Business Rural North Spring 2021

12 | A winning attitude goes a long way Waikato dairy, cropping, sheep and beef farmer Alan Henderson is all about giving students a go at farming. Richard Loader O perating a very diverse family farming opera- tion in the Waikato, Cranleigh’s Alan Hender- son has a policy of giving Year 12 and 13 high school students the opportunity to experience farm life and develop an early passion for it. Mainly from the Te Awamutu area, to date half a dozen students have worked weekend and school holidays on Alan’s 400-hectare farm, which encom- passes dairy, cropping, sheep and beef. Alan’s motivation for providing students with the opportunity to work on his farm is driven by a strong need to give back to the industry that has been good to him over many years. “I also find there are lots of kids out there who just need the opportunity to be involved in a farm,” says Alan. “Quite often they will be the ones who carry on and do an Ag degree of some kind at uni- versity. At the moment we have a young lady who is a veterinary student from Massey University. She has been with us for the last two years.” Just how long individual student stays on the Henderson farm really depends on the person and Alan has very strict standards that each student must meet in order for him to put effort into them. “The first standard is that they have to turn up on time. Secondly they have to turn up respectable and alert. And the third standard is that I’m not going to pay them until they’ve proven themselves. They start with a $5000 credit and when I consider that credit has been achieved, then I will consider if they are worthwhile actually paying.” That is all about building a work ethic funda- mental to the business of farming and Alan says the biggest hurdle achieving the last standard is parental support. “For example, if that student is out hoeing thistles for two days in a row and they go home and say all they’ve done is hoe thistles and the parent RURAL PEOPLE » Cranleigh: Alan Henderson says, ‘well you’re not getting paid for it, why turn up?, that’s parental non-support. If that’s the at- titude, I actually don’t want them because they have the wrong support attitude. Whereas the young lady who’s studying to be a vet has come from town, hadn’t been on a farm before and within two months was driving a 200hp tractor doing cultiva- tion, because her attitude was so superior.” The youngest of three children, Alan is the sec- ond generation to farm the land that has been in his family since 1958. “I’ve been on the home farm since I left school in 1989. From eight years of age I was always the farmer in the family, primarily the sheep farmer. I think the early draw for me was the practical side of farming and that remains my core ability across a wide berth of farming enterprises including en- gineering, being a sparky, being a plumber and all those sorts of things. And it’s all self taught. In more recent times I’ve been involved in the research side of farming and that’s where my involvement with the Foundation of Arable Research (FAR) has come to light.” Located in the Paterangi district Alan has grown the initial 172 hectares bought by his parents to 400 hectares. Milking 800 cows, the dairy operation is the farm’s key enterprise but there is also a large cropping operation with 80ha of maize, and 50ha of chicory or turnips. Forty hectares of maize and all the chicory and turnips feed the dairy herd with the remainder of the maize sold to the poultry or goat industry. Seven hundred calves are reared commercially each year and sold into the weaner market at 100kgs. Cranleigh put Craigmore Bulls exclusively over their dairy cows. The calves have tended to be lighter birth weight which leads to easier and safer calving. Calf growth rates have been high. Overall carcass data has been very good. Eighty drystock beef are run and finished and Angus bulls are put over the dairy heifers, with the calves sold in the early market at three weeks of age. A small flock of sheep grazing around the trees and houses complete the farms diversity. Recently appointed Waikato Federated Farm- ers Arable Chairman, Alan has also been involved in FAR for the last twelve years.“As part of that there are a number of on farm trials evaluating various aspects of cropping. The research side of cropping is a very strong interest for me. We also have a number of trials for genetic technologies for Pioneer, the maize seed organisation. High yields of grain has always been my driven goal and in the grain industry that’s trying to achieve over twenty tonnes per hectare, which I have achieved.” Office (07) 825 9870 Mace 0275 397 602 Graeme 027 451 8143 Email: admin@gcl.net.nz 525 Te Pahu Road, RD5, Hamilton Goodwright Contracting Ltd is pleased to be associated with Alan Henderson Diggers • Bulldozer • Truck & Trailers • Tractor & Trailers • Effluent Ponds • Feed Pads Ground work • Ag Lime & Fert Cartage • All Grades of Metal • Sand Gary Dando (Jockey) Ph: 07 871 5272 Mob: 027 493 1879 · Email: dispatch@dibbletransport.co.nz · 1495 Alexandra Street PO box 320 Te Awamutu WE STOCK: AG LIME WOODCHIP CHIPPER FINES Delivered or Pick up Ex Store All FarmMetal/Stock Food From the quarry or store of your choice. Fertiliser ex works or your local store. We will work with any local spreading contractor of your choice. WE SUPPLY AND CART: AG LIME / RACE FINES RACE ROCK / AGGREGATES STOCK FOOD ALL BULK PRODUCTS OUR EFFICIENCY IS YOUR ECONOMY! WE PROUDLY SUPPORT ALAN HENDERSONWITH ALL HIS BULK CARTAGE NEEDS