Waiau Herefords is pushing the polled Hereford side of the stud to help farmers meet tightening health and safety regulations - Page 46 Stud diversifies into polled Herefords Autumn 2022 www.waterfordpress.co.nz
2 | Page | 6 Page | 34 Page | 65 Page | 30 Page | 54 Succession planning really is vital Unique stud characteristics a focus Diversity of farms & climates is a perfect fit Dairy grazing synergy for wheat growers You can never start succession planning soon enough, according to Hugh Cameron, proprietor of the vast 41,000ha Otematata Station. Venture supporting positive industry growth Carbon revenue returns are driving ongoing growth in forestry, but it’s important to ensure trees are planted and managed correctly from the start. Customer at the heart of operation Mid Canterbury based Catalyst Performance Agronomy was selected as Finalist in the Champion Customer Experience – Medium to Large Category, at the 2021 Westpac Champion Awards. Waimara Angus Stud has built its herd on a balance of traits that produce a highly functional, easy nishing animals that are great all rounders. Bill and Nick Davey of Springdale Farming Company have won their fourth United Wheat Growers Award, taking out the Mauri Mills Milling Wheat award. Finding that edge is key for any breeder of high quality stud animals and there is plenty of edge to love about the Gunton family’s Umbrella Range Angus stud. Page | 10 CONTENTS >> Index | Page 00 These conditions are prescribed for the sake of understanding between the Company and its clients. Advertising is charged for on the basis of space taken up using a standard tabloid page. Actual space may be reduced during the printing process but this will effect all advertisers equally so no credit will be given for any reduction in size due to processing. The Company reserves the right to alter, change or omit entirely any advertisement or article that it considers to be objectionable or which may contravene any law. In the event of a failure on the part of the Company to insert advertising as instructed the Company may publish the advertisement at the first available subsequent reasonable date unless the advertisement features date sensitive material. Every care shall be taken to publish the advertisement in accordance with the advertisers instructions as to page and position but the Company reserves the right for whatever reason to place advertising in a different position and in doing so shall incur no liability whatsoever. Advertisers must advise business rural immediately of any error or omission in advertisements and shall work constructively to remedy the situation which in the first instance shall be a rerun of the corrected advertisement in the next available issue of business rural. Where advertisement proofs have been faxed or mailed to the client 48 hours prior to the nominated printing cutoff time acquiesce shall be taken as confirmation and acceptance. Corrections made by telephone shall be accepted but the Company reserves the right to decide whether a further proof should be faxed or mailed to the client. Accounts for advertising are due for payment within seven days of publication of the newspaper. Accounts not paid within this time may incur a penalty of 3% per month until the account is paid. Any debt collection costs incurred by the Company will be added to the account of the debtor. Views and opinions expressed in business rural are not necessarily those of the editors, Waterford Press Ltd or publisher. Business rural welcomes contributions from freelance writers & journalists. All articles published at editors discretion. Business rural accepts no responsibilty for loss of photos or manuscripts. Printed by: Published by: 24,165 printed copies Christchurch Office 112 Wrights Road, Addington, Christchurch Phone 03-983 5500 PO Box 37 346 www.waterfordpress.co.nz Queenstown Office 70 Glenda Drive, Queenstown 9300 PO Box 2581, Wakatipu MANAGING DIRECTOR James Lynch james@waterfordpress.co.nz EDITORIAL Editor Randall Johnston randall@waterfordpress.co.nz Sub-Editor Paul Mein paulmein@waterfordpress.co.nz Journalists Kelly Deeks, Hugh de Lacy, Russell Fredric, Richard Loader, Kim Newth, Karen Phelps, Sue Russell, Virginia Wright. SALES ROOM Adam Feaver, Chris Graves, Megan Hawkins Mandi King, Allan J Knowles, Chris McPhee, Lisa Moffat, Colin Morais, Chris Pearce, Alasdair Thomson sales@waterfordpress.co.nz PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT General Manager Luke Lynch luke@waterfordpress.co.nz Graphic Artists Connor Gosnell, Anton Gray, Nick King, Sophie McCleary, Liki Udam. art@waterfordpress.co.nz CONTENT COORDINATORS Alissa Crosby, Ann-Marie Frentz OFFICE AND ACCOUNTS Manager Helen Bourne accounts@waterfordpress.co.nz Jill Holland reception@waterfordpress.co.nz
| 3 RURAL PEOPLE » Beechdale Farm: Lynley & Nigel Fox Cute sheep part of Woolly business Russell Fredric It was love at first sight when Lynley Fox spotted a picture of a Valais Blacknose sheep on Facebook about eight or so years ago. To her, the bundles of woolly cuteness, unmistakable with their black faces, ears, black patches on their knees, hocks and feet and long spiral horns were irresistible, but they were not being bred in New Zealand. Lynley is no wanna-be farmer. Despite her love of sheep and thinking lambs are the “cutest farm animals about” she has worked with them in commercial farming situations for decades. She and her husband Nigel own a 580 hectare/160 effective dry stock block in Rai Valley, Marlborough. The farm was a dairy unit until May last year when the herd was sold and transported to Southland. Nigel describes the day as bitter-sweet. “We have been here for 16 years and in that time we reached one of our two goals as a dairy farmer. “That was getting our herd’s breeding worth into the top 3% in New Zealand and the other goal was to get a bull into the LIC bull team which we didn’t achieve, although we came very close a few times.” Lynley says her first love has always been sheep. She worked as a shepherd from the age of 15, but upon meeting and marrying Nigel became a dairy farmer. After seeing the Valais sheep on Facebook, an internet search revealed there were none in New Zealand and she vowed if they were ever introduced “I’ve got to have one of them.” In 2017 some frozen embryo’s were imported from England and the following year Lynley bought 15 English Leicester ewes as her foundation ewes and sent them to a breeder who had a pure bred Valais ram. “That’s where it started from really.” Lynley has registered with the Valais Blacknose Sheep Society of New Zealand’s breeding-up programme as a means of her establishing a Valais flock without having to pay about $10,000 for one lamb from a frozen embryo. The first lambs born to the foundation ewes are classed as F1 cross, then their lambs are F2 and so on through the generations. F4 ewes are classed as pure and F5 rams are classed as pure. She now has 55 breeding ewes from F1 to F3 and 58 lambs. “Last year I had another seven F3 ewe lambs born, so hopefully this year I will have a couple of pure bred-ewe lambs born.” Valais originate in the mountains of the Valais French (French) or Wallis (German) area of Switzerland. They are dual-purpose and produce lean meat and coarse fibre with an average micron of 38 in mature sheep and 28 to 30 micron in lambs. The wool has a long staple, growing a total of about 30 centimetres annually. Lynley runs a boutique business, TheWoollySistersNZ, with her sister Carrie Watt. The business has an online shop that sells a range of products including carded and spun wool dyed in a range of colours, blankets and throws and Blister Blockers which are woollen footwear pads. Nigel and Lynley recently bought Homestead Carding, a Marlborough Sounds wool carding business which has two four metre long wool carders. The carding will both streamline TheWoollySistersNZ business as well as meeting demand for carding from customers. “Last year I had another seven F3 ewe lambs born, so hopefully this year I will have a couple of pure bred-ewe lambs born.” The wool from mature Valais sheep has a long staple, growing 30cm annually. Whether you have cattle, horses, dogs or cats, the staff at the Vet Centre in Richmond and Motueka endeavour to treat each animal and client as an individual with personal patient care. Let us help you treat your animals with the quality care they deserve. For a happier, healthier animal, family and lifestyle, come and see us at The Vet Centre, Richmond or Motueka. COMPLETE QUALITY ANIMAL CARE IN THE NELSON & TASMAN REGION www.vetcentre.net.nz 79 Gladstone Road, Richmond 03 544 5566 info@vetcentrerichmond.co.nz RICHMOND MOTUEKA 400d High Street, Motueka 03 528 8459 info@vetcentre.net.nz Proudly supporting Beechdale Farm Marlborough’s Lynley Fox runs a boutique business, TheWoollySistersNZ, with sister Carrie Watt. The business has an online shop that sells a range of products including carded and spun wool dyed in a range of colours, blankets and throws.
4 | Irrigation central to farm development Angus Aitken, son George and wife Elise. Photo Jess McGhie Virginia Wright Angus Aitken grew up on Craigforth, his family’s hill country sheep and beef farm on Banks Peninsula. When, after seven years banking, Angus and his wife Elise came back to get involved with the business of running the farm in 2014 he was keenly aware of a need to diversify. “I’d funded a few irrigation developments and it was always my intention to be involved in one,” says Angus. “I felt we needed that to be part of our farming business to protect us against drought and provide diversification.” When an opportunity arose in 2017 Angus and Elise put an experienced manager in place on Craigforth while they took on a venture in North Canterbury. They bought two blocks of land and have since added a third, on the Inland Road 20 minutes north of Culverden. They’ve spent the last four years expanding the irrigation already in place with more pivots while at the same time working out how to make best use of the attributes offered by the land. When Angus talks about expanding the irrigation he’s not talking about simply increasing the volume of water being applied to the ground however. He’s talking about a carefully moderated and controlled system allowing for a fine-tuning of the water application to make the most of every drop. The Aitkens currently irrigate 190 hectares of their combined 550 total and run a mixed cropping and finishing farm. “The vision was always to get into irrigated flat land,” says Angus. “It’s good land, with heavy soil, with lots of potential waiting to be realized so we want to improve the infrastructure, the irrigation and fertility of the land. Basically taking what was a typical grazing property and adding value to it.” They’ve been trialling high-value crops such as sweet-corn as they work towards establishing a system that best suits the land and its soil types. “I wouldn’t say I was an experienced farmer so I’m learning a lot as I go,” says Angus. “It’s taken four or five years to get where we are and I wouldn’t say we’re at status quo yet.” They’ve been surprised by the difference in climate, with North Canterbury’s frequent temperatures in the 30’s being a lot higher than what they’re used to on Banks Peninsula. That heat plus careful application of their water resource can be put to good use growing crops like corn, peas and clover rather than pasture grasses. The Aitkens are continually trying to improve their cholce of crop, and crop rotation, in harmony with their weather patterns and the attributes of the area. “We’re trying to keep an open mind and work with the climate rather than trying to fight it and repeat the same thing year on year,” explains Angus. Their use of irrigation is an important part of their plans and the care they take with it has been RURAL PEOPLE » Angus Aitken recognized with this year’s Zimmatic Trailblazer Sustainable Irrigation Award. Angus’s own interest in technology means they’ve made it an integral part of their farming approach, using soil moisture metering, satellite imagery, weather forecasts and apps for controlling pivots, leaving as little as possible to chance as they make the most of their irrigation. “We’re being very specific about how much water we put on certain areas of the farm and using as much technology as we can,” says Angus. “Monitoring daily and using weather forecasting means we can plan ahead which is the sustainability part of it, rather than just applying a general rule of thumb without the monitoring, and it helps us reduce the costs in our business so it’s economic as well.” He believes the Award was at least in part because of their intention to go to the next level in fine-tuning their irrigation by mapping the soil in their paddocks and having the capacity to apply water at variable rates (variable rate irrigation), thus using their resources as sustainably as possible. “It’s a combination of working with the weather forecast, working with the soil types and soil moisture through our moisture probes, and altering our application rates through the week and the days accordingly. We’re very precise and we change our application rates daily if its merited” says Angus.” Conservation was ingrained into us by my parents. Growing up my father was and still is involved in the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust and he’s always been big on Riparian planting. It’s an important part of who we are as a family to look after the waterways around us as we try and make a living off the land.” “I’d funded a few irrigation developments and it was always my intention to be involved in one. I felt we needed that to be part of our farming business to protect us against drought and provide diversification.” Sewage and wastewater treatment systems specifically designed for New Zealand conditions. NaturalFlow • BioRock • Graf • Rainwater Harvesting www.activeflow.co.nz 03 323 8541 hello@activeflow.co.nz
| 5 RURAL PEOPLE » Angus Aitken View of Banks Peninsula from the Stony Bay Peak Walk.
6 | Early recognition of Hugh Cameron (top), proprietor of Otematata Station. Hugh found himself suddenly in charge of the huge enterprise when his own father died unexpectedly, and he was left in charge of a 30,000-strong flock of merinos. Hugh de Lacy You can never start succession planning soon enough, according to Hugh Cameron, proprietor of the vast 41,000ha Otematata Station in the South Island’s Waitaki Valley. The station has been in the Cameron family for five generations, and Hugh has learned from his own experience the importance of ensuring that the succession process is managed, rather than just left to happen. Hugh found himself suddenly in charge of the huge enterprise that is Otematata Station when his own father died unexpectedly, and he was left in charge of a 30,000-strong flock of merinos and 300 mostly Hereford and Angus cross cattle. “Succession happened immediately, literally overnight, and as the only farming son – I’ve got two sisters – I was faced with a blank canvas as to how it would pan out,” Hugh says. “It was a huge responsibility to get stuck with so suddenly and it took a long time to adjust to.” Hugh is currently in the process of easing son Joe and Joe’s wife Pip into control of Otematata, but even that process was disrupted by the death of Hugh’s wife Mandy, which at a stroke doubled his workload. As a result he’s had to off-load much of his farmwork to Joe and Pip, and that’s provided a steep learning curve for all involved. Though Joe was brought up on the farm and had the advantage of being involved in his father’s running of the station since he could walk, he had other priorities when he came to decide what to do with his life. Rather than going straight onto the land as his father and grandfather did, he launched himself into a six-years career as an airline pilot with JetStar. Joe returned to Otematata six years ago with Pip, a rural school-teacher, and Hugh began the succession planning process a year later. Over the subsequent five years Joe and Pip have gone from having about a 10% responsibility for the running of the place, with Hugh handling the bulk of the work, to about 90% of it now. “We’ve reached the stage where we’ve employed a stock manager, Sam Clouston, to handle the day-to-day stock management while Joe focusses on irrigation and dry-land farming, and on the agronomy of the place while dealing with all the people involved,” Hugh says. “I’m still making stock decisions but I’m gradually divesting myself of that role, and Joe is emerging as the business manager.” The most important part of succession planning is “to become aware of people’s expectations early, and work them into the plan,” Hugh says. “We’ve made pretty much a joint venture of it so we all know what’s happening at any time.” The Camerons maintain a management strategy of minimal contact with their livestock, as suits the size of the property which includes 530ha of dryland development and 161ha of irrigation. Of the merino flock, 10,000 are wethers which roam the estate much of the year, and are mustered in the autumn onto lower wintering high country until they’re shorn in the spring. The 12,000 commercial ewes, serviced by a team of 275 rams, get more attention through pregnancy scans and foot-health checks, and the station also runs a stud flock of 400 ewes to provide its own rams. The stud flock supplies the genetics for the commercial ewes, with the sources broadened by the buying in of rams for specific traits from the Armidale Merino Stud of the Maniototo, Central Otago. Otematata station’s cattle comprise Hereford cows covered by Angus and Simmental bulls, though Angus bulls are used over first-time mothers to reduce the size of the calf for easier calving. RURAL PEOPLE » Otematata Station mckenzie+co chartered accountants | business advisors 16 Wear Street, Oamaru 9400 | 0800 007 377 | www.mckenzieca.co.nz Cameron Family = High Country Farming at its finest Proudly supporting Otematata Station Animal Health Partners
| 7 RURAL PEOPLE » Otematata Station people’s expectations key to succession Otematata Station (top) covers 41,000 hectares in the Waitaki Valley. Hayley Lawrence (Vetlife), Joe Cameron, Jake Brown, Katie Ball (Vetlife) checking the station’s ewes. Of the merino flock, 10,000 are wethers which roam the estate much of the year. Are proud supporters & Agronomists for Otematata Station.
8 | RURAL PEOPLE » Torrisdale Murray Greys Bolshy bull behind stud’s start-up Barry Macdonald checks his Murray Grey Bulls. Torrisdale has two sales each year; bulls are offered in October and females in March. Russell Fredric Murray Grey cattle have nearly been part of Barry Macdonald’s DNA for several decades. The second generation owner of Torrisdale Murray Grey stud, has been breeding the cattle for more than 50 years. In hindsight, Barry has a bolshy bull to thank for the establishment of the stud. In the early 1970’s, Barry’s late father Lindsay, had an encounter with a usually docile Angus bull which had been used over the few dairy cows owned by Barry. The beast took exception to being loaded on a truck for his last ever journey and after the incident artificial insemination was considered. On the recommendation of a mercantile store manager, Lindsay subsequently chose a Murray Grey bull for that purpose, totally unconcerned about what the breed was as long as it didn’t attempt to kill him, Barry says. “We got our first crop of four or five Murray Grey cross calves the following year. That was our humble beginnings.” The Macdonald’s established a breeding-up programme based on graded Murray Grey and Angus cows. Through artificial insemination, Australian bloodlines were utilised, but progress in the early years was slow with more bull calves than heifers being born. By the early 1990’s cow numbers were sufficient to warrant the purchase of stud sires from leading local Murray Grey studs and by 2004 the 1000th registered Torrisdale Murray Grey calf was born. Barry’s farm covers 170 hectares in Central Southland with the stud operating under commercial conditions on 120ha, while 50ha is leased. The stud winters about 350 cattle comprising 160 breeding cows, 160 yearling bulls and heifers, plus herd sires and beef cattle. Torrisdale genetics are used across a wide variety of breeding programmes; Murray Grey studs, Murray Grey commercial and cross-bred herds and in the dairy industry. This means a variety of bulls and females are available, all meeting the commercial requirements of clients while maintaining the breeds’ attributes. Torrisdale has two sales each year; bulls are offered in October and females in March. These ‘hybrid’ sales are held both on-farm and online through bidr. “All cattle are fully performance recorded and in the lead up to the bull sale in October the bulls are carcass scanned, semen tested and have undergone all vaccination regimes. In the lead up to the female sale, all the young females are carcass scanned and pregnancy tested.” Murray Greys are great all round cattle with many desirable traits, Barry says. They are colour dominant which makes them easily identifiable in a herd. “They are easy doing, they have great maternal abilities, lower birth weight, moderate growth rates. Their great carcass quality is really where their forte is.” Confirming this assertion, Torrisdale has received two top awards and a second place in Beef + Lamb New Zealand Steak of Origin competitions. Scanning shows evenness of fat cover, eye muscle area, intramuscular fat [IMF] and rib and rump properties. “If you have good IMF then hopefully that will indicate the taste and the tenderness of the product on the plate. It’s about presenting a quality product.” “They are easy doing, they have great maternal abilities ... Their great carcass quality is really where their forte is.” Hardegger Ag Ltd is a committed agricultural contracting business. We are based in the Isla Bank area with a focus on providing a quality service for our customers. The services we provide range from cultivation, baleage and the use of a 3km umbilical systemwith air compressor, stirrer and a positive attitude to spread your e luent. i a i i l l i i . i I l i i i li i . The services we provide range from l i i , l ili l i i , i i i i l . Contact Josh 027 236 2552 HardeggerAG Mobile: 021 362 766 Rabco Ag Ltd Tel: 03 225 8488 E-mail: admin@rabco.nz Web: www.rabbitt.co.nz Complete Silage, Baling, Cultivation, Effluent, Spraying & Excavator Contracting Service VETSOUTHARE PROUDTO SUPPORT TORRISDALE MURRAY GREYS BALCLUTHA | GORE | WINTON | INVERCARGILL | LUMSDEN | OTAUTAU | CLYDEVALE | TAPANUI 0800 VETSOUTH | vetsouth.co.nz
| 9 ARABLE » David & Justine Birkett Hurdles ahead on legislative horizon Hugh de Lacy Sustainability and minimum farm inputs are priorities for Justine and David Birkett on their 190 arable hectares in one of the most regulated zones in the country, in proximity to the severely polluted Lake Waihora (formerly Lake Ellesmere) in coastal Canterbury. The lake – no less than the nearby Lake Forsyth a little to the north – has been badly affected through decades of enrichment through run-off from the surrounding Canterbury farmland, and in the battle to bring sustainable life back to it the Birketts are in the front line. Efforts by Environment Canterbury to sweeten the soured waters have focussed on fencing off waterways and restricting nitrogen and carbon applications. “The regulations have mostly been achievable so far, but they’re time-consuming,” David says, adding that he sees bigger problems on the legislative horizon. “The Government’s Three Waters policy will end up costing farmers even more for water than currently,” he says, though he takes some comfort from the fact that ther initial mad rush to get them pushed through Parliament has been temporarily arrested in the face of widespread rejection by local authorities, especially the rural ones. No fewer than 67 district councils have given the Three Waters proposals an unequivocal thumbsdown, so the Labour Government has backed off and given itself time to take another look at them. However, “Farmers’ understanding of the current state of the Three Waters initiatives, such as those relating to nitrogen and carbon numbers, remain an issue,” David says. The soil types on the Birketts’ farm are mostly heavy, with some medium patches, and, being dead flat, it’s able to be fully irrigated with a combination of guns and a lateral, though because of the types of crops the Birketts grow it’s only 60-70% irrigated in any given year. The crops include wheat, white clover, ryegrass, peas, broad beans, radish, green beans and barley, along with pasture and lucerne, be they for processing or seed. “Our management philosophy is to understand and utilise all of the natural resources that are present on the farm,” David says. Apart from some drilling, and base fertiliser applications, all of the field operations are done with the farm’s own plant. While the diversified arable operations are the key to the farm’s viability, they are supplemented by revenues from livestock. “We trade lambs and ewes over autumn, winter and spring – about 900 of them during the winter just passed – but otherwise all stock have gone off the farm by summer,” David says. The Birkett family has been on the farm for 90 years, with David being the third generation to be running it. “We’re connected to the farm’s original settlers by marriage, so we know its history well,” he says. The upside of the Birketts’ farming in an environmentally sensitive zone is that at least product demand and returns are strong. “The outlook is good because food security is becoming one of the major concerns for many countries, but input costs and availability remain a worry,” David says. Outstanding success removing weeds, seeds such as dock, field madder, and fathen P SRS 03 302 8115 email: nzoffice@spsnz.co.nz Proud to be working with Birkett Farming Ltd SOUTH PACIFIC SEEDS (NZ) LTD Specialists in Hybrid Vegetable Seed Production • Concrete • Fertiliser Spreading - Farm Mapping - GPS Tracking - Variable Rate Spreading • Livestock Cartage • Grain Cartage • Shingle Supplies • Daily Freight Leeston: 03 3248 070 Dunsandel: 03 3254 039 reception@ellesmere.co.nz Wheat crop on David and Justine Birkett’s Canterbury farm; harvesting white clover (middle); hybrid radish. David Birkett (below) inspects a ryegrass crop; seedpea crop (at bottom).
10 | Dairy grazing synergy for wheat growers Kelly Deeks ARABLE » Springdale Farming Bill and Nick Davey of Springdale Farming Company have won their fourth United Wheat Growers Award, taking out the Mauri Mills Milling Wheat award for 2021. Their entry of Discovery had a very attractive line with great quality parameters. Bill and Nick have been growing Discovery for a number of years, and this variety has won them multiple Milling Wheat and Wheat category awards. Bill says the wheat that has won these competitions has been spring sown after dairy grazing during the winter. “The cows leave valuable nutrients behind after grazing kale crops which I’m sure has a lot to do with us being able to grow good quality milling wheat. We cultivate intensively after winter grazing to ensure we remove any pugging, at the same time as incorporating the residue the cows have left us with. We sow this wheat, Discovery, which we’ve used for a number of years, and it establishes well because of the fertility that has been left.” Bill and Lynda Davey and their son Nick farm a 487ha block on the south bank of the Rakaia river with some of the best soil in the country, if not the world. They grow a range of crops including cereals, grass seed, and brassicas for seed production. Land is also let to a local Dutch company to grow lilly and freesia bulbs for export. A large area of Italian ryegrass is also grown and used to graze hoggets over winter. The majority of this though is processed on farm and sold to local dairy farmers. The farm is irrigated and has its own deep water bores and a good allocation of water. Bill doesn’t think he could have picked a better farm. “Even though we need the insurance of irrigation, we have got excellent soil that holds the moisture, and we achieve some high yields.” The NorWest wind, so prevalent on the Rakaia Plains, brings high temperatures and gale force winds. This wind deposited the invaluable Barhill Sandy Silt Loam from the north bank of the Rakaia River to Springdale Farm on the south bank. “It’s amazing how different the soils are on the north bank of the Rakaia river, having been stripped of their topsoil many years ago. The same land, with the benefit of irrigation, is the perfect place to graze dairy cows. The Davey s arrived in New Zealand some 20 years ago and have witnessed first hand just how the dairy industry has grown so rapidly. The synergy that has been created between crop and dairy farmers is quite unique and a win for both parties. There is high demand in Rakaia for winter grazing, and Bill has the perfect place for cows to be kept. Flat terrain, which avoids run off, no lowland streams to worry about, and a pretty mild climate compared to some other areas. He has winter grazed dairy cows for long enough now to do it properly, wintering cows on the entirety of the home block for the past 12 years and feeding them kale and barley straw which is grown, harvested, and baled at home by Nick and his contracting business, Springdale Baling Contractors. Springdale Baling Contractors has grown off farm since it started 10 years ago, with Nick offering cultivation and harvesting services to several neighbouring farms. It works very well but both Nick and Bill agree that the demands of their own farm are always their priority. “The cows leave valuable nutrients behind after grazing kale crops which I’m sure has a lot to do with us being able to grow good quality milling wheat.” Award winning team: Rakaia’s Bill and Nick Davey have taken out their fourth United Wheat Growers Award. Office: 03 302 8098 David Molloy: 0274 362 441 David Mangin: 0274 802 216 Colin Woolsey: 0274 362 448 Gregor Robertson: 0274 362 438 Scott Rix: 0274 362 442 Stephen Mealings : 0274 362 459 Gemma Oliver: 0274 324 434 Martina Padrutt: 0272 863 489 Proud to support Springdale Farming Company Book online: www.molloyag.co.nz • Stock Cartage • General Freight • Fertiliser Spreading • Bulk Cartage • Hiab Hire • Cool Storage Ashburton (03) 308 4079 Waimate (03) 689 6100 Kurow (03) 436 0849 Fairlie (03) 685 8911 www.ruraltransport.co.nz | Proudly supporting Springdale Farming Company T R A N S P O R T L T D
| 11 ARABLE » Springdale Farming R J PRESTON LTD Farm Accountants JAMES GORDON IAN COOKE E-mail: James@rjpreston.co.nz GRANT DAVID McCULLOCH E-mail: Grant@rjpreston.co.nz TELEPHONE: 03 358 5686 FACSIMILE: 03 358 7958 www.rjpreston.co.nz 32B SHEFFIELD CRESCENT PO BOX 39065, CHRISTCHURCH 8545 BOAGS CONTRACTING 8 Rolleston Street, Rakaia Mark 0274 383 846 e. boag.bros@xtra.co.nz C O N T R A C T I N G WE ARE A SPREADMARK ACCREDITED COMPANY Springdale Farming’s Bill and Nick Davey have won multiple Milling Wheat and Wheat category awards. Earthmoving and Farm Maintenance Done Right 30 years of local knowledge and experience makes us the right people to talk to when it comes to earthmoving and farm maintenance. We explore every angle of a project upfront to ensure it runs smoothly and efficiently. For us, being the best isn’t about getting a job done fastest, or cheapest, it’s about getting it Done Right. Find out how we will get your project Done Right at tarbotton.co.nz
12 | ARABLE » Steve Bierema We Nurture Our Land We Value Our People Straw Sales Supplementary Feed Potatoes • Onions Wheat • Ryegrass Clover • Kale • Linseed Hybrid Vegetable Seed Logistics (Freight/Transport) We nurture our land to grow pure produce for the New Zealand and export market. P 03 302 2799 E r.hewson@xtra.co.nz E hewsonfarms.co.nz Fully irrigated best practice arable and vegetable farming located in the Pendarves/Chertsey area of the flat Canterbury plains. New FAR chairman brings wealth of A recent all nighter in grass seed as a result of the season at the moment. Hugh de Lacy and seed companies in Mid Canterbury. We’ve been here for nearly 50 years. who we are and how we work with farmers. where we are and the relationships we have built over generations. Call us to discuss how we can be your success partner on 0800 900 308 It was a mid-life crisis and new challenge that brought arable farmer Steve Bierema to Mid-Canterbury from his native Netherlands in 2004, and as newly-appointed chairman of the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) he’s making a significant contribution to the New Zealand industry. Steve farms 500ha near Rakaia, growing wheat, barley, linseed, spinach, grass and clover seeds and peas, and the lettuce-like brassica pakchoi for export to China and Vietnam. In the Netherlands Steve grew seed potatoes, sugar beet and that iconic Dutch crop tulips, as well as carrots for the local fresh market. This was on a 120ha farm – large by Dutch standards – and he had a further 30ha under lease, but with land prices the way they were, and rising costs, he felt increasing intensification of the operation was not the way to go, and he wanted out. Steve had been an exchange student in Australia in 1980, and this had opened his eyes to the potential Down Under, especially in MidCanterbury where he’d heard such a wide range of arable crops is grown. He had been involved in farming and research groups and directorships in the Netherlands, so it was natural for him to do the same in New Zealand, and that led eventually to his becoming FAR chairman in January this year. FAR is an applied research organisation responsible to and funded under the commodity levy legislation by arable farmers through a 0.9% levy on turnover – a small investment compared to most large industries where spending 2-3% of turnover on research and development is standard, Steve says. FAR has offices in Templeton, south of Christchurch, and an 8ha research plot at Chertsey, south of Rakaia, while larger studies are conducted on members’ farms. The key areas that FAR research is involved in are greenhouse gas emissions, especially nitrogen, the reduced use and increased efficiency of chemicals and fertilisers, and efforts to make arable farming ever more financially and environmentally resilient. “The Government wants us as much as possible to reduce our gas emissions, but the implications are way wider than that because every time you reduce fertiliser use you’re reducing emissions,” Steve says. “The trick is: how do you reduce your fertiliser applications without reducing productivity. “When it comes to chemicals on farms, society demands that we change, and whether we like it nor not, that’s a fact. “Financial resilience is a matter of trying to optimise inputs in a changing world in which the cost of fertilisers and chemicals constantly rising, making it something we have to adjust to.” FAR has demonstrated its value in a succession of scientific advances of which one of the most significant lately has been the use of a straw-shortening proprietary chemical that ensures seeding grass stalks continue to stand erect during the flowering period, rather than folding to the ground under the weight of a lush grass growth. “This has resulted in a 30-to-40% increase in grass seed production,” Steve says. “It’s small changes like this that make arable farming financially more resilient.” “When it comes to chemicals on farms, society demands that we change, and whether we like it nor not, that’s a fact.” Steve Bierema taking a break from roguing thistles in a white clover seed paddock
| 13 Tough wine harvest in North Canterbury amid pandemic North Canterbury Winegrowers Association chairperson Mike Saunders and Hurunui District Council mayor Marie Black at Greystone Wines. VITICULTURE » North Canterbury Wine experience The North Canterbury wine region is marking the official start of harvest, in what has been described as the ‘toughest season ever’. Hurunui District Council mayor Marie Black picked the first grapes of harvest at one of the region’s vineyards. “The North Canterbury Wine Region is a crucial part of our district’s fabric and I can only imagine all the hours and hard work that has gone in to getting to this point,” says mayor Black. Also dubbed ‘the coolest little wine region’ North Canterbury is the fourth largest wine region in New Zealand, with nearly 1400 ha planted in vines, while it employs over 600 people across the 71 wineries in the area. The mayor acknowledged the combination of challenging weather and operating in a Covid environment placed additional pressure on local vineyards this season. North Canterbury Winegrowers Association chairperson Mike Saunders joined the mayor at Greystone Wines for the first pick of the crop. Mike says wineries across the region are now preparing for a harvest with Omicron at their doorsteps, meaning many are working under restricted harvest conditions. “Our grapes won’t wait for Covid so we’re doing everything we can to protect ourselves and ensure we can remain operational,” says Mike. Mike is also viticulturist at Greystone wines, where vineyard and winery teams will have to say goodbye to each other for now, to avoid contact. “We’re splitting our teams into two distinct bubbles so we can carry on as best we can in case a team member has to isolate. It’s nothing new to us though, as we had to operate like this during the first lockdown at the start of the pandemic.” Measures new to this season include having two teams of pickers who will be distanced across rows. For the vineyard team, individuals will be assigned a tractor, with nobody working in anything but the tractor assigned to them. “The reality is Omicron is coming so we have to be prepared. Given we’re lucky to have critical worker status, we have to be exemplary and that’s what we intend to be,” says Mike. While it has been one of the toughest seasons Mike has ever worked, the fruit is looking superb, he says. “We’ve had a real mixed bag of rain and lack of sunlight, which has just meant we’ve had to work smarter in the vineyard.” Mike and his vineyard team have done all they can to protect the vines throughout the season. A major move has been opening up the leaf canopy to allow the air to get in and dry out the vines. “The nets are now on the vines, and I can’t wait to dive into a busy harvest. This is what we work towards each year, so bring it on.” – Supplied Steve with son and business partner Pieter Taco. Emptying a trailer with marrowfat peas into the drying shed.
14 | Focus on workplace culture rewarded Aquila Sustainable Farming took out the Blue River Dairy Workplace Wellbeing Award at the 2021 Southland Business Excellence awards. Richard Loader The grass looks greener at the six Southland organic dairy farms managed by Aquila Sustainable Farming Limited (ASF), and it is not just about rain and sunshine When new members join the farm team they often say everything really is just as good, just as green, as they had heard it was, and that has a lot to do with workplace wellbeing and culture. Proving just how good things are, Aquila Sustainable Farming won the Blue River Dairy Workplace Wellbeing Award at the 2021 Southland Business Excellence awards. Winning the award was apt reward for what has been a challenging but transformational journey over a five-year period. German investment company Aquila Capital, purchased the dairy units in 2011 as a five-year term investment, engaging the services of a farm management company. Plans changed with the drop in milk prices and Aquila shifted to a longer-term strategy, investigating what it could do to set the farms apart and add real value. An organic pathway was decided on in 2016, and the following year ASF was established as a subsidiary of Aquila Capital, charged with overseeing the transition to organic. In parallel the new ASF management team initiated a bold shift in workplace culture with a focus on wellbeing. “Put on a scale, our journey started in 2017 in minus numbers,” says Compliance Leader Jason Craig. “Culture is always there — be it intentional or unintentional. Our first task was to demonstrate what benefits a positive culture would have on the teams and we did that by leading by example with consistent messaging and joining in with things like leadership courses to show that we’re part of the team.” Creating a safe culture where honesty prevails and people are happy to admit mistakes rather than hide behind them was also key to fostering the ‘one team’ dynamic. “The culture is based around support, leading with empathy, continual improvement and personal development. It’s all about our people and making sure we can give them the tools to improve and get where they want to be. We will never put a ceiling on anyone. If someone wants to do some training or needs help we will always be there.” ARABLE » Aquila Farms • Organic farms p16 Entering the awards provided a good opportunity for ASF to share to the wider community the achievements that had been made by the farm team, and to showcase the dairy industry in a very positive light. “We entered the award because we know we do really good things. We started transforming the workplace culture from scratch and entering the awards was an opportunity to reflect on what had been achieved. The award means so much because we have worked so hard prioritising our people, and so to be recognised for this alone shows that we are going in the right direction.” The ASF team first entered the Workplace Wellbeing award in 2019 and was selected as a Finalist, so knew then that it was on the right track, but had some opportunities to improve. Going through the application process in 2021 provided the opportunity to again reflect on what had been achieved since May of 2017, and that clear improvements had been made. One of the key changes was encouraging farm initiatives to come directly from the farm teams who put forward ideas for what they wanted to do and how they wanted to do it. “That’s where things changed. The farm team would come to us and say they would like to do a leadership programme but we want to do it in a different way this year. The ASF team would say brilliant, give us some ideas and we will make it happen.” In any shift in business culture there will always be laggards. Those whose values for whatever reason don’t align with the business and are reluctant to get on the train and take the journey. Jason says while staff turnover had initially been high, last season that plummeted to just 8%. “Benchmarked against any industry, that’s quite impressive. While the first year was a challenge, as those not interested in the new culture left, we created a system where our teams looked out for new team members who would fit the culture. We empowered them to employ those people and that’s when culture really began to cement itself. To be able to go back to our people and say that the award had been won as a team and that they were a big part of that was amazing, the sense of achievement for all our managers and staff is just incredible. They are so proud of themselves; and so they should be. A lot of our team members are very positive people who bounce off each other, and that’s a good place to be.” “The culture is based around support, leading with empathy, continual improvement and personal development. It’s all about our people and making sure we can give them the tools to improve and get where they want to be.” Barret Ag Ltd Ph: Kahu - 027 5183 448 E: barrettagltd@gmail.com FB: Barrett Ag FULL SILAGE AND BALEAGE SERVICE ALL CULTIVATION Including direct drill and strip tilling - precision planting EXCAVATION 20 tonne digger/grader, D85 bulldozer/roller, tip trucks and trailers PH ALEX 021 277 5308 HOME 03 225 5377 Paddock Cultivation from Ploughing to Sowing Dry Hire available Aerating Direct Drilling Ridging Mulching Dairy Lane Maintenance Tip Trailers • Vibrating Roller • Effluent Services Large Skid Steer for calf shed cleaning, loading Muck Spreaders etc 4 Muck Spreaders • 16,000 litre Slurry Tanker • Pond Stirrer • Umbilical Slurry System Sheep Conveyor Drenching, Vaccination etc • 3 way draft Enabling better people management and leadership in the food and fibre sector. 021 165 2004 | lynsey@primarypeople.co.nz | www.primarypeople.co.nz
16 | Three-pronged approach to sustainable farming Aquila Farms has a portfolio of six Southland organic dairy farms. Inset: “Our people are our biggest asset,” says Compliance Leader Jason Craig. ARABLE » Aquila Farms Managing six organic dairy units and two run-off blocks in Southland, Aquila Sustainable Farming (ASF) has adopted a threepronged approach to sustainable farming - people, animals and the environment. “Our people and our teams are our biggest asset,” says Compliance Leader Jason Craig. “If you look after them they will care about the business. We’re very proactive about animal health and because of that we see benefits across the business. “Being organic, each cow can only have three treatments a year. So to ensure our stock are healthy we have to be very proactive, and we have extra equipment that helps us do that. This year we only had nine ‘three-treatment’ cows across 5500 cows. And we’re doing our best to look after the land by farming organically. We want to ensure we don’t take out more than we can put back in.” The portfolio of farms includes a 1400-hectare property in Dipton, 460-hectare property in Kaiwera, 417-hectare property in Riversdale, 220-hectare property in Otautau, 280-hectare property in Edendale and 192-hectare property in Tuatapere. The cows are typically milked twice a day from August through to May, though this year the ASF team has been trialling a 10/7 system, which allows a bit more free time for those involved in milking and reduces animal stress. “We will be assessing the results of that over the next few weeks to see if it is something that we could adopt across other farms going forward.” Thirty-six permanent staff, and up to fifteen casual workers are employed across the six dairy units and two support blocks which are used for young stock, wintering and providing a crucial Richard Loader source of organic supplement. “We have to be proactive and well-prepared for weather events, because bringing organic supplements in is more difficult and more expensive. Transport costs alone are very expensive. We have tried to counteract that by growing as much supplement as we can. We also have great people who we work with for organic grain.” In 2018 the farms received AsureQuality organic certification to the EU standard and collectively became the largest single supplier of organic milk in New Zealand, and one of the largest suppliers of certified grass-fed milk in the world. “We have found our cows are healthier for being farmed organically,” says Jason. “We’re also guaranteed a premium for our milk, so if there is another downturn we always have that premium. There are no synthetic inputs, meaning the land is not burdened with harsh chemicals. Because of the constraints of what we can and can’t do it also makes us think outside the box for solutions. “That allows everyone to be quite engaged and creative.” The people powering our farms Starting life as Grassroots Consulting in 2020, immigration advisory specialist Visalegal has built a solid reputation for providing practical and pragmatic support to a client base that includes employers and migrant workers. Having worked in the immigration industry for a number of years, Melanie Silcock decided the time was right to stamp her own unique mark on the industry, founding Visalegal. Initially focused strongly on the dairy and rural sector, over the last 18 months Visalegal has evolved to embrace the construction industry, which now forms half its clients. While Melanie is based in Morrinsville, the heart of dairy farming country, the business has rapidly expanded and now includes sta working remotely throughout New Zealand, supporting clients in both North and South Islands. Visalegal provides immigration advice and representation to both employers and migrant workers looking for employment in New Zealand. “We’re not just here to tell our customers what to do. We support them through the immigration process. We o er one-o advice on matters that migrants or employers ask about, and/or full representation of a case management before Immigration New Zealand. We’re also expanding our services to include HR policies and processes, including health and safety, which will align with the immigration reforms to be put in place later this year.” Melanie says she and her team o er expertise in knowing how to navigate the immigration processes, so that it can be done correctly from the outset. “The processes are quite complex and we can remove any anxiety as to whether or not it’s done correctly. For HR policies and processes, I try to tailor our services to what a business might need. Employers are going to need sound and up to date HR policies and procedures to get a migrant a visa. We can either audit what the business already has and how it aligns with Immigration, or we can ill any gaps in the policies, or we can set it all up from scratch. The same goes with immigration. We can provide a ‘step-by-step’ as to what is required for clients to do it themselves, or we can handle it and ensure its done correctly from start to inish.” When Melanie took the plunge and set her business up she did so with the understanding that she was there to support people, going out of her way to help an employer and migrant worker achieve the best result. “We work together, and collaborate and I get satisfaction out of knowing or feeling I have helped a client beyond just getting a visa.”
18 | Smart tech improves farm efficiencies The Jenkins Road Dairies team: Alex, Manpreet Singh, Gavin (front), Raka, Hayden , Adrian. Kelly Deeks DAIRY » Jenkins Road Dairies: Manpreet & Jaspreet Singh Boparai • to page 19 Tuatapere’s Jenkins Road Dairies has made a move to automation, improving efficiencies with time and labour savings and enhancing its animal welfare as smart technology helps farm staff to provide the best care possible to the 1300cow herd. The two dairy sheds on two adjacent farms, while already being fitted with in-shed meal systems, automatic cup removers, and automatic teat sprayers, have this season been fitted with Protrack for and to end automation and integration with the farms; herd management. Contract milker Manpreet Singh Boparai says the dairy sheds are now one-man sheds. “We are streamlining everything we can to try to bring more efficiencies into our system,” he says. “This being a large herd, we always deal with large numbers of staff, so having exactly the same system in both cowsheds it’s a lot easier to run and manage, and a lot easier to train our staff as well.” Five full time and two casual staff work across both Jenkins Road farms. A different person will be milking in the morning to the person milking in the afternoon, so while inter-staff communication is critical to the smooth running of the farm, it can also be difficult to get everybody in one place at one time for a sit-down meeting without losing time and efficiencies. “All of these systems have made communication a bit more streamlined. The whole system is on the cloud,all of the staff have the MINDA app on their phone, and information is being shared with everyone.We are relying on technology and automation and smartphones. “Every morning, everyone gets a plan of what’s going on that day, and if anyone has got anything to be shared with the whole team, they can just put it on the group chat. It’s simple, but we use it all the time and it’s working for us.” On animal welfare, Manpreet says if someone sees a lame cow, they can just punch in the tag number and she will be drafted straight away. “We had been doing this manually and to pullone cowout of 1300 cows, it was a mission. Someone has to stand on the other side and go through the tags and then draft the cow, and sometimes we would miss her. Maybe we would keep on missing her. “Now we just push the number in and right in the next milking she’ll be out. This really helps us to look after animal welfare.” Manpreet and his wife Jaspreet are now into their second season contract milking at Jenkins Road Dairies, and it has been a pretty unstable season weather-wise. A bit of rain at the start was followed by a lot of wind, drying off all the moisture and stressing the grass which was trying to grow, but going to seed. “The quality of grass has been a challenge throughout the season, and we’re struggling with quantity as well,” Manpreet says. • Log Cartage • Stock / Bulk • PROUDLY SUPPORTING JENKINS ROAD DAIRIES LTD Fertiliser • Gravel • Contracting • ransporting T 0800 22 5899 www.dtking.co.nz 03 225 8356 Otautau 03 225 5899 Pukemaori 03 234 8120 Riverton Barret Ag Ltd Ph: Kahu - 027 5183 448 E: barrettagltd@gmail.com FB: Barrett Ag FULL SILAGE AND BALEAGE SERVICE ALL CULTIVATION Including direct drill and strip tilling - precision planting EXCAVATION 20 tonne digger/grader, D85 bulldozer/roller, tip trucks and trailers TUATAPERE SERVICE STATION YOUR FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS OPERATING FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS. • Full workshop facilities • 24/7 Allied fuel • Fishing & hunting gear • Hardware supplies • Tools & automotive accessories 20 Orawia Road, Tuatapere | 03 226 6475 | tuataperess@xtra.co.nz
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