66 | Investing in new plant and machinery LJ Contracting in Winton has continued to invest in new plant and machinery. Kelly Deeks Having expanded over the past 10 years from a baleage contractor to including just about everything a farmer could need done on their farm, LJ Contracting in Winton has continued to invest in new plant and machinery and now runs the only fodder beet washer and de-stoner in the region. “It’s something I always wanted to get into,” says LJ Contracting owner Jim Cooper. “Three years ago we bought a beet planter, lifter, and washer and we were the first to plant fodder beet to be lifted.” Instead of grazing in the paddock, LJ Contracting lifts this high yield, high energy feed and washes it to remove dirt, grit, and stones to ensure the highest quality of product can be provided for local farmers. The washed beet is then fed out on the milking platform. “A lot of people feed molasses but with this raw product which is cheaper, stock are getting high fibre as well as high energy. It’s really good milking tucker, and it sets the girls up very well for mating. At that time of year, grass is high in protein but the cows are needing more carbs, which this raw beet provides.” The benefits of washing fodder beet are an increase in feed quality and metabolisable energy (ME). Jim’s own tests have shown while unwashed fodder beet has an ME of nine, washed fodder beet has an significantly higher ME of 12.5. LJ Contracting runs its precision planter for fodder beet all the way from Kingston at Southland’s northernmost border right through to Invercargill. Having grown not only LJ Contracting’s fleet and services over the past 10 year, Jim has also built his team from three people to 18, enabling this wide coverage as well as the provision of a wide range of services. RURAL SERVICES » LJ Contracting Services Fertiliser spreading is another very important part of LJ Contracting’s work, and the firm runs a three point linkage spreader and GPS with variable rates. “We put the fert where the farmer wants, and no fert goes into water troughs or ditches or on the lanes. If the farmer wants a higher rate in one spot, or there is any part of the paddock they don’t want any fert on, we can programme that into the system. It’s a huge saving for the farmers, especially in this economic climate.” Jim says LJ Contracting’s GreenStar rate controller can save farmers 20% of their fertiliser costs. LJ Contracting also uses ONEsystem, a new urea application system similar to SustaiN but much more efficient than granular urea. ONEsystem’s micro-granular prilled urea with NBPT has 10 times more particles and better solubility, enhancing pasture response and reducing N inputs by 50%. More new kit for LJ Contracting is the 4.5m Allen Drill Jim bought last year, and he has had some great results with it on grass, turnips, kale, swedes, and cereals. Rounding off these services, baleage is still LJ Contracting’s flagship, and a full effluent service is available including an umbilical irrigation system, slurry tanker and orbital solid spreaders. Jim has his 1100 cow dairy farm managed by a contract milker and a really great team of guys at LJ Contracting helping to keep every client happy and serviced in good time. LJ Contracting Southland Ltd Specialists in All Auto Electrical Repairs & Servicing 4 V i c tor i a Avenue , I nv ercarg i l l Phone 03 2 1 8 3 200 admin@ajautoelect r i cal .net .nz Proudly associated with Fernhill Limeworks Ltd YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR ALL ENGINEERING PROJECTS WHETHER BIG OR SMALL Heavy Equipment Forestry / Agriculture TicketedWelding Transport 14 Lindsay Street, Winton 9720, New Zealand Ph: 03 236 0132, Mob: 027 444 1351 or 027 742 1557 www.bulleidengineering.co.nz 51 Great North Road, Winton Ph 03 236 8701 • 021 225 6235 • www.gillrepairs.co.nz FULL WORKSHOP • Diagnostic Scan Tools • W.O.F • Major/Minor repairs • Tyre Repair/Replacement • Heavy Brake Rollers • Ryco Hydraulic Hose Fittings Cars-4WD-Farm Vehicles & Machinery-Trucks-Tractors Proud to be associated with LJ Contracting Southland Ltd LJ CONTRACTING SOUTHLAND LTD
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