12 | Focus on environmental improvement The 720 cows milked in the 54-bale rotary shed produced 357,000kg of milk solids this year, with twice-a-day milking on the home farm. Randall Johnston RURAL PEOPLE » Bryce McKenzie As a lifelong farmer and enthusiastic trout angler, Bryce McKenzie is deeply motivated to safeguard the nation’s waterways. Raised on Mckenzie Downs near Pomahaka, about 25 minutes north-east of Gore, Bryce’s son Jared now manages the 340ha dairy farm, leasing it alongside his brother Warrack from the family trust – a set up that has been in place ever since they first converted from sheep to dairy in 2008. Warrack and Jared also share in the milking operations at a nearby farm with 500 cows; about 10 minutes away from the home farm and have just completed their first season there. Together, the brothers own a company, a parcel of land, and care for over 1200 cows – mix of Kiwi-Cross, Friesians and a few Jerseys. The land is mostly flat to rolling, so not too arduous. The 720 cows milked in the 54-bale rotary shed produced 357,000kg of milk solids this year, with twice-a-day milking on the home farm – supplying Open Country, while the other share-milking farm is supplying Fonterra. “We’ve had a pretty good run recently overall. The payout is good but costs are very high,” Bryce says. “We need to be careful that the cost increases don’t outpace the income.” The home farm expanded when the neighbors sold their 130ha sheep and beef farm, the McKenzie’s had leased it for years (mostly for calving) anyway, and although the conversion took a fair bit of time and investment, it was mostly done by the time the purchase went through. The team has used Halter cow collars for about three seasons now and have used the data to make better decisions regarding animal health, pasture management and it had allowed them to target their on-farm investments where they are truly needed. They do get a lot of rainfall and the pasture can get boggy in winter, so about five years ago they constructed a large calving pad, equipped with pipes, gravel, and sawdust, to facilitate calving for all their cows. Any runoff is directed to a pond and then distributed across the land. As the soil dries, it is pumped back onto the farm. Drainage pipes are installed to capture all runoff from the pad. Bryce still does a lot of the groundwork, but they also use Maitland Contracting to assist when needed. They do a fair bit of winter cropping to help keep feed costs down, 25-30ha of sweede and kale mostly. There are two permanent staff on the home Proud to support Bryce Mckenzie www.caldwellcontracting.co.nz (03 206-6465) • Cultivation • Effluent and muckspreading • Excavation • Silage • Tree felling and wood chipping • Transport and Fertiliser spreading 24 Main Street, Gore | findex.co.nz Your farm’s next chapter needs a financial plan. The lawyers sort the legal side. But who helps you weigh up what’s actually best for the farm and the next generation taking over? Our advisors work alongside your lawyer to help farming families get succession right. Talk to a local advisor today. Findex NZ Limited trading as Findex farm and two on the share-milking operation. Bryce is a founding member of the Pomahaka Water Care Group. At 72 years old, he is also actively involved as a co-founder of the advocacy group Groundswell NZ. He believes that in any water care initiative, individuals can contribute positively through their daily actions to reduce the impact on the waterways they are linked to. “This collective effort can significantly improve the condition of our waterways, and it has already made a difference here, mainly with riparian lanting and the calving pad.”
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