Business Rural Autumn 2021

56 | Farm assistant to contract milker in six years Photos: Cows with the Allflex collars (top); Jason reading the Allflex collar data on the computer The Team: (from left) 2IC Monique Warnaar, farm assistant Rose Whatuira, herd manager Noel Lanes, contract milker Jason Brock, farm owner Pam Brock. Richard Loader Y oung Southland dairy farmer Jason Brock has come a long way in the six years that he has been fully engaged in his chosen career, showcasing what can be achieved with firm goals in mind. Growing up on the family dairy farm in Wallace- town, Jason learned the basics of relief milking and tractor driving after school and during weekends. Torn between being a farmer or going building, Jason was encouraged by his father, Stephen, to pursue a trade as a fallback career. Leaving school in 2005 to take a building apprenticeship, Jason ended up spending 10 years in that industry. Jason’s father was diagnosed with Lymphoma in 2006, the same year Southland Demonstration Farm was looking for a farm to lease. While run-off blocks were retained and managed by Stephen and Pam Brock, the opportunity was taken to lessen the load and lease the dairy unit to Southland Demonstration Farm for a period of nine years. During this time Jason continued to support his parents on the run-off blocks and his passion for farming never left him. Determined to start at ground level to build experience and credibility, Jason put word out that he might be interested in a farm assistant’s role, and was offered two quite good jobs on dairy farms and started his career milking 880 cows in Winton in 2015. Encouraged to take a 2IC role the following year, Jason shifted to a 550-cow farm in Riverton and took sole charge when the owner went overseas for a month, which Jason says was an eye opening challenge but very rewarding. When Southland Demonstration Farm’s lease ex- pired in 2016 Pam put a farm manager on the farm. At the conclusion of the manager’s contract Pam and the farm adviser recognised Jason’s abilities and asked him if he would like to take the job on. “When the opportunity arose to go back to the family farm I took it. I’d been working on the farm during the weekends anyway and was familiar with all the systems.” Starting as Farm Manager in 2017, Jason is now two and half years into Contracting Milking in the farm having formed his own business, River Edge Dairies Ltd, and things are going well. DAIRY » Jason & Pam Brock • to page 58 299 North Road, Invercargill Phone - 03 215 9237 vsi@vetservices.co.nz www.vetservices.co.nz Waikiwi Vet Services Ltd DOUG HORRELL CONTRACTING PHONE DOUG MOBILE: 0274 331 335 · Livestock Specialist · Buying and Selling · Grazing Contracts · Valuations · Auctions and Clearance Sales · Bull Plan Finance Options · Exporting Visit www.progressivelivestock.co.nz for more info For all your livestock requirements please contact Layne Morresey 027 442 2780 Progressive Livestock lives up to its name, delivering progressive solutions for a diverse range of clients PROUD TO BE SUPPORTING JASON BROCK • Ploughing • Discing • Cultivating • Leveling • Sowing Ag Work & Baling • Mower Conditioning • Tedding & Raking • Round Baling • Net or Film Wrap • Bale Moving & Cartage Brendon Shearing 027 222 0986 or 03 234 9078 brendon.jacqui@xtra.co.nz Brendon Shearing Contracting Ltd. • Ridging with Fertiliser • Direct Drilling • Fodder Beet Planting • Aerating & Deep Ripping • Alkathene & Cable Laying