrigation Design New Zealand (EIDNZ).

“I’ve seen plenty of cases where farmers have bought systems without putting enough thought into whether it is the right one for their operation,” he says.

“Power consumption, repairs and maintenance, and the cost of running the system all have to be considered as well as the capital expenses.”

EIDNZ acts as an independent designer and installer, working with effluent products and systems from several manufacturers to help farmers maximise the nutrients in their effluent and apply them correctly back to their pasture.

Forster says EIDNZ tailors an effluent system to each farm it works with.

“We look at the operation’s topography, nutrient budgeting and effluent-block layout, and ask questions about the farming business, its current systems and plans. Then we present a range of options and recommend those we think are best to suit the farmer’s budget and labour requirements.

However the farmer has the ultimate choice about which way to go.”

One of the critical things dairy farmers should ask is how much labour are they prepared to allocate to running a new effluent system, says Forster.

“Sometimes the systems with the lowest capital costs require a lot more labour input, which significantly increases operating expenses. By averaging the capital and operating expenses out over a 10-year period, we can help a farmer work out the true cost of running an effluent system. We can also advise how much each cubic metre or 1000 litres of effluent will cost to apply.”

There may also be opportunities for farmers to implement a new effluent system in stages to make it more cost effective, he says.

“It comes down to what a farmer is trying to achieve. Is the end-goal just to comply with the effluent regulations, or is it to create a significant

It comes down to what a farmer is trying to achieve. Is the end-goal just to comply with the effluent regulations, or is it to create a significant asset? asset? A farmer may not need to install a big system straight away, but could do it in stages.”

EIDNZ keeps up with the latest systems and technology, which means its clients don’t have to invest lots of time doing this themselves.

“We have a good handle on what is available in the market,” says Forster. “There is new technology and products being introduced all the time. One of the great things about Kiwis is that if there is a need, someone will figure out a product or system.”

As an independent business, EIDNZ has no bias towards any particular product or system, he says.

“We’ve seen mistakes made and a lot of products come and go. We can assist farmers to make an informed choice and get the best return for their investment.”

Marty Forster founded E & I Services in 1998, a contract business cleaning effluent ponds with one pump unit. A year later he had three pump units and 12 staff, and began to install effluent systems in the Waikato.

He found more and more farmers turning to him and his staff for consultation and independent advice. and formed EIDNZ in 2002. The staff now has includes consultants, project managers, and installation and service crews.

“Our catchphrase is ‘identifying options and

Sometimes the systems with the lowest capital costs

sourcing solutions’, and pretty much sums up what we do.”

Forster says the company’s service includes an initial, no-obligation site-visit, design, a free DVD covering compliance, consents, management of the installation process, training, servicing, and the supply of pumping and irrigation equipment.

“We can provide a full turnkey service to clients from start to finish, or just provide a simple shopping list of products which farmers can go away and source themselves.”

While it remains based in the Waikato, EIDNZ has installed effluent systems in many parts of New Zealand and has worked on several international projects.

“We’ve just provided effluent, irrigation and water reticulation services to a big dairy conversion in Hawaii, and we have completed design work for projects in Colombia, Ecuador and Chile.”

Marty Forster says the firm also has expertise in water-reticulation system design, and has its own service division that is capable of working on any

effluent system, not just those it has installed.

EIDNZ. has 11 staff between its Hamilton head office and its Southland branch, which has been operating for three years. Forster hopes to open a branch in Taranaki in 2015. His vision is to build a nationwide network of eight full design-and-service branches in the next five years.

“We are looking to form more new branches with experienced equity partners, or operate them in joint ventures with other companies to build the nationwide network, which is the next stage of growth for the company.”

He does expect the drop in the dairy payout will have an impact on the amount of capital expenditure farmers will invest in effluent. However, he believes a lot of the capital expenditure in last year’s budget may still go ahead.

“There are a lot of cases where farmers need to invest in new systems to comply. If farmers haven’t got the money for the system they want straight away, they can always invest in the necessary stages they need to get by in the short term.”

Photos: Examples of the nature of the work Effluent and Irrigation Design New Zealand gets involved in. Marty Forster hopes to open an EIDNZ branch in Taranaki in 2015, and has a vision of a network eight full design-and-service branches in the next five years.

require a lot more labour input, which significantly increases operating expenses. By averaging the capital and operating expenses out over a 10-year period, we can help a farmer work out the true cost of running an effluent system. We can also advise how much each cubic metre, or 1000 litres of effluent will cost to apply.

Distribution of specialist flow control products covering Valves, Pipe and Fittings, Actuation, Process Instrumentation Proud to be supporting Effluent & Irrigation Design 7 Branches Nationally Auckland • Hamilton • New Plymouth • Wellington • Christchurch • Dunedin • Invercargill

nzsales@mrcglobal.com Head Office Ph (03) 379 5460

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NZ Dairy

Rotary screen the catalyst for specialisation Separating solids from effluent is the single biggest factor in creating an environmentallyfriendly effluent management system, says Paul Baker, director of Myfos Pumping Solutions.

“The removal of solids allows farmers to spray effluent at a low application rate which dramatically reduces the risk of run-off. Without separation it is much harder for them to achieve this.”

Since 2009 Myfos has focused almost solely on manufacturing and supplying key products and equipment for dairy effluent management following the development of one of its signature products, the Myfos Rotary Screen.

“Although the original rotary screen concept was invented in New Zealand around 40 years ago, we’re the first company to design a rotary screen specifically for dairy effluent separation.”

Baker designed the Myfos Rotary Screen himself. He is a

civil and mechanical engineer by trade who has worked in the pumping industry since 1986.

Before founding Myfos in 2006 had spent stints as general manager of both Grundfos and Tyco Irrigation.

“I was keen to combine my engineering skills, industry knowledge and experience in the corporate world to start something for myself. It’s the best thing I ever did.”

In addition to its New Zealandmade rotary screen, Myfos holds a range of agencies for associated effluent management products including Syno screw pumps, Cri submersible pumps, and Tytan effluent pumps and stirrers.

“We can supply virtually the whole package when it comes to solids separation. The products are designed to work in together.”

He says doing away with “hideously ineffective” solids pump is one of the biggest advantages of the Myfos system.

“Using a screw pump after

solids separation with the rotary screen is a far more efficient way of managing effluent. A 7.5kW screw pump has significantly lower capital and operating costs than a 15kW solids pump, with wear and tear also dramatically reduced.”

With Myfos being a “small boutique operation” Baker has been able to tweak the rotary screen design to meet the needs of the market.

“We don’t have high overheads so can be flexible in what we do. The rotary screen design has changed a bit since the first one I designed, and because of that we’ve done reasonably well.”

Myfos supplies and supports a nationwide dealer network and targets a lot of its marketing directly to farmers.

“We’re not reliant on one product so don’t need a lot of sales reps. We attend all the major Fieldays and shows and hold a good position in the market.”

The firm has also caught the eye of Fonterra, says Baker.

“We’ve just completed our first Fonterra farm and have more coming up which is pleasing.”

Myfos has just increased its warranty to five years on its rotary screens. Syno screw pumps come with a two year warranty on the pump and five on its drive system.

“This shows the level of confidence we have in our products. Dairy farmers want to know this level of back up and support is there.”

Although Myfos continues to supply additional water treatment products and fresh water pumps, Baker says around 90 percent of its forward workload is in products for dairy effluent management.

“Our focus will continue to be on supplying quality, affordable products that do the job for dairy farmers as efficiently and costeffectively as possible.”

EFFLUENT EQUIPMENT SPECIALISTS MYFOS

MYFOS ROTARY SCREEN

Submersible Chopper Pumps

5 year WARRANTY

Fully hardened wet end

15m3/h, 25m3/h, 45m3/h From $14,995

SYNO SCREW PUMPS 2 year pump + 5 year Drive System WARRANTY Sizes from 15m3/h to 50m3/hr 70 & 120m head

TYTAN Pond Stirrers 0.86kw to 11 kw

MOBILE : 021 2167961 WEB: WWW.MYFOS.CO.NZ