42 | Taking positive strides towards ownership Reece, Tash, Addison and Cobie Cox. The decision to fix a third of their milk production has provided a greater level of certainty. Sue Russell Reece and Tash Cox have made very positive strides toward their ultimate goal of farm ownership as sharemilkers at Whakamaru, near Taupo. Prior to this farm, which they have been on now for six months, they were happily contract milking for very supportive farm owners, David and Lesley Jensen, on their 240 hectare Tauranga farm. While in this situation they also leased a run-off. Tash works part-time in design and marketing, part-time rearing calves and taking care of farm administration. “We have 700 cows on 270ha. We bought 400 cows off the previous sharemilker here with the balance of cows coming with us from our previous farm,” Reece explains. He says that in the last five or six years the couple have had a much clearer vision. As a young farmer and young manager it can be daunting to imagine how, goals can eventually be achieved. “Once you understand equity, growth and return of investment you are on the right track to attain your goals. We also want to enjoy the journey, not work too hard on ourselves but we have made a lot of sacrifices.” Reece undertook a Diploma in Agriculture which, he says, helped him widen his skill set, understanding the numbers and how to make their business thrive. RURAL PEOPLE » Reece and Natasha Cox Proud to support Reece and Tash in their farming journey. Need support on yours? Give us a call for a free consultation on howwe could help you. 44 Te Heuheu Street Taupo | 07 376 1700 info@strettons.co.nz | facebook.com/strettons 2 Satco Drive, Tokoroa PH. (07) 886 6413 TOTAL ANIMAL CARE FOR THE SOUTH WAIKATO 75 Tirau Street, Putaruru PH. (07) 883 3018 109 State Highway 30, Whakamaru PH. (07) 882 8685 FARM ANIMAL SERVICES • SMALL ANIMAL SERVICES • DAIRY RESOURCES “We struggled a bit earlier on and tried to find a mentor but it can be hard to get someone who is willing. Some friends of ours within the industry created a farming group like ‘Green to Gold’; five couples, all in similar positions. The whole thing was very open book. We catch up every six weeks and its a really supportive space.” On their current farm, the land is rolling to steep. It’s been in dairying 15 years. Reece says its a lovely farm. The farm is owned by a Maori Trust. The herd is Kiwi-cross who, Reece says, perform well and are in good condition. “At this stage, we’ve had a good season. We are well up on our target and we’re tracking to do 285,000kgMS or 415kgMS/cow.” Having said this, Reece points out that he doesn’t really focus too much on the production side but on the profitability of the farming system. “There has to be a margin in everything we do. We’re fortunate here, with a fairly long contract. It gives us a good chance to really improve our equity position before taking the next step to farm ownership.” Reece and Tash are parents to five year old daughter Addison and three year old son Cobie. Very busy farm kids. A small country school is within handy reach as well. The milking shed is a fairly modern 54-bale rotary with high-end specifications. The Trust has recently installed Protrac draft, Milk Yield
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