6 | RURAL PEOPLE » Eight Mile Farms Lowering the carbon footprint on farm Eight Mile Farms encompasses an 800-cow dairy farm producing 275,000 kilograms of milksolids annually, a 400-hectare dry stock property and three sheep and beef properties totalling 1,670 hectares. Karen Phelps Over the last 10 years King Country farmers Matt and Olivia Buckley of Eight Mile Farms have been investigating options for effectively and sustainably integrating dairy and beef into their farm system. “We have a particular interest in lowering the carbon footprint of our farming operation. Studies have demonstrated in New Zealand that dairyderived beef has a 32-48% lower carbon footprint than beef from mixed cattle so we needed to ensure the full utilisation of non-replacement dairy calves. Having an integrated farming system has enabled us to closely monitor the performance of our stock from birth until finishing,” explains Olivia. Eight Mile Farms encompasses an 800-cow dairy farm producing 275,000 kilograms of milksolids annually, a 400-hectare dry stock property and three sheep and beef properties totalling 1,670 hectares. It was in 2023 that they decided to explore options to enhance the efficiency of their non-replacement Proud to be working alongside Eight Mile Farms Listening. Thinking. Innovating. Hamish 027 777 6619 Olivia 027 515 5102 100% KIWI OWNED? THAT’S RARE. As a 100% NZ owned and operated business, we’re committed to ensuring Kiwi farmers trust us to take their meat from your farm to the world. We’re proud to be delivering on that commitment with continued financial success and growing our operations from strength to strength with smart investment where it counts. dairy stock. They identified that a strategic combination of automation and premium beef genetics would deliver significant improvements. Investment was then made in automated calf rearing technology with a system supplied by Bell-Booth comprising three CalfExpert automated feeding units. In just one season of using the new system they have seen a big difference. Previously calves were weaned at ten weeks weighing around 85 kilograms. Now some calves are weaning at just 52 days at 95 kilograms. “Olivia ran the numbers and it’s costing us the same in dollar terms but we are 15 kilograms ahead compared with the old system,” says Matt. The CalfExpert units allow calves to feed up to three times a day (once every four hours) with some feeding groups now receiving up to 12 litres of milk. “It more replicates what is natural,” says Matt. “Before that we fed them a fortified four litres once a day.” Each feeder accommodates up to 150 calves across four stations with six pens of 75 calves each housed in the shed. For the first ten to fourteen days calves remain indoors after which a gate opens
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