Business Rural Autumn 2021

| 49 ARABLE / DAIRY » The Porters / Ashvale Jerseys Jerseys a labour of love for breeder Richard Loader W ell-known and respected breeder of pedi- gree jersey cows Rodney Dobson says he never felt as though he was going to work — it was just something he did and enjoyed. “I’ve always maintained that if you’re going to milk a cow you might as well milk a good one and Jerseys have really been my hobby as well as my livelihood. I like the efficiency of the jersey breed, which can convert more grass to milk solids and don’t require as much maintenance as other breeds do.” Last year Rodney’s high-BW Ashvale Pedigree Jerseys averaged 410 kilograms live weight, pro- ducing 500 + kgMS per cow. “They’re also lighter on foot. We live in Southland, which can get a little wet at times, and the jerseys don’t sink so far into the ground as the heavier breeds do. They’re an easier cow to handle — I’m only a little chap and I would struggle having to handle big friesian bobby calves.” Rodney’s career spans more than five decades, and has taken him and his wife Jocelyn from Taranaki to the Waikato, the Hauraki Plans and then over the ditch to Gropers Bush, 11 kilometres north of Riverton in Southland. Making Gropers Bush home for nearly thirty years, the farm has grown from 165 hectares to 447 hectares, split into two dairy farms and two dry stock blocks. Rodney and Jocelyn’s son Mark, in partnership with his wife Ashleigh, lease 510 pedigree jerseys from his parents and is employed as the home farm’s 50/50 sharemilker. Rodney says he can envisage a time when Mark may wish to take the farm over. The other dairy unit is operated by a sharemilker, who has bought that farm’s herd of 550 jersey cows. With both dairy units now managed by others, Rodney has the responsibility of looking after all young stock on the two dry stock blocks, along with preparing for the annual on-farm yearling bull sale in October. “Our herd BW is 208 so we have a very high BW herd,” explains Rodney. “We rear all our heifer replacements and also 100 bull calves of the higher genetics. We have close on 200 high BW heilfers calves and only need 130 of them and always have a ready market for the surplus. Some will go to jer- Photos: Part of the high-BW Ashvale pedigree Jersey herd graze at the Dobson’s Gropers Bush property near Riverton. In October the family holds its 17th Ashvale Jersey on-farm yearling bull sale, Deregulation hits farm hard • from page 48 During this time Michael was working closely along side his father, who owned the farm. “All our budgets and cash flow just went out the window. Prices fell so much because of dereg- ulation. We had negative 9% equity and the bailiff turning up with the second foreclosure notice. Dad was able to get a family loan, which got us out of arrears with the Rural Bank, and was able to restructure debt through the debt-restructuring scheme. So that’s where we have come from.” Michael became a 50/50 partner with his father in the 1990s, taking the farm over with his wife Lynne in 2002. “The way our lawyers described it we bought the liabilities and the farm was thrown in for noth- ing. Because of what happened in the ‘80s we’re now carrying a huge amount of intergenerational debt.” Lynne has been a major part of the farming business undertaking all back office work and providing a solid shoulder to lean on in times of need. sey studs and some will go to commercial farms.” For the last 15 years Rodney and Jocelyn have DNA recorded their herd and when the bull calves are recorded sixty of the better ones are retained for the yearling sale, with the rest sold at the gate. This October will be the 17th Ashvale Jersey on farm yearling bull sale, attracting commercial farm- ers looking for high BW stock. “Most of my clients come each year or every two years but I have clients that have been coming for the last 15 years. Our jersey bull sale is probably one of the best in the country price wise. Last year we averaged $2300 and the year before that was $3100. People have taken more notice of our herd over the last two-three years because of Bovis and we have a closed herd.” “Our jersey bull sale is probably one of the best in the country price wise. Last year we averaged $2300 and the year before that was $3100.” Kasey Morris E: kasey@turnbullgrainandseed.co.nz M: 027 211 5669 P: (03) 684 5184 Robert 027 439 5096 Email: rivertonfarmdrainage@xtra.co.nz