74 | The enormous benefits of healthy soil Senior technical specialist Tracey Thomson. Sue Russell RURAL SERVICES » Osflo Fertiliser Ltd It’s just as well that senior technical specialist Tracey Thomson of Inglewood-based Osflo Fertiliser Ltd, is an early starter. It’s not uncommon for farmer clients to be giving her a call at 5.30 in the morning. “Often dairy farmers are thinking about things while they’re milking and then they give me a call. I like early starts. It means I can organise my day well and tick all the boxes,” she says. Tracey has been with the organic fertiliser, soil and herbage testing company for two years and says its philosophy, practices and standards dove-tail nicely into how she likes to work with clients’ soil health needs. “I enjoy visiting farmers and talking through what their needs and issues are. It’s great that there is growing interest and understanding on their part of the benefits working more sustainably with soil nutrients to improving soil structure and biology. These approaches deliver long-term benefits.” As Tracey explains and simplifies what must be very complex science she paints a picture of how, literally all aspects of a farm’s performance improve measurably when care is given to creating the healthiest soil conditions possible. “I’ve always loved soil, what it is, how it processes nutrients that can be taken up by plants - and then passed on to animals eating pasture and crops. We all benefit enormously from healthy soil, right through to humans and I get so much pleasure helping farmer clients, growers, gardeners and the like to realise the very best from their soil.” Osflo Fertiliser Ltd conducts soil and herbage testing, depending on the needs, goals or concerns each client has. “We create specific fertiliser blends that are in tune with the precise needs of the farm and farmer Peter Harrison 06 278 3054 or 027 448 0802 Regent Street, Hawera BULK SPREADERS AND TRAILERS Made in NZ with NZ components for NZ conditions • Prompt Backup Service • Drawbeams • Roll Bars • Bumpers • Chassis Alteration • Repairs and Maintenance • Structure Steel Fabrication for Buildings and Houses Proudly supporting Osflo Fertiliser Custom built bins and trailers & all associated truck and trailer work Proud to support Osflo Fertiliser Ltd Supporting your rural business www.tandemgroup.co.nz We keep you growing HAWERA • PHONE 0800 480 309 Proud to support Osflo Fertiliser and their fertiliser budgets to meet the needs of both farm productivity and to increase farm soil health.” Tracey says the best results with Osflo are when a farmer maintains a long-term regime to see improvement over a number of years. “Our biggest advantage is the organic matter from the composted chicken litter feeds the micro-organisms in the soil. These microorganisms underpin soil health and performance and that takes time to work however over time the benefit is profound.” Having a healthy soil improves drainage leading to soil that is more resilient to pugging and has less erosion and runoff. This means less nutrients in waterways and more nutrient staying on farm. A healthy soil has better water retention in dry spells and has deeper more extensive root systems. Plants with better root systems are able to take up more nutrients and perform better in drier conditions. It was during Tracey’s time undertaking geology and soil science degrees that she fell in love with how wonderful soil is.“I ended up loving soil. There’s a whole world in the soil that no-one then talked about. When you understand the science and what is alive in the soil you can then apply that knowledge to how you can help the soil biology improve.”Osflo Fertiliser Ltd is both Fertmark and Biogro accredited, meaning the way the fertilisers are formed, stored, handled and applied all reach audited standards. Given this, a significant number of organic farmers turn to Tracey and her colleagues for advice on suitable fertiliser applications. “We also provide our blends to conventional farming situations as well. I love working with farmers. They’re great people and each farmer has his or her own goals as to what they hope to achieve, so it’s tremendously satisfying work.” Tracey works alongside a group of dedicated professionals; including the rest of the technical team, the dispatch team with spreader drivers who take a lot of pride in spreading the product professionally, the shed crews who clean out the chicken sheds, and the admin team. I’ve worked in several fertiliser companies and have to say I really enjoy contributing to what Osflo Fertiliser Ltd delivers to its customers.
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