10 | Built up over four generations Booker, Fergus, Lacey, Jack (cousin), Oscar, Stephen and Kim. Virginia Wright RURAL PEOPLE » Stephen Todd Running three dairy farms in the Tutaki Valley in Murchison keeps Stephen Todd busy, as does family life with his partner, soon to be wife, Kim, and their five children. Operations Manager for all three, Stephen owns Tutaki Farm and is part owner of the two family farms run under the umbrella of Toddagri, built up over four generations, and co-owned by his parents John and Debbie. Kim is actively involved in the farm, and his father John is still actively involved, alongside the 10 staff working across the farms. The combined land area of the three farms is around 2500 hectares, 1500 effective, with 550 hectares of the remainder in pine trees and the rest left in native bush. They run an 1850 strong XBreed herd with a few Jerseys and Fresians among them, producing a whole farm average of roughly 600,000 kgs milk solids, with each of the three contributing farms offering quite different numbers. “Two of the farms are quite extensive with decent walks on them, so some of the herds are once-aday and some twice-a-day,” explains Stephen. Tutaki Farm runs 10 kilometres along the valley floor, so has two herds, each on a different regime. To protect the herd with the heifers and older cows from having to walk in the heat of the day, and because they have further to go, they’re milked once a day. For the last three seasons the other 600 strong herd are milked twice-a-day through the peak production period from calving until mating, then go to three and two up until Christmas, before joining the other herd in once-a-day as summer dry kicks in. ‘We want to capture peak production with the grass growth in spring, and it’s made a big difference to our production, we’re hitting our targets now,” says Stephen. The 430 cows on one of the Toddagri farms have been once-a-day for eight seasons, but this year they’ve gone 10 in seven, milking twice-a-day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the change in regime being for the same reason as on Tutaki: making the most of the peak production time without over-taxing the cows. “Production’s up for the year and the cows are looking good. We’ll probably go to once-a-day after Christmas,” says Stephen. On the other easier and flatter farm, the herd reward twice-a-day milking in peak production time, but as both the pasture and the cows start to go dry they too will step down in two stages to once-a-day. It’s a flexible approach that’s working, and for once the weather is co-operating. “Everything’s growing pretty well, we’ve been lucky with the rains, they’ve Proud to support Stephen Todd. Rural Service Centre • Dairy Chem & Shed Supplies • Dairy Cow & Calf Feed • Molasses • Pasture & Crop Seed • Fodder Beet Seed & Chem • Ag Chem • Magnesium & Minerals Call us for all your farming supplies & free delivery. Glen Atkin - 027 589 5558 | Mike Havill - 021 527 079 Mark Jackson - 027 589 559 | Kirsty Wilkonson - 027 589 1429 Nicole King - 027 589 5551 | Caitlin Hudson - 027 589 5540 Tasman/Marlborough/ Steve Bethell - 027 589 5522 Whataroa - 03 753 4022 | Ikamatu - 03 732 3042 Karamea - 03 782 6652 come just when they’re needed” says Stephen. Luck doesn’t come into it with the work he and others are doing for Federated Farmers though, as they do their bit for the broader industry. Having joined a few years ago Stephen soon became Regional Dairy Chair for a couple of seasons before stepping up to be the new Nelson President of Federated Farmers. “Once you get involved you find out how much work they’re really doing behind the scenes, it’s pretty phenomenal especially with all the new regulations,” says Stephen. “It’s such important representation for farmers in general, because without them, frankly, we’d have a heap of rules that we can’t farm with.” Stephen wants to see people putting in submissions about the emissions scheme currently under discussion, and any local Federated Farmers branch will give them the information to help them do it or they can find it online. Failing that he’d like to see everyone joining even if they never make a meeting. “It’s as important as it’s ever been to get Federated Farmers strong, and the work gets done whether they’re at a meeting or not, but we can’t do the work without the funds,” says Stephen. “It’s as important as it’s ever been to get Federated Farmers strong.”
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