Dairy Exporter April 2021 by NZ Farmlife Media

Learn, grow, excel

BEEFING UP the dairy calf crop PREVENTING toxic nitrate shock EVOLVE at the SIDE CONFERENCE

op r c e h t of $12

APRIL 2021

$12 incl GST

Dairy Industry Awards regional winners 2021

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

Protect your farm and your family from Salmonella

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

Salmonella is widespread on New Zealand dairy farms and cases are increasing nationwide1. Striking without warning and spreading quickly, Salmonella can pass from your stock to the ones you care about most. Vaccinate today to reduce the destructive impact of an outbreak.

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Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

CONTENTS 88 AWARDS TRIFECTA

ONLINE 10

Dairy Exporter’s online presence

MILKING PLATFORM 10

Alex Lond takes a five day course in artificial breeding

Carla Staples airs her concerns about freshwater legislation

Anne-Marie Wells champions onfarm discussion groups

Niall McKenzie boxes on with some inspiration from Rocky

UPFRONT 14

Using KiwiSaver to buy a house isn’t an option for farm workers.

Global Dairy: 3-breed crossbred cattle are improving US herds

Market View: Dairy commodity prices soared in March

crop of the

2021 NZ DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS

36 RAPID CLIMB UP CAREER LADDER

Northland 26 Trainee: Bella Wati 27 Dairy manager: Ravindra Maddage Don 30 Share farmer: Katrina Pearson Auckland/Hauraki 35 Trainee: Emma Udell 36

Dairy manager: Stephanie Walker

Share farmer: Rachael Foy

Waikato 41 42 44

Trainee: Ruth Connolly Dairy manager: Christopher Gerard Vila Share farmer: Reuben and Deb Connolly

Bay of Plenty 47 Trainee: Dayna Rowe 48 Dairy manager: Hayden Goodall 52 Share farmer: Aran & Sharleen Sealey 4

42 DOING IT FOR THE MIGRANTS Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

CREAM OF THE CROP | NZ DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS 2021

Central Plateau 58 Trainee: Tayla Flight 60 Dairy manager: Mark Rivers 62 Share farmer: Andrea & Blair Muggeridge Manawatu 67 Trainee: Josh Wilkinson 68 Dairy manager: Karl Wood 72 Share farmer: Sam Howard Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa 76 Trainee: Tony Craig 78 Dairy manager: Leon McDonald 80 Share farmer: Manoj Kumar & Sumit Kamboj Taranaki 85 Trainee: Sydney Porter 86 Dairy manager: Diego Raul Gomez Salinas 88 Share farmer: John Wyatt

of the crop 26 35 41 47 58 67 76 85 93 103 113

Northland regional winners Auckland/Hauraki regional winners Waikato regional winners Bay of Plenty regional winners Central Plateau regional winners Manawatu regional winners Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa regional winners Taranaki regional winners West Coast/Top of the South regional winners Canterbury/North Otago regional winners Southland/Otago regional winners

23 2021 NZ DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

West Coast/Top of the South 93 Trainee: Sam Smithers 94 Dairy manager: Rachael Lind 97 Share farmer: Sian Madden and Mark Roberts 23

Canterbury/North Otago 103 Trainee: Mattes Groenendijk 104 Dairy manager: Maria Alvarez 108 Share farmer: Nadeeka and Dinuka Gamage Southland/Otago 113 Trainee: Sophie White 114 Dairy manager: Gary Sunshine-Tervit 116 Share farmer: Ann & Scott Henderson

STOCK 119 CO Diary: Wintering practices improve 122 Beefing up the dairy calf crop at Kintore Farm 125 Beef and dairy need to collaborate 126 Vets Voice: Prevent toxic nitrate shock

BUSINESS 127 EVOLVE at SIDE conference, Ashburton 129 Full stream ahead for Farmers’ Forum

72 CLEAN SWEEP OF AWARDS

RESEARCH WRAP 130 Cows stand their ground in pugging study

DAIRY 101 132 Why should you hire a farm adviser?

SOLUTIONS 134 Hoof trimming masterclass 134 Udderly great skincare 135 Connecting farmers with the right staff 136 From dryoff to payoff 137 Getting the genetics right

OUR STORY 138 The Dairy Exporter April in 1971

104 FROM ARGENTINA WITH LOVE Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

COVER Our photographer Brad Hanson captured that winning feeling with a shot of a New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards cup. Congratulations to all this year’s winners! 5

DAIRY DIARY April 13-15 – MINDA roadshow continues to Palmerston North. The LIC-run MINDA training sessions include the MINDA LIVE and the MINDA app. Visit https://www.lic.co.nz/ products-and-services/minda/mindalivetraining/. Other dates/locations until the end of May: April 13-15, Hamilton; April 20, Waihi; April 20-21, Dannevirke; April 21, Whitianga; April 22, Pahiatua; May 4, Culverden; May 4-6, Otorohanga; May 5, Darfield; May 6, Kaikoura; May 11-12, Nelson; May 18-19, Takaka; May 25-26, Westport; May 27, Reefton; May 31-June 1, Greymouth. April 14 – A Smash (Smaller Milk and Supply Herds) field day near Palmerston North looks at reproduction results, keeping a lid on costs and strategies for successful regrassing. The day runs between 10.15am and 1pm and is hosted by DBOY finalist Robert Ervine. Visit www. smallerherds.co.nz/smash-events/sharpen-upyour-system-palmerston-north-april-14th/. April 15 – Dairy Women’s Network holds a South Island conference in Queenstown and includes workshops and networking sessions. Visit https://www.dwn.co.nz/events/dwn2021queenstown/. April 20 – DairyNZ and LIC join together for a Traits other than Production and Genetic Workshop at Ruawai in Northland. The workshop runs between 10am and 11.30am. For more, visit https://www.dairynz.co.nz/ events/northland/traits-other-than-productionand-genetics-workshop/.

April 29 – DairyNZ Farmers’ Forum is a oneday event at the Claudelands Event Centre in Hamilton to look at what the future holds for dairying and how you can respond. Livestreamed sessions are also available and the day will be followed by webinars on May 6 and May 13. For more information visit www. dairynz.co.nz. May 3-9 – New Zealand AgriFood Week brings together leaders and innovators in agriculture, science and technology to challenge, cross pollinate, foster ideas and develop clear pathways to help solve the world’s biggest food challenges. It also showcases excellence in agrifood innovation. To find out more visit https://nzagrifoodweek. co.nz/. May 5-6 – The national Once-A-Day Conference takes place in Nelson this year. A line up of guest presenters, including a farmer panel, look at a range of topics from flexible milking to genetics and business structure. The keynote speaker is Doug Avery on The Resilient Farmer. Day two includes farm visits. Registrations close on April 19. To register visit https://www.dairynz.co.nz/events/lower-northisland/national-once-a-day-conference/. May 13- Lincoln University dairy farm holds its May focus day between 10am and 1pm. Visit http://www.siddc.org.nz/lu-dairy-farm/.

A 14 to 1 return on investment.

May 14 – The 2021 Ahuwhenua Trophy winner will be announced at an awards dinner in New Plymouth. The annual award alternates between dairy and sheep and beef, plus horticulture. It celebrates business excellence in Maori farming and this year it is for dairy farmers. The 2021 Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer Award will also be announced and this year it is for people working or training in the dairy industry. To find out more about the trophy visit https://www.ahuwhenuatrophy. maori.nz/. May 15 – The Dairy Industry Awards holds its national awards dinner in Hamilton where winners will be announced for New Zealand Share Farmer of the Year, New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year. For details of regional winners and more information go to https:// www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz/. June 22-23 – This year’s South Island Dairy Event is being held at the Ashburton Trust Event Centre with the theme, Evolve. The annual event combines industry experts with networking sessions and practical workshops. To view the programme and register visit https://www.side.org.nz/.

It comes with our culture. In 2012 MPI funded a four and a half year study* to test the effectiveness of BioBrew’s CalfBrew® probiotic supplement on calves. Early results showed that the use of the fresh, intact probiotic increased the rate of calf growth by up to 10%. As adults, the treated calves produced significantly more milk solids and were also less likely to die and more likely to remain in the herd. Ultimately, the benefits associated with CalfBrew® equated to a 14 to 1 return on

May 13 – A practical Farm Safety field day is being held at Shannon to learn more about machinery and how to use it safely. The day runs between 11am and 1.30pm. Visit https:// www.dairynz.co.nz/events/lower-north-island/ shannon-practical-farm-safety-field-day-may/.

Enjoy calving

investment, showing that use of a fresh probiotic on calves has both short-term and long-term benefits for both stock and farmers.

and get a 14 to 1 BioBrew’s CalfBrew® is a fresh, live and Return On Investment. active probiotic and the finest microbial tool available. It is designed to bring your calves, lambs, and kids through their first year in optimum condition at a truly affordable price. Visit biobrew.net.nz to view our wide range of live probiotic products.

Visit freshprobiotics.com to view our Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021 wide range of live probiotic products.

296 calves on three farms were included in the study funded by MPI Sustainable Farming Fund and DairyNZ and undertaken by the Clutha Agriculture Development Board. Funding was for two projects, the trial in 2012 and the follow-up in 2016.

Editor’s note

Go tell the masses A

couple of things struck me as I have written, read about and admired the Dairy Industry Awards regional winners stories in this magazine. They are hard-working, animal-loving, best-practice following and environmentally-aware individuals - many set to be future leaders of the industry. Firstly was the overall number of winners who are dismayed at the divide between rural and urban people, with the winners wanting something to change the perceived breakdown of trust and admiration from non-farmers towards the hard-working farmers who produce their natural and nutrient-dense dairy products. So what to do? Winning South Auckland/Hauraki sharemilker Rachael Foy tackled the issue by taking a couple of calves into schools and rest homes and giving people the chance to see them, touch them and appreciate them (pg 38). Others are spending time and money supporting community initiatives and taking governance positions in local schools and organisations - being good community members. And almost all of them are working away on their farms planting trees, cutting nitrogen use and driving down bobby calf numbers while improving the efficiency of their herds. Many of the winners we talked to are working on breeding cows that are capable of producing their bodyweight in milk solids each season. And more efficient cows are kinder to the environment and lighter on the planet. DairyNZ research has shown that the tide is turning with growing support for dairy farmers but if you want to add to that, take this copy of your magazine down to your doctors surgery or drop it off at a local cafe - let others read about the great work going on in the sector. Be proud of what you do and the industry you work and live in. The second thing that occurred to me was the large number of women and immigrants winning DIA awards these people are focused, dedicated and excited about the opportunities that the industry can offer them - even if they have English as a second language, little financial backing and scant industry knowledge when they arrive. It’s heartening to see the dream of business ownership and

NZ Dairy Exporter

farm ownership is not dead - many of the DIA winners are still finding innovative ways of building equity and getting into ownership - rearing extra stock, internet businesses, land development projects, investment properties, saving in the sharemarket, equity partnerships and partners with off-farm incomes and always just saving hard. To a man or woman, all the migrants in these pages are amazed at the opportunities and potential in the dairy industry here and speak highly of the collaborative nature of the industry where everyone helps and encourages them. There are so many positive things about this industry, keep chipping away at changing the negative aspects and keep sharing the positive things. Congratulations to all the winners and good luck for the finals.

@YoungDairyED

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

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NEW ZEALAND

NZ Dairy Exporter is published by NZ Farm Life Media PO Box 218, Feilding 4740, Toll free 0800 224 782, www.nzfarmlife.co.nz

NEW ZEALAND

ONLINE New Zealand Dairy Exporter’s online presence is an added dimension to your magazine. Through digital media, we share a selection of stories and photographs from the magazine. Here we share a selection of just some of what you can enjoy. Read more at www.nzfarmlife.co.nz

FIELD-TESTING REGEN AG

CAN YOU SPARE A CULL COW? DONATE TO MEAT THE NEED

Editor Jackie Harrigan P: 06 280 3165, M: 027 359 7781 jackie.harrigan@nzfarmlife.co.nz Deputy Editor Sheryl Haitana M: 021 239 1633 sheryl.haitana@nzfarmlife.co.nz Sub-editor: Hamish Barwick, P: 06 280 3166 hamish.barwick@nzfarmlife.co.nz Reporters Anne Hardie, P: 027 540 3635 verbatim@xtra.co.nz Anne Lee, P: 021 413 346 anne.lee@nzfarmlife.co.nz Karen Trebilcock, P: 03 489 8083 ak.trebilcock@xtra.co.nz Andrew Swallow, P: 021 745 183 andrew@falveyfarm.co.nz

We visited Rhys and Kiri Roberts at Align farms to see the farm-scale trials they are running on regen ag vs. conventional dairying. They are collecting data on financial, physical, social and animal health metrics to make informed decisions and share with other farmers on the regen farming system.

Chris Neill, P: 027 249 1186 waipuvian@gmail.com Phil Edmonds phil.edmonds@gmail.com Elaine Fisher, P: 021 061 0847 elainefisher@xtra.co.nz

MILK PAYOUT TRACKER: 8

Check out the Align Farms video on YouTube ‘Dairy Exporter’ channel.

Series 2, Podcast 2 In this podcast, Okoroire farmer Floyd Smit joins CRV’s Jenna O’Sullivan and Rosanna Dickson to talk about breeding with Polled genetics. www.crv4all.co.nz/ podcast/series2-episode2/

7.88

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Mid $7.60

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For all Dairy Banter Podcasts visit www.nzfarmlife.co.nz /tag/dairy-banter

Fonterra forecast

Tracking the forecasts for the 2020/21 Fonterra payout 8

$/kg MS

Series 2 Podcast 3 Determining the pregnancy status of your herd via milk can be done as part of your CRV herd test. Listen to DairyNZ animal and feed developer, Sam Tennent, and CRV herd testing manager Mark Redgate to find out more. www.crv4all. co.nz/podcast/series2-episode3/

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PODCASTS:

Average $7.63/kg MS

2020/2021 Fonterra forecast price

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Jul Aug 2020

Sep

Oct

6.32

6.77

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6.93

Nov

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Jan 2021

7.24

Feb

7.38

7.63

Mar Apr

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Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

We'll be here for tomorrow's rising stars. Boots and all.

The next generation is our future. Which is why LIC has been a proud sponsor of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards for over 17 years. Watching these young stars rise, seeing them shine in their careers and farming businesses, is what drives us to improve every day. We know that the better we can become, the more productive and prosperous their lives and the lives of our dairy community will be.

KINGST_1370_NZDE_A

Congratulations to all of the Regional Award Winners, keep up the great work and continue to push those boundaries so next year there are even bigger boots to fill.

There's always room for improvement Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

MILKING PLATFORM CENTRAL PLATEAU

Alex’s dog catches up on 40 winks.

Alex Lond recently completed five days of artificial breeding (AB) training. Not on these cows, though.

In search of the cervix A five day course in artificial breeding (AB) training was quite the experience for Alex Lond.

have gained a whole new wealth of respect for AB technicians this year, after completing a gruelling first week of AB training through Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC). Despite having a few friends who have completed the course warning me that it was not easy, I was still ill-equipped for what was to come – a skill and technique like nothing I have ever attempted before. Day one consisted of practicing on artificial cows; a relatively new installment by LIC to prepare trainees for the real thing. Well, let me tell you now that an artificial cow’s back passage is every bit as tight as the real thing, and despite completing the recommended hand exercises in the weeks leading up to the training, I immediately felt the blood draining from my arm as my fingers went numb and I made numerous attempts to grab a cervix which I was almost certain was not there. This was despite the tutor 10

reassuring me that it was, because he could see it through the glass window on the side of the ‘cow’. “Liar”, I muttered as I continuously tried the ‘swooping’ motion needed to cup the cervix safely enough to insert my inseminator. I won’t take you through the numerous stages after you’ve managed to locate it but let me just tell you this – it is by far the hardest thing I have ever had to do, including my 20,000word dissertation at the end of my degree. Day two: the real thing. How, I repeatedly asked myself throughout the day, have I been milking cows for so long and yet know absolutely nothing about the reproductive system which is essential to their own and therefore my job? “It’ll be so much easier thanks to your practice day yesterday,” our tutors reassured us. So, gloves and lube at the ready, we stepped forward to our designated cows, moved swishing tails aside, and attempted to put into action

what we had learned on day one. Clearly having calved one too many cows, my left hand went straight in the vulva and I was immediately confused to not be met with a foot or at least a head. Then, remembering where I was, I gently (but swiftly) removed my hand and glanced over my shoulder to check that no one saw… Smirks from a couple of tutors said otherwise, but I think for the most part I got away with it. Now safely in the right hole and feeling around for the cervix, I realised the one big difference between the artificial cows and the real thing – all I was feeling now was a whole load of yesterday’s silage and grain, and definitely no sign of a cervix. This confused/perplexed state carried on all the way through my first three days of training, but then suddenly on the fourth day something clicked. I had a eureka moment and my swooping hand grasped the cervix easily at first attempt while my inseminator reached the ideal position. My goodness, this actually was the best feeling in the world. The rest of the day flew by, and I managed to inseminate enough cows at the right position to pass the first week and secure myself a spot in week two in April. “Fantastic!” my tutors exclaimed to those of us who had passed. “Now you’ve just got to double that number of cows and get your positioning right every single time and you’ll pass week two easily.” Brilliant. Wish me luck… (This is Alex’s last column as a farmer for now, she is moving on in the industry... maybe to inseminating cows and other exciting roles? Thanks, Alex, for your entertaining columns – Ed.)

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

MILKING PLATFORM WEST COAST

We still think a one size fits all policy just will not work for New Zealand. There are so many variables in farming different parts of the country that cannot be covered by a blanket approach.

Tractor harvesting crop on the Staple’s farm.

Pushing back on freshwater legislation Carla Staples is happy with the increased returns for dairy but concerned that some of the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater are unachievable.

utumn has well and truly arrived here on the West Coast with a definite drop in overnight temperatures but still enough warm days and rainfall once a week to keep the grass growing well. As of mid-March, we have shifted the herd to the popular 3in2 milking regime to help extend our grazing round to build up feed heading into the winter. All things going well, we will change to once a day (OAD) milking at the end of April to wind the girls down before drying off late May. The cows are still milking well, and we are still slightly up on last season. We scanned the herd in mid-February with the empty rate coming in at 14% after an 8.5 week mating. This was a slight improvement on last season even though we used no Controlled Internal Drug Release (CIDRs) for the first time since

we began farming. We have already been discussing a new approach for this coming season which will include increasing our mating length to 10 weeks but using short gestation AI bulls for the last 10 days. We should end up with more cows in calf while calving should finish around the same time, well that is the plan anyway. The heifers held well to AI with 65% in calf after our double Cyclase (PG) shot and three days of AI. All in all, we should have plenty of replacement calves hitting the ground early in August. I am sure all of you would probably agree with me when I say it has been pleasing to see dairy performing very well over the last six months. In particular, the first auction in March was quite unexpected. It has set us up well for a strong finish to the season. It certainly takes the pressure off when you do not have to worry too much

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

about the financial side of the business, especially when we have so many new rules to get our heads around before next season regarding the freshwater legislation. It is good to see that DairyNZ has finally gained some traction with the Government around some of the new rules that were virtually unworkable, well in our area on our soil type. We still think a one size fits all policy just will not work for New Zealand. There are so many variables in farming different parts of the country that cannot be covered by a blanket approach. It would be nice to see some scientific evidence to back up some of the freshwater targets that have been set. I was disappointed after talking to a couple of scientists at a recent field day that, to their knowledge, there had been no input into the new legislation from anyone in their field. Farm wise, things have been ticking along nicely. We’ve managed to get some silage made and 10% of the farm re-grassed this season. February was very dry by West Coast standards but this meant we could really get through some work. We subsoiled just over half the farm which will make a huge difference when we get some wetter weather. The Swedes really bolted and are looking very healthy, fingers crossed they will yield well when we start grazing them in June. Moving forward to April, we will spray a round of ProGibb and nitrogen to keep building covers into May. We found it a great tool to keep the grass humming when we had cooler weather in late autumn. The annual heifer/calf swap will take place on the first of May. It’s great to have them back onfarm and get them prepared for calving. We hope everyone has a great end to their season and makes the most of the winter break - if you get one. 11

MILKING PLATFORM OTAGO

sharing information and ideas is valuable to our learning, even if our learning is that we are on the right track. Offering up your farm for review is another example of how you view it. Are you opening yourself up to criticism? Or is it a chance to get advice from a group of people who know the industry well? To host the group, all we did was make sure the cows were close by – our DairyNZ consulting officer took care of everything else. The group, which included farmers and rural professionals, discussed our cow condition, crops and pasture. We had a focus on mating results as these were just in and the consulting officer ensures discussions are respectful and keep to time.

Every farm sharing their key data is a great way to benchmark how you are doing in relation to others in the area.

Hosting the Taieri discussion group: three hours of professional development.

Onfarm sharing is caring Anne-Marie Wells reminds us that discussion groups can be a great way to learn new techniques while getting to know your neighbours.

ur farm recently hosted the DairyNZ discussion group for our local area, the Taieri. At the end of the meeting, I watched farmers chatting and thought one of the most important parts of the whole event is that chance to connect with your farming neighbours. The dairy industry is quite unique because we are not in competition with each other. If our neighbour produces more milk than us, it will not negatively impact our business. Equally, if our neighbour is interested in our in-shed feeding system, we are more than happy to 12

share what we know about it. Discussion groups offer a chance for farmers to head off-farm, take a closer look at someone else’s farm, find out how other farms in their area are performing, and hear the latest thinking on a focus topic. Justifying time away from the farm can be difficult, especially if you take your whole team along. There are always jobs to be done, so it becomes a matter of how you regard discussion groups. Is it three hours where you could be doing other things? Or is it three hours of professional development for you all? Professional development may sound over the top, but

Every farm sharing their key data is a great way to benchmark how you are doing in relation to others in the area. It can be reassuring to find you are not the only one with a higher cow infertility rate than usual. It can also be useful to ask the person who is making good progress what they think is making a difference. At the discussion group, we hear the latest views from DairyNZ, which is especially useful in these times of regulation introduction and change. An advantage of information from DairyNZ is that it is not being promoted with an agenda of selling a service or support, it is based on science and has the goal of industry progression while benefiting all dairy farmers. The discussion group provides a way to meet and talk with your peers, keep up to date with information and connect with people in the area. It is an opportunity to tap into the knowledge of more experienced farmers or a chance to give forward by sharing knowledge. If nothing else, one of the rural suppliers is there with the barbeque, so you know you are going to get a good feed.

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

MILKING PLATFORM NORTHLAND

Milking herd on the new block 2nd round.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Things are all go in Northland for Niall McKenzie with new blocks and more cows and some quick thinking!

will start my column on a good note. Firstly, thanks to our New Zealand dairy farmers for tirelessly working to produce world-class food to help feed the world. Well done, also to Fonterra. This is a first for me but I am very pleased and privileged to be a supplier. You deserve the credit alongside all NZ dairy farmers. The share price is up, and a reasonable dividend forecasted. A great milk price and a great inter-linking co-operative that communicates well. Life is busy as always. The new 100ha added on February 1 is working with the old dairy farm and autumn calving is in full swing. We have great plans in place for the next 10 months and are looking forward to the further addition of another 220ha and a 40-aside herringbone dairy shed. We didn’t go looking for this opportunity but we are very honoured to expand our business. We will be heads down, arse up for the next four seasons. The bad – This is how I would best

Niall and Delwyn McKenzie having a laugh - when he asked her to take a day off teaching to go to the Northland Field Days.

describe the re-conversion of the additional area. Broken water pipes, wires missing, poor pasture quality and ongoing dry conditions. To top it off, it is a 1.6km walk on hill country just to get to the block. However, these are really nothing. I found the quickest way forward is to prioritise. What is the most important thing to do? And then go and do it. For example, I will fix two fences a day from

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

Monday to Friday. Setting small achievable tasks is a lot easier than letting it all build up. We grazed 174 cows onfarm in December on the existing old block of 155ha of hill country. This was not planned for but it made the cows all $150 cheaper per head so we just got on with it and fed out a lot of balage. We still have 160 bales left behind so the winter feed budget is tight but manageable. We have hope there will be good cover on the new 220ha and 200 bales left behind. Hope is like a ray of sunshine. The ugly - These things blindside you and take at least a good five minutes to adjust. In this period of time your mind is going from dark to furious, trying to figure out are you going to fight or are you going to engage in flight and run away from the problem. I generally go for confrontation if I can, sometimes you can not. On a visit to our graziers of the last seven years, he told me that he has been placed into liquidation. After saying that is terrible to him, and showing empathy, my stock agent rings. I made the decision to take the phone call as the agent was looking at 100 head of ex-export heifers for us at the same time. I made an offer of $160 a head less than their asking price. The next 20 minutes felt like a blur. I saw our 105 head of stock off on the grazier’s block, thinking ‘What am I going to do? I can’t leave them here, I have to secure my assets. They will have to come home.’ Great, I think to myself, more animals not planned for and more balage to feed. As I drive out of the driveway of the graziers, the phone rings again from our stock agent. “Niall, they have accepted your offer.” Wow, really? And then, you hear from the stock agent. “They will be at yours tomorrow.” This is when I fly into flight mode and I go to the pub. I have some lunch and a drink with one of my best mates while patiently waiting for Delwyn to come back from her three-hour hairdressing appointment to tell her the ugly news from the morning. In conclusion, I like this quote from one of the later Rocky movies. “Life is not about how hard you can hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.” 13

INSIGHT

UPFRONT KIWISAVER

Accessing KiwiSaver to feather the nest Farm workers living in provided accommodation can’t withdraw their KiwiSaver funds to boost a deposit on a house. Phil Edmonds investigates the campaign to correct this anomaly and looks into what can be done to improve farm property ownership rates.

n case anyone needs reminding, it’s not only the young and urban-based who are being disadvantaged in their bid to get on the property ladder with house prices continuing to spiral to the sky. Ironically, also disadvantaged are those who might otherwise be considered protected from the predicament – those with jobs that have service tenancies (housing provided), of which many are working onfarm. It isn’t that those working onfarm are any worse off financially than people in town. However, those looking to buy a house to live in can withdraw their accumulated KiwiSaver to fund a deposit. Meanwhile, people living in accommodation provided as part of their job don’t have this option because they are unable to live in a house they buy. Federated Farmers are out to do something about this anomaly. First, before the why and how, a quick step-by-step on the rules as they stand. The KiwiSaver First Home Withdrawal scheme is designed to help first home buyers purchase residential property. To be eligible for the KiwiSaver First Home Withdrawal Scheme you must be purchasing your first home, have been a member of KiwiSaver for a minimum of three years, have your KiwiSaver account with a KiwiSaver provider that allows saving withdrawals, and (frustratingly for farm workers), intend to live in the property for at least six months. So, what’s the basis of opposing the rule? Most significantly, it’s deemed to be unfair. Federated Farmers

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

National Board Member Chris Lewis says those working on, and living in farm houses, simply don’t have the same opportunity to invest in the housing market. The rule also assumes that those working onfarm are going to be doing it forever. However, there’s just as much uncertainty in farming jobs as there is any other. There will be times where the job might end and you’ve got no fallback. In addition, part of the desire to buy a home is to reach a stage where you have a debt-free property to retire in. If people do have successful farm working careers with long-term service tenancies, they may well be behind when they retire, having not been able to buy a house as early as others, with the benefit of having access to KiwiSaver funds.

LEGISLATIVE REVIEW REQUIRED

The Government position has always been that KiwiSaver is designed to assist first-home buyers who have modest incomes and provide an incentive for the development of affordable housing. To change this mandate will require a legislative review – the KiwiSaver Act 2006 and associated KiwiSaver regulations do not provide any ability to make individual exemptions to the rules. The need to change the legislation is a daunting starting point for any cause, but it shouldn’t be considered a lost one. The discrepancy was discussed by Federated Farmers at the end of last year and it resolved to work on a proposal to take to the Government. Encouragingly, Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor listened to these initial pleas and asked for more detail. With that in mind, Lewis says “Federated Farmers is looking at a process. Most people will appreciate there will be a long time to sort through fine print, put up a sensible proposal and for officials to review it – it might take years.”

Chris Lewis, Federated Farmers National Board Member.

SERVICE TENANCY RULE NOT JUST A FARMING PROBLEM

Ordinarily, this prospect of a wide ranging review might consign a campaign to the dustbin. However, there are external factors that could provide some encouragement. For a start, it isn’t just farm workers who are disadvantaged by the rule stating you must live in the home you use your KiwiSaver funds to help purchase. Aaron Passey, chairperson of Federated Farmers sharemilkers section says, “The rule applies to anyone who has a service tenancy. This is likely to include school principals and teachers in rural schools and rural police officers.” It also might impact vets, and Department of Conservation workers living in remote locations. It will be a question of assessing the extent of the problem beyond farm workers and managers, sharemilkers and shepherds, and how those affected can be brought together to speak with a single voice. Engaging with other sectors will be important, and Federated Farmers have already acknowledged the benefit in not simply highlighting it as a farming problem. As for those other groups of workers on service tenancies, there’s some work to be done on raising awareness. While they may be equally disadvantaged, it doesn’t mean they have realised it yet. The New Zealand Veterinary Association has not, to date, been

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

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questioned on it by its members while the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) and the Post-Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) both acknowledged it could impact their members (and would welcome engagement), though neither organisation had received any calls to investigate it. Even if the weight of a broad coalition of voices is not immediately apparent and able to unite with a compelling case, it might end up being wider dissatisfaction with the way the Government is enabling KiwiSaver funds as a policy tool to address both the housing shortage, and the difficulty for first home buyers getting on the ladder, that helps farmers in service tenancies.

REAL ESTATE, RETIREMENT ADVOCATES TO THE RESCUE

They might not be everyone’s closest ally, but real estate firms have made calls over the past year for the Government to allow KiwiSaver withdrawals for investment

“Federated Farmers is looking at a process. Most people will appreciate there will be a long time to sort through fine print, put up a sensible proposal and for officials to review it – it might take years.” properties as a way to boost home ownership. This logic has been advanced to assist those renting, for example in Auckland, who are unable to generate a deposit big enough to buy a house, but could do so to buy a cheaper property elsewhere. In theory, this would boost home ownership but would do little to fix the more pressing current conundrum – runaway house prices across the whole country – not just in Auckland. Another ally might be those advocating for retirees. Prior to Covid-19, then acting retirement commissioner Peter Cordtz told the Government it should make it easier for people to access KiwiSaver first-home withdrawals, suggesting it would improve home ownership and reduce taxpayer

liability. This recommendation was made as a way of addressing declining rates of people owning their own homes. At the time, Cordtz noted that while there are around 12 percent of over 65s still renting, the basis for NZ Super payments assumes people are homeowners. The Commission for Financial Capability, which advises the Government on retirement income policy, acknowledges its mandate is not to manage New Zealand house prices, but to help New Zealanders build up their assets. As part of that, it is likely to be at least an interested participant in a groundswell of interest in addressing the issue raised by farmers in service tenancies – particularly if the focus was on them being disadvantaged in making investments for retirement. More recently, there have been instances where people who have tried to be innovative in finding a solution to home ownership have been tripped up, and failed by the KiwiSaver withdrawal rules. These include those wanting to build tiny houses and possibly site them on leasehold or family land; those seeking a second chance at using their KiwiSaver funds for home ownership, after a previous relationship had ended with the sale of their house. Some economists have also suggested rules could be relaxed for those specifically wanting to build, as a means to help address the shortage of housing supply. So there clearly exists a range of potential collaborators even if their agendas are not necessarily aligned.

FARM OWNERSHIP ALSO OUT OF REACH Shut the gate: The ability to use their Kiwisaver to boost a house deposit should not be shut to those with supplied accomodation as part of their employment. 16

For the farming community though, the anomaly in the KiwiSaver withdrawal rule is part of a bigger story of the everincreasing difficulty of attaining farm ownership, not just home ownership. The inability to access KiwiSaver funds is the latest focal point among various attempts to help enable young farmers to make steps towards farm ownership. Opening up, or re-creating pathways to farm ownership has attracted political Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

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support in the recent past, without making noteworthy progress. In the previous coalition Government, NZ First was a champion, with its Otago-based MP Mark Patterson vocal in exploring policy settings that could help young people buy a farm without a family connection. During last year’s election campaign he advocated for Pamu Farms (previously Landcorp) to provide equity funding for selected young farmers, and enter a partnership, which would help farmers into sharemilking and allow them to build up capital. At the end of the NZ National Party’s last term of government, then Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy pitched for the sale of Landcorp farms to young people after a lease period of 5-10 years, which would have allowed them to build a business to the extent they would have been able to seek finance for a full farm purchase. Both these bids have come to nothing, but the idea of tapping Pamu for help still resonates. Federated Farmers Dairy Industry Group vice-chairperson Richard McIntyre believes Pamu could play a role by retaining sharemilkers on their farms rather than employing managers, and in doing so continue to support the traditional transition pathway. Getting some traction with those in the hot seat now will be critical. At least

Federated Farmers Dairy Industry Group vicechairperson Richard McIntyre.

Minister for Agriculture Damien O’Connor has acknowledged the problem. In the meantime, young farmers wanting to get on the farm ownership ladder will have to continue being as innovative as those wannabe homeowners identified above, in building a stake towards a deposit. Both Passey and McIntyre see this as essential. Passey says the gap between

those who own farms and those who don’t is continuing to widen. Bridging that gap is “all about being creative and thinking outside the square. It’s not really about managing, to lower order, to 50/50 sharemilking, to buying a farm. It’s not as easy as it was. It’s more likely to involve taking on multiple jobs, leasing farms or seeking equity partnerships.” Richard McIntyre says “You always had to have and will always need to have certain personality traits to buy a farm. You need to work hard and invest in other things – property being one of them. There’s no set model anymore. You’ve got to look for diverse opportunities, and this does loop back to the KiwiSaver issue.” Like everyone else, buying a property is more than just a house to live in, it’s part of investing in your future.

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Pasture & Forage News

April 2021

Managing your new Maxsyn If you’re one of the many farmers who ordered Maxsyn next-gen perennial ryegrass this autumn, thank you!

Look at how well ryegrass and clover seed has struck, and check for drill misses

Attention to detail with newly sown pastures will pay off later Establishing great pastures is like raising great heifers – the more care you give them early in life, the better they will perform in the years to come. Just like well-bred calves, new pastures are the future of your farm business. They also need time to reach their full potential. You know you’ve succeeded when you have a dense, well-tillered pasture 12 months from now.

Autumn is a busy time on-farm, but if you can spare a few minutes every week to look closely at what’s growing next to your new pasture seedlings, you’ll catch a weed problem before it becomes serious.

The first priorities are checking the seed strike; early weed control, correct timing of the first grazing and a light fertiliser dressing before winter.

Grazing: The timing of that first nipoff is arguably more important than any other grazing your pasture will ever receive! It helps dictate lifetime pasture yield, persistence and pasture make-up.

Strike: Have a careful look at how well ryegrass and clover seed has struck, and check for drill misses, or areas where seed hasn’t emerged. If you spot these early, you may be able to oversow, or drill a bit more seed. Any bare ground will be colonised by weeds – you need good ground coverage of your sown species. Weeds: It’s easy to get caught out by weeds like chickweed, spurrey and storksbill. They’re fast and aggressive, and if not controlled soon after germination, can suppress the strength and yield of new pasture for life.

Graze when seedlings cannot be plucked out of the ground by hand, and aim to remove the top 2-3cm of pasture with young stock. Nipping the tips of new pasture off lets sunlight into the base of the sward, so baby clover won’t get shaded out, and it also encourages ryegrass plants to start tillering.

Demand for seed has been very strong, and we’re delighted so much of this exciting new cultivar is being sown around the country. Maxsyn’s strengths include fast establishment speed and strong tillering ability, which mean it’s especially important to follow best practice establishment guidelines for newly-sown Maxsyn pastures (see left for more). If anything, you may need to graze it a bit quicker than other new pastures. As well as benefiting other species in your pasture such as clover, good establishment management now will ensure you capture the full advantage of Maxsyn’s gains down the track. With superior persistence, improved summer growth and tillering, and a great endophyte, this cultivar has the highest yield of any perennial ryegrass we’ve released and comes with a 5 star nationwide rating in the 2021 DairyNZ Forage Value Index (FVI). Visit our website for more information about Maxsyn, and for other helpful tips on autumn pasture establishment.

Fertiliser: New grass grows fast and needs nutrients. A light dressing of N after the first grazing will keep young plants well fed over coming months.

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GLOBAL DAIRY NORTH AMERICA

Three’s a crossbreeding charm Words by: Anne Cote

functional traits related to fertility, health, and survival of cows,” Lelsie says. urebred Holstein Friesian herds Adding genetics from other breeds are a matter of pride for dairy can improve the functional traits and is producers both in the United becoming more popular in the US and States and Canada but there is a Europe, he adds. difference in how each country calculates This is especially important in national the profitability of their herds. and global free markets. According to Dr Leslie Hansen, Professor Leslie notes dairy producers in both of Dairy Cattle Genetics at the University the US and Europe, who sell their dairy of Minnesota in St. Paul Minnesota, products into the global market, are US, that difference is supported looking at integrating 3-breed by the marketing methods in crossbreds into their herds as the two countries. one method of maximising He says Canadian producers their profits in the free market sell their milk into a quota system. While Canadian dairy system which guarantees higher producers aren’t as engaged in milk prices than the global diversifying the genetic makeup Anne Cote. market. Dairy producers in Canada of their herds it’s not unusual to measure their production success by find a few Jersey cows mixed into the number of litres of milk the herd, or the herds for interest but not for cross even a single cow, produces in a single day. breeding. Their cost of production is measured by Although Canada has a quota system for the cost of inputs required to maintain a milk, its processors sell skim milk powder, cow’s liquid milk production and butterfat cheese, whey products and yogurt to the content. “United States, Egypt, Philippines and Other important costs of production Algeria” according to 2019 data from the factors include the animal’s fertility rate Government of Canada. and overall good health. In the US, Leslie explains, milk prices CROSSBRED STUDY REVEALS are based on the solids in milk and PROFIT BENEFITS neither processors nor exporters care if the A recently completed 10 year designed kilograms of milk solids originate from a study conducted by Leslie and two of his purebred or a crossbred cow. Profitability colleagues, Amy Hazel and Brad Heins, depends on the value of the US dollar, showed daily profits in US herds from the cost of inputs and the volume of milk 2-breed crossbreds were 13 percent higher solids the herd produces. than that of their Holstein Freisian herd “As dairy producers become squeezed mates while profits were 9 percent higher on profit, they become more interested in 3-breed crossbreds when compared to in reducing input costs, especially for the the Holstein Freisians.

Top: New calves in maternity pen. US dairy farmers who sell into international markets are looking at integrating 3-breed crossbreds into their herds as one method of maximising their profits. Above: Adding genetics from other breeds can improve the functional traits and is becoming more popular in the US and Europe.

Higher lifetime profits were also realised due to the longevity of the crossbreds according to Leslie’s study. The three breeds he used to study the 3-breed or ProCROSS rotation are Holstein Friesian, VikingRed, and Montbeliarde. The rotation can start with either a VikingRed bred to a Holstein Friesian or the other way around starting with a Montbeliarde bred to a Holstein Friesian. The circular cycle of breeding VikingRed to Holstein Friesian then to Montbeliarde can also work in reverse. Leslie sees an opportunity for improving profits in dairy herds in the different marketing systems. “Crossbreeding simply provides the potential for more efficient and profitable production of milk solids regardless of the eventual use of those solids, either domestic or export,” he says.

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

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The Tow and Fert fits really well with the new freshwater policy because you can use less and apply it in little amounts more often. Farmers can cart in their dry product, dilute it down and away they go.

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Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

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UPFRONT MARKET VIEW

INSIGHT

Commodity prices soar in March of the March 16 event as a result of the price rise at the March 2 event. The Co-op he March 2 Global Dairy added 11,500t of WMP over the next 12 Trade (GDT) event took months, with 3500t of that volume the entire industry by added to the March 16 event, and surprise, delivering an extra 7000 to the April and an incredible 15% jump May events. And, there was 200t in the index. This is the of skim milk powder added to largest increase in the GDT each event from March 16 to price index since September May 18. Fonterra also removed 2015. Whole milk powder 1000t of anhydrous milkfat from Amy Castleston. (WMP) prices soared 21% - the the March and April events and 1130t largest increase on the day – but of cheese – leaving just 80t of cheddar we also saw some significant increases in on offer at the March 16 GDT event. most other commodities on offer on the Prices did correct a bit at the March platform. 16 event, easing 3.8% overall. Price The rise at the March 2 GDT prompted movements were mixed by commodity, Fonterra to revise its milk price forecast but the fall in the index was led by a 6.2% up by 40 cents, with the new range now fall in WMP prices. Commodity prices $7.30-$7.90/kg MS, making the midpoint still remain high compared to historical $7.60/kg MS. Fonterra reaffirmed this milk averages. A bit of a fall in prices was price forecast when it released its interim expected at the March 16 event, after such results in mid-March. The NZX milk price a spectacular rise at the previous event and forecast at the time of writing remained at the extra milk powder volume. the top end of Fonterra’s range, sitting at Overall, commodity prices are still $7.88/kg MS. This forecast is dependent on expected to remain relatively high. At the commodity prices for the remainder of the time of writing, the NZX Dairy Derivatives season remaining at relatively high levels, market was indicating a fall in prices though there is some room for downside. over the coming months, particularly Fonterra also significantly adjusted its as New Zealand heads into the 2021offer volumes on the GDT platform ahead 22 dairy season. In saying this, prices

Words by: Amy Castleton

Milk production seems to have bounced back in most regions through March, with some better rainfall encouraging pasture growth. aren’t expected to fall dramatically, and a reasonable milk price still looks to be on the cards for next season. Milk production seems to have bounced back in most regions through March, with some better rainfall encouraging pasture growth. The NZX Pasture Growth Index shows that conditions dropped to a low in early March but have started to track back up and are forecast to continue improving over the remainder of the month. North Island production in particular is looking better than last season in several places, with the South Island being a bit more variable due to weather conditions. There is plenty of feed around, though demand for supplementary feed has been slow over the past few months. • Amy Castleton, senior dairy analyst at NZX Agri.

DAIRY COMMODITY PRICES 7000

US$/tonne

6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 Jan 19

Jul 19 WMP

Jan20 SMP

Jul 20 AMF

Jan 21 BUTTER

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

CREAM OF THE CROP | NZ DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS 2021

of the crop 26 35 41 47 58 67 76 85 93 103 113

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

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DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS | EXECUTIVE CHAIR’S INTRODUCTION

crop e h t f o

rises above Covid-19

elcome to the season’s much-anticipated edition of ‘Cream of the Crop’. On behalf of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards and the NZ Dairy Exporter, it is my honour to introduce to you our 2021 national finalists. As I sit here and reflect on the past year it is hard not to focus on the unprecedented changes Covid-19 has brought. Just over a year ago, the world stopped around us and we faced challenges we never thought we would encounter in our lifetime. However, throughout the world-wide chaos and national lockdowns, the NZ dairy industry kept going. We adapted, we pushed forward and yet again showed our resilience as an industry in an ever-changing world. So too, did the NZDIA programme. In a time of uncertainty, we came together and showed our ability to be agile, adaptive and resilient to ensure we continued to provide a platform for our entrants to learn, connect and grow within our industry. The NZDIA programme is like no other. The value you receive out of entering the awards programme is that which you only realise once you take the step to enter. The opportunities to learn about your business or your career path, the connections you make both regionally and nationally to

the personal and professional growth you go through, it is all valuable. Our programme would not be what it is today without the support and dedication from our national sponsors, regional and national judges, our large family of volunteers throughout the country and our management team who together enable us to deliver a thriving and successful program each year. In a few short weeks our regional winners will come together in Hamilton to take part in the highlight of our programme - Nationals Week. The week is an opportunity for all of our finalists to continue their journey of learning, connecting and growing. The 2021 National Awards dinner will be held at the Claudelands Events Centre, Hamilton on Saturday, May 15. I extend a warm invitation to join us in celebrating some incredible people of our industry, I look forward to seeing you there.

AMBER CARPENTER Executive Chair NZ Dairy Industry Awards

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NORTHLAND | DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

DAIRY TRAINEE

MERIT AWARDS: NorthTec Farming Knowledge Award – Bella Wati Pacific Motor Group Community & Industry Involvement Award – Michaela McCracken Northland Fieldays Communication & Engagement Award – Bella Wati DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Ezra Houltham Left: Field of dreams: Northland Dairy Trainee of the Year Bella Wati has turned a love for animals into a long term career.

Dairying with care WORDS AND PHOTOS BY CHRIS NEILL

inning the 2021 Northland Dairy Trainee of the year award has been a huge confidence boost for Bella Wati, a 19-year-old woman who was raised in the city with a love of animals but no farming connections. Classroom learning was never Bella’s thing, so with support from her parents Kelly and Mark Wati, she signed up for agriculture classes in Year 10 and started a journey towards a career she is relishing. With a combination of school and Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre studies, she has achieved NCEA to level 2 and NZCA level 3 for Farming Systems and Vehicles, Machinery and Infrastructure. Bella is now studying for her dairy apprenticeship with Primary ITO. In addition, she has shared her enthusiasm for agriculture and the path she has taken with other young women in secondary school. She has encouraged at least two of them to start on a similar path at NorthTec in Whangarei. After part time work onfarm as part of her study placements with Louise and Kerran Errington and then with Northland Share Farmer of the Year 2021 winner Katrina Pearson, Bella started 26

full time work with Katrina on the 186 ha Puketitoi Farms in December 2019, milking 460 cows. Katrina has taken the time and provided the opportunities plus encouragement for Bella to develop her practical skills with stock, plant, and machinery. She is now responsible for grazing management of the 45 x R2 and 21 x R1 replacement heifers on the 66 ha runoff, rearing 100 replacement heifer calves and 370 dairy beef calves, and measuring pasture across the whole farm then entering the data into Minda Software while participating in general farm duties including milking. Bella’s readiness to take advice and willingness to accept challenges that build her competence have contributed to her also winning the NorthTec Farming Knowledge Award and Northland Field Days Communication and Engagement Award. Judges were impressed with her understanding of best industry practices and Bella showed this experience with examples of what she does onfarm. The judges said her milk quality knowledge was impressive, and they remarked that she should be proud of what she has achieved in such a short time in the industry. Bella’s love for livestock and responsibility for calf rearing has

established her view that calves should not go on the bobby truck. She is unsure whether her opinion is shared by her employer or helped influence a recent change to using low birth weight Angus bulls on heifers and in the herd after AI to improve the marketability of these calves. The change increases her enthusiasm and positivity for her current role and aligns with her view of changes that will benefit the dairy sector. Other changes Bella is looking for are better industry alignment with environmental regulations, more advanced technology to monitor stock and measure their performance, and greater understanding of dairy farming by the wider community to encourage more young people to make it their career. To achieve her long term ambition of owning her own Northland farm to raise calves on cull dairy cows, Bella has started her journey of building equity. Her three key steps are to purchase a residential rental property that is financially selfsupporting, rear and sell livestock, and find a co-investor for the farm. Entering the Dairy Industry Awards also fits Bella’s plan for self-development in testing what she is doing, identifying what can be improved, building her self-confidence, and increasing her employability for career advancement. RUNNER UP in the Northland Dairy Trainee was Michaela McCracken who is farm assistant on Greg McCracken’s 450ha Wellsford property, while 19-year-old Ruawai farm assistant Lucas Beeler was third.

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

NORTHLAND | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Man’s best friend: Ravindra shares a laugh with his mate at the farm’s new feedpad site. Ravindra is working for Northland Share Farmer of the Year winners for 2020, Charlie and Emma Adair.

Building capital to get ahead WORDS AND PHOTOS BY CHRIS NEILL

hifting from the high input dairy farms of the Middle East to New Zealand’s grassbased systems has been part of the journey for Sri Lankan dairy manager Ravindra Maddage Don. Ravindra is the 2021 Northland Dairy Manager of the Year. Arriving in New Zealand in 2011 from Sri Lanka via the Middle East, he has settled into Northland with dairy farming as his chosen career. While he worked on a high-input farm in the Middle East, his grass farming experience is solely in New Zealand. He has developed his practical skills on Northland farms while also studying with Primary ITO to obtain his NZCA Dairy - Level 4 and Production Management Level 5. Ravindra gratefully acknowledges the support his previous employers have provided in developing his practical skills alongside his studies.

These previous employers and his tutors have become Ravindra’s trusted advisors to help work through management challenges and progress his dairy farming career. His immediate goal is to build experience and capital to be sharemilking in the 2023 season. To help build capital for this, he has joined his brother and sister in a clothing business in Sri Lanka. As a young man building a new career in a new country, he is happy with his progress to date. Ravindra received the Westpac Personal Planning & Financial Management Award with judges noting “Ravi had a great understanding of his personal finances and a plan in place. He has built sound equity and has explored further growth opportunities for himself. He has also created a business with his brother to further diversify his income stream and wealth creation.”

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

440

Kiwicross cows

Production

Pasture eaten

11.9t DM/ha/yr pasture and crop

320kg MS/cow • 1076kg MS/ha

130ha

Milking supplement 220kg PKE/cow

Milking platform area

Farm Dairy

25 aside herringbone

200

Cows/labour unit

67%

Six-week in-calf rate

145kg N/ha/year

Nitrogen

Wintering

Weeks of mating Not in-calf rate

14% 81ha Runoff

on platform, PKE + hay + maize

NORTHLAND | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

RUNNER UP is Wellsford farm manager Daniel Richards another first-time entrant to the Awards. Third place getter in the Northland Dairy Manager category is Baden Rudkin who is farm manager on Terence and Suzanne Brocx 180-cow, 75ha property at Ohaeawai. Left: Like a boss: Ravindra Maddage Don proudly poses with his Northland Dairy Manager of the Year trophy.

FARM IN TRANSITION

Ravindra is in his first season with owners Charlie and Emma Adair. They won Northland Share Farmers of the Year for 2020. The 211ha farm of which 130ha is currently effective is at Purua, west of Whangarei. This is a transition year for the farm which is undergoing significant redevelopment and upgrade of pasture and infrastructure. A further 30ha is currently being redeveloped and will be added to the platform this season. Currently milking 440 crossbred cows that are spring calved to produce 320kg milksolids (MS) per cow, this will change up to 500 cows, autumn

calved, on system 4 targeting 185,000kg MS. Cows have been milked twice a day up until mating and are then changing to once a day milking. With 200 cows per labour unit and a relatively small shed, it takes pressure off the cows and farm team. Alongside this will be the upgrade of races and fences – the farm water supply has already been upgraded and is expected to meet the increased demands of a larger herd. The herd is currently milked through a 25-aside herringbone shed with plans for a new shed in the future which will sit alongside the feed pad which is about to

DAIRY MANAGER

MERIT AWARDS: Whitelaw Weber Employee Engagement Award – Baden Rudkin Webb Ross McNab Kilpatrick Leadership Award – Daniel Richards Northern Wairoa Vet Club Association Feed Management Award – Daniel Richards DeLaval Livestock Management Award – Ravindra Maddage Don Fonterra Dairy Management Award – Baden Rudkin NZDIA Power Play Award – Jared Sione Lauaki Westpac Personal Planning and Financial Management Award – Ravindra Maddage Don

be constructed with capacity for 600 cows. This infrastructure will be essential as the farm also transitions to system 4. Also being upgraded are the 50 – 60 year old pastures with 70% of the farm scheduled for pasture renewal in the next 3 years. The transition through maize is returning good crop yields with pasture and crop eaten in the 2019/20 year at 11.9 t/ha which was supplemented with 220 kg/ cow of palm kernel. Nitrogen is being strategically applied through the season to a total of 145 kg/ha. To date, cows have been wintered on the platform and the 81ha runoff is utilised for young stock and raising beef cattle. Ravindra has responsibility for stock and pasture management, feeding the cows, production and record keeping. He has taken on a herd with 67% six week-in-calf rate and 14% not-in-calf after 10 weeks mating. This is an opportunity to affirm the judges remarks when awarding him the DeLaval Livestock Management Award that “Ravi demonstrated a good understanding and the importance of record keeping to make sound management decisions based on livestock performance and highlighted areas for improvement.” The development work is being undertaken by contractors leaving Ravindra to manage the day to day operation. He has a farm assistant working with him to share the workload and Charlie and Emma maintain regular contact. The disruption of the redevelopment and pressure of a larger herd will no doubt make the coming season challenging – an opportunity to learn and endorse himself as a capable and adaptable dairy farmer.

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

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NORTHLAND | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

Left: Welcome to the jungle: Katrina Pearson among this year’s maize.

Measure – monitor respond farming mantra WORDS AND PHOTOS BY CHRIS NEILL

ontract milker Katrina Pearson is living the dream with husband David and daughters Emily and Charlotte, living and working on Puketitoi Farm at Purua, west of Whangarei. She has just captured another dream goal - winning the 2021 Northland Share Farmer of the Year award. Katrina’s journey to this award started as the daughter of successful dairy farming parents. She and her two brothers observed how the key ingredients of thoughtfulness and discipline applied to dairy farming can be economically rewarding and a 30

great lifestyle. It was sufficient for Katrina to complete a Diploma in Agriculture at Lincoln University in 2008. From there she joined the New Zealand Police, initially as a general duties constable and ultimately to a specialist interviewing young children. Katrina wanted to progress on her merits and performance and resisted seeking promotion that might be seen as meeting gender equality targets. It was a career she enjoyed, with time out to give her two daughters their start in life. In 2014, Katrina’s parents Richard and Sharron Booth along with her brother Andrew and his wife Vicky purchased

Puketitoi Farm. This provided an investment opportunity for Katrina and David, which they took after selling their residential property. The farm was being operated by a contract milker with Katrina looking after young stock on the 66ha runoff. Four years of watching someone else run the farm was enough for Katrina to ask for the role on the 186 effective ha farm. While Richard and Sharron responded with enough hesitancy to ensure it was a serious commitment, Katrina suspects there was a grander plan in play. These successful dairy farmers were encouraging and making it possible for the next generation to step up and prove themselves capable. Supporting Katrina’s entry in the Dairy Industry Awards was a step toward her checking on that capability. Katrina is passionate about operating a profitable dairy business. Everything Katrina earns from the farm is invested in increasing their shareholding, while David has his own business off-farm which supports the family. The motivation to learn, commitment to continuous improvement and adoption of the disciplines needed for success are evident in the suite of Merit Awards Katrina received, winning awards for human resources, dairy hygiene, health, safety and biosecurity, recording and productivity, farm environment, pasture performance and business performance. Katrina speaks gratefully and graciously of the role modelling and mentoring of her parents Richard and Sharron. In her farming journey to date there have been plenty of hand-ups. While their opinions are highly influential and their moral support essential, Katrina’s astuteness and determination to succeed is undeniable.

FOCUSED ON FREISIANS The farming business is focused on 460 Friesian cows that are autumn calved with planned start of calving on 20 March. For two seasons out of three that Katrina has been onfarm they have milked cows for 365 days of the year – the 2019/20 drought being the exception. Empties and culls are milked through until the new calvers return which extracts maximum

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

460

186ha

Production

Milking supplement 630t PKE, 225t DDG

534kgMS/cow • 1099kgMS/ha

Cows/labour unit

Nitrogen

99kg N/ha/year

10.5t/ha/year

Friesian

Milking platform area

153

Pasture eaten

70%

Empty rate

16%

Six-week in-calf rate

Wintering

Runoff

value from the culls before they leave the farm. With this extended lactation, cow condition has been maintained and somatic cell count has been well within acceptable limits. Autumn calving is focused on achieving a longer peak milk period and more days in milk, helped by the calving date fitting the pasture production profile of the farm. With the winter milk premiums addressing the additional costs, overall, it is a consistently more profitable business. Milk production is at 435kg MS/cow or 1099kg MS/ha. Attention to detail is a key element of success and the judges’ comments with the LIC Recording & Productivity Award were “Katrina effectively used onfarm reports and information to communicate her great herd management. Key performance indicators (KPIs) and benchmarking reinforced her strengths in this area.” Pasture is the primary source of feed with 10.5t dry matter (DM) harvested

Sharemilking

Contract milker

Gross farm income

$8.60/kg MS

Operating expenses

$5.13/kg MS

Operating profit

$3339/ha

Weeks of mating

Farm working expenses

$4.18/kg MS

Owned, 66ha adjoining

Breakdown of costs

Animal health $99/cow

Farm Dairy

50-bail rotary

in the 2019/20 season, which was back by about 500kg/ha due to the drought. Regular plating and recording in Minda provide the data for pasture allocation. Annual nitrogen application is proactively being reduced and has been lowered to 99kg/ha.The skill to consistently deliver high quality pasture requires clear understanding of the outcomes expected and the multiple factors that must be managed. With the Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award, judges noted “Katrina demonstrated superior pasture management throughout the presentation. The judges could see pasture quality onfarm reflecting Katrina’s skill set. Katrina showed usage of tools and resources to manage the entire feed programme efficiently.” In addition to pasture grazed, 90 tonnes of grass silage, 26ha of maize is grown to contribute 500+ tonne DM annually while also contributing to a pasture

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renewal programme. In addition, three paddocks that are unsuitable for cropping are improved annually with grass to grass renovation. Further supplement comes as 630 tonne of palm kernel and 225 tonne of dried distiller grains (DDG) – a higher amount to compensate for reduced pasture production due to the 2019/20 drought. The farm was purchased with considerable infrastructure which includes two herd homes making supplement feeding efficient, plus separate bunkers for palm kernel, DDG, grass silage and maize silage. Cows are milked through a 50-bail rotary with no additional automation. The herd homes allow the cows to be wintered on the platform. Young stock are raised on the adjoining 66 ha runoff with growth rates monitored as part of achieving target weights. The farm is predominantly Wharekohe clay with 50% flat which can get extremely wet in winter but holds on

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Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

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Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

NORTHLAND | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

and procedures in place to enhance her business productivity.” Judges noted with the Honda Farm Safety, Health & Biosecurity Award that “Katrina has presented and demonstrated a clear understanding of Health & Safety requirements. This was well implemented with formal procedures and covered to a very high standard.”

PROFIT AND PASTURE

Katrina with her Northland Share Farmer of the Year trophy.

well into summer, 20% rolling, and 30% steep which is challenging for tractor work. With encouragement from Katrina, the directors agreed to aerial topdressing the steep hill and wet flats. Katrina operates the farm with two full-time staff members, Daniel Simpson and Bella Wati – a ratio of 153 cows per labour unit. Both are relatively new to the farm, making Katrina hands-on and busy. She is keen to help her team develop their potential and retain these skills in her business - a challenge that will be increased with Bella winning the 2021 Northland Dairy Trainee Award. Katrina’s commitment to her staff and ensuring they can fully contribute to the business was recognised in two of her merit awards. With the DairyNZ Human Resources Award, judges commented that “Katrina has strong communication skills. Katrina’s team are highly valued, and she shows genuine care for their development and wellbeing. She has effective policies

Profit is a key measure of success for Puketitoi Farm. DairyBase figures for 2019/20 report gross farm income at $8.60/ kgms and operating expenses at $5.13/kg MS giving an operating profit of $3339/ ha. Within this farm working expenses are $4.18/kg MS. Richard and Sharron have significant input to the financial decisions for the business and Katrina has clarity of both the Puketitoi Farm finances and her own financial goals. With the Westpac Business Performance Award, judges commented “Katrina comprehensively understands her business from the cash position through to equity growth that will assist her to reach her goals of a multigenerational farm business. Katrina was able to show where her business position is on a short and long term basis to articulate progress towards varied options explored.” Katrina’s personal commitment is to do justice to whatever she undertakes from managing the detail of day-today operation to having a strategic approach to the business. The Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award recognised her attention to detail with judges observing “Katrina showed a high level of farm dairy management. She covered all components strongly, demonstrating her ability to produce high-quality milk. There are strong procedures and training

SHARE FARMER

MERIT AWARDS:

RUNNER UP in the Sharemilker award for Northland was first-time entrant Luke Oud who is 50% sharemilking a 196-cow herd at Ruawai. programmes in place. In her farming business Katrina is focused on driving profitable production. Her approach is based on measure – monitor - respond which translates to measuring pasture so it can be accurately allocated as the primary feed source. Combining this with feed budgeting allows her to fully feed cows while not wasting feed. Juggling feed mix to maintain production, milk quality and cow condition are part of the equation. With the solid, reliable infrastructure in place, Katrina’s management systems are successfully meeting the business’ environmental obligations and commitments. Judges stated with the Meridian Farm Environment Award that “Katrina demonstrated a strong understanding from on-farm application through to regulation. This was evident physically on-farm, reporting and compliance was completed to a high standard.” Katrina entered the Dairy Industry Awards to benchmark herself, to understand what she is doing well and where she can make improvements. The process has helped her to focus on the business in conjunction with working in the business. This is part of her commitment to a career and industry which she is passionate about. It provides a mix of physical and mental challenge with financial and lifestyle rewards benefitting her family. Looking into the future she is hopeful that the dairy industry is not regulated out of business.

Proud sponsors of the Northland Dairy Industry Awards

DairyNZ Human Resources Award – Katrina Pearson Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award - Katrina Pearson Federated Farmers Leadership Award – Luke Oud Honda Farm Safety, Health and Biosecurity Award – Katrina Pearson LIC Recording and Productivity Award - Katrina Pearson Meridian Farm Environment Award – Katrina Pearson Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award – Katrina Pearson Westpac Business Performance Award – Katrina Pearson

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

Phone: (09) 438 1319 Fax: (09) 438 9628 Email: admin@bryanttractors.co.nz

www.bryanttractors.co.nz 33

Changes are happening to the way Milking Machine Testing will be completed Global food manufacturing has undergone massive changes in recent years with global population growth creating a greater reliance on imported food sources for some countries. With this greater reliance comes increased scrutiny from these markets and compliance is critical to maintain relationships and markets open for NZ exports. There is now a greater focus on animal health and wellbeing. A key on-farm component of this is the milking plant and making sure that it is not creating cow discomfort or harm. NZ was a pioneer with the development of the ‘Milking Machine Test’ to assess the function of the milking machine to the accepted industry standards. As time has moved on the adoption of an ISO testing standard internationally has evolved, creating a gap between the NZ Milking Machine Test and International ISO Tests. The NZ Milking & Pumping Trade Association (MPTA), who manage the Milking Machine Tester’s education and assessor training in NZ, have been working to align NZ milking machine tests with the ISO platform and from 1st March 2022 all milking machine tests must be completed to the new MPTA ISO Milking Machine Testing Standards.

WHY THE CHANGE? • To align New Zealand milking machine testing methods with international testing standards. • For MPTA to maintain the single point authority as Regulator of milking systems performance and the Accreditation Body for Registered Milking Machine Testers throughout New Zealand. • To protect our industry and the NZ dairy export market for the future by using the same test as those international markets we are trading in. • To anticipate the development of test equipment capable of automating the testing process, which will no doubt be developed in ISO format.

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE FARM DAIRY? • Some additional test ports may be required to be fitted in some dairy sheds. • Your Milking Machine Dealer or Technician will be able to advise what test ports are required and at what cost, and will be able to fit the test ports in place. • These fittings will need to be in place for all milking machine tests completed from 1st March 2022.

If you have any questions please contact: MPTA President, Gary Reilly gary.reilly@onfarmagri.com or Vice-President, Craig Burrows cburrows@dairymaster.co.nz

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

AUCKLAND/HAURAKI | DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

RUNNER UP in the 2021 Auckland/ Hauraki Dairy Trainee category is Kaitlyn Lee from Mercer and Joel Mansell from Papakura was third.

Loving it: Emma Udell is keen to set an example for future generations of dairy workers.

Dairy for life WORDS BY ELAINE FISHER PHOTOS BY EMMA MCCARTHY

mma Udell wants to explore the diverse on and off-farm opportunities dairying offers before cementing her long-term career goals within the industry. “There are so many areas available, not just farm assistant or farm ownership, but whatever I do in future, it will definitely be within the dairy industry,” says the 22-year-old who is the 2021 Auckland/ Hauraki Dairy Trainee of the Year. In fact, Emma so enjoys dairying she wants to actively encourage other young people to consider it as a career. “There’s a big focus on staff well-being and a change in culture surrounding progression in the industry with new pathways being developed to allow people to move forward.” She would also like to influence a change in the stigma surrounding environmental issues, and the public's perception of the industry. “My future farming goals are to continue working in the industry, encouraging other people to join and set an example for future generations who are thinking of joining.” A first-time entrant, Emma was encouraged to enter the awards by a

friend. Currently working as a farm assistant on KS & PK Kung’s 77ha Ngatea property, milking 240 cows, she won $4750 in prizes and the Keeper Life Communication & Engagement Merit Award. Born and raised at Golden Bay in the South Island, Emma doesn’t come from a farming background, but an afterschool relief milking job introduced her to the industry. “I realised how much I loved the industry, so I decided to continue on at the same farm post-schooling for one and a half seasons. From there, I spent some time travelling and exploring other career options, to find myself back full-time farming.”

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

That travelling included six-months in Canada where she worked in the equine industry. “Horses are a passion but for me the industry does not offer a viable career because it does not have the pathways that the dairy industry does, including through industry training, DairyNZ and the dairy industry awards.” After her stint in Canada, Emma worked in Australia for three months as chaser bin driver for a grain harvester. Back in New Zealand in 2018, she worked in the equine industry until she was offered the farm assistant position on the Ngatea farm where she currently works. Emma takes pride in knowing that she is reliable and trusted by her employers and has the skills and confidence to run the farm on a day-to-day basis. “I’m quite social and like having a yak when I’m working with someone but once I’m into a routine of working on my own it’s easy to keep that momentum going.” Next season, Emma is moving back to Golden Bay. “We will have been in the North Island for two years by then and it’s been awesome but it’s time to return home and I’ll be looking to further my career in the dairy industry there.” Emma also intends to gain industry qualifications through Primary ITO or other tertiary study to build on her existing farming skills, including assisting with artificial insemination (AI), and to further investigate the opportunities dairying offers.

DAIRY TRAINEE

MERIT AWARDS: BlackmanSpargo Rural Law Ltd Farming Knowledge Award – Joel Mansell Agrifeeds Community & Industry Involvement Award – Kaitlyn Lee Keeper Life Communication & Engagement Award – Emma Udell DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Joel Mansell

AUCKLAND/HAURAKI | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

A dairy manager’s job is never done: Stephanie enjoys the variety of work she has taken on.

Rapid climb up career ladder WORDS BY SHERYL HAITANA PHOTOS BY EMMA MCCARTHY

tephanie Walker says stepping into her first manager’s role autumn calving 620 cows in a System 5 operation has involved taking a giant three steps up from working as a second in charge (2IC). Stephanie works for Kauri Moor, a family farm in Huntly owned by Bruce and Kay Darby, with their sons Rhys and Phillip as equity partners. The business consists of two dairy farms, a young stock and beef runoff and a new sheep milking business. It’s a big business with a lot of technology in the shed, high inputs and she is also managing two staff for the first time. “It’s been a huge challenge - being that person who has to make the decision, not relying on someone else to do it.” However, Stephanie has always been a quick learner and was named the Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Manager of the Year 2021. She has climbed the ladder quickly after coming into the dairy industry, especially given she has no farming background. She spent three seasons as a farm 36

assistant then two years as a 2IC role, before succeeding to her current position. The 26-year-old grew up in Whakatane and went to Massey University with the intention of becoming a veterinarian. When she missed out on getting accepted into the highly competitive Bachelor of Veterinary Science after the first semester,

she decided to switch to a Bachelor of Agricultural Science. A lot of her friends were studying agriculture and they opened her eyes to the career opportunities within the dairy industry. She finished her first year at Massey, but was itching to get out into the workforce

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

218ha

620

Production

580kgMS/cow 1590kgMS/ha

206

Cows/labour unit

Wintering

12t DM/ha/yr

Friesians

Milking platform area

Milking supplement

Pasture eaten

System 5, 150t protein, 150t starch, 400t palm kernel, 650t maize silage (20% bought in), 300t grass silage, feed 18-20t/cow

Dairy Automation

Farm Dairy

ACRs, GEA milk meters, auto wash, teat spraying, drafting, Allflex collars

54-bail rotary

78%

Six-week in-calf rate

Autumn calving, winter onfarm

Not in-calf rate

12% 150kg N/ha/year

Nitrogen

Weeks of mating

Runoff owned

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

so she got a job as a farm assistant. “I’m quite an academic person, but when I finished that first year I really wanted to start making my way.”

STEEP LEARNING CURVE

At her first job she was so fresh she didn’t even know how to ride a two-wheel motorbike. Stephanie has had to learn all of the practical skills of working with machinery and animals, as well as all of the theory. She gained Primary ITO Level 3 and 4 in Dairy and she is also continuing studying her degree extramurally. “I found Level 4 really interesting, it’s very farm focused, you have to write weekly reports on your farm, so it’s very specific to your farm and it was really engaging. I found that a great learning experience.” She first entered the Dairy Industry Awards as a Dairy Trainee as another way to quickly gain more knowledge and skills. In addition, she saw it as an opportunity to benchmark herself. “I found it a really good learning experience and it exposed my strengths and weaknesses - particularly in fencing,” she laughs. She won the 2017 Manawatu Dairy Trainee of the Year and says the week spent at the Nationals with all of the regional winners was priceless. Saying the networking is great is cliche, but it is cliche for a reason. Surrounding yourself with other people in the industry on the same career paths is so motivating, she says. “You make so many friendships with like-minded people who you can use as sounding boards. They’re all young and

enthusiastic about the dairy industry and have the industry’s best interest at heart, which is really positive. “It’s really hard to hear the negative press on the dairy industry sometimes, so it’s really good to have that association.” It’s also a great place to find yourself a mentor, with people willing to volunteer their time and advice to help you progress, she says. She wanted to enter the awards this year as a Dairy Manager to benchmark herself and get feedback on her progression plans.

REAPING THE MANAGERIAL BENEFITS Stephanie had planned to go contract milking, but now believes staying in a manager or operational manager role is a good way to build equity while maintaining a good lifestyle. She tries to make it back down to her hometown of Whakatane regularly on her time off to see family and to volunteer with the fire brigade. “Time off is really important to me, and, making a good manager’s salary, I can have that while also building my equity through off-farm investment.” She bought a house in Whakatane last year as her first step in building equity and has a plan to go 50/50 sharemilking in the next eight years. “I would like to go sharemilking one day, it would be nice when you work so hard to have something of your own at the end.” Stephanie won two merit awards at the regional awards, including the Nick Hoogeveen & AMP Associates Leadership Award and Fonterra Dairy Management Award and $6975 in prizes.

RUNNER UP in the Auckland Hauraki Dairy manager award was Quinn Youngman from a 770 cow farm at Mercer while Rebecca Casidy and Alexander Voysey from Papakura were third placegetters.

“It has been priceless to be able to surround myself with like-minded individuals. The Awards have been amazing and provided incredible opportunities for my career.” Stephanie has been farming for five years, and is in her first year managing the 218ha Kauri Moor farm in Huntly. Stephanie identifies Kauri Moor’s environmental focus as a strength of the business. “It gives the next generation the best chance of being able to enjoy the farming lifestyle like I have been fortunate to do.” “Evolving technology is another strength of our farm. From milk quality to feeding levels, the farm is always looking at ways to improve technology to make better decisions onfarm.” Feeding and maintaining happy healthy cows, her staff and a desire to do better today than yesterday are a few things that drive Stephanie during the harder times onfarm. “I would change the few employers that still run very tough rosters if I could,” says Stephanie. “Mental health is so often compromised in the dairy industry and it is important we all look after our own and provide conditions and rosters that allow staff to perform at their peak.”

DAIRY MANAGER

MERIT AWARDS: Campbell Tyson Ltd Employee Engagement Award – Quinn Youngman Nick Hoogeveen &amp; Associates Leadership Award – Stephanie Walker Franklin Vets Feed Management Award – Rebecca Casidy and Alexander Voysey Delaval Livestock Management Award – Jimmy Cleaver Fonterra Dairy Management Award – Stephanie Walker NZDIA Power Play Award – Rebecca Casidy and Alexander Voysey Westpac Personal Planning & Financial Management Award – Quinn Youngman

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

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Proud to support the NZ Dairy Industry Awards

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AUCKLAND/HAURAKI | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

Taking dairying to town WORDS BY SHERYL HAITANA PHOTOS BY EMMA MCCARTHY

achael Foy took it upon herself to take two calves into a Huntly primary school and preschool last year to give children the experience of feeding and patting calves. Her Huntaway, Bear, went along for the trip, and they visited the neighbouring retirement home as well. “It was really cool, these kids don’t get the opportunity to see calves, let alone bottle feed them. I really enjoyed being able to give them that experience, and the elderly people really loved seeing the animals. “It’s great to be able to demonstrate the dairy industry in a positive light.” She would like to continue to be more involved with the wider dairy industry and community in the future through educating and showcasing dairy farming to 38

school students and the public. “I wish I could change the New Zealand public perception of the dairy industry and farmers and help them to understand how important dairying is for New Zealand.” Getting out amongst the community to showcase dairy calves is just one of the things Rachael seems to find time for on top of her 750-cow contract milking job at Ohinewai, Huntly. The 29-year-old is president of the Ohinewai Netball Club, coaches a junior netball team, as well as playing senior netball herself. She is a Waikato A&P Calf Judge, a calf judge convenor and historically has been heavily involved in the North Waikato Young Farmers Club. Her community involvement was reflected in winning the Federated Farmers Leadership Award at the 2021 Auckland/ Hauraki Dairy Industry Awards. Rachael was named 2021 Auckland/ Hauraki Share Farmer of the Year and

picked up four of the eight merit awards. She also won the LIC Recording & Productivity Award, Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award, and Westpac Business Performance Award.

GRASS-BASED AND LOW-INPUT It is her second year contract milking 750 cows for Malcolm and Eileen Lumsden and Roger and Roanne Lumsden at Huntly. The Ohinewai farm is a spring calving System 2 operation which is focused toward profitable production rather than maximum production, Rachael says. “A grass-based and low-input farm allows sustainability of the system regardless of the milk price and minimises environmental impact.” The 427ha farm includes a 300ha milking platform and the rest is used as a runoff for young stock. Rachael helps oversee the young stock with the farm owners.

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

300ha

750

target, 270,000kg MS • 360kg MS/cow • 900kgMS/ha

Milking supplement

Farm Dairy

110kg N/ha/year

Farm System 2, 130t/year meal

187

12.6t DM/ha/yr

Friesians

Milking platform area

Production

Pasture eaten

56-bail rotary

Nitrogen

Dairy Automation

Cows/labour unit

BCS camera, heat detection camera, Protrack, ACRs, auto drafting and teat spray

Weeks of mating

Wintering

Runoff owned

All cows wintered on

Left: Road to success: Auckland/Hauraki Share Farmer of the Year winner Rachael Foy.

Half of the farm is peat soil while the other half is sandy soil. The peat is wet in winter, but holds on for longer in summer and vice versa for the sandy half of the farm, giving refuge during the winter, but dries out quickly in the summer. Parts of the Ohinewai farm are under the Lake Waikare level which lies to the back of the farm and can be prone to flooding, although it has yet to flood during Rachael’s time onfarm. Having the two soil types helps give a good balance through the seasons, she says. All cows are wintered onfarm, and graze a full paddock for three days, rather than break feeding. Rachael has been surprised at how well the farm owner’s winter grazing practice works. “The cows don’t pug the soil and they are quite content. If we are feeding out we put the silage in on the first day and don’t go back into the paddock to feed out.” The farm grows 12.6t DM/ha pasture. The team try to do fortnightly farm walks to monitor pasture cover. They grow maize silage and cut surplus grass for silage.They

just yielded 300t from 11ha of maize. They also feed out 130t meal through the shed.

BODY CONDITION SCORING The farm has good technology which helps with animal recording and monitoring animal health closely. The Body Condition Score (BCS) camera takes a daily record of the cow’s BCS, information which Rachael uses to know when to dry off lighter cows, or prioritise meal to certain cows. They feed a small amount of meal through the shed for the first five months of the season and it’s great to be able to feed individual cows more if needed, Rachael says. They also have a heat detection camera and ProTrack in their 56-bail rotary ,along with automatic drafting. For the judging, Rachael was able to show benchmark figures of their herd’s animal health against the national and region averages. Rachael introduced 3in2 milkings last summer which she carried on this season. Milking at 5am, 5pm one day and 11am

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

$$$ FINANCIAL FACTS Gross farm income

$1.20/kg MS

Operating profit

$106/ha

Farm working expenses

$0.68/kg MS

the next day works well for the cows. They get less heat stress and don’t have to walk as much which reduces lameness, she says. “The cows production was 1.3kg MS when we go onto 3in2 milkings, and it holds, they don’t drop production. “The cows hold their body condition, they have less standing in the yard, less stress from the flies in summer, and it works well for staff.” Rachael employs three full-time staff, plus a calf rearer/relief milker. “I wanted to employ staff, that’s why I wanted a bigger contract milking job, rather than a smaller sharemilking job. “A lot of my focus has been on getting to run my own business. I also like the ability 39

AUCKLAND/HAURAKI | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

RUNNER UP in the 2021 Auckland/ Hauraki Dairy Manager of the Year category are Ilona Pohlmann and Michael Green, lower order sharemilking at Paeroa and third were Justine Fox and Stephen Martin, contract milking at Mangatawhiri.

Left: Pride in dairying: Rachael Foy with her Auckland/Hauraki Share Farmer of the Year trophy.

to employ staff and develop them, and staff my weaknesses - without having to do everything myself.” The staff are on a current roster of 9/1; /8/3 roster which during calving switches to 6/1; 6/2. “The team like that roster as they get a three day weekend every three weeks and get a day off mid-week.” Rachael grew up in the area on her parents’ small block of land, but had a love for farming and cows from an early age. She loved calf club and became a judge while still at highschool. She was also relief milking from the age of 12. After school, she studied for a Bachelor of Agriculture at Lincoln University. She wanted to work on-farm, but knew having a degree would broaden her options in the dairy industry.

WOMAN OF AMBITION Equity growth has been her key focus and building her business up to give her opportunities in the future. “Sharemilking is an option I would consider in the future, but the right opportunity has to come up.” She wants to stay in the Huntly area as she has built up her contacts in the district. Being single, it’s easier to stay around her family and friends and support network rather than moving to a new region, she says. Being a young, single female has provided constant challenges for Rachael 40

when trying to get ahead and believes people are a strength of her business. “I have a great team of staff and have had supportive farm owners who have given me these opportunities.” When she finished her degree, Rachael went straight into working in a second in charge (2IC) position milking 700 cows. She moved to a 500-cow farm as 2IC then progressed to manager. She contract-milked 400 cows for one season before stepping into her current job. Her networking helped get her this job as she heard about it and approached the farm owners before they advertised. She first entered the Dairy Industry Awards as a manager in 2017 and won Dairy Manager for Auckland/Hauraki

and later came third at nationals. “The benefits of entering the Awards are numerous, including networking, benchmarking yourself, the prizes, raising my profile and the National finals week,” she says. Entering for the first time this year in the Share Farmer category was an opportunity to do an in-depth financial analysis of her business. “I wanted to measure myself as well as connecting with other people in the region and getting my name out there.” The Westpac Business Performance Award is the biggest percentage of marks in the judging process and Rachael spent a lot of time preparing her information. “Our production figures on this farm are not the highest, but as a contract milker I can still be profitable. “The farm owners want an efficient, profitable, environmentally-sustainable system.” Rachael is currently building a house in a new subdivision at Te Kauwhata which she plans to either rent out or sell to keep building on her equity.

SHARE FARMER

MERIT AWARDS: DairyNZ Human Resources Award – Ilona Pohlmann and Michael Green Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award – Danielle Hovmand Federated Farmers Leadership Award – Rachael Foy Honda Farm Safety, Health &amp; Biosecurity Award – Ilona Pohlmann and Michael Green LIC Recording &amp; Productivity Award – Rachael Foy Meridian Farm Environment Award – Ilona Pohlmann and Michael Green Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award - Rachael Foy Westpac Business Performance Award – Rachael Foy

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

WAIKATO | DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

Don’t have a sunburnt cow, man WORDS BY ELAINE FISHER PHOTOS BY EMMA MCCARTHY

reeding cows less prone to sunburn and promoting the dairy industry in a positive light are among the future aims of Ruth Connolly, the 2021 Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year. “I want to breed brown crossbred cows because I think, as global warming increasingly affects New Zealand, we will see more and more white cows getting sunburnt. For that reason, brown-skinned cows are I believe, the way to go. “Here we put zinc cream on every sunburnt cow. It’s time-consuming but it is best for the cows. We have to think about the cows as they do all the work.” Ruth (20), who is Farm Assistant on the Rukuhia Holdings Ltd 259.6ha property at Ohaupo, milking 800 cows, won $6700 in prizes and three merit awards. “Ideally I’d aim to breed my own herd of J10 F8 because they demonstrate hybrid vigour, have the small frame of a Jersey so have less impact on the environment but produce the milk solids and volume of Friesians.” Her future farming goals are specific and

include being a herd-owning sharemilker within two years; having her herd BW in the top 10% and a daughter-proven bull in the LIC team. “Ultimately, I will one day own a farm too.” Ruth has already shown she has an eye for breeding potential. One of her biggest successes to date is a 59% conception rate in the bulling cows she picked for artificial insemination (AI). “It was a privilege to be allowed to pick the AI cows and it went really well.” Ruth is a fourth-generation dairy farmer, but farming wasn’t always her first choice of career. “When I was 16, I wanted to be a registered nurse. Then at the end of Year 13 I was offered a relief milking job with Rukuhia Holdings which led to a full-time farm assistant position and here I am. “I try to take every opportunity to grow. I saw the awards programme as an excellent way to not only improve my farming skills and knowledge but to

DAIRY TRAINEE

MERIT AWARDS: Trinity Lands Ltd Most Promising Entrant Award – Adrian Beattie FarmRight Farming Knowledge Award – Ruth Connolly Bluegrass Contracting Communication & Engagement Award – Ruth Connolly Waikato Farmers Trust Community & Industry Involvement Award – Erica Gash DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Ruth Connolly

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

Runner-up in the Dairy Trainee category was Annie Gill from Otorohanga and third place went to 2IC Sean Hayes who farms at Lichfield. build myself up personally as well. My twin sister entered last year and really encouraged me to enter as she has gained so much from the awards. “Farming fits all my criteria: mathematical and scientific aspects, being outside, working with animals.” Ruth is interested in regenerative farming and sees herself becoming an advocate for this and also for positive dairy farming. “I feel we have a responsibility to give back to the land which works for us, so we need to look after it and need to consider the preservation of land for future generations,” she says. “Rukuhia Holdings' owners, the Glenn Family, are thoroughly supportive of the focus towards regenerative farming. Our pasture management includes taking cows off before they pug land and another key is making sure cows are fully fed and not hungry so they don’t walk around as much and create pasture damage.” Ruth, who has an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a genuine passion for the dairy industry, attends church each Sunday and is a keen endurance runner, taking part in the Tough Guy Challenge each autumn. 41

WAIKATO | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Runner-up in the Dairy Manager category is Taupiri Farm Manager Aidan Drake, while farm manager Sam Guise placed third. Sam works on a 865-cow farm at Cambridge.

wanted to change that perception.” Hopefully by winning it will inspire other migrants and Kiwis to enter the awards, he says. “If this guy can win it, why can’t I?” The awards process is hard work, but you learn a lot about yourself and your farm business, he says. “I’ve spent the last 13 years in the New Zealand dairy industry learning and accumulating knowledge. “Entering the Awards is a great way to gauge where I am and challenge myself to take the necessary steps to further my career in the dairy industry.”

Citizen band: (from left) Jonah, Lily and Christopher recently became New Zealand citizens.

Doing it for the migrants WORDS BY SHERYL HAITANA PHOTOS BY EMMA MCCARTHY

he winner of the 2021 Waikato Dairy Manager of the Year hopes his win can inspire other migrants and ordinary Kiwis working in the New Zealand dairy industry. Christopher Gerard Vila is farm manager on the JA BE Turnwald Family Trust near Ohaupo milking 341 cows on 103ha. Christopher grew up in the Philippines and was a newly qualified veterinarian, specialising in dogs and cats, when he visited his sister and brother-in-law who were dairy farming in NZ. The opportunities in the industry appealed to him, so he applied for a work visa and got a job as a farm assistant. “I thought I would try my luck, it was animal related work and I was lucky someone employed me.” He worked on two farms as a farm assistant before he moved up to second in charge (2IC) and then got the farm manager’s position at Ohaupo, where he has stayed for the last seven seasons. The 37-year-old is married to Jonah and they have a three year old daughter, Gillian (Lily). This is the first year Christopher had entered the Dairy Industry Awards, after an 42

GOOD SUPPORT

LIC representative mentioned them to him. “To be honest, I didn’t really know about the awards. I’m just focused on my job and staying here as a migrant. “I thought about it, but was second guessing myself about whether I was up to it.” In the end he decided to enter to inspire his two staff, who are also from the Philippines. “I wanted to be an example of how hard work and perseverance can get you somewhere. There is an image that you are a migrant and you don’t know anything, I

To enter the awards you need good support from your farm owner or employer, he says. “Mark and the whole family have been so supportive. Mark gave me milkings off (to work on his entry) and did dry runs of my presentation with me.” The relationship between Christopher and his farm owners is now one of a family, he says. “They treat us like family now, they are all so supportive and that’s what we try and do with our staff, to adopt that culture into the workplace.” Christopher believes there are many reasons why farming is a great career choice, however for him, it’s the fact that

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

340

104ha

Crossbred cows

Milking platform area

Production 423kg MS/cow

• 1384kg MS/ha

Milking supplement

150kg N/ha/year

213t blended meal

136

Cows/labour unit

12.8t DM/ha/yr

Farm Dairy

28 AS HB with inshed feed

Dairy Automation

Nitrogen

75%

ACR

Not-in-calf-rate

10%

Six-week in-calf rate

Wintering

Pasture eaten

25% off farm; all grass

Weeks of mating

Runoff leased

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

farming provides an exciting and engaging career for passionate professionals with no bias or discrimination to background. “The doors of opportunity in dairy farming are open to all,” he says. “I’d like to set an example to other migrants that one should always challenge and improve yourself and there are no limits in the dairy industry.” Christopher says the biggest challenge he has faced and continues to overcome is the fact he is an immigrant and had to start from scratch. “Having no monetary resource has put me at a disadvantage in terms of career progression. I depend heavily upon my abilities. “I’ve focused on my farm and on my own craft and how I can be better.” As a migrant, to step up in responsibility onfarm can be hard until somebody opens a door for you. The most important thing is to build your name and trust that someone will have the guts to take a risk on you, he says. Being the first farm manager from

outside the Turnwald family is a fact Christopher is proud of, as is his success in beating almost all the farm records in terms of production, mortality, SCC and empty rate. “I’ve also achieved Fonterra’s Gold Award for Milk Quality, which is four consecutive years of having grade-free seasons.” Christopher says that the farm has been in the family for generations and is long established within the dairy industry and he sees it as a strength of the business. “To me, this means the farm is a stable business and that the owners have made sure it has kept up with the times and practices in terms of breeding, technology and human resources.” Christopher, Jonah and Lily have just become NZ citizens, which is a huge weight off Christopher’s shoulders. “The paperwork as an employer (for his work visa) was always a worry for me. In January, February and March that’s all that was on my mind.” Now he is a citizen he can focus more on their long term future in NZ, not just about

DAIRY MANAGER

MERIT AWARDS: I.S Dam Lining Ltd Most Promising Entrant Award – Bevan Rowe Piako Tractors Encouragement Award – Jon Paul Jackson BakerTilly Staples Rodway Waikato Employee Engagement Award – Aidan Drake Blackman Spargo Rural Law Leadership Award – Christopher Gerard Vila ADM Feed Management Award – Aidan Drake DeLaval Livestock Management Award – Sam Guise Fonterra Dairy Management Award – Aidan Drake MyMilk Power Play Award – Arsh Bhardwaj Westpac Personal Planning & Financial Management Award – Christopher Gerard Vila

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

Waikato Dairy Manager of the Year Christopher Gerard Vila with his trophy.

having a visa for the next season. They are hoping there may be an opportunity on the Turnwald farm to step into the business. “I would love to say the goal is to own a farm, but from here it’s almost impossible.” With a young family, Lily is the priority at the moment and they are living on one income so Jonah can spend the time bringing up Lily. “For me, family comes first at any cost. For me, childhood only comes around once and if you miss it you can’t turn back time. But your career you can flip it around if you want to.” Winning the Westpac Personal Planning & Financial Management Award was really a reflection of Jonah’s financial knowledge. “My money goes straight into my bank account and straight to her - she knows best,” he says. The couple have also invested in land back home in the Philippines, which Jonah’s parents live on. “That’s one of our biggest investments, it’s good to have a cushion and something you can hold for the future.”

WAIKATO | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

dairy farming was made possible by the support and sharing of knowledge in the dairy industry. Their local DairyNZ discussion group was a huge help and farmers Janet and Richard Waswo were fantastic mentors and were hugely encouraging, they say. Reuben, 29 and Deb, 28, have built their business up over the following eight years while having four daughters, Laura, 6, Vanessa, 4, Zoe, 3, and Isla, 1. The couple say one of their strengths is they work well together. “You have to support each other, it’s not always easy and you’ve got to have a good network of people around you,” Deb says. Reuben’s father had a heart attack a few years ago and they talked to John and Fiona about selling the farm at Cambridge and buying in as equity partners on a bigger farm closer to the family farm. “We wanted to be closer to Reuben’s father so we could help him, so we put a proposition to John and Fiona to go equity partners. ” The land was cheaper in Otorohanga so they could get more land and milk more cows and it has worked out for all parties, Deb says. “They could see the benefits and we made sure we are all on the same page and that it was fair to everyone.” They lease the 320ha effectively off Reuben’s parents, which is a good support block for the dairy business. “It was a win: win for everyone,” Deb says.

Winners are grinners: Waikato Share Farmers of the Year Reuben and Deb Connolly.

Steep learning curve pays off WORDS BY SHERYL HAITANA PHOTOS BY EMMA MCCARTHY

he 2021 Waikato Share Farmers of the Year entered the dairy industry with minimum experience, but have achieved equity partnership in their 20s while also having four young children. Reuben and Deb Connolly are 50/50 sharemilkers and 20% equity partners with Deb’s aunt and uncle, John and Fiona Worsnop. Reuben’s childhood was spent on a sheep and beef farm in Otorohanga and he spent six years working as a block manager in the drystock industry after leaving school. Deb grew up on a dairy farm in Ohaupo and 44

BREEDING SUCCESS

holds a Bachelor of Teaching (ECE) from Waikato University. In 2013, they were given the opportunity to go 50/50 sharemilking for the Worsnops on a farm at Cambridge. “They took a huge leap of faith and put their trust in us and we have tried to live up to this,” Deb says. “It was a very steep learning curve, there were long hours, but we just got on and did it,” Reuben says. They were able to get the money to go sharemilking with Reuben’s savings. Deb had won a scholarship for her degree so she came out of university with no debt. The couple were able to go to the bank and get approved for a loan. Being sharemilkers in their first season,

Woolly Farm Ltd north of Otorohanga, is a 110ha farm of mixed contour with some good flats, but challenging hills. They milk 280 cows, which are mostly all wintered off on the runoff as the flats on the milking platform get quite wet in winter. During the milking season they are able to bring carryover cows down from the runoff to go behind the cows to keep good quality on the hill country. The runoff allows them to run a closed herd which has become ever more important since Mycoplasma bovis. They have 30 Hereford breeding cows which they use to breed bulls to tail off the end of mating. They predominantly milk Friesian, and Friesian crossbreds cows, but have a few Jerseys, which they use to breed Jersey bulls

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

Runner-up in the Share Farmer category is Te Awamutu 50/50 Sharemilkers Denise Knop and Daniel Bradbury. They work on Kees and Hannie Rombouts 86ha property, milking 257 cows. Rhudi and Hillary Redelinghuys placed third and are contract milking on the Trinity Lands Limited 163ha Lichfield farm, milking 643 cows.

Yay for us! Laura, Isla, Vanessa and Zoe.

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

280

Milking platform area

110eff ha

Predominantly Friesian

Production

97,266kgMS • 347kg MS/cow • 884kg MS/ha

Milking supplement

Farm Dairy

80t cowshed meal, 123t PKE

Dairy Automation

140

Cows/labour unit

Pasture eaten

30-aside herringbone

Nitrogen 107kgN/ha

ProTrack, De Laval ACRs and swing arms, automatic wash systems (plant and vat), DeLaval horizontal vat Not in-calf rate

78%

Six-week in-calf rate

Wintering

10.1t DM/ha/yr

Weeks of mating

Whole herd wintered off in calving groups for approx 6 weeks at the lease block. Fed autumn saved pasture and grass silage

to run over their heifers. They rear all the beef calves, including the Hereford and Friesian bulls as they try to minimise any bobby calves in their operation. They turn a lot of their Friesian bulls into teasers which they use themselves and also sell. They can also get more value out of their cull cows by sending them to the runoff and selling them at a better price when not everyone else is selling. “Our dairy stock sales are almost double

the average for the region in DairyBase, Deb says. “One of the biggest advantages of the runoff is the fact that we can grow and care for our own replacement heifers and young stock. They always exceed targets and this is a real advantage for all parties, they have the best start possible coming into the herd.” The hardest challenge for the pair since starting dairy farming has been the two low payouts - which was hard for dairy farmers

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

around the country. The runoff has helped them diversify their income personally and also for the dairy business. “Short-term we drastically cut our FWEs and long-term we changed our business strategy and diversified our income streams. “This spreads and reduces our financial risks and allows us to take advantage of opportunities when they arise.” They entered the Dairy Industry Awards last year after first encouraging their second in charge (2IC) Leah Connolly to enter in the Dairy Trainee category. “We encouraged Leah to enter because we believe in her, and we learn a lot from her - she is a huge part of our operation,” Deb says. “She was hesitant and said if she entered then we had to as well.” Leah, who is Reuben’s cousin, came runner up in the Dairy Trainee category. Her twin sister Ruth is also dairy farming and won the Waikato Dairy Trainee this year (page 41). Reuben and Deb were finalists last year and won the Federated Farmers Leadership merit award and it was Leah who encouraged them to have another go this year. They learnt a lot from going through the award process last year. To get somebody from the outside to critique you and your business is so informative, the couple says. “Entering last year was hugely helpful, both personally and professionally,” Reuben says. “Entering the Share Farmer category last year meant we were able to closely examine our farming business and receive fantastic advice for our rounds of judging,” Deb says. “It’s great to listen and learn from the critical feedback from professionals in the industry around areas we can improve and increase performance.” Breeding is a big focus for their business, 45

WAIKATO | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

$$$ FINANCIAL FACTS

Deb and 2IC Leah Connolly.

and Deb and Leah work closely together on breeding decisions, nominating all the cows to specific bulls. They DNA tested the whole herd two years ago and ProTrack and Minda are two of their key tools. Since buying their first herd, and then another herd when they moved to the bigger farm at Otorohanga they have been breeding toward better conformation and longevity. They are really seeing their breeding gains coming through in their heifers now. They were pleased to get a bull into the CRV catalogue this year, Connolly Car Shark. The bull calf was purchased from them in 2019 from a self-nominated dam and cow family and has since made the crossbred genomic team. “We are really passionate about breeding, we like to know our cows,” Deb says.

Sharemilking

50/50 sharemilkers with 20% equity in Woolly Farm Ltd who own the farm

Costs shared

Costs shared 50/50

Gross farm income

$3.98/kg MS

Operating expenses

$2.91/kg MS

Operating profit

$1.07/kg MS

Farm working expenses

$2.34/kg MS (19/20). Last 3 year average = $2.04/kg MS Waikato System 3 DairyBase Benchmark = $2.41

Breakdown of costs

Net Milk Sales ($/cow): $1198 (Benchmark = $1391) Net Dairy Livestock Sales ($/cow): $298 (Benchmark = $130) Breeding Expenses ($/cow): $94 (Benchmark = $62)

SHARE FARMER

MERIT AWARDS: DairyNZ Human Resources Award – Hillary and Rhudi Redelinghuys Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award – Reuben and Deb Connolly Federated Farmers Leadership Award – Denise Knop and Daniel Bradbury Honda Farm Safety, Health & Biosecurity Award – Hillary and Rhudi Redelinghuys LIC Recording and Productivity Award – Reuben and Deb Connolly Meridian Farm Environment Award – Denise Knop and Daniel Bradbury Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award – Reuben and Deb Connolly Westpac Business Performance Award – Reuben and Deb Connolly

“We were really excited to win the LIC Recording and Productivity Award.” The couple won three other merit awards, including the Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene, Ravensdown Pasture Performance, and Westpac Business Performance awards. The Connollys love farming because of the family lifestyle and their four young daughters also enjoy helping mum and dad on the farm.

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“We have four little blonde girls who just love helping us on the farm. We want our children to love and respect the farm, the animals and the land just as much as we do.” Future farming goals for Reuben and Deb include farm ownership. They would love to see the dairy farming and drystock industries unified. “We’ve experienced both sides. There are many pressures facing all farming sectors and we believe we all need to stand together united. “We strongly believe that New Zealand produces a high-quality product and we think the rest of New Zealand should be proud of all farmers.” They have sold their current farm and are planning to lease it for one more season before they move on to their next opportunity. They would be keen to find a new sharemilking position, lease or enter another equity partnership, they say. “We want to stay around Otorohanga near the lease farm.”

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

BAY OF PLENTY | DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

Bay of Plenty Dairy Trainee of the Year Dayna Rowe, with her farm dog, last years DIA awards and calves on the farm.

Towards a sustainable future WORDS BY JACKIE HARRIGAN

ayna Rowe is looking to the future and plans to work with her parents on their family farm to bring in new initiatives around sustainability and efficiency. The 22-year-old winner of the Bay of Plenty Dairy Trainee of the Year award won $6000 in prizes and three merit awards after coming runner-up in the same category in 2020. Growing up on the family farm in Pongakawa, Dayna spent a lot of time learning about farming and animals. She had begun studying towards a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Theatre Studies when she realised she’d rather be stomping through paddocks than treading the boards. “I am still involved in competitive dance, it gives me a chance for some female company after working with lads on the farm, but I don’t have as much time for practicing for shows.” Dayna loves the aerial form of circus performance and dance - with hoops and silks. “But I’m very passionate about farming

and I’ve discovered more and more aspects within the industry that I’m interested in.” She is currently herd manager for Grant and Ngaire Rowe on their 289ha Pongakawa farm milking 1000 cows and is looking forward to taking on the position of farm manager in June. “I am really lucky that my dad is really open-minded about us trying new things, and we talk alot about what we could do on the farm - he lets me run with my ideas.”

THE FUTURE IS GREEN

“I’m excited for the future generation of dairy farmers in New Zealand,” says Dayna. “I believe we grew up being involved in conversations where we had to think deeper regarding our environment and sustainability.” “I plan to continue to be open minded about what we can achieve and to help to encourage people to be comfortable with these conversations and to be part of the solution.” They have been talking about the opportunities for planting trees, destocking cows and learning about more regenerative agriculture.

DAIRY TRAINEE

MERIT AWARDS: Bay of Plenty DIA Most Promising Entrant Award – Rachel Billinghurst King Farm Services Ltd Farming Knowledge Award – Dayna Rowe Archway Group Ltd Community & Industry Involvement Award – Dayna Rowe I.S Dam Lining Communication & Engagement Award – Dayna Rowe DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Georgia O’Hanlon

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

Runner-up in the Dairy Trainee category was Thomas Lundman, who works on a 550-cow Whakatane property. Third place went to Quinn Morgan who is farm assistant at Otakiri, milking 570 cows.

“We have already planted the main waterways with help from the council.” “We just had to fence up the block, then a work party of 50 people turned up and helped us plant the waterway - its something we are looking to do more of - we only have about five farmers on this stream so it would be great to get them all involved.” Along with her parents she has been looking at ways to reduce their bobby calf numbers and they used sexed semen for replacement heifers for the first time last mating. “All of the females in our family think that all the calves are really cute - we don’t like sending them away.” “But by reducing the number of males calves we get and then inseminating with beef semen we can increase their value and get into the beef market. “We have even been thinking about the possibility of dropping our stocking rate and running beef animals behind the cows - it’s great to be able to spitball things and try things out with my dad.” Dayna’s biggest future farming goal is to get to a point where her parents can completely retire from the farm and hand it over to her. “I’d say that’s my dad’s goal too!” 47

BAY OF PLENTY | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Left: Dairy Manager of the Year Hayden Goodall went from labouring to farming.

Getting the opportunity to return to manage the farm for Matt and Laura Gow at Matata, where Hayden started his dairy career, was what kept him in farming. “We know what this farm is like so we jumped at the opportunity. It’s good to come back to a high quality farm and enjoy farming and milking cows again.” Hayden is milking 700 cows with three other fulltime staff, which is probably 0.5 labour unit more than a typical operation, he says. “People probably would think we are overstaffed, but it allows everyone to have support and if a day turns to crap then there is always yourself and two others onfarm.” It helps to look after staff well and ensure everyone has plenty of time off and is well rested during their rosters. From calving until September they typically do an 8 on/2 off roster, and then switch to a 12 on/2 off roster, with everyone getting a sleep in and an afternoon off every week.

FROM LABOURING TO FARMING

Farming with balance WORDS BY SHERYL HAITANA

he winner of the 2021 Bay of Plenty Dairy Manager of the Year category almost gave up farming last year because he was working too much and not having enough time for his young family. Hayden Goodall and his wife Chelsea have three children, Amelia, 9, Lilla, 5, and Lincoln, 2 and time with their children is precious. “We didn’t have the work/life balance where it should be and we talked about giving up farming and going down another route.”

Prior to entering the dairy industry seven years ago, Hayden was in a labouring job and wanted to pursue a career to create a brighter future for his family. “I had no prior background in farming and began as a farm assistant in 2014 and progressed to second in charge (2IC) over the next four years,” he says. “We left this farm to manage a 500-cow property and have found our way back to where it all started to manage this awesome property.” Hayden is proud of how much he has learned and grown as a person, going from a city boy to a farm manager in four seasons. “I’ve been able to set personal targets to create a brighter future and explore new and greater possibilities for myself and my family.” Hayden also won the 2017 Bay of Plenty Dairy Trainee of the Year. He believes the Awards helped him to communicate, develop his self-esteem and self-confidence and increase his farming knowledge. “On a relational level, the Awards helped me make connections and network with other farms throughout the country and develop

DAIRY MANAGER

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BlackmanSpargo Rural Law Ltd Employee Engagement Award – Hayden Goodall The Business Results Group Ltd t/a Stem Rural Accountants Leadership Award – Hayden Purvis Vetora Bay of Plenty Feed Management Award – Hayden Purvis DeLaval Livestock Management Award – Hayden Goodall Fonterra Dairy Management Award – Thomas Houston MyMilk Power Play Award – Thomas Houston Westpac Personal Planning & Financial Management Award – Hayden Goodall

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

700

215ha

Milking platform area

Production

Pasture eaten

16t DM/ha/yr

Crossbred cows

Farm Dairy

450kg MS/cow • 1480kg MS/ha

50 bail internal rotary shed

Milking supplement None brought in, 480t DM Farmgate: Hayden surveys the herd.

close connections with farmers and rural professionals in my own region,” he says. Getting feedback from the judges on your operation and what your strengths and weaknesses are is hugely beneficial,but the people you connect with has been the biggest win out of being a part of the Awards, he says. Entering as a Dairy Manager has helped open up cans of worms on certain areas of the operation you normally wouldn’t look at, he says.

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

Dairy Automation

- Maize grown on lease block, 250t Grass Silage and Bales harvested on the farm and on the runoff.

175

Cows/labour unit

Weeks of AI

78%

Six-week in-calf rate

Weeks of natural mating

Wintering

ACR’s and Protrack

Not-in-calf-rate

11%

120kg N/ha/year

Nitrogen

Runoff 170ha runoff owned and lease a 26ha block

Winter 515 on farm - Fed pasture, maize and grass silage. 200 cows off farm at grazier for 6 weeks (20th May until the start of July).

BAY OF PLENTY | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Hayden with one of his three daughters.

For Hayden, they have high value genetics in the herd that are producing about 94% liveweight to milk solids. His goal is to maximise the efficiency of the cows in their DairyNZ System 3 operation by tweaking a few decisions at certain times of the year. The feedback from judges helps highlight those potential changes and the opportunity to do that.

POSITIVE EXPOSURE

After the whirlwind of a year with Covid-19 in 2020, it was awesome to see

the agricultural industries being recognised as big providers for New Zealand and its economy, says Hayden. “It’s a privilege to be a part of and it’s great for the dairy industry to get some positive exposure.” Hayden identifies finding a work/life balance as a huge challenge. He and his wife Chelsea have three daughters and trying to find time to spend with family, personal interests and keep on top of dayto-day running of the farm is a perpetual challenge. “Over the past seven years I’ve had to learn and grow in an industry totally unfamiliar to me,” says Hayden. “Every job has its ups and downs but tomorrow is a new day and job satisfaction outweighs those harder times,” he says. “Call it character building with light always at the end of the tunnel.” “I’m grateful for my supportive wife and wonderful family unit – they have made the challenges doable and all play a huge role in helping me overcome times when I have been stressed and fatigued.”

Chelsea, who has a Social Work Degree has also completed Primary ITO Diploma in Agribusiness, is the calf rearer and Human Resources manager onfarm. Hayden and Chelsea are going contract milking for Matt and Laura next season and they are grateful to have that opportunity to step into self employment on such a high quality farm. “It’s a great place to do it, the kids are really happy here. We sat down and made sure it would work for both parties.” Eventually the couple hope to gain equity and reach their goals of sharemilking and owning a runoff. “We have a wonderful future ahead of us in the dairy industry.”

Runner-up in the Bay of Plenty Dairy Manager of the Year category was Hayden Purvis, farm manager on a 148ha, 400-cow property at Galatea. Third place went to Thomas Houston who is farm manager on a 160ha Opotiki property.

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BAY OF PLENTY | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

Carrying on the family legacy WORDS BY SHERYL HAITANA

E Down by the river: Aran and Sharleen’s farm backs onto the Whirinaki River, they are concentrating on cleaning up their side of the waterway.

quity owners Aran and Sharleen Sealey love farming in the Bay of Plenty and their goal is to be able to buy their family farm to carry on as the next generation. The couple were named the 2021 Bay of Plenty Share Farmers at the regional Dairy Industry Awards in April. They are equity partners on Sharleen’s parents farm at Galatea milking 420 Jersey cross cows. Sharleen’s grandfather bought the farm and her parents Eric and Margaret Smith now own the 160ha. “Our goal is to be able to own the farm we are raising our family on as third generation owners,” Sharleen says. “Farming is an ideal place to raise our family and work alongside our family. We’re able to utilise our skills and hobbies to benefit the farm business.” It is where Sharleen grew up and later met Aran who had

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moved into the community to work on a neighbouring dairy farm. Aran didn’t grow up on a farm, but after he completed the Agriculture Academy at Te Awamutu College he got a job as a farm assistant when he finished school and instantly loved the work. His sister was working in Galatea and got him a job dairying over there. After he moved to the small valley in the Bay of Plenty he bought Sharleen’s brother’s car, which is how the couple met. “I was literally the boy next door,” Aran says. Aran, 33, and Sharleen, 31, have been together ever since and have been married for 11 years. They have three children, Haven, 5, Ashlyn, 8 and Jayda, 10. Aran also has a son Joel, 15, from a previous relationship. They have been farming on Sharleen’s family farm for 11 years, starting out as managers then contract milkers. Three years ago they started a company with Sharleen’s parents to buy everything apart from the land and buildings. The couple are 50% equity owners in that company. “We hope to buy more shares in the company, once we own that we want to start buying the land,” Aran says. One of their strengths is how well they get on and work well alongside Eric to achieve their goals for the farm. Being able to work alongside family strengthens the business unit. “We are able to share goals. Forming our company is a huge success we are very proud of.”

STOP FEED GOING TO WASTE

Aran and Sharleen on the family farm with Haven, 5, Ashlyn, 8 and Jayda, 10.

INSPIRED BY FAMILY HISTORY

They enjoy living in Galatea and Sharleen says they often think of her grandfather as inspiration during hard times. “We think about what he did for our country at war and what he did for his community. We are grateful he chose our farm to raise his family.” A lot of people in Galatea are on the same dairy farming buzz which also makes it a great area to farm, Aran says. It’s an ideal location, close to great hunting and fishing, which provides a good lifestyle off the farm. The couple enjoy hunting, fishing and swimming

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Runner-up in the Bay of Plenty Share Farmer of the Year category was John and Aleshia Macdonald. Third place went to Jordyn Crouch and Isaac Algar.

and making sure they get a good work/life balance for themselves and their children. “Galatea is a really nice community, there is a really good country school.” Aran had previously entered the Dairy Industry Awards as a Dairy Trainee in 2013 and won the practical skills component for the Bay of Plenty.

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BAY OF PLENTY | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

It was a few people in the farming community which gave them the nudge to enter the Dairy Industry Awards again as a couple. “We’ve sort of been on autopilot for a while, and a lot of people in the valley were pushing us to do it, so we decided to do it just to shut them up really,” Aran jokes. Entering as Share Farmers has certainly helped them improve their skill set and opened their eyes to look deeper into their business. Aran says it’s made him more aware of the paperwork side of the business, which Sharleen normally takes care of. “For me, sitting down to do more paperwork with her has been helpful. I normally do the feed budgets, but sitting down and doing the financial budgets and comparing the actuals with the target, has been a good learning experience. “It’s pushed us from lots of angles. It’s given us a push to update our health and safety. We also tidied up our farm because we wanted to show a good operation, so

we renovated our farm dairy and did a few things there.” Aran and Sharleen both work full time on the farm, and typically employ one full time staff member with a casual relief milker on hand. Aran and Sharleen have both studied through Primary ITO, Sharleen has finished Level 5 and Aran has completed Level 4.

WORK/LIFE BALANCE

Challenges the couple have faced and overcome include learning about employer responsibilities and the juggle of work and family. “Work/life balance is hugely important. We have a good team with different strengths that complement each other,” Sharleen says. They see that they have an important role introducing staff to the dairy industry and they want to make sure it's a positive experience for their staff. The farm is a DairyNZ System 3 operation which is mostly self contained,

$$$ FINANCIAL FACTS Sharemilking

Equity partnership

Gross farm income

$8.04/kg MS

Operating expenses

$5.33/kg MS

Operating profit

$2949/ha

Farm working expenses

$4.38/kg MS

so doesn't have to rely on much boughtin feed. They have a grazier half an hour away for young stock. “We are moving away from palm kernel, since they’ve started grading for it, there is too much to worry about, and we are also conscious about deforestation as well,” Aran says. The farm backs onto Whirinaki River, which is part of their farm’s environmental plan. “We’d like to clean up our side of the river and make it look nicer for the future.

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BAY OF PLENTY | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

420

Pasture eaten

Milking supplement

Farm Dairy

Milking platform area

136ha

Production

355kg MS/cow, 1087kg MS/ha

161

Cows/labour unit

“We’ve started spraying broom up on a bank above the river flat paddock.” The river flat is prone to flooding which makes it difficult to do much riparian planting. However, the farm is well set up and they irrigate over 84ha of the farm. There is a 20ha block they grow maize and lucerne on, growing oats in between maize crops. “Sharleen’s dad is really passionate about improving soil quality. He has turned a lot of the soil over with diggers. He bought a machine called a stabiliser to mix up the soil so the maize tap roots can go deeper. “It’s worked well, last year we got 20t/ ha.” The herd has been on the farm since the days of Sharleen’s grandfather and is in the top 5% for Breeding Worth for the country. It is a big focus of their business to look after the genetics for the business. “We get to carry on the legacy,” he says.

30-bail rotary

Maize

65%

Not in-calf rate

12%

Six-week in-calf rate

Nitrogen Herd life: Aran and Sharleen work on the farm together with one other employee.

11.3t DM/ha/year

Jersey/crossbreed

100kg applied/year)

Wintering

100 late calvers wintered off for 8 weeks. Rest of cows wintered

Weeks of mating

Runoff

owned

SHARE FARMER

MERIT AWARDS: DairyNZ Human Resources Award – Jordyn Crouch and Isaac Algar Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award – Aran and Sharleen Sealey Federated Farmers Leadership Award – Jordyn Crouch and Isaac Algar Honda Farm Safety, Health and Biosecurity Award – Aran and Sharleen Sealey LIC Recording and Productivity Award – Aran and Sharleen Sealey Meridian Farm Environment Award – Aran and Sharleen Sealey Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award – Josh and Aleshia MacDonald Westpac Business Performance Award – Jordyn Crouch and Isaac Algar

Aran is the artificial insemination (AI) technician and they have just started with LIC’s sire proving scheme. “We have a couple of contract cows they are interested in.” This season they put Angus over any cow they knew they didn’t want to keep

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CENTRAL PLATEAU | DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

Runner-up in the Dairy Trainee competition was Tata Jed Te Aho, who is second in charge (2IC) on Wairarapa Moana Incorporation’s 355ha, 1050-cow farm in Mangakino. Third place went to 25-year-old Herd Manager Shivpreet Arora who also works for Wairarapa Moana Incorporation in Mangakino.

Central Plateau Dairy Trainee of the Year winner Tayla Flight loves getting out into the field.

Taking flight on a dairy career WORDS BY: JACKIE HARRIGAN

ayla Flight got into dairy farming as a career when she was filling in the university holidays with a relief milking job. “At first the money was really appealing, but then I realised how the harder you work the faster you can progress through the industry.”

Now the winner of the 2021 Central Plateau Dairy Trainee of the Year, Tayla is planning her future in the sector, including a move to a 450-cow manager’s position next season which will become a contract milking role the following year, if all goes to plan. After that she and her partner plan to work together to set themselves up to take on a 600-cow sharemilking job “and then

work really hard to get together the money to buy into a farm of our own.” Tayla is farm manager for Jared Seymour, milking 220 cows on his Atiamuri farm. “I’ve always wanted a job where I’m happy. I love animals and get to hang out with 220 cows and my dog every single day. If they’re happy, I’m happy,” says Tayla. Born in Kuratau, on Lake Taupo, and schooled as a boarder at Whanganui Girls College, she embarked on study to become a vet but decided against continuing. “I excelled academically at school and was always expected to go to university. I didn’t always know I wanted to be a dairy farmer, but I love that you are rewarded depending on how hard you work and you can progress at the pace you’re willing or feel comfortable to,” she says. “You don’t have to study for years to prove yourself. You prove yourself when the cows come into the shed happy and healthy and milk is going into the vat.”

INSPIRED BY WOMEN LEADERS

The amount of women taking leading roles in the dairy industry makes Tayla feel excited about the future of the New Zealand dairy industry. She cites Fonterra

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Dairy Woman of the Year for 2020, AshLeigh Campbell, and former DairyNZ Environmental Leaders Forum chair Tracy Brown, as inspiring women in dairy who are also environmental forward thinkers. “Fitting in with women like this would be an honour.” “I’d like to change the mindset of some farmers who look at a dairy farming couple and assume the woman is the calf rearer and ‘looks after the books’. This can be quite frustrating,” she says. Planning and goal setting are huge for

Tayla who says she has a couple of diaries and writes lots of lists - both for work and fitness goals. “I have always been a keen goal setter - I always have my big goals in mind and am constantly setting little goals to work towards and help me achieve the big ones.” Even if she is having a bad day, seeing her goals and achieving them helps her keep going, she says. “Every time I achieve a goal it gets me closer to where I want to be. That’s what drives me every day.”

DAIRY TRAINEE

MERIT AWARDS: Piako Tractors Ltd Most Promising Entrant Award – Tata Jed Te Aho T H Enterprises LTD Farming Knowledge Award – Shivpreet Arora Rotorua Lakes Council Community & Industry Involvement Awards – Tata Jed Te Aho Stretton &amp; Co Ltd Communication and Engagement Award – Du Jean Williams

One with the herd: Tayla with a couple of friends.

DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Tayla Flight

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CENTRAL PLATEAU | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

In the driver’s seat WORDS BY: JACKIE HARRIGAN

welve years of driving tour buses has given Mark Rivers a suite of skills that have made his transition to dairy farming an easy and award-winning one. The 38-year-old farm manager from Tokoroa has taken out the 2021 Central Plateau Dairy Manager of the Year competition, after only three years back in the industry as a farm manager on Brett and Karen Sterritt’s 98ha 400-cow Atiamuri property. He grew up on a dairy farm and attended Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre in 2000, a foundation that he credits with giving him the stockmanship skills he is now finding very useful. His farm owners have remarked at herd testing time at how calm and relaxed the cows are now - saying they were quite flighty when he arrived at the job. “Feeding calves and milking when I was growing up and going to calf club are great ways to build up a stock sense.” After a few years in the industry he did a European Contiki tour when visiting his grandparents who lived in the United Kingdom. With a UK passport, he was able to secure a job driving for the company. “I drove around Europe quite a few times over a six-year period and then around New Zealand for four years for the same company.” He credits his time tour bus driving for giving him lots of people skills and a different perspective on life. “When you are a bit older you know what you want - when I was young I was all about playing rugby and chasing girls - hence the bus driving,” he laughed. “But now I know I want a future in the dairy industry and I can see how to get it.” 60

Family man: Central Plateau Dairy Manager of the Year winner (right) Mark Rivers with fiancee Monique and their children Thea (1) and Bodhi (3).

“Driving for tour groups gave me the ability to adjust to lots of different situations and to find common ground between two parties when an issue arises I am really adaptable and have better skills to deal with staff.”

PERSPECTIVE AND IMPROVEMENT Rivers entered the Awards to gain some perspective on the next step for his family and identify areas to improve and says the process has given him the confidence to really back his skills. “My employers really encouraged me to give the awards a go - they have always given me the drive to be in the top 5% of performance and to continue to better myself.” Since he entered he was approached through friends with the offer of a contract milking position on a 630-cow, 220ha milking platform at Lichfield north - which he has thrown himself into organising for next season.

“It came out of the blue, through mutual friends and looks like a fantastic opportunity that fits in with our 10-year plan.” “We will have the opportunity to raise stock at the new farm and there is scope to move to being a 50:50 sharemilker there in five or six years time, by which time we will have our own cows in the herd, so it's ideal.” Mark lives with his fiancee Monique and their children Bodhi (3) and Thea (1) and while Monique is not originally from a farm, he says she is super-stoked to be progressing their plan so readily and is very keen to be more involved when the children are old enough. “I came back to the dairy industry in 2016 as I enjoy working outdoors and doing the variety of jobs needed to be a farmer, and we really want our children to grow up in the country as I did.” He won $8150 in prizes and two merit awards.

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

When he worked on dairy farms the first time the intensity of the system was much lower, Mark says, which has meant a learning curve for him in diving into a management role after a couple of years on a large-scale dairy support property. “Different systems had developed and I came back to a system 4/5 farm which was different to the system ½ style of farming I grew up with,” says Mark. He says one of his strengths is maintaining pasture quality and utilisation. Mark puts a lot of effort into continually monitoring pastures to ensure they are hitting their residuals and maintaining quality. “I am pretty proud that for the first time in 10 years this year the farm had a surplus to shut up seven hectares of pasture and make silage - by keeping on top of the quality we were able to make supplement from the grass - the cheapest form of feed.” Improving the six-week in-calf rate from 69% to 77% in his first year of managing was another highlight Mark said. Alongside irrigation over 90ha of the farm, Mark credits the farm’s herd home as a strength of the business. “It allows us to house cows overnight during the winter months and limit damage to pastures as well as efficiently use our supplements,” he says. “We also calve in the herd homes which

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

98ha

Milking platform area

Production

Cows/labour unit

17t DM/ha/yr

Kiwi cross

Milking supplement

Farm Dairy

530kg MS/cow 2071kg MS/ha

130

Pasture eaten

390

22-aside HB DeLaval plant

78%

Not-in-calf rate

11%

Six-week in-calf rate

Wintering

100t maize, 300t pk blend, 350t grass silage

220kg/ha

Nitrogen

Weeks of mating

Runoff leased

DAIRY MANAGER

MERIT AWARDS: BlackmanSpargo Rural Law Ltd Most Promising Entrant – Melissa Russell Vetora BOP Employee Engagement Award – Mark Rivers Perrin Ag Consultants Ltd Leadership Award – Ben Purua I.S Dam Lining Ltd Feed Management Award – Mark Rivers DeLaval Livestock Management Award – Harpreet Shahi Singh Fonterra Dairy Management Award – Jaspreet Singh Dhanoa NZDIA Power Play Award – Ben Purua Westpac Personal Planning and Financial Management Award – Ben Purua

is easier on the cows and calves, not to mention the staff.” Mark is excited about the technological advancements that enable farmers to make real-time decisions, leading to a more costeffective and environmentally-friendly farming operation. He enjoys spending time with his family and getting away

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from the farm to play two or three games a year for the local cricket club. “My family drives me during the harder times and I genuinely enjoy getting up to the challenges of farming. I know the hard times are going to make me better equipped to make decisions in the future.”

Proud to support Central Plateau Dairy Industry Awards Andrew Cook - 027 490 9417 Clint - Operations Manager 027 284 9875 Office 07 333 1506 info@atcook.co.nz • www.atcook.co.nz

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Reporoa farm manager Harpreet Shahi Singh placed second in the Central Plateau Dairy Manager of the year and third place went to Jaspreet Singh Dhanoa who works on a 295ha Whakamaru property, milking 750 cows.

CENTRAL PLATEAU | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

Structured for success WORDS BY: SHERYL HAITANA

ndrea and Blair Muggeridge are both structured people, so ensuring their farm has correct policies and procedures in place is second nature to them. “I think our strength is we are both structured people. We are so driven and focused and we share a passion for farming. We are hard working and we seem to be a couple that never sits still,” Andrea says. The Reporoa equity farm owners won the 2021 Central Plateau Share Farmer of the Year and five merit awards and $14,399 in prizes. The couple won the title of Central Plateau Dairy Manager of the Year, in 2013, which they say got them into the habit of having structures in place, which made the awards entry process easier this time round. “Most people when they first enter the Dairy Industry Awards or these types of competitions, they have to set up a lot of policies and procedures, but there was

Happy in their work: Blair and Andrea Muggeridge won the Central Plateau Share Farmer of the Year award.

nothing we had to set up because it was all streamlined from eight years ago,” Andrea says. “It did make us analyse our business and we did change bits and pieces, don’t get me wrong, but we didn’t have to set things up because we already had it in the motions of happening.” They like to have things in writing to have the proof of what they are doing. Supplying Miraka requires doing a lot of paperwork for the Te Ara Miraka Farming Excellence Programme. It’s not an easy incentive programme, but it’s another framework which ensures the couple has

structure around everything they do and try to achieve onfarm and they were able to use that information to showcase their story to the judges.

ROLLING UP THEIR SLEEVES Blair and Andrea won the DairyNZ Human Resources Award which was a reflection on their great staff retention. Three out of their four staff have been working for them for about four seasons now. They have three full time employees and one part time casual worker. As farm managers they roll up their sleeves and do any and all jobs onfarm

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Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

1080

Milking platform area

285eff ha Production

452kg MS/cow 1714kg MS/ha

216

Cows, 1 labour unit

Nitrogen 297kg/ha

Pasture eaten

16.5t DM/ha/yr

Friesian

Farm Dairy

Milking supplement

Silage 188t PKE 1350t

61%

Six-week in-calf rate

Rotary 60-bail Not in-calf rate

20%

Weeks of mating

Wintering

Off for 45-70 days, on grass, silage and PKE if required

Moving on out: Dairy cows on the move at Golden Springs.

alongside their staff and ensure they follow all procedures they set and expect staff to follow. “We all work together, Blair and I agree that we all share the workload, there are no real levels or jobs we don’t all do just because we are the managers.” The 38-year-olds are both from Taranaki and grew up on dairy farms. Blair went farming after school before a slight detour to get a building apprenticeship before he returned to the land. Andrea worked in hotel management and sales before they started a family. She now works onfarm full time during the spring, and the rest of the year manages the paperwork and has a part time job off farm. She has also completed the Diploma in Agribusiness Management through Primary ITO. “I’ve always grown up on farms and around TH Enterprises. Once we moved to Reporoa and had our second child, it was more viable for me to be hands on onfarm, which I love.” The couple now have three children,

Braxton, 9, Fletcher, 6, and Aaliyah, 4, who all enjoy the farming lifestyle. The children help out onfarm and Andrea acknowledges that they are fortunate to be in a family business where that can still happen. “We wanted the same life for our children as we had, they help out and it teaches them a good work ethic. It’s hard with health and safety for sharemilkers to have children out onfarm, so we are lucky here.”

FAMILY BACKED EQUITY PARTNERSHIP TH Enterprises is Andrea’s family’s business owned by parents Trevor and Harriet Hamilton. The company owns farms across New Zealand and has backed Blair and Andrea into the equity partnership. Five years ago, the couple bought a 20% equity share in Golden Springs, the 285ha farm in Reporoa.

$$$ FINANCIAL FACTS Gross farm income

$7.31/kg MS

Operating expenses

$4.81/kg MS

Operating profit

$4075/ha

Farm working expenses

$4.57/kg MS

Animal health

Animal health $53/cow Wages $0.86/kg MS

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

Blair and Andrea had to take out a personal loan and were guaranteed by TH Enterprises. “I think we would struggle to get into a farm this size, even a little farm, without the back of TH Enterprises,” Blair says. “We have great stakeholders and supportive people around us that can guide and lead us.” Blair worked as farm manager for several seasons on Golden Springs before they bought into the farm in 2012/13. Instead of being paid a bonus for farm performance, it was recorded and they received extra shares to reflect the unpaid bonuses, which is how they could afford to get to an immediate 20% share. They have owned a rental property which they sold a few years prior to buying into the farm, and were also able to build equity by paying to inseminate the farm’s heifers and rear those calves.

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CENTRAL PLATEAU | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

Happy together: Braxton, 9, Fletcher, 6, and Aaliyah, 4, on their bikes.

Blair is still paid a farm manager salary and their goal is to increase their equity by 2.5% every year through the farm’s profit and their share dividend going straight to an increase in shares. The couple have faced challenges along the way including reconfiguring the Golden Springs farm in their first year. The farm was being amalgamated from three small farms, so

they had the opportunity to have a say in how the farm was set up. They are hoping to step up to the Operations Manager role for TH Enterprises’ three North Island farms in the next two seasons. That next career move was the push they needed to enter the Share Farmer category before taking that step. “We always said we wanted to enter as

share farmers,” Blair says. Entering as equity owners was beneficial to looking at more of the financial side of the business. “The entry process made us analyse our business, and focus on the financial section, which we think personally is our weakness,” Andrea says. “It’s been an excellent opportunity for us to see the full potential of the farm.” The couple are trying to have more input into the farm budget, which is usually set by the company’s chief financial officer (CFO), Blair says. “We have a little bit of input in the budget but I’m getting more involved and I’ve started going to some of the board meetings so I’ve taken more interest in what our farm is doing and the overall business.” Reporoa also has a really neat community to live in, with three primary schools, a playcentre and kindergarten, Andrea says. “It’s an amazing community. They say

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it takes a village to raise a child and it’s a pretty cool village.” Farming in Reporoa is great if you can handle all of the fog, Blair says. “I think due to climate change, it’s not too bad here. The last few winters have been pretty mild so we’ve had a bit of growth, it’s getting through summer.” The summers are getting quite hot and if they don’t have enough rain in December they struggle, Blair says. “It’s a basic, pasture-based system. It’s a System 4 farm, but in a dry year we can end up a DairyNZ System 5. We’ve been able to get through the last couple of summers without having to put supplement in until middle or late January.”

The couple wish they could change public perception of farmers, especially around the subject of polluting waterways. “Dairy farming is more of a lifestyle than a normal job. We are passionate about achieving our goals, not only personally but also for the farm. “We love the freedom farming brings, the animals, the building of relationships with our team and the overall running of a business. They are proud of achieving

equity partnership and their successful business with excellent overall production, and are excited about the future of the dairy industry. “We would like our farm to be a multigeneration business which will enable us to support our children in their future business endeavours,” Blair says. “I think the industry is looking pretty good at the moment, it’s a great industry to be a part of.”

SHARE FARMER

MERIT AWARDS: DairyNZ Human Resources Award – Andrea and Blair Muggeridge Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award – Andrea and Blair Muggeridge Federated Farmers Leadership Award – Aaron and Kathryn Ryan

Kevin and Monica Campbell, 50/50 sharemilkers from Rotorua were runners up in the Central Plateau share farmer award and Maurice Bryant from Rotorua was placed third.

Honda Farm Safety, Health and Biosecurity Award – Andrea and Blair Muggeridge LIC Recording and Productivity Award – Andrea and Blair Muggeridge Meridian Farm Environment Award – Maurice Bryant Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award – Andrea and Blair Muggeridge Westpac Business Performance Award – Kevin and Monica Campbell

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MANAWATU | DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

Sweeping the competition WORDS BY ELAINE FISHER PHOTOS BY: BRAD HANSON

s well as taking the top title of 2021 Manawatu Dairy Trainee of the Year, Josh Wilkinson won all of the competition’s four merit awards. “I entered last year and got ‘most promising' but didn’t make the finals, so I was stoked to get through to the finals this year. Winning was a big achievement for me,” says Josh who is production manager on Ross Gordon’s 260ha, 500-cow farm, Pukewaiu, in Colyton. The 23-year-old won $5825 in prizes. Josh puts his wins down to what he learnt from entering the 2020 awards. “The feedback from entering showed what I needed to work on. I then went on to complete the milk quality and food safety course to help fill in the gaps.” Josh got an introduction to rural life when his family moved from Levin to a lifestyle block in Shannon. “That’s where I built up more of an interest in animals and plants.” He went on to gain a Bachelor of Agriscience, majoring in Agriculture, from Massey University. “While studying at Massey we got practical experience on farms and my first placement was on the farm owned by the late John Wilson, previous chair of Fonterra in Te Awamutu. I learnt a lot from him and he inspired me to continue with dairy farming.” Other placements included working

Smashing it: DIA Manawatu Dairy Trainee of the Year Josh Wilkinson also won all four Merit awards.

on the 6500ha, Te Awaiti Station where Josh worked with contractors learning fencing skills, and beekeeping. He worked in Cambridge after leaving university but returned south to Santoft and then last season to the Pukewaiu farm as the second in charge (2IC), then gaining a promotion to production manager in February. Next season Josh takes up a similar role at Dannevirke where he hopes to further his management and farming skills. “I enjoy learning new things and studying. I have done a module in human resources towards an agribusiness diploma which helped quite a lot with dealing with staff. This year I will do a Level 5 in production management and go back to the diploma studies next year.” Josh also takes part in regular young farmer events and in 2020 was awarded the Fitzherbert Young Farmers participation cup. He enjoys attending DairyNZ discussion groups and hopes to attend

DAIRY TRAINEE

MERIT AWARDS: Manawatū DIA Farming Knowledge Award – Josh Wilkinson Manawatū DIA Community and Industry Involvement Award – Josh Wilkinson I.S Dam Lining Ltd Communication and Engagement Award – Josh Wilkinson DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Josh Wilkinson

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

Runner up is Farm Assistant Jai Spalding, placing second in the Dairy Trainee category. He works on Pāmu Farms 207ha, 650-cow Moutoa property. Jessica Bird was third in the Dairy Trainee category. She is Herd Manager on Hopkins Farming Group Ltd’s 650-cow, 245ha Kimbolton farm.

Federated Farmers discussion groups to further his knowledge and increase his industry connections. The development of the new technologies being incorporated into daily tasks, are improving farm efficiency says Josh. Grazing decisions are also informed partly by technology, using Satellite Pasture and Cover Evaluation (SPACE) service from Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC). “Being able to see what cover we have at a glance is really useful and saves time on this farm which has quite a lot of steep country as well as rolling to flat.” The possible conversion of some parts of dairy farms to horticulture also excites Josh who enjoys growing plants and trees as a hobby. “In the future, I can see more horticulture being used on dairy farms as a way of diversifying. I’m all for this as I really enjoy gardening and plants.” 67

MANAWATU | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Through the fire WORDS BY JACKIE HARRIGAN PHOTOS BY BRAD HANSON

fter a difficult year in 2020, 2021 is already looking up for Manawatu DIA Dairy Manager of the Year winner Karl Wood. At the start of last year, Karl and his partner Jess Hodges decided to end their two years of gaining large-herd dairy experience in Canterbury. Two years earlier they had shifted to a 1000-cow irrigated farm up the river from Rakaia to learn about dairying on a large scale, and while they loved it and learned a lot, they decided to come home when Karl’s mother was undergoing surgery and his father needed help on the home farm, Northbrook Enterprises Ltd, a 115ha, 290-cow property close to Palmerston North. But on the cusp of the Covid lockdown when they were holidaying in the deep south and due to catch a ferry later that week, they realised they had to move fast to get home before lockdown. A quick trip back to Rakaia from Wanaka, a superquick packup and two hours sleep followed by a seven hour drive to Nelson and a helicopter ride to Wellington, with their two dogs riding on the skids, got them home just in time for lockdown - and they had to go back later to retrieve their car, cats and belongings. “It was really stressful but we were so glad to be home, because my dad had an accident a couple of months later and Jess had surgery too - so it was great we were home and able to help out the family.” Left: With small herd and large herd experience, Manawatu Dairy Manager of the Year winner Karl Wood is looking forward to building his stake in the dairy industry.

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WE ARE FAMILY

Karl’s sister Anja also works on the family farm and Milking Shorthorn stud, along with the large 240ha runoff that supports all the 300 reared calves, after a policy shift to no bobbies. Karl believes the large support block provides different options and is a strength of the business. “It takes the pressure off the dairy platform and gives the ability to graze off cows if needed, and harvest grass supplement.” “The fact we rear all our calves, with no bobbies, is also a strength as it provides extra income for the business during low pay-out times.” This season they have bred all of the poorer cows to beef semen - including Charolais, Speckle Park, Angus and Hereford. “I have always been keen on different breeds - and although we will always have pedigree Shorthorn and pedigree Friesians on the property, I have crossed some Shorthorns with Guernsey to fine them up and I have been looking at the Montbéliarde breed also.” “I like a licorice allsorts herd - I think all the breeds bring different traits to the mix and I am keen to see what they all do.” The crossbred beef calves find a ready market in the surrounding lifestyle block owners, who Karl says are always looking for a couple of cute pets or beefies for the freezer. The Canterbury experience was great for sharpening up his pasture management and 26-year-old Karl says he valued his time as second in charge (2IC), learning about managing and dealing with staff. “In some ways a larger farm runs easier, because you can have a lot of things going on simultaneously.” Karl enjoys the peace and calmness of being with the cows at the start of the day.

PHYSICAL FARM DATA 290

115ha

Pasture eaten 9t DM/ha/yr

Cows

Milking platform area

Production

Milking supplement

1.5t/cow

100,000kg MS • 870kg MS/ha • 345kg MS/cow

64%

116

Wintering

“It’s something you can’t replicate,” he says. “During the hard times, my motivation comes from my family and thinking positively about what has been achieved already.”

Since returning to the Bunnythorpe farm he has made a few changes to policies. “We decided to milk the 60 first calvers on once a day (OAD) milking for the whole season to grow them out and enhance their reproduction as second calvers. It worked really well, we had only three notin-calf (5%) in that age group and we only lost 10% of production for them compared with what they would’ve produced on twice a day (TAD).” “They held their condition really well and have grown on well; it’s something that we would do again,” Karl said. The OAD cows were milked at 1.30pm,

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Not-in-calf rate

Six-week in-calf rate

Cows/labour unit

Runoff 240ha

Farm Dairy

18-aside herringbone

Weeks of mating

Nitrogen

<150kgN/ha

before the main herd on TAD, so it meant less work in the morning when he and Anja were busy milking, picking up calves and then feeding the 300 calves. The main herd was also put on OAD in late January which Karl says is easier on the cows as they have a long walk on the race up and down hills. “The cows are holding condition well on 4.3 body condition score (BCS) and so we hope to get a benefit on reproduction for next season.” “It means we can push the dryoff out slightly too because we have lots of silage cut on the runoff and have a 12.5ha chicory block.” The six year average for the farm is 95,000kg MS and Karl is looking at reaching 100,000kg MS this season. Future farming goals include a 50/50 sharemilking role in the next three to five years through building stock numbers and breeding quality cattle.

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MANAWATU | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Milking Shorthorns have been in Karl’s family for many generations - he has now taken over the Kowhai prefix that was his grandfather’s stud name.

DAIRY MANAGER

MERIT AWARDS: Naylor Lawrence and Associates Most Promising Entrant Award – Joel Peterson Fitzherbert Rowe Lawyers Employee Engagement Award – Karl Wood Totally Vets Ltd Leadership Award – Karl Wood Hopkins Farming Group Feed Management Award – Karl Wood

“We have started our own company and bought 25 Friesian heifers into the herd last season - there was an opportunity to borrow against the house Jess and I own and live in in town, and it made sense when the heifer prices were low and interest rates were also low - and now we have 10 replacement heifers from them and have rebred them back to a Milking Shorthorn.” “Next season we will trade some more cattle, and rear and trade the beef cross calves as weaners or stores - and we are looking for a lease block opportunity.” Karl identifies a work/life balance as really important and off-farm he enjoys playing football three times a week, attending Young Farmers events as Vice-Chair of the Fitzherbert Club, and playing golf whenever he can. “I enjoy spending time with my partner Jess, and our dogs,” he says. “A work/life balance keeps you mentally fresh and means you can also support your friends.”

DeLaval Livestock Management Award – Javier Alejandro Pardo Diaz Fonterra Dairy Management Award – Karl Wood MyMilk Power Play Award – Joel Peterson Westpac Personal Planning and Financial Management Award – Mahraaz Hussein

RUNNER UP in the Dairy Manager category was Foxton Farm Manager Mahraaz Hussein who manages a 310-cow farm for Pāmu Farms.

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MANAWATU | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

Clean sweep of awards WORDS BY JACKIE HARRIGAN PHOTOS BY BRAD HANSON

am and Ellie Howard have spent hours improving the shelter and aesthetics of the Shannon property they are share milking, even if they may not be there long enough to appreciate all the benefits. Sam was named Share Farmer of the Year for the Manawatu in 2021 and added to his win of the Dairy Manager category earlier when he was managing a farm in Taranaki. Originally from the Manawatu, Sam and Ellie returned from Taranaki four seasons ago to move into a 50/50 share milking role with Shannon owner John Gardner on his 80ha, 240-cow Palmerston North property. Ellie hails from Australia and is a bovine and equine vet, working with 72

Totally Vets in Palmerston North, although she is currently on maternity leave with new son Archie. The couple brought with them a crossbred herd they had put together and are focusing on the breeding core of cows, from whom they are keen to get herd replacements, focusing on efficiency and fertility, along with good udders, feet and legs. The crossbred herd are producing an average of 1257kg MS/ha and 439kg MS/ cow, which Sam estimates is around 90% of their bodyweight. “We are aiming for 100%, but we run a largely grass-based system, with crops and some PKE bought in for supplement.”

EFFICIENCY EXPERTS

Sam and Ellie discuss all aspects of the

operation and with their emphasis on efficiency, have opted for using nominated semen over the top half of the herd for the first six weeks of AI - crossing with Friesian, Jersey or Xbred semen depending on the breed of the cow. For the next five weeks cows are inseminated with short gestation crossbred semen and for the past two years a LIC Wagyu contract has seen the lowerproducing 100 cows inseminated with the beef cross to move away from producing bobby calves. The Wagyu cross calves tend to be lighter and easier calving than the Hereford semen they were using previously. As the partnership vet, Ellie has set up the intervention programme of Controlled Internal Drug Release (CIDRs) and the Why Wait programme to improve the

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

229

Milking platform area

80ha

Production

Crossbred

869kg DM/cow PKE

153

69%

Nitrogen

141kg N/ha

Farm Dairy

Milking supplement

439kg MS/cow 1257kg MS/ha

Cows/labour unit

Pasture eaten

12.1t DM/ha/yr

Six-week in-calf rate

24-aside H/B

Not in-calf rate

13%

Wintering

100 cows wintered off for 6 weeks

Weeks of mating

Runoff

Leased

Left: Hold the gate: Vet Ellie Howard is Sam Howard’s secret weapon on all things dairy reproduction and animal health. Sam won the Manawatu Share Farmer of the Year award. Right: The family that works together, stays together: Sam and Ellie Howard with new son Archie. Just two months old, he is getting into a routine.

reproductive performance in the herd, and the couple report a 69% 6-week in-calf figure and 13% not-in-calf rate, same as the previous year with one weeks shorter mating period. “We are using fewer CIDRs each year and so our policy of improving fertility by bull selection seems to be working - the younger cows are achieving higher in-calf rates and the older cows will eventually work their way through the system.” Breeding their own sire bulls to follow up the artificial insemination (AI) mating has been a priority to Sam and Ellie since they had a scare with M bovis following some service bulls they brought in. The bulls had already gone off-farm to slaughter when the call came from the contact tracer, but the whole cow herd had to be tested as a precaution - which was a stressful time, Sam said. “We were lucky to have a negative result, but it made us move towards having a closed herd and being able to avoid that sort of stress in the future.” Securing a lease block on their back boundary is another plank in the strategy - instead of trucking cows off for winter grazing, as per their contract, they are able to move them through the fence - saving money, time and stress. Ellie has also had an impact on the animal health plans, coming up with a rigorous focus on early identification of possible mastitis - meaning the couple have had low somatic cell counts (SCC) of 68,000 and 59,000 over the past two seasons ranking 68th and 48th out of all Fonterra suppliers and placing them in the top 0-1% of results. ‘Now our aim is to get down to an average of 50,000 SCC,” she said. “We did focus on low SCC as a buying criteria when we were looking for cows and making up the herd, but we also paddle Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

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MANAWATU | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

$$$ FINANCIAL FACTS Sharemilking

Herd owning 50%

Costs shared

Normal Fed Farmers contract, plus 50% leased runoff costs

Gross farm income

$3.94/kg MS

Operating expenses

$3.24/kg MS

Operating profit

$876/ha

Farm working expenses

$2.28/kg MS

Breakdown of costs: Animal health $112/cow (preventative) Breeding $111/cow (high genetic gain) Wages $0.07/kg MS $0.77/kg MS (unpaid labour) Supplement $0.71/kg MS Left: In the winner’s circle: Sam, Ellie and Archie with the Manawatu Share Farmer of the Year award.

test each cow when they come into the colostrum herd, and if its a positive I culture a sample to identify the actual bug so that we can use the correct drug. Then I repeat the culture again before the end of the withholding period so that we can be sure the drugs are fixing the infection, if not we will dry off that quarter or cull the cow.” The couple says its attention to detail – doing the basics right – no overmilking, no teat damage and teat spraying every cow – that makes the difference. Ellie also developed and managed best practice protocols for calf rearing, making sure keeper calves are picked up as soon as they are born, and are fed 2 litres of gold colostrum twice in the first 24 hours from fresh cows. The colostrum is tested for brix and kept in the fridge or freezer, and any

sick calves get personal vet attention and their bedding topped up each weekend. “I like to keep the calf shed as if I would like to lie down in it myself,” she laughed.

FOCUS ON BEST PRACTICE

Sam won all eight of the Merit awards and has a huge emphasis on best practice. “I have a big focus on pasture management and from balance date onwards no supplements are used, just pasture so a close focus on residuals and leaf stage is necessary to keep the quality high and keep the cows as well fed as possible.” A relatively long round in spring of 28 days ensures maximum pasture growth and quality control is maintained with cutting balage and topping. “I set everything around round length,

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and then make sure the cows are well fed by topping up with supplement.” “It’s just a big balancing act - between growing as much grass as we can and feeding the cows as well as we can.” Sam uses nitrogen very strategically and carefully, totalling 141kg N/ha/year last season and applying it himself so that he can ensure it goes on when there will be maximum uptake by the plants and minimum leaching through the soil. “I only put it on when we can get the best response from it - once the soil temperature has lifted in the spring we start with a nitrogen-sulphur product (as these are the two nutrients most likely to be lost over the winter) and then we move to applications of 30kg N/ha, using a little and no more often than once each month.” No nitrogen is used over the summer when the lack of soil moisture is the limiting factor and then two small applications of 20kg N/ha over the autumn - bearing in mind that autumn can be a danger period for N leaching Sam said. “We have to ensure that every drop is taken up rather than leached.” Sam holds a Master of Applied Economics and Intermediate/Advanced Sustainable Nutrient Management, both from Massey University, and has gained the Primary ITO Dairy Production Management Level 5. Prior to entering the dairy industry, Sam was an economist with DairyNZ. He and Ellie credit their farm owner,

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

Transparency: Sam and Ellie Howard are sharemilking on a Manawatu property between a State Highway and the Palmerston North train tracks so they are very aware of what the public can see of the practices on their farm.

John Gardner with a willingness to invest in improvements and maintenance and for supporting them in their sharemilking role. “He was thrilled that we wanted to improve the farm by planting shelter belts of 130 willows and poplars for shelter, and 550 natives in a plantation area at the back of the farm along with 80 flaxes to enhance the farm dairy with a native planted area,” Ellie said.

ANIMAL WELFARE

John has also invested in doing up all of the cow races so that the couple can reduce lameness in every way possible. “We don’t chase the cows and avoid pushing them up with the backing gate – I

don’t even go out in the yard and chase them into the dairy – I try to avoid them twisting and turning on the concrete,” Sam added. “It’s all about reducing stress for the cows - we have very few lameness cases when the cows are on once a day (OAD) milking at the end of the season, it’s much more cruisy.” The couple also credit the family help they have had since returning to the Manawatu. Sam’s parents are retired sheep and beef farmers and are always keen and willing to help out, and with them and very competent and experienced relief milkers, Sam and Ellie are able to get off the farm and not worry. The couple are involved in many

leadership positions in the industry and, on a farm that lies between the state highway and the train tracks, they are very aware of public scrutiny and strive to have transparent practices that the community are happy with, rather than hiding things away. In the future they are focused on moving up to a 600plus-cow sharemilking job in a region that allows them to have access to great dairy farms and a strong equine industry so that Ellie can practice as an equine vet. She loves horses and rides dressage, but loves the idea of working in the equine breeding industry and with race horses as well. Eventually they would like to own property with both a dairy and equine aspect.

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Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

HAWKE’S BAY/WAIRARAPA | DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

Organics for life WORDS BY ELAINE FISHER PHOTOS BY: BRAD HANSON

Tony Craig sees opportunity in the organic space for dairy farmers.

rganic farming may become an increasingly important part of the New Zealand dairy industry in future, believes Tony Craig, the 2021 Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Trainee of the Year. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a lot more organic dairy farms in future. Consumers around the world already see New Zealand as clean and green and if they could buy organic dairy products from us, that would be even better,” says the 20-year-old assistant manager on Shaun and Kirsty Rose’s 180ha, 400-cow organic farm at East Taratahi. As well as winning the top title, Tony won $5312 in prizes and two Merit Awards. While still learning about organic farm and animal management, Tony says his interest in the practices began when his parents Lyn and Ray Craig began the conversion of their Carterton dairy farm to organics in 2015. “Going to discussion groups with them and talking to a lot of organic farmers, it sounds like the way forward.” Tony toyed with the idea of training as a mechanic or

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Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

joining the Royal New Zealand Air Force and becoming a pilot, but in reality he says nothing could keep him away from dairy farming. “Growing up, my spare time after school and at weekends was spent onfarm helping my parents out.” During his last years at college, Tony did a farming course which included two days a week with the Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre in Masterton going to different farms to learn of the opportunities agriculture offered. For six months after leaving school Tony worked for his dad, Ray. “Dad has won a few farming awards and I learned a lot from him about organics and sustainable farming.” His next role was on a Featherston property as a farm assistant and then the opportunity arose to work for his current employers as second in charge (2IC) on Roselea Farm. “I’m rostered for five days on and two days off which means time to catch up with friends and family and for hunting and fishing.” While organic farming requires certified

organic inputs, there’s no restriction on the use of technology and one tool Tony particularly enjoys using is Livestock Improvement Corporation’s (LIC) Satellite Pasture and Cover Evaluation (SPACE) service. “I could do a pasture walk with a platemeter every week which would take 4 to 5 hours out of the day but using SPACE takes about a minute. The satellite takes photos of the farm and different colours show how much grass cover we have, helping us make decisions about grazing. “I’d like to see wide-spread use of the

technological advancements onfarm; an improved public perception of the dairy industry and young people being educated about the industry and opportunities. “I love that dairy farming is a job that doesn’t feel like work. It’s a career that feels like a lifestyle.” Tony sees himself as a farmer who will implement and encourage change in the industry. “I’m really excited about the massive potential that technology has to keep improving and transforming the way farms operate, making them more efficient.”

DAIRY TRAINEE

MERIT AWARDS: Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa DIA Most Promising Entrant - Aliyah Wong TFM Tractors Farming Knowledge Award – Tony Craig T.H. Enterprises Ltd Community & Industry Involvement Award – Kiki Ritmeester Irrigation Services Communication and Engagement Award – Kevin Liengme DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Tony Craig

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HAWKE’S BAY/WAIRARAPA | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Left: Chicory has been a great summer crop for Leon McDonald’s cows.

RUNNER UP in the Dairy Manager category was Claire Douglas from Patoka and third was René ten Bolscher from Carterton.

However, in five years time they will look for different jobs in the area, and hope to be able to buy some land and rear calves for themselves in the meantime.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Push it to the limit WORDS BY JACKIE HARRIGAN PHOTOS BY: BRAD HANSON

aintaining a low somatic cell count in the top 5% of the country for Fonterra helped win Leon McDonald the Fonterra Dairy Management merit award and take out the 2021 Hawkes Bay/ Wairarapa Dairy Manager of the Year award. Leon has entered the Awards three times previously, was runner-up in the 2020 Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Manager category and says the process gave him the chance to meet people in the industry outside of his usual circle. “The most important benefit I have received is the boost to my confidence in not just my farming knowledge but also my ability to speak publicly.” Leon is Assistant Manager/2IC on Barry and Carol McNeil’s 150ha, 450-cow Papatawa property north of Woodville. “I love what I do. I love the animals, getting out on the farm and being surrounded by nature.” “You can’t beat getting the cows in on a morning where the sun is rising behind the 78

hill and the light is reflecting off the grass covered in dew.” Leon and his wife Haylee have been working and living on the same Woodville property for the past three years and value the stability it brings for their two sons, Jackson, 5 and Brody, 3 who is autistic. “We are keen to stay here as we are settled and we have good work conditions and great family support.” (Haylee’s parents live handy to Jackson’s school in Ashhurst.)

Leon also won the employee engagement award, for his work with farm assistant Peter Skinner who is an apprentice under the Federated Farmers apprenticeship scheme. Leon says it’s important to take time to talk Peter through the jobs and why they are doing them and to keep him up with what is going on on the farm. “I think it’s good to take time to teach him rather than taking over his job if he does something wrong - it’s important to take time so he knows how to do it properly - 100% it would probably be faster to do it myself - but then how would he learn?” “I also like to chat to him about what is going on in his life - to make sure he is eating properly and drinking lots of water in the busy calving period.” He is also really proud of the dairy

DAIRY MANAGER

MERIT AWARDS: Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa DIA Most Promising Entrant Award – Claire Douglas AMR Group Ltd Employee Engagement Award – Leon McDonald ADM.NZ Leadership Award – Damon Ashworth Vet Services Feed Management Award – Claire Douglas DeLaval Livestock Management Award – Claire Douglas Fonterra Dairy Management Award – Leon McDonald NZDIA Power Play Award – René ten Bolscher Westpac Financial Management & Planning Award – René ten Bolscher

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

Strong. Simple. Smart. PHYSICAL FARM DATA Cows

150ha effective Production

200,000kg MS/ha

Milking supplement 220t PKE fed in trailers in paddock

147

Cows/labour unit

Nitrogen

Farm Dairy

Peak 440 Currently 413

Milking platform area

y udl e o r P d r. Ma NZ foreve ce Sin

37-aside HB automated

Pasture eaten

Target 13t of pasture eaten. 15t grown

Dairy Automation

Fully automated with cup removers, automatic teat spraying and ProTrack auto drafting

74%

Not-in-calf rate

12%

Six-week in-calf rate

120kg N/ha/year on areas accessible by tractor on dairy platform. 65kg N/ha/year applied at runoff

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management award that he has won for the second year in a row. The main reason for winning it is that the herd has been grade free for as long as sharemilker Nick Bertram has been on the farm and Leon is very proud of their record. “It’s all about monitoring everything - we have to keep an eye on the milk docket; check the somatic cell count (SCC) and bactoscan, check that the wash has been done consistently everytime and after each herd test (four times each year) we use the information to identify cows that need treating or monitoring.” The team’s herd test results policy gives each cow three chances over her lifetime if her SCC rises over 1 million three times, then she is culled. The results at the end of the season also inform the drying off treatment the cows receive, Leon explained. If the SCC is over 500,000 the cow gets a long acting dry cow therapy at dryoff, anything with a herd test result between 150,000 and 500,000 and that has had a case of mastitis that season or is over 7 years old gets normal dry cow therapy and everything gets teat sealed, including the heifers. The attention to detail has meant the herd SCC averaged 94,019 for the 2018/19

season, in the top 9% for lowest SCC in the country for Fonterra suppliers and the team managed to lower it to average 85,527 for the 2019/20 season - putting them in the top 5% for lowest SCC.

STRIVING TO BE THE BEST Leon sets high targets for himself to ensure he is always growing and developing into the best farmer he can be. “During times where I’m out for long hours, there are days that I don’t see my children,” he says. “However, being able to give them the amazing opportunity to grow up on a farm and witness their love for it keeps me going. I’m lucky to have an amazing wife who runs a tight ship.” The herd are milked twice a day (TAD) from calving in late July through to 20 January when they move to 16 hours milkings at 5am, 7pm and 11am which Leon says allows him more time off to spend with his children and help with the school and kindergarten runs. From March 31 the herd will move onto once a day (OAD) until dry off. “My plan for the future is to ensure that I am in a position where I am happy and challenged and my family is settled and secure.”

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

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HAWKE’S BAY/WAIRARAPA | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

YouTube research kickstarted career WORDS BY JACKIE HARRIGAN PHOTOS BY: BRAD HANSON

anoj Kumar decided to go dairy farming after researching the industry on YouTube, as a recent migrant to New Zealand with English as his second language. Ten years later he and his younger brother Sumit have won the Share Farmer of the Year for the Hawkes Bay/ Wairarapa region in the 2021 DIA awards. The brothers are 50/50 sharemilkers on Andrew and Monika Arbuthnott’s, 285cow Eketahuna property and also on Geoff Arends and Ester Romp’s 465-cow property. Both Manoj and Sumit have entered the Awards previously, with Sumit placing third in the 2018 Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Manager category.

FROM RURAL DELHI TO PAHIATUA Manoj, now 34, came to the Bay of Plenty as a horticultural worker in 2010 but he has a Bachelor in Agriculture from India. The brothers hail from a small village in northern India near Delhi where their parents have a small 10ha farm, with goats, 80

$$$ FINANCIAL FACTS

chickens and a few buffalos and cows for home milk supply. Sharemilking 50% “I noticed lots and lots of cows around the region when I came to Gross farm income $4.32/kg MS New Zealand so I wanted to learn Operating expenses $2.37/kg MS more about them and about the Operating profit $2894/ha industry - how does it work?” “So I started searching on Farm working expenses $2.25/kg MS YouTube,” he said. Animal health Animal health: $97/cow What he learned was that the Breeding: $61/cow New Zealand dairy farming system is totally different from back home in India and there is potential to build your told Manoj he was capable of stepping own business and end up owning land. up. Sumit came to work for him as a farm When Sumit arrived six months after assistant. him, they decided to shift to the dairy The brothers made record production in industry to make their future in a family their first year on the farm. business. By 2013 they were contract milking the “We could never build a farming first farm, and shortly after that each had business like that in India.” a contract milking job, then were contract milking three farms for three seasons RAPIDLY BUILDING A FUTURE before buying cows and rationalising to What followed was a rapid period of sharemilking one farm with 285 cows, learning and growing for the brothers. and added the next sharemilking job with Manoj’s first farm assistant job in the another 465 cows. Wairarapa rapidly turned into a manager’s The farms back onto each other across job when the previous manager quit just the river - although it takes five minutes six months into the season, and the boss to drive between them. The smaller Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

sharemilking farm is System 4 with maize silage, PKE and a summer crop of turnips and little in the way of automation. It’s all a partnership - a family business and Manoj and Sumit credit the sacrifices that their parents made to raise $40,000 to get the brothers visas for New Zealand for giving them the drive to make the family business succeed. “When we were researching how to progress in the industry we loved the idea of going from contract milking to sharemilking - that sort of growth is just not possible back home in India.” “It’s very rewarding here as we can see the improvements we make on-farm and there is a culture unlike any other industry.” Sumit, 28, who has a Diploma in Business Management and Level 4 in Agriculture originally wanted to go to Canada, but is happy to be building a family business with Manoj. He said the brothers discuss everything and while they don’t always agree, they always come to a decision and move forward. Manoj has been joined in New Zealand by Sunita, his wife from a nextdoor village in India and they have a daughter Avni, 5, who loves going to school in Pahiatua. Sumit’s wedding to Kapila was postponed from 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic as she is still in India and the past year has been hard without any visits from Indian friends and family, although the brothers are thrilled with the improved internet connection at their farmhouse meaning they can keep in regular contact.

PAYING IT FORWARD Winning the DairyNZ Human Resources Award was very exciting for Manoj and Sumit who say the success is all about their team. “We are very focused on our team, making sure they have training to do the job well and they are growing their knowledge and are able to progress in the industry as we have been able to.” All of their team members are encouraged to study through Primary ITO, and Sumit has been working with the training advisor, trying to get a local class going so that the team don’t have to travel 40 minutes to the nearest training centre in Masterton. “We are trying to get a cluster of 10

PHYSICAL FARM DATA Milking platform area

Farm 1: 96ha Farm 2: 164ha

Production 510kg MS/cow 1480kg MS/ha

150

Cows/labour unit

Nitrogen

120kg N/ha/yr

Pasture eaten

Farm 1: 285 cows Farm 2: 460 cows

13.5t DM/ha/yr

Farm Dairy Farm1: 24-aside H/B Farm2: 40-aside H/B

Milking supplement

Maize silage: 100t, PKE: 250t

73%

Six-week in-calf rate

Wintering

Grass and Hay

trainees from surrounding farms to train locally.” Their staff have come from India, usually from their home or a close village and the brothers share the three staff across the two farms. “We have been given such great opportunities from our employers, we want to share those opportunities with our staff. We want them to see us as mentors and we give them good references,” says Manoj. “We know what it’s like to be migrants we remember a time when we didn’t have enough money for food, so we want to do the best for our team and help them to succeed as we have.” The brothers say that other local farmers have asked them if they know any dairy workers looking for jobs. This season will be their last season

Not-in-calf rate

13%

Weeks of mating

Runoff

50ha (owned by farm owner)

running 12:2 rosters as they are looking to transition the staff to 8:2 rosters. Sunita cooks for all the team members in the springtime and they have breakfast together and the brothers try to have a gettogether for the whole team once a week, a BBQ, or meal or fun activity. They also won the Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award for 2021 and have a laminated plan of procedures and processes on the wall in the farm dairy. They have managed to reduce their somatic cell counts (SCC) by 45% in the last year with help from their farm vet and the Ecolab rep, and that has translated into less than half of the mastitis they dealt with the previous season. Their strategies were to herd test after calving and lots of paddle testing of individual cows four days after calving and then if needed getting the samples cultured

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HAWKE’S BAY/WAIRARAPA | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

by the vet and getting treatment or culling advice. Farm Safety has also been a focus for the brothers, making sure the health and safety policy is up to date and treated as a live document. Lots of staff training ensures the whole team is up to speed and procedures and processes are set out in words and pictures, particularly for using machinery. They use a local training company to come in and run a refresher safety course each year, and every few years will repeat that aspect of the training. “This year it is using the chainsaw, next year it will be tractors again,” said Sumit. The judges, in awarding Manoj and Sumit the Westpac Business Performance Award, were impressed by their equity growth since they have been building their business. Sumit and Manoj generate lots of monthly reports, and sensitivity analyses, looking regularly at threats to the business and reviewing and monitoring their key performance indicators (KPIs). “We always need a plan and we are lucky that we work so well together.” Plans for the future have four options - sharemilking the two farms, farm ownership and sharemilking (buying a farm and keeping the sharemilking job), keeping the sharemilking job and land development projects, or just buying a farm - but the target is to come to a conclusion and get into farm ownership in the next two years. They had the opportunity to rear 20 calves when they started contract milking, so embraced that, and in 2016 invested in a house in Palmerston North which showed great equity growth, allowing them to sell, buy more and develop sections of the back of those. They have also recently bought a 20ha block with a big house and will subdivide that, all as a diversification from the farming. “It’s good to have diversification, but

Building a family business: Sunita, Avni and Manoj, and Sumit are working hard building their family business.

dairy farming will always be our main business - and long term we would like to own and operate multiple farms.” “Our good team is our strength as they create new ideas, improve efficiency and require less managerial interference,” they say. The family have been joining in and

supporting the local community, who they say have been very welcoming. Sumit has established a local team for cricketloving immigrants, called the Slack Caps. The brothers both volunteer at the local theatre, as well as financially supporting it. They have also donated two calves from each farm to the local Fire Brigade.

SHARE FARMER

MERIT AWARDS: DairyNZ Human Resources Award – Manoj Kumar and Sumit Kamboj Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award – Manoj Kumar and Sumit Kamboj Federated Farmers Leadership Award – Adam Hands and Zoe Haylock Honda Farm Safety, Health & Biosecurity Award – Manoj Kumar and Sumit Kamboj LIC Recording & Productivity Award – Adam Hands and Zoe Haylock Meridian Energy Farm Environment Award – Adam Hands and Zoe Haylock Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award – Adam Hands and Zoe Haylock Westpac Business Performance Award – Manoj Kumar and Sumit Kamboj

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TARANAKI | DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

RUNNER UP in the Dairy Trainee category was Farm Assistant Logan Stevenson from Opunake, and Ngaiana Miller from Eltham was third.

Left: Sydney Porter amongst the calves.

Finding light in the darkness WORDS BY ELAINE FISHER PHOTOS BY: ROSS NOLLY

ydney Porter, winner of the 2021 Taranaki Dairy Trainee of the Year, credits much of her success to the people she has around her. “I have the best employers ever. I lost dad two years ago and Phil and Tanya Nixon are like a second set of parents for me. Tanya is absolutely incredible, and Phil has helped fill that father-daughter space in my life. “Jax Bracegirdle has been my trainee adviser for the last 18 months, and she’s absolutely amazing with the support she’s given me, not only through Primary ITO but through my personal life as well. I know I am so lucky to have supportive people around me.” At 22 years old, Sydney acknowledges managing depression in a physically demanding position has been a challenge. “Dairy farming and depression go together like tomato sauce on ice-cream,” she says. “I’m proud to still be here today without giving up. The light at the end of the tunnel really shone through and I’m lucky to have supportive bosses whose priority was making sure I was okay.” Sydney’s commitment to dairying is evidenced in many ways; hard work, adaptability, always being up for a

challenge, and getting up at 4.30am to go to work. “I love my sleep. After two and a half years, getting up at 4.30am is still hard, but I love my job so it’s worth it.” That job is as a farm assistant on the Nixon’s 110ha, 320-cow farm in Hawera. She won $5200 in prizes and two merit awards. However, Sydney didn’t even consider dairy as a career until she helped her older brother as a relief milker. “There was something about being outside and being surrounded by cows which captured my heart.” One cow in particular has won Sydney’s heart. “My two-year-old pet cow Daisy is going to live at my house when she stops milking. I love her so much.” Working outside and variety in her days appeals to Sydney who enjoys a challenge. “I love that no day is the same – I could be a milker in the morning, a vet nurse in the afternoon, and before I go home, I could be fixing something on the bike, or repairing a fence. We are milking 320 cows on a split calving farm so don’t have a dry off time – it’s always busy.” Sydney, who entered the awards last year, says putting herself out there was a personal achievement. “I’ve gained friendships and so much more farm knowledge.”

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

She encourages other young people to consider dairying as a career. “It’s crazy how supportive farmers are, especially of young people. They want you to succeed and if you have a good support crew behind you, are motivated and willing to learn, you will go places in the industry. I wouldn’t want to change anything about the industry itself, more about how people perceive it.” Sydney wants to be involved in the dairy industry in some capacity well into the future. “I’m not 100% on my plans. I just know I want to do as many qualifications and study as possible to keep my options open.”

DAIRY TRAINEE

MERIT AWARDS: Taranaki Veterinary Centre Farming Knowledge Award – Sydney Porter LandPro Limited Community and Industry Involvement Award – Ngaiana Miller Bayleys Real Estate Taranaki Communication and Engagement Award – Sydney Porter DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Logan Stevenson

TARANAKI | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

and work your way up to sharemilking and you can do that in a short period of time. You don’t have to be from a farming family to achieve this.”

BILINGUAL FAMILY

Diego and Gisela Gomez, with Ignacio and Emma: Slotting easily into New Zealand life.

Learning from the best WORDS BY: ANNE HARDIE PHOTOS BY: ROSS NOLLY

iego Gomez came to New Zealand when he was 21 he wanted to experience the best pasture-based dairy industry in

the world. Twelve years later, the former agribusiness lecturer and researcher from Argentina has been named Taranaki’s Dairy Manager of the Year in the Dairy Industry Awards. Last year he was placed third in the competition and this year he was back to win it and he also claimed three merit awards. He knew the theory behind dairy farming back in Argentina, from the wellbeing of the cow and milk quality through to their relationship with profitability, but New Zealand was his chance to put it all into practice and learn from the best. “For pasture-based dairy farming, you come to New Zealand because nobody does it better than New Zealand. Every aspect of dairying is being researched within the industry and you can see all that information because it is made available to us. Not every country is like that. In Argentina, we have been dairy farming longer than New Zealand, but we don’t do 86

it as well as New Zealand and we aren’t as profitable as New Zealand.” His first job was a dairy assistant on a South Island dairy farm. Since then, he has worked in both islands and along the way completed every single AgITO dairy course for the practical skills and environmental knowledge. A four-year stint back in Argentina developing businesses including a bakery and a restaurant convinced him that a dairy career in New Zealand was the way to go. He missed dairy farming and the industry here had career opportunities that were not possible in Argentina. “Here, if you are focused and have a plan for your life, you can start at the bottom

When he returned to New Zealand in 2017, he brought his wife, Gisela, and two children Emma, now seven and Ignacio now four, who had to adapt to a new country and its vastly different culture. That first year was dedicated to settling the family into NZ culture and Diego says their biggest fear was they would not fit in. As it happened, they slotted easily into the NZ way of life, with the kids quickly becoming bilingual and an easy acceptance within the dairy industry. “The dairy industry relies on good people and it doesn’t matter where you come from. If you can bring value to the farm, you are welcome. The best policy in New Zealand is honesty and that makes it a good country to live in. Everyone has to be really honest for you to get ahead.” He now manages 380 cows for the Michael D Burr Trust on its 142ha dairy farm near Stratford, with one other employee on the farm through the year and another employed for the busy calving period. “I think about 400-700 cows is a golden number. It’s easier on people, the cows and the land,” he says. It makes it easier to achieve that “thin line between sustainability and production”. “You are gaining more in the long run from being sustainable than trying to push your system to extremes which is really stressful on people, the land and the animals.” This season, production is on target

DAIRY MANAGER

MERIT AWARDS: I.S Dam Lining Ltd Employee Engagement Award – Kate Thompson BakerTilly Staples Rodway Leadership Award – Kate Thompson Dairy Trust Taranaki Feed Management Award – Diego Raul Gomez Salinas DeLaval Livestock Management Award – Diego Raul Gomez Salinas Fonterra Dairy Management Award – Nick Gadsby MyMilk Power Play Award – Kate Thomson Westpac Personal Planning and Financial Management Award – Diego Raul Gomez Salinas

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

to achieve 152,000kg milksolids on a system 2 which he says is achieved by planning ahead, being realistic about feed availability and by ensuring he doesn’t waste resources. “Pasture quality is the core of dairy farming and your best ally if you understand it. Keeping staff aware of what is going on on the farm is also advantageous and making them understand they play a vital role.” While pasture quality is at the core of the business, Diego says the focus needs to be on every aspect of the farm operation to achieve targets. “You miss one aspect and you don’t reach your production targets. So I try to focus on everything. I think the financials are one of the most important legs of the business because you can’t make any decisions on the farm without looking at them. “After the financials, it is your feed budget and the wellbeing of the cows. Your way of life depends on it. If you look after your cows, you have less costs and that’s more profitability. And it’s less stress. “I think everything is important, that is why dairy farming is so demanding; we have to know a lot about a lot of things and some days we are vets, mechanics, milk harvesters and weather wizards.” The next step is gaining residency because until they have that, Diego can’t apply for contract milking jobs or sharemilking contracts to build equity toward farm ownership. “Of course farm ownership is the main goal, but there are still many steps to enjoy before getting there. “Anything I have achieved so far wouldn’t be possible without the

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

380

142ha

Production 152,000kg MS • Milking supplement 5% imported feed

152

Cows/labour unit

5.9t DM/ha/yr

400kg MS/cow • 1070kg MS/ha

Dairy Automation

120kg N/ha/year

Nitrogen

78%

Six-week in-calf rate

Farm Dairy

Pasture eaten

cows

Milking platform area

50 bail rotary

ACR, auto teat spray

Not-in-calf rate

12% Wintering

Weeks of mating

320 cows +100 heifers onfarm

Diego says grass quality is the core of dairy farming.

unconditional help and union of my family. My wife Gisela is always supporting my decisions and helping me analyse every situation that comes along.” One of their goals is to build their businesses to the stage where they can create job opportunities because that is one

South Taranaki District Council Proud sponsor of the Dairy Industry Awards Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

way they can give back to the community. Gisela operates two e-commerce businesses from home around fashion clothing and home décor – ww.trama.co.nz and www.elleboheme.com -which are helping to build their family business and reach their goals.

0800 111 323 www.southtaranaki.com 87

TARANAKI | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

RUNNER UP in the Taranaki Share Farmer of the Year category were Kelsey and Josh Thompson, sharemilkers from Midhirst and third were Sophie Parker and Matthew Thomas who are 50/50 sharemilkers on a 84ha Oakura property.

John, Kristina and Caleb Wyatt: loving living close to the mountain and beach and farming on the forgiving soils of Taranaki.

Awards trifecta WORDS BY JACKIE HARRIGAN PHOTOS BY: ROSS NOLLY

ohn Wyatt has spent the last 14 years working and learning in the dairy industry. He studied his way through all of the Primary ITO training from Level 2 to the Diploma of Agribusiness Management and now has taken out the Dairy Industry Award trifecta - winning all three categories in three different regions - a feat not thought to have been achieved before.

Originally from Dannevirke, John won the 2009 Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Trainee of the Year category and was named the 2015 Manawatu Farm Manager of the Year. This year he completed the winning streak by winning the 2021 Taranaki Share Farmer of the Year. John and his wife Kristina, who is a vet working for Taranaki Vet Centre in Stratford, run a low-input system 2 operation, for the past four years contract milking for Mike Hammond on his 106ha,

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315-cow Auroa property. Last year, they welcomed Caleb into their family, with Kristina taking maternity and calving leave, timed to be able to help John with the calving and calf rearing - while also caring for a new baby. “We were lucky to have our parents come and help - my mum came for a week, and then John’s mum came for a week. I would be out on the farm and they would ring me whenever the baby woke so I could rush home and feed him.” Not most people’s idea of maternity leave, but Kristina revelled in the chance to actually work alongside John and learn about the farm from inside the gumboots rather than in the vets overalls. “I had worked on different farms during my vet training but that stint was so great, I really got to see exactly what goes on, and we found that we actually work really well together.” “Calving is actually my favourite time of the year - I don’t mind getting up at 2am to calve a cow.”

FOCUSED COUPLE They are a very focused couple who love to learn, Kristina is working her way through a Postgraduate Certificate in Science and Tech through the Massey Vet faculty by distance learning ticking off a mastitis paper and a lameness paper thus far. John attends lots of discussion groups where he continues to learn. In their low input operation, they don’t buy in any supplement except for a little PKE for calves - grass really is king, and maintaining quality and quantity is the key to production for John. He has spent years finessing his grass production knowledge and practice, and says he is proud of setting the farm record for production on three different farms, crediting attention to detail and focusing on profit not production as core strengths of their business. He puts a huge amount of attention into hitting residuals, and controlling the grass quality - topping in spring after the cows if

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

necessary to reset the levels on the 40+ year old pastures, which he says can be pretty unforgiving. “I aim to only top each paddock once, and usually do about 90% of the farm over the October/November period.” Although the pastures are old, they are in good heart and very robust through the winter - handling having the cows wintering on them. “We are looking at the opportunities of undersowing a new hybrid into some paddocks but we are growing over 14t DM/ ha and with the new turnip crop adding in 16t/ha we are reaping the benefits of that late summer production.” Measuring the pasture is done with a C-Dax tow-behind every 10 days in the spring stretching out to fortnightly at other times of the year and John makes good use of the data - constantly updating and consulting his feed wedge and feed budget for grazing plans. Putting more focus on the cow body condition scoring (BCS) has allowed them to boost their spring production through to December and the turnips in summer have built autumn production and allowed them to protect that condition going into the winter. Kristina is passionate about mastitis, hence the extra study on its prevention and treatment. One strategy is to milk any high somatic cell count (SCC) cows last so they don’t transfer any bugs to other cows. Making sure teat spraying is completed well all season is another simple but important task. While they weren’t particularly looking for technology in the dairy shed when they went to work for Mike Hammond, they are now finding the YieldSense and CellSense technology in the rotary dairy shed invaluable, along with ProTrack and auto cup removers that allow John, or someone else, to milk by themself. The YieldSense system is on every bail, and the CellSense on every third one, so that cows are production measured every milking and cell counted every third milking. “The technology means we can keep a good eye on cell counts and if there is any increase, we will strip the whole herd and find it,” John said. “It’s usually 50:50 as to whether the CellSense system finds it or whether I do,” he added.

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

315

Milking platform area

106ha

Production

Crossbred

2019/2020- 1039kg MS/ha, 2020/2021- expected 1132kg MS/ha

Farm Dairy

Milking supplement

Nitrogen

176kg N/ha

30t PKE for calves

242

76%

Cows/labour unit

Pasture eaten

14.2t/ha

Six-week in-calf rate

Wintering

all cows wintered on

Waikato 44 Bail rotary

Not in-calf rate

10%

Weeks of mating

Dairy Automation BCS camera, heat detection camera, ACRs, auto drafting, ProTrack, Cell sense, Yield sense, Teatspray

Kristina is also able to whip a sample into the lab at work and culture it to identify a mastitis bug or check if a cow has not cured and to plan the drug treatment. Their attention to detail has earned them a SCC average of 80,000 for the season. There is a saving on not having to use a herd testing service, but John says there may be a small price to pay on the impact on breeding worth (BW) and production worth (PW) of not feeding the herd testing info into the LIC database. Positioning a mirror above the cups-on is great for checking tail paint at mating and John says he can punch the numbers of cycling cows into the ProTrack and the cows are drafted out automatically at the end of milking. “Now that we have had the technology we wouldn’t like to go back to not having it, but I admit it took me a while to trust it

at the beginning,” John laughs. “I can set up alerts for three titters, high SCC or colostrum cows, it’s a great system.” Next on John and Kristina’s technology wish list is cow collars - John says they have been doing some research and Kristina has been scouting out the different ones when she visits farmers around the district. “They would be great for heat detection and just to pick up cow health problems early.”

TAKING THE NEXT STEP The Wyatt’s have been having conversations with their farm owner about investing in the herd and taking the next step into sharemilking, which will happen next season. The couple have been breeding towards a fully DNA tested A2 herd and are pleased

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TARANAKI | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

with the BW/PW of 124/144, lifting by a couple of percentage points each year by retaining higher BW calves from higher genetic merit cows. For biosecurity they are using all AB, with 5 weeks AB for replacements, 2 weeks short gestation (SG) Hereford as a marker and then SG crossbred for the other four weeks. The short gestation crossbred semen brings late calvers forward twice as much as the SG Hereford, John says, and at the moment they are constrained for calf rearing shed space so rear their 7080 replacements and any well-marked Herefords but they are forced to sell bobby calves from the later calving cows. “That’s one thing on our wishlist to work on changing as we can see value in retaining more beef calves for rearing and selling - it’s an opportunity for us.” John and Kristina have overhauled the health and safety policies since being on the Auroa farm creating a farm safety plan and WorkSafe policies forming a living document. Health and safety is an attitude, they say.

$$$ FINANCIAL FACTS

John Wyatt knows that grass is king on his low-input Auroa farm, so managing pastures is a huge focus.

“Getting home safe is no accident - we have a staff induction process, standard operating procedures and well documented step-by-step illustrated processes on the farm dairy wall.” “Everyone wears helmets on motorbikes and Caleb is always restrained in a car seat

SHARE FARMER

MERIT AWARDS: DairyNZ Human Resources Award – Nestor Eligado Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award – Sophie Parker and Matthew Thomas Federated Farmers Leadership Award – Kelsey and Josh Thompson Honda Farm Safety, Health and Biosecurity Award – John Wyatt LIC Recording and Productivity Award – Kelsey and Josh Thompson Meridian Farm Environment Award – Kelsey and Josh Thompson Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award – John Wyatt Westpac Business Performance Award – John Wyatt

Gross farm income

$1.35/kg MS

Operating expenses

$1.08/kg MS

Operating profit

$293/ha

Farm working expenses

$0.47/kg MS

in our wee four-wheel drive when he is on the farm.” John and Kristina set their business and life values and vision in a 2019 Mark and Measure course and mapped out their progression from that vision. Focus on detail, attention to budgets and spending and lots of number crunching of options and scenarios has kept them on track in their business growth. But their dual emphasis on life balance and community contribution has seen them playing squash and hockey, mountain biking and cake decorating, shooting and ballroom dancing (before baby) and making sure they take regular family holidays along with contributing to local school governance and the Farming for the Future sustainability group. They appreciate the willingness of their farm owner to discuss and consider their new initiatives and his openness to sensible and financially-sound change. In addition, they are loving the area they have found themselves living in with the lifestyle that 15 minutes to the mountain and 15 minutes to the beach affords and the business opportunities that a great grass growing climate and forgiving soils allows. Appreciating the farm upbringing they can offer their children, they are very happy to stay building their equity where they are for the next five years and then review their options.

Agri-business is our business. Our agri-team are not just business advisors, we’re farmers too. We know your challenges and we know what it takes to run a successful farm. Get in touch for a no-obligation chat at a time that suits you. Proud supporters of the NZ Dairy Industry Awards.

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WEST COAST/TOP OF THE SOUTH | DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

All about the science WORDS BY ANNE HARDIE

background in science has proved invaluable for Sam Smithers who says dairy farming is all about science. The 24-year-old won the West Coast/ Top of the South Dairy Trainee of the Year and says his background in geology and biology was a factor. He is a farm assistant for Alan and Zana Berry on their 400ha, 700-cow farm near Blackball and he entered the awards this year to evaluate his knowledge and skills. Brought up on a West Coast drystock farm that had been owned by the family for 150 years, Sam headed to the University of Canterbury for a science degree majoring in geology and biology. He has yet to complete that degree because after three years at university he decided he needed a gap year back on the West Coast, which led to a job on a dairy farm and a change in direction. He still plans to return to the University of Canterbury for a year to complete his

West Coast/Top of the South Dairy trainee winner Sam Smithers’ goal is a contract milking business. Photo: OnSceneMedia Ltd.

degree, but he is committed to a career in dairying which revolves around science every day. “The science degree will be an asset to any farm because farming is about science. It’s a good background for feed calculations when feeding cows; you understand minerals and the chemicals behind it, and there’s a lot of soil science in geology. Science gives you an understanding about it and I don’t think I would have done so well without my science background.” Today, the environmental footprint of farms is the topic of conversations and the rules farmers face, whereas due to his interest in science, Sam is more interested in the solutions. “There are going to be new ideas and ways of doing things.” He is also keen on farm mapping following a course he completed through distance learning with Massey University. On the last farm he worked, he produced several farm maps including one for the complicated water system.

DAIRY TRAINEE

MERIT AWARDS: Greenfield Motors Most Promising Entrant Award – Delvalee Bennett Dairy Holdings Limited Farming Knowledge Award – Sam Smithers Aotea Electric Westland Ltd Community & Industry Involvement Award – Stephanie Gray Zealan Wireless Internet Communication & Engagement Award – Ben Tytler DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Sam Smithers

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

RUNNER UP in the Dairy Trainee category was 21-year-old Rachel Bland who is a third in charge (3IC) and assistant dairy production manager for Pamu Farms’ 309ha, 650-cow farm near Reefton. Third place went to 21-year-old Stephanie Gray who is a herd manager on a 268ha, 700-cow farm near Takaka.

“I understood the system and when I left, everyone else knew where everything was.” Looking ahead, Sam plans to complete his degree some time and then start a contract milking business on the Coast. He wants to stay around family and the Coast is an ideal environment for the lifestyle he leads outside dairying. “The West Coast is a beautiful place and it’s a good community here. I really love tramping and there’s endless tramps down here. And though people think it’s a long way from anywhere, the Coast is really central. “A work-life balance is important and I’m always busy. I go to work to get time off.” Sam is also a keen snowboarder and says hobbies are important for that work-life balance. If the day at work isn’t the best, he says the hobbies at the end of the day are something to look forward to. He won two merit awards including the Dairy Holdings Limited Farming Knowledge Award and the DairyNZ Practical Skills Award. 93

WEST COAST/TOP OF THE SOUTH | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

West Coast/Top of the South Island Dairy Manager winner Rachael Lind wants to lead women into management roles.

Driving the wahine waka WORDS BY ANNE HARDIE

achael Lind has turned one of Pamu Farm’s poorest-performing dairy operations into its top farm in two seasons, so it is little wonder she has won the WC/TOS Dairy Manager of the Year. For a woman who wants to drive the “wahine waka” to lead more women into management roles in the dairy industry, she is shining the light. After leaving the family farm on Arapawa Island, it began with a holiday job on a dairy farm where she fell in love with cows. Since then she has spent time as an artificial insemination (AI) technician and herd manager of herds between 400 and 1500 cows before putting her hand up for a farm manager role. Today, she manages Pamu’s 460ha Basset Dairy Farm on Cape Foulwind which peak milks 1060 cows. 94

However, it took a bit of persuasion and encouragement from her husband, Murray, to put her hand up for the job three years ago and that’s one of the reasons she wants to encourage other women into management roles. “There are a lot of women out there who just need a bit of encouragement and confidence to step up into management roles.” On all Pamu dairy farms, there are just two women managers and she says that is because there aren’t enough women seeking those positions. “I know there are a lot of women with the potential to manage dairy farms, but you need a really good team behind you. And I am blessed to have a team behind me who are really supportive and engaged in what I do. You have to get out there and show them what your goals are to get them engaged. “You spend a lot of time with the people

you work with – more time with your team of staff than your own family, so we’re very much a family unit already. To share the success makes those not-so-glamorous days better.” It was that attitude toward staff engagement in every aspect of the business from pasture management to feed management plus health and safety that won her the employee engagement merit award. At Bassetts, she has four full-time staff and one staff member on fixed-term contract for the busy calving period. Staff engagement is a crucial part of her management, as is getting the basics right from feeding stock well to pasture management.

PROACTIVE APPROACH

“It’s the attention to detail and being proactive rather than reactive. We can’t farm for the average season anymore. We have to look at more ways to farm now,

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

PHYSICAL FARM DATA like with the intensive winter grazing. We have to be smarter and it needs to be socially and environmentally sustainable. We have to look after our land – that’s what we stand the four feet of our animals on. And that’s why I believe being open and transparent is so important.” That is crucial for a Pamu farm that is very much in the public eye and Rachael says they want to be proud of what they do when they invite the community onto the farm. She says it is up to the industry to show the public it can be both sustainable and responsible. The more it can showcase those attributes, the more dairying will be accepted, she says. Managing a corporate dairy farm under public scrutiny has been a huge learning curve around the cost of production and lifting the farm’s earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT). “Cost of production is one of the most important financial figures; you can produce a lot of milk but if it costs you a lot of money to do that, then it may not

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Production

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Dairy Automation

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Barley 300kg/cow

71%

Not-in-calf rate

Six-week in-calf rate

5.5

Weeks of mating AI

6.5

189kg N/ha/year

Nitrogen

Wintering

Weeks of mating bull

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Milking supplement

Cows/labour unit

60-bail rotary with ACR’s

KiwiCross cows

Milking platform area

196

Farm Dairy

600 cows wintered on Swedes, Raphno, grass and balage

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WEST COAST/TOP OF THE SOUTH | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

RUNNER UP in the Dairy Manager category was Shaun Rhodes, managing a 750-cow farm at Haupiri, and third was Badri Adhikari, farm assistant manager on a 1612-cow Hokitika property.

DAIRY MANAGER

MERIT AWARDS: PGG Wrightson – Livestock and Real Estate Most Promising Entrant – Robyn Mare STIHL Shop – Greymouth and Richmond Employee Engagement Award – Rachael Lind Cuffs Chartered Accountant and Business Advisors Leadership Award – Rachael Lind SealesWinslow Feed Management Award – Rachael Lind

season, it is on target for higher production of 410,000kg milksolids with a lower cost of production and a higher EBIT. Farming at Cape Foulwind doesn’t come without challenges either, as the name suggests. Winds straight off the Tasman Sea are hurled across the farm, drying out the soils when they aren’t drenched from the 2m annual rainfall. Rachael has been growing Raphno as a summer crop and Swedes for winter to help through the Cape’s climate. The aim is to reduce the total cropping area from 9% to 7% next season and reduce that

DeLaval Livestock Management Award – Rachael Lind Fonterra Dairy Management Award – Marlene Bourke NZDIA Power Play Award – Shaun Rhodes Westpac Personal Planning and Financial Management Award – Marlene Bourke

further in the coming seasons. Rachael admits she is lucky to have a “fantastic family support network” to help out with the children when she is working in a challenging management role. It includes her dedicated mother-in-

law, Robyn, who regularly takes Ayla, 11, and Brayden, 4, to kindergarten, dancing, hockey and different events when Rachael and Murray aren’t available. “I couldn’t do this job without the support of our family.”

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www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

WEST COAST/TOP OF THE SOUTH | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

Leading by example WORDS BY ANNE HARDIE

ark Roberts and Sian Madden like to lead by example and be role models for their staff and the dairy

industry. The couple won the West Coast/Top of the South Share Farmer of the Year Award as first-time entrants and have their future mapped out all the way to their goal of owning a self-contained West Coast farm. Last season they contract milked on a 215ha farm near Reefton for Moir Farms Maimai. This season, they have added a manager who is in charge of the day-today tasks, while they are 20% sharemilkers on a nearby 377ha farm owned by Moir Farms. Together, the farms milk 1300 cows. Next season they plan to employ a manager on the 377ha farm so Mark can take on an operational role for both farms. At the same time, they will lift the sharemilking contract on that farm to include a tractor while changing the contract milker role on the smaller farm to a 20% sharemilking contract to capitalise on the higher milk payout Westland Milk now achieves. The year after that, they’re hoping to add another farm into the mix and start buying stock and building equity toward that ultimate goal of farm ownership which is in the five to-sevenyear plan. Clearly, they are very focused and goal-orientated, but they say one of the biggest strengths of their business is how they manage their team of five fulltime staff and two relief milkers. They strongly believe in leading by example

2021 West Coast/Top of the South Island share farmers of the Year Sian Madden and Mark Roberts want to lead by example.

and encouraging ongoing training and personal development. “We put a big emphasis into recruitment and retaining current staff,” Sian says, “It’s not about finding the most qualified candidate for a role, but the person who best fits our team.” It’s important to them that their staff see them out there being active in the community, being present and getting that work-life balance right. They also aim to lead by example by being organised, efficient and placing a strong emphasis on time management. “Our staff are not expected to work consistent 12-hour days. We would rather them work eight hour days and when we need them to work a longer day, they will because they know they will be rewarded for it.” Staff proudly wear hats emblazoned with Madden Roberts Farming (MRF) at dairy events. The logo represents the business

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

Mark and Sian created in 2019 and the hats are simply another way to promote the brand that is designed to help them grow their business. They say it also helps instil a sense of pride into their team. Taking a step back, Mark grew up with sharemilking parents on the Taieri Plains and was inspired to follow in their footsteps, so he joined the dairy farming ranks after he left school. After managing a couple of dairy farms and meeting Sian, they headed to the West Coast for the opportunities it offered in the dairy industry. “I didn’t think I’d like it, but I love it now,” Sian says. “It’s got location, it’s affordable and it has community.”

EMBRACING WEST COAST LIFESTYLE When they first moved to the West Coast, Sian thought she would commute to work in Nelson before realising it would take her most of the day just driving the 97

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

WEST COAST/TOP OF THE SOUTH | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

distance. They initially missed some of the bigger businesses and facilities they took for granted in more populated regions. “It took us a while to adapt to life here because it didn’t have this and that,” Mark says. “But then we fell in love with it because of what it does have.” Now they embrace the West Coast and support local businesses whenever possible, with the support reciprocated. Something that helped Sian settle was studying for a Diploma in Agri-business Management which gave them the tools to start growing their farm business, from financial planning and business management to human resources, health and safety, and environmental aspects. It has become one of their biggest strengths, with manuals, templates, policies and procedures set up for the farming business to make it easier for staff to follow. “It gives us direction and accountability and gives our manager something to look at when we’re not there,” Mark says. “We wanted to be really clear about our expectations and provide guidelines for our staff.” Templates with simple, easy-tofollow steps can be pulled up to guide staff meetings, calf rearing, vehicle maintenance and just about every aspect of the business. Sian says they take health and safety very seriously and so when staff complained about uncomfortable bike helmets, they replaced the helmets with ones that were comfortable so they knew staff would wear them. “Nearly everyone in the industry has a story about how they have been personally affected by an accident or incident onfarm and it’s our responsibility to make sure staff get home safely every day.”

Family time: Mark and Sian with their three young girls, Remy, Mila and Parker.

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

500

215ha

Production Milking supplement 402kg/cow PKE

217

Cows/labour unit

Pasture eaten 9.5t DM/ha/year

Crossbred

Milking platform area

340kg MS/cow • 791kg MS/ha Farm Dairy

223kg N/ha/year

40a/s HB – Read Plant

Nitrogen

70%

Six-week in-calf rate

Wintering

Not-in-calf rate

Winter at runoff, 8 weeks early calvers and 10 weeks late calvers. Fodder beet, grass silage and hay.

Weeks of mating

Runoff

Owned by Moir Farms Maimai (Farm Owners)

SUSTAINABLE FARMING When it comes to environmental responsibility, Mark and Sian say they want to be among those leading the way to sustainable farming. “We want to be seen to be doing our part and leading by example and showing our children the right path.” Sian says their chief hate is balage wrap lying on the ground. They recycle their balage wrap through a system called Plasback, with wrap stored in a bin which makes it easier for staff to use.

Farming sustainably flows through to livestock where their policy is keeping intervention to a minimum. “We don’t like interfering with the cows too much,” Mark explains. “Keeping them happy and healthy and helping them do what they do naturally. We’re big on prevention rather than cure. If you can prevent cows from getting lame for example, that is better than dealing with the problem after they become lame.”

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

The two farms are not the easiest or most productive farms to run. The land is predominantly humped and hollowed with developed pakihi soil, making them lower-producing farms that require farm costs to be kept at a minimum. But they represent an opportunity for Mark and Sian and they have had good support from the farm owners who they can go to for advice, support and opportunities. Last season their focus was setting up 99

WEST COAST/TOP OF THE SOUTH | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

$$$ FINANCIAL FACTS Sharemilking

Contract Milking $1.30/kg MS

Costs shared

We pay for: Electricity, staff, shed hygiene, rubberwear, insurances and petrol. We supply all bikes, calf trailer, duster and spraying equipment and general maintenance tools and fencing equipment.

Gross farm income

$1.33/kg MS

Operating expenses

$1.21/kg MS

Operating profit

$1055/ha

Farm working expenses

$0.71/kg MS

the smaller farm to run smoothly for a manager and this season Mark is managing the larger farm as well as travelling to the other farm a couple of times a week and daily communications with the manager. It will be easier next season when they have a manager on the larger farm as well so Mark can move more easily between the farms. “I’ll be able to be more present on both

dairy events and field days as they can to continue their learning from other dairy farmers. That way, they can pick up new ideas to add into their own farming system and help them toward their goal. Though they have a clear timeline toward farm ownership, they acknowledge the milk payout will obviously have a big influence on when they reach their goal.

SISTERS ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES

farms which should give us a bit more time for attention to detail and provide more guidance to the managers.” Running the two farms gave them the confidence to enter the awards this year, as a way of pushing themselves further and also representing their region as role models and leaders. They won three of the merit awards as well as the main award and make a point of attending as many

Coming from outside the dairy industry, Sian says mentors have played a big part in her own confidence in the business and having strong women in leadership roles has helped. “I have so many women to look up to,” she says. “Everyone always says it takes a village to raise a child and I think it’s the same for a successful dairy farm.” Mark remembers when he started in the dairy industry, women’s roles seldom extended beyond rearing calves.

Why do NZ dairy farmers love the land? Is that a trick question? When you look after your land it’ll look after you, and that comes with its fair share of challenges. But we’re dairy farmers, and we rise to a challenge. And it’s in these moments we shine.

Riseandshine.nz

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Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

WEST COAST/TOP OF THE SOUTH | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

SHARE FARMER

MERIT AWARDS: DairyNZ Human Resources Award – Sian Madden and Mark Roberts Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award – Sian Madden and Mark Roberts Federated Farmers Leadership Award – Clay and Joy Paton Honda Farm Safety, Health & Biosecurity Award – Clay and Joy Paton LIC Recording and Productivity Award – Kelley Molloy Meridian Farm Environment Award – Kelley Molloy Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award – Kelley Molloy Westpac Business Performance Award – Sian Madden and Mark Roberts Mark and Sian’s aim is healthy, happy cows.

“Now it’s totally flipped. Women have a strong voice now.” Sian encourages mothers with young families to get out there and get involved in the dairy community. They have three young girls, Mila 9, Parker 3, and Remy 1, so if she wants to be involved, it usually means taking one or two children with her. A growing dairy business and a

young family makes it hard to get a good work-life balance, but Mark tries to get to as many of the children’s events as he can which gives him time away from work and more time with family. “Our kids have tried just about every playground on the West Coast and we now consider ourselves West Coasters,” says Sian.

RUNNER UP in the West Coast/Top of the South Share Farmer category was Kelley Molloy, a first-time entrant who farms at Whataroa and loves seeing her cows every day. Third place went to Clay and Joy Paton who are in their secondyear contract milking for Brent Riley on his 210ha 640-cow herd at Collingwood.

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CANTERBURY/NORTH OTAGO | DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

Science and technology WORDS BY ANNE LEE PHOTOS BY JOHNNY HOUSTON

ess than a year into his dairy farming career and 25-year-old Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Trainee of the Year winner Mattes Groenendijk is already fast tracking his progression. On June 1, he will transition from dairy assistant at Ngai Tahu Farming to second in charge (2IC) on a 1200-cow Canterbury farm working for Richard Pearse and Susan Geddes – themselves former National Farm Manager of the Year award winners in 2013. Mattes is originally from a dairy farm in Waikato and hopes to return to the family farming business sometime in the future. He holds degrees from Massey University, a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and a Masters in Animal Science. His Masters study looked at calf feeding in automatic feeding machines and was carried out in conjunction with AgResearch. One of his findings was that, when fed with automatic milk feeders, calves can consume up to 12 litres of milk per calf over a 24-hour period. He also found feeding calves high volumes of milk didn’t result in a post weaning growth check when they were gradually weaned. Mattes spent six months after graduating working for a company providing training and support for cow monitoring technology but is now working on getting as much practical farm experience

Mattes Groenendijk – Canterbury/North Otago dairy trainee of the year.

as possible and is eager to learn about innovative techniques and technologies being used onfarm. Mattes joined the large-scale dairy operator Ngai Tahu farming in time for this season and says like many other farms the properties he was working on felt the pressure of staff shortages exacerbated by Covid-19. “I’ve worked on dairy farms before but never through calving so it was a pretty steep learning curve.” He was one of six staff who worked across two farms over the calving period – one with 930 cows and the other 970 cows. Both have 64-bail rotary farm dairies with in-shed feeding and ProTrack. “I can’t imagine working at that scale without that kind of technology. “I could be in the paddock and spot a cow that needed attention, put her number into the system and at the end of milking there she is, waiting for you.”

DAIRY TRAINEE

MERIT AWARDS: TH Enterprises Ltd Most Promising Entrant Award – Grace Sutton FMG Farming Knowledge Award – Mattes Groenendijk Dairy Holdings Ltd Community and Industry Involvement Award – Alfonso Almonacid Craigmore Communication and Engagement Award – Nikita Baker DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Mattes Groenendijk

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

RUNNER UP in the Dairy Trainee category was 25-year-old Waimakariri Farm Assistant Kelly Poehls, Third place went to 24-year-old Farm Assistant Thomas Lilley from Coldstream.

Mattes says he’s been exposed to a wide variety of jobs onfarm and learned a big range of skills in a short time. The roster over spring is six days on and two days off with a five and two roster for the rest of the season. “To be honest I don’t think I’d even look at a job with an 11 on, three off roster.” He loves to get out into the outdoors, hunting and fishing and sees having a good balance between work and time off as essential to both productivity and wellbeing. Mattes says entering the Dairy Industry Awards competition has been a great experience. He didn’t really know what to expect but knew it would be a good challenge to set himself. There’s plenty of support and advice available such as how to plan and set goals for the competition. Goal setting proved to be a powerful tool and one he’s continuing to use. His near-term goals are to progress up to farm manager level within three years and in the future bring his skills and knowledge back to the family farming business. 103

CANTERBURY / NORTH OTAGO | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Canterbury/North Otago Farm Manager of the Year Maria Alvarez monitors pasture closely to maintain high quality year-round.

From Argentina with love WORDS BY ANNE LEE PHOTOS BY JOHNNY HOUSTON

aria Alvarez’s advice to other women looking to advance their careers in dairying is to seek out the right people and avoid those who have an issue with gender. The 32-year-old is this year’s Canterbury/ North Otago Farm Manager of the Year and says that when applying for jobs in the past she did come up against those who weren’t happy to employ a female, particularly one who is single and especially when it came to contract milking jobs. “But you can just avoid those people and look for people who are supportive – there are plenty of positive, supportive people,” she says. Originally from Argentina, Maria’s positive, can-do attitude and strong sense of team has helped make her first year managing the 180ha Dairy Holding Ltd (DHL) property near Ealing a huge success. That’s not to say it didn’t come without its challenges with her second in charge (2IC) breaking his leg at the outset of 104

calving, leaving her with three new, junior staff. She says DHL’s systems, the great support she got from supervisor Aidan O’Leary, her team’s positive attitude and a huge amount of hard work got them through that initial peak work period. Maria has been with DHL from the outset of her dairying career in New Zealand initially working for contract milkers Scott and Helen Searle at Rakaia.

NZ HOLIDAY SPARKED INTEREST Having grown up on a beef farm, Maria came to NZ on a working holiday after completing an agricultural engineering degree. New Zealand dairying was often pointed to as a top performer when it came to efficiency during her studies. “So, when I came here on holiday I thought - well I’m here, maybe I should give this dairying a go and see what they were talking about.” She loved it and had fantastic teachers in Scott and Helen, quickly learning the skills involved in successful pasture systems. She was with the couple for four and a half years with a small break in the middle

while she travelled to Australia, working on a dairy farm there too – albeit a higher input, high tech farm. By 2019, Maria had worked her way up to a 2IC/farm manager level with Scott and Helen but to make further progression she had to move on. She had been applying for jobs and when the opportunity opened up on the 660-cow DHL farm near Ealing part way through the 2019-20 season she jumped at it, taking over as manager in January last year. Respect is the key word when it comes to her leadership style and developing a great team spirit. “If you treat people with respect then they respect you and you can achieve a sense of authority without people feeling like you’re trying to be above them.” Her whole farm team is South American and she says the positive, energetic vibe brings a level of fun to even the tougher times. Maria won the MorrisonAgri leadership award and the FarmRight feed management award and combining both skills has proven to be a winning formula.

FOCUS ON PASTURE AND

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

DAIRY & CALF

SHELTERS

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

660

180ha

Crossbred

Milking platform area

Production Milking supplement Nil

190

Cows/labour unit

Cows off, heifers on

16.4t DM/ha/year

356kg MS/cow • 1305kg MS/ha

190kg N/ha/year

Nitrogen

78%

Farm Dairy

40-bail internal rotary Not-in-calf rate

12%

Six-week in-calf rate

Wintering

FF O NDEDS A ST SH

Pasture eaten

Dairy Automation

ACR’s, auto teat spraying

Weeks of mating

Runoff owned

Left: Round them up: Managing cow condition is now a key point in achieving top mating performance next season.

COW FERTILITY Under her leadership the whole team is very focused on maintaining high quality pasture throughout the season and hitting targets for both pastures and animals. Helping them understand how that helps drive farm performance so they too can learn and progress is important, she says. “I will sit down with them at the computer and show them how we use technology like AgriNet to record pasture covers and data or HawkEye for fertiliser and effluent for example.” One of the biggest achievements in this first full season has been a big improvement in reproductive performance with the six-week in-calf rate jumping a huge 17% to hit the industry target of 78% and not-in-calf rate

dropping from 16% to 12% after 10 weeks mating. Efforts to make that happen started last autumn, only weeks after Maria took up the farm manager role. “We body condition score four times a year and in autumn any early calvers that weren’t where we wanted them to be and any lighter rising three-year-olds were put on once-a-day (OAD) milking. “We dry off according to the calving date, again prioritising the early calvers,” she says. Her attention to detail and dedication to observation during transition to fodder beet also paid off. For example, 15 cows who had not eaten bulbs were taken off the crop after 10 days, leaving all the others to transition right up to ad lib feeding without any problems. Good weight gains meant cows were at targets for calving and then a focus again on body condition scoring (BCS) leading up to mating meant early actions in putting later calving cows onto once a day (OAD) milking gave them a better chance of getting back in calf quickly. Mating didn’t come without its challenges either with one staff member down over that period meaning that when team members were on days off Maria was sometimes picking heats, cupping cows, marking cows to be mated and drafting out. “It kept me fit,” she laughs.

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

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CANTERBURY / NORTH OTAGO | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

DAIRY MANAGER FARMING GOALS She rides the farm at least once, but often twice a week to score pasture covers putting the data into Agrinet to produce a feed wedge and help in allocating pasture as well as identifying any looming feed surpluses or deficits. With the goal for no bought-in feed, carefully managing feed demand and supply is paramount. “The more often I’m monitoring the faster I can take action,” she says. While surpluses are taken for silage there’s no mower on the farm so monitoring within the day is important too to make sure cows are hitting residuals right on time. “Anything over 3100kg drymatter (DM)/ha will go for silage through the spring but we can also take a paddock out for re-grassing through the spring if we have a surplus.” Over autumn, OAD milking, early

MERIT AWARDS: Vetlife Most Promising Entrant – Megan Taylor Alexanders Chartered Accountants Employee Engagement Award – Jaspreet Singh MorrisonAgri Leadership Award – Maria Alvarez FarmRight Feed Management Award – Maria Alvarez Fonterra Dairy Management Award – Tharanga Senavirathna DeLaval Livestock Management Award – Tharanga Senavirathna NZDIA Power Play Award – Jaspreet Singh Westpac Financial Management & Planning Award – Jaspreet Singh

culling and selective drying off help manage feed demand down. This season Maria is set to achieve average nitrogen application rates of 190kgN/ha across the farm – 150kg N/ha in the effluent areas and 210kg N/ha on the rest of the farm. She didn’t apply nitrogen during December and January when soil temperatures were above 17 degrees

Celsius and pasture monitoring showed paddocks still growing up to 70kg DM/ ha/day. Herbage testing showed nitrogen levels dropping in February so urea applications were resumed. Maria says her next goal is to have her own herd and go sharemilking. On a personal level, she wants to formally make New Zealand home by gaining citizenship.

WE’RE THERE FOR YOU FROM THE EARLY YEARS. SUPPORTING LOCAL EVENTS SINCE 1905. At every step of the way, FMG are a part of the rural community. We do so by supporting events such as the Dairy Industry awards. We are proud to back those that support us, so we wish all finalists the best of luck for the competition. Ask around about us. Or better still, call us directly on 0800 366 466.

We’re here for the good of the country.

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Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

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CANTERBURY / NORTH OTAGO | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

Nadeeka and Dinuka Gamage – on track for sharemilking goals.

Leaders and mentors WORDS BY ANNE LEE PHOTOS BY JOHNNY HOUSTON

inuka and Nadeeka Gamage have made the absolute most of every opportunity dairying has provided since they arrived in New Zealand from Sri Lanka 13 years ago. The couple are this year’s Canterbury/ North Otago Sharefarmers of the Year and have hoisted themselves up the progression ladder through hard work, eagerness to learn and by fostering great relationships. They are contract milkers for Dairy Holdings Ltd (DHL) near Ealing in midCanterbury on a 245ha, 980-cow farm and are well on their way to their next goal of sharemilking 600 cows. The couple moved to NZ in 2008 to take up a dairying job knowing the sector here offered scope for growth. Dinuka had completed an agricultural engineering national diploma and postgraduate marketing diploma and had worked selling veterinary medicine. But he knew that farming and being out on the land was where he really wanted to be. 108

Their first job was as assistant herd manager for Wayne and Suellen Pamment in Kaikoura milking 850-cows with the next step moving up from assistant herd manager to herd manager, second in charge (2IC) and then farm manager over eight years for Mark and Penny Fleming in Culverden.

A PLANNING WHEEL FOR SUCCESS

In 2014 they completed a DairyNZ BizStart programme and as part of that drew up a planning wheel. It’s well-worn but they can proudly show they achieved each and every mediumterm goal. One of those goals was to go contract milking – something they ticked off in 2017, another was to buy a house – they ticked that off in 2019. Another goal was to carry on with study – and in 2019 Dinuka completed a New Zealand Diploma in Agribusiness Management. He’s also completed PrimaryITO Dairy Farm Production Management Level 5. In addition, the couple had a goal to

enter the Dairy Industry Awards. In 2016, Dinuka placed third in the Canterbury/ North Otago farm manager competition. “It was a pivotal moment,” Nadeeka says. It showed they were on the right track, allowed them to meet other like minded farmers and create new networks. One of those new networks was with DHL supervisor Mick O'Connor and in the 2017-18 season they joined DHL as contract milkers on their current farm. Nadeeka says they revisit that planning wheel and update it and the next goal is to own 250 cows by the end of this season without debt and continue to grow stock numbers so they have their own 600-cow herd by 2023. Based on their track record, they’ll nail it. Dinuka says the flexibility DHL has built into its contract agreements and the opportunity that gives to grow stock numbers, lease cows back to the business and sell calves from those cows is all making a big difference to their equity growth and ability to tick off their goals. “We have a hybrid type contract where we get a higher contract milking payment

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

980

Milking platform area

245ha

Crossbred

Production

Cows/labour unit

Farm Dairy

Milking supplement

337kg MS/cow 1347kg MS/ha

217

Pasture eaten

12.8t DM/ha/yr

48-bail rotary

Nil

74%

Not in-calf rate

13%

Six-week in-calf rate

Nitrogen 200kg N/ha

Wintering

Runoff

All cows wintered off

but we also share in 20% of some costs that a contract milking might not usually pay for and we include our grazing costs for our young stock. “That makes our costs look high compared to other contract milkers but we are making an income from our stock and growing our stock numbers on top of that contract.”

GETTING THE FINANCIALS RIGHT

Their clear understanding and management of their finances earned them the Westpac Business Performance Award. “When we came here, we had 14 cows but every year we’re able to rear calves and grow our numbers with the young stock reared with other DHL young stock because all of the company’s herds are closed now to protect from M bovis. “We pay a grazing fee but it’s a bit cheaper than what we’d pay elsewhere,” Dinuka says. The company also shares the good times

$$$ FINANCIAL FACTS Costs shared (20% of some costs)

20%

Gross farm income ($/kg MS) includes stock income

$1.67

Operating expenses ($/kg MS) includes owned young stock grazing costs

$1.43

Operating profit ($/ha)

$323/ha

Farm working expenses ($/kg MS)

0.91

Weeks of mating

Owned

with its contract milkers, adding another $10,000 to their milk cheque if payout goes over $6/kg milksolids (MS). “DHL pays us every month so we’re getting a 12-month cashflow – not like some contracts where the contract milkers don’t get anything over the winter,” Dinuka says. They manage their accounts through Xero and Figured farm software. “The agribusiness diploma really helped when it came to financial skills so I do all our own GST and cashflow budgets,” he says. Human resources was also part of the diploma and has helped with the practical aspects of managing a team as well as compliance. The couple won the Federated Farmers Leadership Award and say they get a lot of satisfaction out of mentoring their team members and sharing what they’ve learned about progression. “We love showing them the pathway to growing their business and then step by step helping them grow,” Dinuka says. All three of their permanent, full-time team are Sri Lankan. “We encourage them to speak English onfarm so they build that skill and it gives them a better chance of progressing. “It’s important because they may need to talk to contractors and other people from the company (DHL). “Language barriers are one of the key things stopping migrant staff from growing and progressing. “We know what it’s like to be a new immigrant, to have family back home and

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

Dinuka shows team member Janaka Mallawa Arachchi how to measure grass cover using a plate meter.

they know that which means they feel they can talk to us freely. “We keep a good watch on them,” he says. Nadeeka says new staff go through a skills assessment and a training plan is drawn up for them. “We help them set goals and then we review how they are going during the year.” Last year the couple became accredited as employers of choice through Coach Approach.

WALKING THE TALK ONFARM

The farm runs a nil input system, buying in feed only where something has gone wrong with the season. The stocking rate is set to closely match home-grown pasture feed supply. At the peak growth period, through the later-spring, any surplus is cut and ensiled so it can be fed out during any deficits. It reduces costs and means the focus is very much on managing pasture and achieving a sound profit rather than being too focused on the vat. This season 200 bales of balage have been made and no supplement bought in. Pasture walks are carried out every week without fail by either Dinuka or his 2IC with covers put into AgriNet software and daily allocations planned out. Watching growth rates, monitoring pre109

CANTERBURY / NORTH OTAGO | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

RUNNER UP in the Canterbury/North Otago category went to Daniel and Laura Joho and third place went to Daminda Gajamange who contract milks on Canterbury Grasslands Ltd 400ha farm at Darfield.

grazing covers and post-grazing residuals and monitoring pasture quality is going on throughout the day, every day. “We want quality to be high right through the season and we’re looking to be grazing paddocks as they go to the 2.5 to three leaf stage.” Dinuka runs two herds – one for the younger cows and one for the older animals. It reduces the competition from older, bossier cows and means the younger herd can be given priority. He uses a 24-hour break system rather than 12-hourly and will put cows back into a paddock to clean up and get to residual if needed.

Stronger together: Nadeeka and team member Janaka Mallawa Arachchi conducting herd testing.

Cows are independently body condition scored (BCS) four times a year. That information along with calving dates is used to set up the autumn feed and dry-off plans. Once-a-day (OAD) milking and drying off are used to ensure both cows and pastures reach seasonal targets.

All empty cows are gone from the farm by the end of March. Dinuka says setting up for next season starts now and there’s never any intention to bring in feed to keep cows milking longer no matter what the payout is. “If we had a feed shortage because something had gone wrong, we would

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buy some in but it’s not on our plan for a normal year,” he says. Cows are wintered off and when they return, from calving to balance date, the spring rotation planner is strictly adhered to. From the balance date, he runs a 24-day round to match pasture growth and as they head into autumn the round begins to be extended. They’ve expanded the effluent area this past season to 70ha and using Ravensdown’s HawkEye programme have set urea applications so the effluent area gets less nitrogen. The last urea application is in April and in December and January applications are skipped given poor response rates during times when soil temperatures are high. Irrigation applications are based on soil moisture monitoring. Dinuka says a focus on hitting BCS targets and managing cows through the 10-week mating period (six-weeks artificial insemination (AI) and four weeks bulls) has led to the 74% six-week in-calf rate – up

from 70% and 72% in the previous seasons. They use no intervention but focus on monitoring pre-mating heats from 35 days prior to the planned start of mating. Any cows not cycling are put in a separate herd and fed ad-lib ahead of the other cows and put on OAD milking. The whole herd is metrichecked before mating and metricured as required. Bulls are rotated every second day.

The couple’s business is called Luckcow Dairy Ltd but goal setting and determination have played a much greater role in their success to date than luck. In 2018, they proudly gained NZ citizenship along with their children Anuhas, now 14 and Thejan, 10. No doubt they’ll continue to grab every opportunity with both hands and are testament to what can be achieved.

SHARE FARMER

MERIT AWARDS: DairyNZ Human Resources Award – Brigitte and Braden Barnes E  colab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award – Daminda Gajamange F  ederated Farmers Leadership Award – Dinuka & Nadeeka Gamage H  onda Farm Safety, Health & Biosecurity Award – Brigitte and Braden Barnes L  IC Recording and Productivity Award – Brigitte and Braden Barnes M  eridian Farm Environment Award – Daniel and Laura Joho R  avensdown Pasture Performance Award – Daniel and Laura Joho W  estpac Business Performance Award – Dinuka & Nadeeka Gamage

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

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Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

OTAGO/SOUTHLAND | DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

“Crazy” win for dairy farming newbie WORDS AND PHOTO BY KAREN TREBILCOCK

ophie White was set to enter the dairy awards next year and the year after that and then maybe, she hoped, she might get placed. Instead she won it this year, the first time she entered and after less than two seasons milking cows. “It was crazy when they called out my name.” Her dad is a builder and her mum works in administration. At the start of 2019, Sophie was a Year 13 pupil at James Hargest College in Invercargill set on university and a career as a graphic designer. However, she just couldn’t face another year of sitting in classes. “I jumped into a dairying job and after a couple of days I knew it was for me.” Although she still does graphic design in her spare time, in July 2019 she started working as a farm assistant for Jono and Eilish van’t Wout. In November 2020 she became a farm assistant for Bathan and Jane Muir on their 552ha Edendale property, milking 1600 cows through two dairies.

Barnstorming: Southland Otago Dairy Trainee of the Year winner Sophie White. The 1600 cow farm where Sophie works has large wintering barns.

“I just love being outside, I love cows and I love being part of a team.” She entered the awards to meet people and gain more experience and knowledge. Sophie is thankful for the support of the farm’s contract milkers Shaun and Nikoia Mckelvie and her manager Melissa Fairbairn. “They did so much to help me prepare for this.” Also by her side was her Primary ITO training advisor and mentor Pauline Aitken. “She holds me accountable to my goals. I can’t thank her enough.” Sophie has completed the Milk Harvesting Level 3 Primary ITO course

DAIRY TRAINEE

MERIT AWARDS: MilkMap Farming Knowledge Award – Cameron Smith Agricentre South Community & Industry Involvement Award – Kelly Anne Hopper FMG Communication & Engagement Award – Kelly Anne Hopper DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Cameron Smith

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

RUNNER UP dairy trainee was assistant manager Cameron Smith of Dacre and farm assistant Samuel Spencer of Otautau was third. and is currently working through the husbandry paper. She has fitted the awards around her study. Sophie says she put “too many hours to count” into the awards and spent time with a farm accountant, a dairy nutritionist and DairyNZ staff to gain more knowledge. Now with the award firmly with her name on it, she wants to inspire other young people to think of dairying as a career and hopes her old high school will have her back to talk with pupils about what she has done. “Our lives are pretty amazing. We get to care for animals and the environment. We wouldn’t be in this industry if we didn’t want to do that. It’s so much part of it.” She is currently in charge of the dairy’s hygiene and everyday tasks but has her sights set firmly on becoming a manager in the years to come. “Melissa (Fairbairn) knows it too!” 113

OTAGO/SOUTHLAND | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Strength through adversity WORDS AND PHOTO BY KAREN TREBILCOCK

t was three weeks after a motorbike accident that Gary Sunshine-Tervit’s family realised something was seriously wrong. A mechanical fault had caused him and his bike to end up over a cliff on a trail ride at Tokanui. He can’t remember the accident or wheeling the bike back up to the track and it wasn’t until he took his helmet off at the end of the day that his mates saw his head was black with bruising. A CT scan in hospital that night showed a minor bleed in his frontal lobe and he was sent home. Everything was fine until he and wife Daniella, pregnant with their first child and not feeling the best, went to go into town one day. “He said he was ready to go but he had no pants on and then our whole world turned upside down,” she said. In the end they were forced to seek medical treatment privately and they guess they’ve since spent somewhere between $25,000 and $30,000. But it has all been worth it. From working just one hour a day, he can now work a full day. In mid-March, six years

Southland Otago Dairy Manager of the Year Gary Sunshine-Tervit. Six years on from a head injury, Gary is working and thriving.

after the accident, he won the Southland Otago dairy manager’s competition. Key to his recovery has been Dr Elizabeth Harris at Dunedin’s Brain Health and Biofeedback Clinic and his clinical psychologist Louis Richter at Invercargill’s Southern Trauma Centre. “When someone told me I should see a counsellor, I said absolutely not. There is not a dog’s chance that I’m going.” Now he looks forward to the monthly sessions. “If one person reads this and learns from my story then that is all I want. For them to know that it’s okay to ask for help.” Although on the outside he seems fine, he knows there are still things that trigger him.

DAIRY MANAGER

MERIT AWARDS: Landpro Most Promising Entrant Award – Shaun Palmer Shand Thomson Encouragement Award – Shaun Palmer McIntyre Dick Employee Engagement Award – Ashleigh Botting Regional Ford Leadership Award – Nicole Barber Vetsouth Feed Management Award – Gary Sunshine-Tervit DeLaval Livestock Management Award – Ashleigh Botting Fonterra Dairy Management Award – Ashleigh Botting NZDIA Power Play Award – Gary Sunshine-Tervit Westpac Personal Planning & Financial Management Award – Gary Sunshine-Tervit

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Runner-up dairy manager was Lochiel assistant manager Ashleigh Botting and third was Crossans Corner 2IC Nicole Barber. “That’s the thing with a head injury, no one knows you’re sick. He no longer rides a trail bike. “It used to be the thing I would do when I needed some time off, I’d go for a blast, but I got on it again six months after the accident for the first time and I lost it. I sold it straight away.” Contact sport is also out of the question. Gary was in his school’s first XV and used to box. Now he enjoys clay target shooting at Oreti Beach on Thursday nights with the local club. However, his head injury has not just affected him and how he lives his life, but everyone around him. “I am the living example of how a bike helmet saves lives. On the farm no one goes on a four wheeler without one on, whether they’re going five metres or five kilometres. “I used to be somebody who would be out all hours of the day until the jobs were done probably more due to disorganisation than anything. “Now, when the day is finished we all go home.

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

“If I’m tired, I know my staff will be tired too.” He was working on his dad’s dairy farm in Southland when the accident happened and the support of family got him through. In 2019 he moved to Shane and Vicki Murphy’s 270ha, 780-cow South Hillend property near Winton as manager and at the end of this season he and Daniella will become their contract milkers. Daniella also runs her own business AgriplanSouth, a farming recruitment consultancy agency. When they were organising their insurance to go contract milking, FMG connected them with the rural wellbeing programme FarmStrong. Gary hopes to become involved with FarmStrong.

TEAM EFFORT

Gary entered the Dairy Industry Awards last year but wasn’t placed. Danielle and a friend pushed him into entering again this year. “This award is not about me. It’s about everyone on this farm. It’s a team effort,” he said. Chey Howley is their second in charge (2IC), Rudy Montiquilla works as their herd manager while the farm assistant is Clarence Gados. The roster is six and two and everyone shares the workload, including getting in the cows in the morning and milking. “One of the things I want to do when we go contract milking is if you have an early start then you have an early finish. “We’ve got a high staff to cow ratio on this farm, we probably could have one less person, but work life balance is more important for us and I want it to be for our staff too.”

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

270ha

Milking platform area

780 Production

Dairy Automation

Barley DDG Mineral pellets

Cows/labour unit

Wintering

15t DM/ha/year

535kg MS/cow • 1490kg MS/ha

Milking supplement

200

Pasture eaten

Cows

72%

Six-week in-calf rate

ProTrack ACRs and Cow Manager ear tags

Owned

Not in-calf rate

14%

At runoff at Te Anau on balage and kale

Also on the plans is breakfast at their house for the staff at least once a month. “I want everyone to sit around the table and we’ll have a big breakfast and we won’t talk about the farm. “And I want to help our staff progress as well and we’ll do whatever we can to help with that. “I want them to come back and tell us one day what they’re doing. To have been part of that for them would be great. I’d love that. “Shane and Vicki have taught me so much and I want to do the same for others.

Runoff

Weeks of mating

190kg N/year

Nitrogen

“They’re always there if we need a hand or have a question or want to talk about something.” Their own future plans include buying a rural block and raising the farm’s surplus heifers with the hope of eventually going 50:50 sharemilking. “We would like to one day own a farm but family is more important. I’m not going to sacrifice them for it.” Their two daughters, Pippa (5) and Lucy (2), love the farm and go out with mum and dad whenever possible. “You can’t beat a rural upbringing for kids.”

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OTAGO/SOUTHLAND | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

Left: Cup of champions: Ann and Scott Henderson with the 2021 Southland Otago Share Farmer of the Year trophy.

Complimentary skills – a winning formula WORDS AND PHOTO BY KAREN TREBILCOCK

people-first philosophy and excellent onfarm systems helped Scott and Ann Henderson win the 2021 Southland Otago Share Farmer of the Year competition. The couple has been at the Adams Flat Road farm near Milton for four years, the first two as managers. The 560ha farm (490 effective) was converted 23 years ago by the late Howard Paterson and is now run by his trust Whitestone supplying French food giant Danone’s Clydevale plant. With the 50:50 sharemilker leaving, the trust asked them to stay on and a 25% sharemilking contract was agreed to with the Henderson’s buying the herd of 850 cows over three years. “We own 365 cows now and at the end of June 2022 we will own all of them and will be 50:50 sharemilking,” Ann said. “The trust and Westpac have been backing us 110%. We couldn’t be doing this without them,” Scott said.

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“There are many pathways for people in the industry to progress. You’ve just got to find what one suits you best,” Ann said. Scott was a qualified carpenter in Balclutha when he met Ann who, from a sheep and beef farm near Edinburgh in Scotland, had also fallen for New Zealand dairying. She was working on a farm near Gore and he followed, first working as a tractor

driver and doing a bit of building but on his days off he would help Ann on the farm. “The more I learnt about dairying, the more I enjoyed it,” he said. The neighbour offered him a second in charge (2IC) position and “I’ve never looked back”. Although his building skills do not go amiss on the farm. “I think that’s why we work so well together,” Ann said. “We have totally different skill sets. My strengths are cows and grass and Scott’s are cultivation, crops, fertiliser and maintenance. “And we both deal with the financials, human resources and day to day running of the farm.” “If the cows are happy, I know I will have a happy wife,” Scott said. It was while Ann was an assistant manager near Gore that she won the Dairy Industry Awards Southland Otago 2017 manager of the year. Back then, she said farm ownership for the couple was 15 years away and they are still on track. Where that farm will be they’re not sure although they like farming in South Otago. “We started in Southland and have been steadily moving north so who knows?” she said.

$$$ FINANCIAL FACTS Sharemilking

25% Lower Order sharemilking

Costs shared

25% Lower Order sharemilking - costs are labour, power, shed expenses, 25% inshed feeding, gear and maintenance

Gross farm income

$1.77/kg MS

Operating expenses

$1.47/kg MS

Operating profit

$753/ha

Farm working expenses

$0.87/kg MS

Breakdown of costs

Wages $0.39/kg MS

Electricity $0.12/kg MS

Bought-in feed $0.07/kg MS

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

PHYSICAL FARM DATA

850

Milking platform area

560ha

490ha effective, Milking platform 340ha

Production

405kgMS/cow • 1014kgMS/ha

Milking supplement

Farm Dairy

60-bail rotary

200t barley = 235kg/cow

170

Cows/labour unit

Wintering

Pasture eaten

11t DM/ha/yr

Kiwicross cows

75%

Dairy Automation

ACRs, Trutest autodrafting, auto teat spray

11%

Six-week in-calf rate

Cows - half on half off, all youngstock winter on, Everything on fodderbeet and balage, plus straw

Watching her succeed in the Dairy Industry Awards made Scott keen to give the share farmer competition a go although Ann wanted to wait a few more years to have everything right.

AWARDS A HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK

“I said there is never a right time to do things so we entered this season for the first time,” he said. “It’s a huge amount of work but you get out of it what you put in,” she said. “The feedback from the judges is invaluable, and the people you meet along the way. “We wouldn’t be on this farm now if I hadn’t won the manager’s section.” The couple took their three staff and their partners to the Saturday night

Not-in-calf rate

Weeks of mating 150kg N/ha/year

Nitrogen

function in Invercargill and all were blown away with how big the event was. “They were all part of it – we had them help out with the presentation with the judges.” For the Hendersons, supplying Danone is not the same as supplying Fonterra. The milk room has a lock on it and the vat has a daily tag. No tag, no pick up by the tanker. There are three shed inspections a year, two are unannounced. “Everything has to be kept at a high standard every day,” Ann said. “Which is how we like to farm too.” Half of the payout is fixed for two years, which makes budgeting easier, and the other half floats with commodity prices. As well, there is up to 20c/kg MS on

offer if milk quality, environmental and animal welfare standards are met. “We grade at 350 somatic cells, which is lower than Fonterra,” Scott said. “All of our milk goes into baby formula to feed the globe. We take pride in it leaving at the highest quality,” Ann said. They use a private Facebook messenger group to stay in touch with staff and all take part in recording on-farm events, including a photograph of the allimportant tagging of the vat each day. Farm systems are documented on the dairy walls and farm manuals are kept handy in the dairy’s office. “Systems are key to a good business,” Ann said. Even though they know they’re doing everything as well as they can, the public perception of dairying still worries them. “We are trying to turn it around. We’re doing everything we can to be good dairy farmers,” Scott said.

NO EXPERIENCE? NO PROBLEM

Coming from another industry himself, Scott is keen to give people with no experience a go. For example, one of their staff used to be a shearer. “A lot of jobs are for people with experience but experience doesn’t come from nowhere. If someone is willing to give it a go and they fit in with our values and purpose then we will employ them,” he said. “In schools, there is not a lot of push for kids to become dairy farmers and it’s sad. It’s such a great industry to be part of,” Ann said. They put people as number one on the

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OTAGO/SOUTHLAND | SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

Runner-up share farmers were Winton contract milkers Matthew and Moniek van Hout and third were Drummond contract milkers Craig and Olivia McGregor.

Left: Beet this: Ann and Scott are proud of their fodder beet crop.

farm and both enjoy training staff. All their staff are enrolled in Primary ITO courses and one of their plans is to have a Gateway high school student spend time onfarm. With the farm’s steep terrain, they make sure they have an excellent health and safety culture. All the farm’s all terrain vehicles (ATVs) have roll-over bars and light bars fitted. Farm staff have head torches and must wear helmets and high-vis jackets when using the ATVs. There are also a lot of nogo areas on the farm. “The steep paddocks we use as day paddocks because we don’t want anyone riding around them in the dark. In the really steep paddocks we use a dog to go get the cows or young stock.” Half of the cows are wintered at Moeraki

at a graziers while the other half and the young stock stay onfarm.

FRESH BEETS

The Brigadier fodder beet paddocks are cropped for two years then planted in oats as a catch crop which is made into whole crop silage or baled into balage before finally going back into grass. A grazing plan is followed with crop fed down slopes. Swales and critical source areas are grazed last. Portable water troughs are moved daily and the backing fence kept close. “We get the contractors and seed reps and staff together and plan the winter grazing each year to make sure we’re doing it the best we can and to manage any risk,” Scott said.

SHARE FARMER

MERIT AWARDS: DairyNZ Human Resources Award – Scott & Ann Henderson Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award – Matthew & Moniek Van Hout Federated Farmers Leadership Award – Matthew & Moniek Van Hout Honda Farm Safety and Health & Biosecurity Award – Scott & Ann Henderson LIC Recording and Productivity Award – Matthew & Moniek Van Hout Meridian Farm Environment Award – Scott & Ann Henderson Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award – Scott & Ann Henderson Westpac Business Performance Award – Scott & Ann Henderson

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“At the end of the day, no one wants their cows in mud,” Ann said. “And we don’t want soil erosion either,” she said. With no irrigation, they plan for dry summers planting 20ha of summer turnips which is also part of their regrassing programme. They’ve found the Aber high sugar grasses work best in their climate and soils but they add in timothy, chicory, plantain and red and white clovers as well. They’re also ready for snow in winter as well as during calving. At least once a year the tanker doesn’t make it up the gravel road because of it. Cows are a huge passion for the couple. They both like black cows and find LIC Kiwicross cows to be economical. The herd is closing in on a kilogram of milk solids per kilogram of liveweight. The steep terrain has made a feed pad near the dairy a must so there is little feeding out on paddocks with tractors plus they’ve converted the farm’s old woolshed to a calving pad. “We’re really enjoying enhancing this farm and the trust is right behind us,” Scott said. Next on their list is extending the effluent K-lines from covering 53ha to 140ha and to start planting riparian areas with natives to add to the trees already there. Ann’s family came from Scotland to their wedding two years ago and the couple have plans to visit them once Covid has loosened its hold on the world. “They’ve been in seven months of lockdown now over there. It’s been really tough,” Ann said. “But it’s been really tough for our staff too. “We have one here from Chile and one Filipino and we make sure they keep communications up and we make sure everyone is happy as much as we can. “People, animals and the environment are always our focus.”

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

BUSINESS CO DIARY

Wintering changes Words by: Guy Michaels

n the past few years, it’s felt like we’ve had a lot of changes coming our way onfarm. This has included adapting farm practices and being more environmentally friendly. I have seen farmers making some great changes recently to protect our environment, look after our animals and continue to Guy Michaels, operate a profitable and successful business. DairyNZ senior These incredible changes onfarm need to be consulting officer celebrated as something we are all proud of. for South Otago. During the recent DairyNZ animal care consults, some of the wintering practices being implemented to ensure stock welfare made me very proud of the work done throughout our sector. We found 88 percent of farmers have already adopted at least six of the eight good wintering practices onfarm, while one third of these have adopted at least one new practice in the past two years. These are great improvements as we all strive to continue doing our best for our animals and the environment. There has been a noticeable rise in staff training on wintering practices. Creating a fit-for-purpose plan for staff and implementing it onfarm helps clarify roles during winter and ensure everyone knows what is expected. Teams that completed a formal adverse weather plan have found they were able to take action quickly, when needed. Providing our cows with somewhere comfortable to lie and rest is another good wintering practice. I’ve been shown many clever options for managing the wet, including utilising the area behind a back fence, shifting the crop fence more often to provide fresh ground, saving breaks near hedges, or removing animals to a specific location such as a woodchip pad. Despite great improvements, some actions like formalising adverse wintering plans are lagging, with just under 60 percent of farmers having adopted these. Having ideas and plans written down means others can access them. Take the first step by sitting down with your team to discuss this winter and get ideas down on paper. I’ve also talked to a lot of farmers who go through the cycle of intending to do something, but never quite get around to it. Not everything has to be a one man job, especially when we are part of a team. It is okay, and actually important, to delegate and ask for help. So, if you’re finding it hard to sit down and formalise your adverse wintering plan, consider whether someone else in your team can help. You can also call on organisations like DairyNZ to provide some advice to get you started. We have new cultivation and grazing plans along with our break fed wintering resource. These are available at dairynz.co.nz/wintering.

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• Guy Michaels is DairyNZ senior consulting officer for South Otago. Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021

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Dairy Exporter April 2021

Articles inside

Getting the genetics right

From dryoff to payoff

Connecting farmers with the right staff

Why should you hire a farm adviser?

Full stream ahead for Farmers’ Forum

Beefing up the dairy calf crop at Kintore Farm

Vets Voice: Prevent toxic nitrate shock

Cows stand their ground in pugging study

Beef and dairy need to collaborate

EVOLVE at SIDE conference, Ashburton

CO Diary: Wintering practices improve

Share farmer: Ann & Scott Henderson

Trainee: Sophie White

Trainee: Mattes Groenendijk

Trainee: Sam Smithers

Share farmer: John Wyatt

Dairy manager: Diego Raul Gomez Salinas

Trainee: Sydney Porter

Dairy manager: Leon McDonald

Share farmer: Manoj Kumar & Sumit Kamboj

Share farmer: Sam Howard

Trainee: Josh Wilkinson

Trainee: Tayla Flight

Dairy manager: Mark Rivers

Dairy manager: Christopher Gerard Vila

Dairy manager: Hayden Goodall

Trainee: Dayna Rowe

Share farmer: Reuben and Deb Connolly

Share farmer: Rachael Foy

Trainee: Ruth Connolly

Dairy manager: Stephanie Walker

Using KiwiSaver to buy a house isn’t an option for farm workers

Trainee: Emma Udell

Market View: Dairy commodity prices soared in March

Trainee: Bella Wati

Global Dairy: 3-breed crossbred cattle are improving US herds

Niall McKenzie boxes on with some inspiration from Rocky

Anne-Marie Wells champions onfarm discussion groups

Carla Staples airs her concerns about freshwater legislation