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
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