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.”
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