After 21 years Advance Agriculture is delivering ongoing success, embracing new technologies and products while remaining customer focused - Page 34 Looking Forward Spring 2022 www.waterfordpress.co.nz
2 | Page | 7 Page | 34 Page | 89 Page | 31 Page | 72 Breed making its mark on NZ scene Clip of the Year for Armidale Merino Making the right moves at the right time Lighthouse leads way on farm performance Trevalda Irish Sporthorses has just secured the future of the pure Irish Draught breed in New Zealand through some key purchases. A second New Zealand Merino Excellence Award in six years for the clip of year has further boosted the pro le of Armidale Merino Stud. Awards win adds lustre to century-old farm Charlie Hore and Belinda Colling, of Patearoa Station have won the Commercial Flock category at The Otago Merino Association’s Clip of the Year Competition. Maber Award holds special signi cance Power Farming Timaru Owner Ross Dawbin is named the Laurie Maber trophy recipient and takes the silver award for national tractor salesperson of the year. Advance Agriculture has grown and evolved to meet the needs of the farming community over the last 21 years, while maintaining its founding values. Ruwan Wijayasena’s Lighthouse contract milking operation near Hororata was named best performing farm at Theland Farm Group’s annual conference. Page | 17 CONTENTS >> Index | Page 104 These conditions are prescribed for the sake of understanding between the Company and its clients. Advertising is charged for on the basis of space taken up using a standard tabloid page. Actual space may be reduced during the printing process but this will effect all advertisers equally so no credit will be given for any reduction in size due to processing. The Company reserves the right to alter, change or omit entirely any advertisement or article that it considers to be objectionable or which may contravene any law. In the event of a failure on the part of the Company to insert advertising as instructed the Company may publish the advertisement at the first available subsequent reasonable date unless the advertisement features date sensitive material. Every care shall be taken to publish the advertisement in accordance with the advertisers instructions as to page and position but the Company reserves the right for whatever reason to place advertising in a different position and in doing so shall incur no liability whatsoever. Advertisers must advise business rural immediately of any error or omission in advertisements and shall work constructively to remedy the situation which in the first instance shall be a rerun of the corrected advertisement in the next available issue of business rural. Where advertisement proofs have been faxed or mailed to the client 48 hours prior to the nominated printing cutoff time acquiesce shall be taken as confirmation and acceptance. Corrections made by telephone shall be accepted but the Company reserves the right to decide whether a further proof should be faxed or mailed to the client. Accounts for advertising are due for payment within seven days of publication of the newspaper. Accounts not paid within this time may incur a penalty of 3% per month until the account is paid. Any debt collection costs incurred by the Company will be added to the account of the debtor. Views and opinions expressed in business rural are not necessarily those of the editors, Waterford Press Ltd or publisher. Business rural welcomes contributions from freelance writers & journalists. All articles published at editors discretion. Business rural accepts no responsibilty for loss of photos or manuscripts. Printed by: Published by: Christchurch Office 112 Wrights Road, Addington, Christchurch Phone 03-983 5500 PO Box 37 346 www.waterfordpress.co.nz Queenstown Office 70 Glenda Drive, Queenstown 9300 PO Box 2581, Wakatipu MANAGING DIRECTOR James Lynch james@waterfordpress.co.nz EDITORIAL Editor Randall Johnston randall@waterfordpress.co.nz Paul Mein paulmein@waterfordpress.co.nz Journalists Kelly Deeks, Hugh DeLacy, Russell Fredric, Renata Hopkins, Richard Loader, Kim Newth, Karen Phelps, Sue Russell, Virginia Wright SALES ROOM Adam Feaver, Chris Graves, Megan Hawkins Mandi King, Allan J Knowles, Chris McPhee, Lisa Moffat, Colin Morais, Chris Pearce, Alasdair Thomson sales@waterfordpress.co.nz PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT General Manager Luke Lynch luke@waterfordpress.co.nz Graphic Artists Connor Gosnell, Anton Gray, Francesca Hildawa, Sophie McCleary, Liki Udam. art@waterfordpress.co.nz CONTENT COORDINATORS Ann-Marie Frentz, Andrea Benns, Patti Brown OFFICE AND ACCOUNTS Helen Bourne accounts@waterfordpress.co.nz Jill Holland reception@waterfordpress.co.nz Lyn Barlow lyn@waterfordpress.co.nz
| 3 RURAL PEOPLE » Peters Genetics Keeping the farm, stud in the family Karen Phelps D Jeannette and Clayton Peter have taken on more of the family farming business since the sad passing of Clayton’s father Trevor around 18 months ago. Trevor was a stalwart of the Romney sheep breeding industry in New Zealand with his wellrespected Peters Genetics stud, one of the most successful ram breeding operations in the country. Jeannette and Clayton have leased the land and stock at Clutha Downs at Beaumont, where the stud is operated from, and will run this alongside their own farm Spylaw Farms in Dunrobin. This will give a total of 2600ha and 23,000 stock units altogether. It’s been a big change but Clayton says it was important to keep the farm and stud in the family. He shares his father’s passion for sheep and has been involved with the stud for over 20 years so it’s not a big change in many respects. Peters Genetics consists of Romney, Romtex, hotshot terminals and commercial ewes. Clayton’s focused on culling out the bottom performers leaving 2500 fully recorded and DNA tested stud ewes. There are also 500 Suftex ewes, which he has culled back from 750 to an elite mob of 500. Clayton says that Peters Genetics strives to achieve increased survivability, fertility, growth rates, yield grading, and bright white wool across all stock. It incorporates a variety of breeds to suit the need of any farmer whether they are farming for meat, wool, breeding or a combination of all three. He says because Peters Genetics sheep are run in large mobs this helps accelerate the selection process for toughness and survivability. There is a strict culling policy, which starts at scanning. Around 400 Romney’s, 100 Suftex and 50 Romtex rams are sold by private treaty each year starting early December. Jeannette and Clayton have also taken over the cattle stud, something that is newer to Clayton but a challenge he is relishing. Peters Angus Stud comprises 220 stud cows and 100 commercial cows. Clayton has culled this back from over 300 to 220 and says the bull gures are already responding. He is doing a lot of AI work, using some top American genetics for faster gain. An on farm sale is held at the end of May/early June, when around 20 top quality bulls are offered. Clayton aims to increase this to 30-35. Jeannette and Clayton are taking on an oversee role in their larger business, working over both properties with the help of manager Justin Wallis, the stud master on Clutha Downs. Clayton will also probably take over the family business contracting arm to undertake all the work on their farms giving greater control. Peters Farms Ltd, owned by Clayton’s mum Karen, Clayton and Jeannette, brother Morgan and wife Megan (who also separately own their own farm, Bullock Range at Moa Flat, a 1300ha farm Every drop means quite a lot when it’s from Peters Genetics CLAYTON PETERS 03 204 8817 027 222 4421 JUSTIN WALLIS 03 976 6509 027 225 8330 Jeannette & Clayton Peters. with 11,000 stock units), and sister Justine and her husband Don who farm in Gisborne incorporates three farms: Clutha Downs, Attadale, 2391ha in Middlemarch and Wantwood Station near Gore. The farms all have managers and staff to operate them with the family overseeing governance. Clayton says the family is doing as much as they can to protect the environment and their land including smart graze management leaving buffer zones, fencing off waterways and planting natives. It’s work, which will be on going, to protect this solid family farming operation for future generations. Ram hoggets and Peters Angus Stud bulls. Paul Turner 027 230 1689 Super Air have a modern fleet of SpreadSmart equipped aircraft, delivering market leading fertiliser and lime application benefits.
4 | ARABLE » Brian Leadley Wheat key for Brian Leadley’s operation Rotational farming systems, as in farming systems that are not monocultural, are where the environmental bene ts of wheat’s natural harvesting of nutrient loads comes to the fore. Virginia Wright Arable farmer Brian Leadley has been involved with United Wheat Growers Ltd for the last 20 or so years, the last six as Chair of the board. While wheat isn’t the only crop he grows the wheat industry has always been a key part of his farming operation and Brian’s interest in the wellbeing of the wheat industry has always been strong. Rotational farming systems, as in farming systems that are not monocultural, are where the environmental bene ts of wheat’s natural harvesting of nutrient loads comes to the fore. Legume crops such as clover seed, beans or peas can leave quite strong nutrients in the ground that the wheat bene ts from, and by extension bene ts the soil, when it uses the nitrogen that might otherwise be in danger of leaching. “It plays a big part in the arable sector as a whole and is a strong and important part of crop rotations on farms,” says Brian. “Not only is the return on wheat looking more positive but it creates an avenue for quite a good clean-up of paddocks for other specialist seed crops; creates an isolation distance between different pollinating crops; and it has a deep root system so it’s good for soil management, especially autumn planted wheat.” Our domestic crop provides 25% to 30% of New Zealand’s wheat, whether for milling and use in consumer products such as bread, baking, or pasta; or stockfeed for dairy, pork and poultry. The remainder of our wheat comes from Australia. Brian is pleased to see that our local percentage looks like increasing and hopes it continues to do so. He’d like to see it buffering supply issues, whether from global supply chain dif culties or countries at war, and helping to reduce New Zealand’s reliance on imported food products.
| 5 ARABLE » Brian Leadley United Wheat Growers Ltd. administers a Quality Assurance Programme as they look to guarantee quality parameters that exceed those of imported grain. 027 496 2702 or 03 307 8136 dean.rattray@hwr.co.nz For all your rural cartage requirements: Stock Cartage, Bulk & General Cartage, Fertiliser Spreading “Along with its obvious advantages for arable rotation systems, the global price increases on commodities including grain means the return is looking better. The challenge for the industry is to achieve sustainable markets at good long term average values, and we’ve seen considerable lift in the value in recent months which will help to encourage cropping farmers to lift the wheat percentage in their rotation,” says Brian. United Wheat Growers Ltd. administers a Quality Assurance Programme as they look to guarantee quality parameters that exceed those of imported grain, thus encouraging local customers to offer at least import parity on price, but also to get and give security of supply. “New Zealand grows a lot of its wheat, especially milling wheat, on good soils, and irrigated soils which helps make the grain quality better for example for our extraction. We have well developed on-farm storage systems that can isolate different grades of our with specialty baking qualities, and means we can provide full traceability from paddock to silo,” says Brian. While important in its own right for New Zealand, wheat is also a strong part of what is a growing arable industry. United Wheat Growers Ltd. runs an insurance scheme for disaster relief for all wheat growers, designed to give security to the producer should they be hit with the likes of re or frost. “While it’s particularly for wheat, if they’ve got 30% of their farm in wheat it underwrites their farming business as a whole, and helps support the production of other high value crops such as hybrid seeds for export. It supports the arable industry as a whole,” says Brian. New Zealand growers hold world records for yield for both wheat and barley production and as a country we have the highest average yield of wheat in the world. Recent research shows that the greenhouse gas emission per unit of production is very low because of those yields. “So these are advantages that are little or unknown,” says Brian. “I’m only farming at most 30% in wheat but it supports everything else we produce whether it’s primrose for export for oil extraction, or vegetables for Talleys, they all t into the rotation.” Brian makes no secret of the fact that he’d like to see a lift in production now that crop values have risen and the outlook is looking promising with markets there for arable farmers to supply. “The opportunities are there and we’re working to support farmers in the industry and also to promote it for new young guys to get into as well.” “I’m only farming at most 30% in wheat but it supports everything else we produce whether it’s primrose for export for oil extraction, or vegetables for Talleys, they all t into the rotation.” www.grseeds.co.nz
6 | DEER » Glacier Deer ‘Pure English herd’ a 40-year journey Nearly 40 years in the deer industry after starting out by rearing wild fawns off the helicopter runs sees the Williams family of Fox Glacier now running about 230 hinds from top English bloodlines, producing velveters with good clean heads and meat fawns weaning at 87kgs. On the farm established by his great-grandfather, one of the rst settlers in Fox Glacier, Wayne Williams was running the South Westland stud Glacier Horned Herefords as started by his grandfather in 1939. He got into deer in 1983, after taking over the farm from his father. As helicopter ground crew in Haast, Wayne decided to have a go at rearing the fawns off the helicopters. “We had to learn how to rear them and at the start, they would die pretty easily,” he says. “I would feed them dried milk powder and milk, and once you got them past a certain stage they were good. One year I reared about 60 fawns. I would have had a bit of a loss, but I was starting to get good at it.” After a couple of years, Wayne bought some hinds straight off the helicopter and out of traps on the West Coast. He decided to move away from wild deer and invested in ve F1 English-bred red hinds from John Kempthorne of Windemere Stud in Hamilton. “They were rst crosses, so they were half English. It was a lot a harder to source pure or F2s.” Then he needed a stag, so with a huge investment, he bought an F2 English red stag for $10,000 from Clive Jeremy of Stan eld Oaks Stud also in Hamilton. Then it was time for another big investment for Glacier Deer, and Wayne bought an in-calf imported Warnham Park red hind for $6000. She had a stag fawn sired by Shogun, one of the top Warnham Park sires of the time. “It was a lot of luck and a way of getting ahead. I was into the early genetics, all those very early Warnham Park genetics that were the good genetics of the time. My herd of hinds is built from there and that’s what we’ve got nowadays, a pure English herd. That’s what we set out to do and we worked at it and got it together.” Today, Wayne is using some good quality, good value genetics from Peel Forest Estate. He puts the older half of the herd to a wapiti stag and the fawns are sold as weaners. Their average weaning weight last year reached 92kgs, and this year came in at 87kgs. The younger half of the herd goes to elite English stags. Stag fawns are sold to different clients around the South Island for velvet, while the hinds are kept for replacements. The hinds are run in small mobs of 25 to 35, and they stay with their mob for life. They do well on Fox country, where the tucker is softer so it doesn’t wear their teeth, and they remain productive for about 15 or 16 years. Wayne has concentrated the whole time on temperament. “Personality counts when it comes to deer. It’s a health and safety thing, for them and for us. I don’t like getting knocked around in the shed.” Marking fawns at Glacier Deer in South Westland. Alexanders are proud to support Wayne & Maggie Williams. Kelly Deeks Hinds mating with a red stag. SERVICING We deliver nationwide however we specialise in: • Greymouth • Westport • Hokitika • Christchurch • South Westland DISTRIBUTORS FOR Mainfreight West Coast, Aramex Couriers, Refrigerated & General Freight, Bulk & Livestock Specialists • BP Oil NZ Ltd – Bulk Fuel Delivery • BP & Castrol Lubricants Phone Greymouth: 03 769 9081 | Phone Hokitika: 05 756 8012 Phone Mainfreight West Coast: 03 769 9081 | Email: freight@aratuna.co.nz
| 7 EQUINE » Trevalda Irish Sporthorses Breed making its mark on NZ equestrian scene Kelly Deeks Hamish Crossan (15), Gavin Crossan, foundation stallion Ballineen Blue Mountain, Tracy Crossan, Ryan Crossan (13). Trevalda Irish Sporthorses has just secured the future of the pure Irish Draught breed in New Zealand through the key purchase of two highly sought after mares, Goldsmith Country Ma Belle (Mabel) and Goldsmith Country Mon Cherie (Cherie), and the importation of stallion Derrynasagurt Silver (Silver). Stud owner Tracy Crossan says that Trevalda now owns six of the only seven purebred mares in New Zealand not related to her stallions. Five of those in her stud have been imported from the UK. “Our foundation stallion, Ballineen Blue Mountain has been a fabulous ambassador for the stud but is now getting older and these latest purchases have set us up for a pretty great future of breeding purebred Irish Draughts. It means we can cross the bloodlines over and increase the purebred herd here in New Zealand, something I’m very committed to,” she says. Mabel and Cherie were imported from Ireland in 2019 by friend Tamzin Paterson before the opportunity came to purchase them at the start of this year. Indicating the signi cance of the purchase, Ireland’s Irish Draught Horse Breeders Society wrote an article about the horses leaving the country as both are proli c show winners in Ireland with Mabel taking out many Supreme Championships and twice being placed in the Irish Draught mare class at the Dublin Royal Show. Purebred stallion Silver was a lucky purchase with Class 1 stallions very rarely coming up for sale. Trevalda now has the only two Class 1 Irish Draught stallions in Australasia. “I saw Silver advertised and was informed that he had been sold that same day but when that original sale fell through, and with the Irish contacts I had, I got the chance to secure him. I had to make a decision almost immediately as he was being chased by several other countries. It was a long couple of months waiting for him to arrive but as soon as he stepped off the transporter, he was everything I had hoped for and more. He’s a fabulous horse to ride and is showing great promise as a jumping type and I hope to be out competing on him this season and get him quali ed for Horse of the Year.” She says the pandemic has seen the cost of importing horses skyrocket so the recent purchases will keep the stud going for some time. Trevalda is the biggest purebred Irish Draught breeding herd outside of the UK and Tracy says it is producing animals recognised worldwide as some of the best. Trevalda breeds what Tracy de nes as a “modern athletic” Irish Draught and the bloodlines at the stud are the best available of that type. “I’ve gone down that path as we need to compete in the sport horse market currently dominated in New Zealand by European Warmblood stallions,” she says. “The Irish horses we are breeding are really starting to make their mark on New Zealand’s equestrian scene with great results in almost all disciplines including Horse of The Year title winners.” More people are turning to the Irish Draught breed and sales of Ballineen Blue Mountain’s shipped semen has risen from only a handful of mares in his rst year at stud in 2012, to around 70 mares per season. Trevalda can collect semen and ship it anywhere in New Zealand overnight, resulting in progeny being produced as far North as the Bay of Islands and as far South as Invercargill. Most of the mares semen is sent to are Warmblood or Thoroughbred and the result is the extremely versatile Irish Sport horse, says Tracy. Tracy personally AI’s all of her own mares and foals them down with the help of husband Gavin on their 720ha Maniototo sheep and beef farm that they run in conjunction with Gavin’s parents. “The foals are in great demand as society is changing, people are busy and want horses that are easy care, low maintenance and don’t need to be ridden every day. That’s the advantage the Irish Draught has over the Warmbloods, which can be much higher maintenance.” She says the number one bene t of Irish Draughts is temperament. Traditionally the breed was required to pull a plough for the farmer, be nimble and agile enough to take that farmer hunting and have the temperament to pull the family trap to church on a Sunday. “They are a solid type horse with more bone and with that comes soundness, which is really important. They have a great work ethic, are super trainable and most would be more than happy living in your house if you let them.” As an indication of the breed’s rise in popularity, Tracy, who is also the registrar for the Irish Draught Horse Society NZ says that over the past ten years there has been an average of 15-20 registrations per year but this year that gure is more likely to hit 50. mitavite.co.nz Leading accounting and business professionals - providing specialist advice to farming, business and rural communities for over 60 years Proud to partner with Trevalda Irish Sporthorses 69 Tarbert St, Alexandra | (03) 440 0100 | www.iclca.co.nz FOCUSED ON YOUR FUTURE
8 | Family at heart of multi-generational The Thomas Bros orchard. Kim Newth When brothers Bill and Fred Thomas planted their rst kiwifruit vines on family land at the top of the South Island in 1976, they could scarcely have known just how successful their orcharding enterprise would be more than 40 years’ later. Kiwifruit grown by Thomas Bros at Riwaka is today not only sold into the domestic market but also exported to China, Europe and other countries around the world. Apples from the orchard go to markets in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the US. The multi-generation business has 70 hectares in kiwifruit (40ha of green, 27ha of gold and with a couple of other varieties in development), 70 hectares in ve varieties of apples and two hectares in cherries. A drive to innovate through the years has resulted in a well-integrated operation that manages fruit seamlessly from harvest to packhouse to coolstore and then onto market. Bill and Fred remain a force to be reckoned with in the business, but now it’s the next generation doing the heavy lifting at Thomas Bros with Bill’s son Steve managing kiwifruit and logistics, his brother Mark managing apples and their cousin Paul managing post-harvest. Steve and Mark’s younger brother Daniel is stepping up into managing coolstores. “If you include all the partners and cousins, around 15 family members are working for Thomas Bros and most of them in key roles,” says Steve. “Fortunately, we all get along. As we continue growing, it means we have faith in the people we’re working with and can plan ahead.” A rewarding experience for the Thomas Bros team this year was being featured in an episode of Country Calendar. “Of course, Country Calendar is such a big part of Kiwi life and is our longest running TV series, so it was a real honour for us and they pretty much captured things as they are here.” Ingenuity has long been a de ning feature of this thriving family orchard business. Steve recalls how Bill and Fred borrowed “up to their necks” to build their rst packhouse only to have hail smack the kiwifruit harvest not long afterwards. They picked the fruit early and got it out to the local market a few weeks before anyone else and, in the end, did well in spite of the setback. HORTICULTURE » Thomas Bros Ltd A more recent example of ingenuity is the family’s substantial investment in smart packhouse automation. A MAF Roda European automated system was installed in the lead up to the last kiwifruit harvest. As Steve observes, nding short-term staff to process the fruit through the packhouse has become increasingly dif cult. An automated system for counting, weighing and packing the fruit helps solve that problem as well as enabling increased throughput. “We’re not looking to take away any permanent jobs – it’s really just to get us through that peak of the season.” Thomas Bros has worked with software solutions provider Radfords for many years now too and today uses integrated Radford products throughout their operation to streamline and future-proof the business. Steve says it is not only saving time but is also enabling them to incentivise their workforce by rewarding ef cient staff who are hitting their targets. Deans Truck Services Ltd Full Maintenance and Repairs on Trucks and Trailers E. deanstruckservices@xtra.co.nz | P. 03 528 8073 24 Hu am Street Motueka Ph: (03) 528 0040 www.cwsnz.co.nz SUPPLIERS OF HORTICULTURAL IRRIGATION NELSON TASMAN CompleteWaterSolutions
| 9 HORTICULTURE » Thomas Bros Ltd orchard business The business has 70 hectares in kiwifruit, 70 hectares in ve varieties of apples and two hectares in cherries. A member of the Horizon Energy Group www.coollogic.co.nz 021 227 6878 0800 772 077 Proud to support and work with Thomas Bros Ltd. For all your Industrial Refrigeration and Automation Solutions. 28 King Edward St, Motueka 03 528 6215 11 Jacks Rd, Tyrone Park, Blenheim 03 572 5164 DRIVING CROP PERFORMANCE Supplying Horticultural products to: • Apple • Hops • Grapes • Vegetables • Glasshouses • Kiwifruit • Ornamentals • Commercial & home use Come visit our friendly team for all your horticultural needs. A MEMBER OF HORTICENTRE GROUP 0800 855 255 COOPDALE GENETICS Will Improve Survivability + High Yielding Carcass Bred for • Survivability • Natural Lambing • High Yielding Carcass • Fast Growth Contact Quentin, Jason or Andrew Phone 03 230 6141 or 021 977 956 Email rdl@farmside.co.nz
10 | Boutique irrigation The scheme was designed and built to irrigate the consented 1860 hectares allowing for a further 660 hectares as spare capacity. Richard Loader IRRIGATION » Haka Valley Irrigation Scheme Drawing water from the reliable Waitaki River, the Haka Valley Irrigation Scheme could be seen as boutique in size and capacity, but it is an impressive feat of engineering. Commissioned in 2014, the scheme currently serves three shareholders and has consent to irrigate up to 1860 hectares, of which only 1200 hectares is currently being irrigated. Full name, Hakataramea Valley, the farming area is located in Southern Canterbury, near Kurow and sits in the northern side of the Waitaki River. The idea of some form irrigation had been oated several decades ago but got serious in the early 2000s when a couple of source options were considered including Lake Tekapo. Consensus fell on the Waitaki River, pumping water up and over the hill and into the Valley, with consent granted from ECAN to take 2000L/sec. Local dairy farmer Andy Hayes has been the scheme Chairman for the last seven years and says the consent sat for a number of years, before the property owners at the bottom of the valley close to the Waitaki River got motivated. “In 2008 Haka Valley Irrigation Ltd (HVIL) was established, and one designer was contracted to design a scheme, but failed. After that, two or three other shareholders didn’t want to proceed. We ended up buying them out when an outside investor bought some property in the valley and wanted to get as much water out of the scheme as possible.” That investor had contact with Gerard van den Bosch, who owned Bosch Irrigation Ltd, and had been involved in the design and construction of a number of other irrigation schemes. Gerard quickly got on board, designing the scheme to take water from the river and carry it over a 170-metre hill to the valley below. “The scheme really came down to three wet shareholders — myself and two others —and two dry shareholders. Wet shareholders held the irrigation shares and had to provide funds to install the scheme. Dry shareholders had part ownership of the consent, and that was all. The wet shareholders were 100% committed to building the scheme. We had to reapply to Ecan, who were prepared to grant 1000 litres per second, but no more, and that was enough to irrigate 1860 hectares in the valley.” Contract development of the scheme commenced in 2013, with Beca engaged to manage the project, and Bosch Irrigation engaged to install the scheme. “We used Barfoote Construction from Whangarei to build two pump sheds. The rst pump lifts the water out of the river up 70 metres where a second booster pump shed lifts the water another 100 metres to a 20,000 cubic metre lined holding pond. The pond acts as a control system for twenty-four pumps via bre optic cable. If the pond is full the pumps shut off. As water is taken from the pond, the pumps start back up again.” The last wet shareholder is quite some distance away in the valley and it was agreed that some of his mainline pipe would be privately owned outside of the Scheme. “The scheme was designed and built to irrigate the consented 1860 hectares allowing for a further 660 hectares as spare capacity. That meant a few more pumps and motors and larger piping, but there is quite a lot of spare capacity in the scheme if other shareholders/farmers do want to jump on, which future proofed the scheme. It was nally commissioned in autumn 2014, eight months later than expected.” While Andy is the only shareholder milking cows, the other two shareholders provide dairy grazing/ support. The Haka valley is predominantly extensive dryland farming, and Andy says there was a bit of reaction with dairy farming/grazing coming into the valley. “There was a lot of development going on with pivots going in, ground clearing, trees being taken out, diggers everywhere and some people were against some of the effects intensive farming could have on the valley. Ecan then reviewed our consent due to the local concern and HVIL had to make minor adjustments to its on farm practices. Suddenly, minor/dry creeks were deemed as a major waterways and we had to move set-back fences from three or four metres to twelve metres. We also have had to manage where cows were wintered and irrigation boundaries adjusted. The bene t of this has meant HVIL is ahead of the game with environmental sustainability requirements.” While the scheme is small in comparison to some of the other Waitaki irrigation schemes that irrigate 20,000 hectares, Andy says if you went to do it now, the cost would be prohibitive. “We were about $4.8m to install and commission the scheme then. To irrigate in the Haka Valley now would be really challenging due to the high cost and consent restrictions. Building the scheme has been very challenging but the reward is noticed every year when shareholders can turn on a valve and start irrigating when needed.” Tony Green Engineering, Kurow - Proud to be part of the Operations Management Team for the Hakataramea Irrigation Scheme. Irrigation Scheme Support & Maintenance | Pump Servicing Problem Solving Engineering Contact Tony - 021 338 696 David Goodman, Partner p: 03 335 1235 m: 027 787 8785 david.goodman@al.nz Anderson Lloyd is the trusted legal advisor for major players in New Zealand’s irrigation sector, with a proven ability to deliver results. We have advised on numerous existing and proposed schemes in the North and South Islands and act for individual farmers and agribusinesses. Sarah Eveleigh, Partner p: 03 335 1217 m: 027 204 1479 sarah.eveleigh@al.nz Pivotal. Our specialist team advises on all aspects associated with large-scale irrigation schemes including banking, capital raising, commercial contract, resource management and construction matters.
| 11 scheme impressive engineering feat The 20,000 cubic metre lined holding pond. The pond acts as a control system for twenty-four pumps via bre optic cable. If the pond is full the pumps shut off. As water is taken from the pond, the pumps start back up again, says local dairy farmer and scheme chairman Andy Hayes. IRRIGATION » Haka Valley Irrigation Scheme Laser Electrical - Oamaru & Kurow 3 Ouse Street, Oamaru | Ph: 03 434 7273 | oamaru@laserelectrical.co.nz • Residential • Industrial & Commercial • Rural & Dairy • Servicing available 24 hours ELECTRIC MOTOR SPECIALISTS The world’s first, relocatable, ON-SITE pipe factory Fully containerised relocatable HDPE high quality, large bore, long length pipe manufacturing. Award winning scheme design for optimal efficiency tailored to your needs On-site production o Significantly reduced costs o Faster delivery o Ideal for remote locations o Over 50yrs extrusion experience Larger and longer pipes o Up to 250m in length o Up to 1.6m diameter o Pressure ratings from PN3.2 to PN16 Far fewer welds to join pipelines o Less risk of leakage o Fewer trench supports Reduced o Timeline o Transport o Trench reinforcing o Labour Lower project costs – better outcomes Contact: Ge PH; +64 2749 gerard@aqu www.aquadu CONTACT Gerard van den Bosch +64 27 498 5343 gerard@aquaduct.co.nz www.aquaduct2020.com The world’s first relocatable, ON-SITE pipe factory On-site Production ∙ Fewer Welds to join Pipelines Larger & Longer Pipes ∙ Reduced Timeline & Labour Lower project costs, better outcomes Fully containerised relocatable HDPE high quality, large bore, long length pipe manufacturing. Award winning scheme design for optimal efficiency tailored to your needs.
12 | Oat milk opening doors for NZ farmers Karen Phelps Oat milk is now the leading category of plant milks in New Zealand, overtaking almond and soy. And that means opportunities for Kiwi farmers, says Morgan Maw, owner of company Boring Oat Milk. Boring is the only oat milk made at scale in New Zealand and uses New Zealand oats, supplied via Harraways, grown by local farmers. Morgan says both arable and dairy farmers could bene t by growing oats to supply for oat milk and there will also be environmental bene ts. “Oats are gentle on soil and nitrogen hungry so can help with problems like nitrates leaching from soils. To produce one litre of oat milk, it requires 10 times less land, 13 times less water and emits three times less greenhouse gas than a litre of dairy milk,” she says. The gures Morgan quotes are based on international models and she acknowledges the need for New Zealand speci c research. It’s something Boring is currently undertaking in conjunction with The AgriBusiness Group and Left eld Innovation, looking at the impact of dairy versus arable farming in New Zealand and if a mixed farming model including oats could bene t dairy farmers. “We need to know what the nancial model needs to be to make it compelling for the farmer as dairy pays incredibly well and oats falls well short of that right now. It’s about really looking at the true cost of growing something taking into account food waste, animal welfare and emissions etc.” The research is due to be released later this year and Morgan admits it’s a complex issue. “It’s certainly not a simple switch and transition method; it’s about looking at this holistically. My view is that the majority of farmers love their land and want to do their best but a farming model has to be nancially viable and good for their back pocket as well.” Morgan started Boring less than a year ago in late 2021. She was largely inspired by the need to nd more sustainable food and farming alternatives, and it is already the second best selling oat milk in New Zealand with 23% market share (oat milk has 33% market share overall). “Launching a business in the last two and a half years was always going to be nerve wracking with the uncertainty created by lockdowns and people’s spending habits. Initially, we couldn’t meet with people and talk to them about our plant milk due to restrictions, so we deep dived into social media and it has paid off.” She cites Boring’s key points of difference as being the recyclable plastic bottles it comes in (most other oat milks are packaged in Tetra Paks, which are generally not kerbside recyclable in New Zealand), the fact it is the only oat milk made in New Zealand and their unique branding. It is supplied by Coffee Supreme, Foodstuffs and Countdown meaning Boring products have good coverage across New Zealand. With oat milk having growth of 115% in terms of its market share in the past year the future is looking bright for the category. “Firstly this growth is due to the delicious taste of oat milk and its functionality. Oat milk pairs well with coffee and froths well. That’s always been a shortfall of plant-based milks; they weren’t easy for baristas to use. “A lot of consumers are going to plant-based milk for allergen reasons and oat milk obviously doesn’t have nuts in it. The sustainability credentials are also a major reason for its rise in popularity. To produce a litre of oat milk it requires seven times less water compared with producing a litre of almond milk, for example. “Supermarkets haven’t seen this much growth in a category since energy drinks launched so they are really interested in improving their oat milk category and Boring is playing a key part of that.” “To produce one litre of oat milk, it requires 10 times less land, 13 times less water and emits three times less greenhouse gas than a litre of dairy milk.” Oat milk pairs well with coffee and froths well. Marlborough Rural Realty Ltd, Agri Realty Ltd, Exemplar Realty Ltd. Licensed REAA 2008 Rural & Agribusiness The right people bringing the best advice to the table. Visit colliersrural.co.nz or call us on 0800 880 460 We know that farming isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life. The decision to sell your property is a big one. Important decisions are often best made around the table, wherever it is. Invite a Colliers Rural Sales advisor to your table to profit from the best advice. We would love to join you. Blenheim, Christchurch, Ashburton, Timaru, Alexandra, Cromwell, Queenstown, Invercargill OAT MILK » Boring Milk
| 13 OAT MILK » Boring Milk Boring Oat Milk’s Morgan Maw says both arable and dairy farmers could bene t by growing oats to supply for oat milk.
14 | DAIRY » Mosa Farms Award recognises special employers Mosa Farms Stefan and Annalize Du Plessis with their Small Business Recognition Award. The couple employ six full-time staff, across two dairy units. Richard Loader Stefan and Annalize Du Plessis made the journey from South Africa to New Zealand twenty-one years ago expressly to follow their dream of becoming dairy farmers. This year, the couple, who for the past eight years have been 50/50 sharemilkers on Owen and Margaret Westlake 700 cow farm in Dipton, attended the gala function at the Beehive to be announced winners of the Small Business Recognition Award at MPI’s Primary Industries Good Employer Awards. The Good Employer awards celebrate the food and fibre sector, and included in its objectives the awards highlight good employers and good employment practices across all primary industries. Annalize says attending the award night was a wonderful opportunity to meet so many other like-minded people. “There were so many different businesses represented. The variety of industries that got together on the night was really fantastic. We got to meet those people and learn how they work with their staff. There were big businesses with many more employees than us.” Both humble and proud to receive the award, Annalize says she doesn’t know if they do much different than other farmers, but just do the best they can on their property and with their people. “Receiving the award was very special. It was a real morale boost and reassurance that we run a good, profitable business that not only looks after animals and the finances, but also the most important part of the business, our employees. “We have said it many times, without them we can’t do what we do. The big thing for Stefan and me is that we’re always remembering that we started dairy farming in New Zealand as farm assistants. So, we know what our staff are going through and what they’re feeling. Stefan always says, we’re not here just to train people, we’re here to train farmers. We teach our people everything – not just milking cows. It’s not just investing money in someone. It’s actually investing in the person themselves.” Very community minded, the couple encourage their team members to get involved in the local community, whether that is through sport or something else. “We’ve been involved in our Dipton community for many years now, so to us it’s important that our staff get involved and make a life here by mixing with people. We also focus on having regular get-togethers and catchups to keep their brains off just farming.” Operating under Mosa Farms, Stefan and Annalize employ six full-time staff, across two dairy units, along with two ladies who work on a casual basis, and whose partners are part of the full-time team. “The ladies do calf rearing, help the men when it’s a tough day, and provide relief milking. Our ladies have learned to become very supportive of our boys on the farm.” In addition to their 50/50 sharemilking contract, the couple also contract milk on another farm a few kilometres away across the river, that is also owned by the Westlakes. “We have three daughters and they have always been involved in the farm from little. For us farming is a family environment. We can take our kids out to the farm, or we can go to the river and have a BBQ with everyone or a picnic in the paddock. We are just used to nature and being outside.” “We have said it many times, without them we can’t do what we do. The big thing for Stefan and me is that we’re always remembering that we started dairy farming in New Zealand as farm assistants. So, we know what our staff are going through and what they’re feeling. Stefan always says, we’re not here just to train people, we’re here to train farmers. We teach our people everything – not just milking cows. It’s not just investing money in someone. It’s actually investing in the person themselves.” VETSOUTH ARE PROUD TOWORK ALONGSIDE MOSA FARMS BALCLUTHA | GORE | WINTON | INVERCARGILL | LUMSDEN | OTAUTAU | CLYDEVALE | TAPANUI 0800 VETSOUTH | vetsouth.co.nz At McCulloch + Partners we are a local business run by local people. We pride ourselves on being friendly, accessible and experienced accounting specialists no matter the industry you’re in. p: 03 218 6179 e: james.harvey@mcp.co.nz w: www.mcp.co.nz James Harvey Partner Proud to support Mosa Farms Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors Contact us to take advantage of our modern approach to accounting and business expertise For all your Pit Silage and Baling Requirements We have you covered 35Winton, Lorneville Highway Winton Phone: 027 263 5532 Proud to support Mosa Farming
| 15 DAIRY» Mosa Farms The Mosa Farms’ team. Without them we can’t do what we do, says Annalize. Enquiries Welcome P. 03 415 7070 E. steveandsarah@velocitynet.co.nz A. 1561 Slopedown Road, RD1 Clinton 9583 www.coopdale.com Exceptional mothering ability Excellent hardiness and survivability rate Proven high meat yield Next on Farm Auction January 2023
16 | Decided that it was now or never Virginia Wright Peter and Debbie Langford both grew up on dairy farms near the top of the South Island so they knew what they were getting into when, having reached 40 or thereabouts, they decided that it was now or never if they were going to give it a go themselves. They never did make the move to North Canterbury but the growth side of things happened nevertheless. When they arrived on the farm there were 186 cows doing 51,000 kg’s of milk solids. In 2003 the Langfords bought 114 hectares of ‘rough grazing and scrubby land” on a plateau above the farm. “It was the only place in this valley where we could expand the farm. We had built the farm up to 200 cows and 80,000 kgs of milk solids,” says Peter. That same year the Langfords made the transition from managers to lower-order sharemilkers, then went on to win the West Coast Share-Milker of the Year Award in 2004, which took them to the nationals. “That gave us some credibility with the bank and we ended up buying into the farm in 2006 rather than moving on,” says Peter. “It was sink or swim and it’s been tough at times. Payouts have been very good, they’ve been poor, they’ve been average and now they’re good again.” More recently, in 2012, they borrowed again in order to develop that block of scrubby land into good quality pasture. They negotiated access through some DOC land to get to it so that by 2015 the resulting good quality dairy pasture was linked directly to the cowshed. Two seasons ago they were milking 300 cows off 165 hectares effective for 120,000 kgs of milk solids. “Last season was a tough one nationwide and we didn’t do as well but we expect to get back up there this season,” says Peter. DAIRY » Peter & Debbie Langford West Coast behind THE POWER farming NZ 54 TASMAN STREET, GREYMOUTH 7805 PH (03) 768 4370 westcoastsales@powerfarming.co.nz New calves getting used to things on the farm. It’s not just more land that’s enabled the Langfords to grow their production though. They introduced whole farm soil-testing which meant they knew which paddocks weren’t giving them the grazing they had the potential to do, and experimented with different grasses and crops in order to optimize what they had. They transitioned the herd from mostly Friesian cows to mostly Friesian-Jersey cross and started paying close attention to their genetics. They’ve now got a herd BW ranked just outside the top 5% nationwide thanks to the embryo transfer work they’ve done with their two best BW (Breeding Worth) cows, establishing a strong matriarchal family line, and they’ve had two bulls in the national LIC register over the years. Regardless of whether it’s one of their own or not they always select top quality bulls to put across their herd. Peter and Debbie have enjoyed the challenge of getting their herd into top shape, but the ongoing challenge of keeping it there is about to pass on to someone else. Peter credits Debbie with keeping the whole operation a oat, as well as bringing up their four children, now adults, but she now has mobility problems. “Debbie’s recently had an arti cial knee and an arti cial ankle 5 years ago which is starting to play up,” says Peter, “so we’re looking to move onto something new.” None of their children wanted to take the farm on but before they could put it on the open market a potential buyer came up the driveway. “I’ll miss the challenge of expanding the farm and producing ne animals, but I won’t miss getting up at 5.00 in the morning I know that,” says Peter. “We’re looking forward to building ourselves a new house somewhere not far away. So that’s going to be a nice outcome for doing some hard yards.” “I’ll miss the challenge of expanding the farm and producing ne animals, but I won’t miss getting up at 5.00 in the morning I know that.” Proud to support Peter & Debbie Langford Trained Technicians Emergency 24-7 Service All Welding Repairs & Fabrication All Hydraulic Hose & Fitting Repairs Agents for Ryco 24/7 Allan: 021 777 487 Work: 03 789 8081 www.reaengineering.co.nz 64 PALMERSTON STREET, WESTPORT 7825 (03) 789-8538 OR 021-777-487
| 17 Lighthouse leads way on farm performance Ruwan Wijayasena with wife Niranjal Gamlath and daughters Senuli (12) and Methuli (11). Their Lighthouse contract milking operation near Hororata was recently named best performing farm at Theland Farm Group’s annual conference. Kim Newth Contract milking has provided a pathway for Ruwan Wijayasena and his wife Niranjal Gamlath to shine in the dairy sector, while remaining true to their Buddhist principals around not owning cows or making decisions on culling. Their Lighthouse contract milking operation near Hororata was recently named best performing farm at Theland Farm Group’s annual conference. It is the latest accolade for the couple, who in 2019 won the Share Farmer of the Year title in the Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Industry Awards. Theland has 29 farms across New Zealand – 16 in the North Island and 13 in the South Island - all focussed on ‘People, Pro t, Productivity, Asset and Growth’. “The systems we have in place are working well – we try to do the best we can in every aspect of the farm,” Ruwan says. Lighthouse provides A2 milk to Synlait and is Lead With Pride accredited. By establishing clear procedures, guidelines and expectations Ruwan and Niranjal have fostered a positive environment for both people and animals. In turn, this has paved the way to strong performance on sustainability goals, waste minimisation, and effective pasture and herd management. They each have a BSc in Agriculture Sciences from Sabaragamuwa University of Sir Lanka, where they met. The couple followed their dream to grow a farm business to New Zealand in 2005, with Ruwan starting off as a farm assistant and Niranjal as a farm technician. In 2012 the couple formed their own company – DDSM Farms Ltd – to run the 262ha Lighthouse farm at Te Pirita on a contract milking basis, as well as the adjacent 275ha Beacon farm. These have now been combined into one big farm called Lighthouse A and B and the total number of cows being milked has also increased from around 1900 to 2060 cows. Milking switched from twice-a-day to 10-in-7 from January, striking a good balance between production and cow welfare. “We ended up at around 765,000kgMS, or 396kgMS per cow.” Fodder beet, planted last October, has provided the backbone of feed this winter, along with straw and silage. Ruwan says the Friesian cross herd is in good shape in the lead up to calving at the start of August. “In previous years we’ve had to walk them fteen kilometres for winter grazing. This year they’ve stayed on farm, so we’ve been able to bring them to the shed and draft out any cows with animal health issues and take action straight away.” DAIRY » Ruwan Wijayasena The couple encourage their staff to train and progress. Last year, two members of their team left to pursue contract milking positions of their own. Recruiting new staff in today’s tight labour market has been challenging. “Thankfully, we’re sorted now. Apart from one person waiting for a visa, everyone else is on board.” Over the past year, Niranjal has commenced training as a nurse, but remains a valued part of the farm team and continues to lead calf rearing at Lighthouse. Home for the couple and their children – Senuli, 12 and Methuli, 11 – is a lifestyle block in Tai Tapu. The couple also has a rental property in Rolleston. In the longer term, they would like to grow their dairy business by adding a support block or expanding contract milking to a third farm. • Concrete • Fertiliser Spreading - Farm Mapping - GPS Tracking - Variable Rate Spreading • Livestock Cartage • Grain Cartage • Shingle Supplies • Daily Freight Leeston: 03 3248 070 Dunsandel: 03 3254 039 reception@ellesmere.co.nz RD2 Leeston 027 534 9161 e: chris@chrisswanson.nz CULTIVATION & EXCAVATION CONTRACTORS • Cow Track Lime Supply & Lay • All Shingle Supplies • Truck & Trailer Hire • Direct Drilling • Hedge & Stump Removal • Farm Tracks & Driveways • Fodderbeet Planting • Cultivation • Pivot Rut Filling • Grader & Digger Work • Reversible Ploughing • Supply & Installation of Irrigation Pipe The preferred milking systems partner for Dairy Farmers Ph 0800 577 583 | www.morrisonagri.co.nz Proud to support Ruwan Wijayasena Proud to support Ruwan Wijayasena
waterfordpress.co.nzRkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=