| 81 Tweaking their successful system Maddison and Sadie have fun clay-bird shooting; family time out. Travis, Cruze and Jesse helping roll up portable trough in crop before ploughing. Karen Phelps A programme of continual improvement is better for stock, the land and making the farm more enjoyable to live and work on, say Southland farmers Samara and Chris Wech. The couple has dropped cow numbers slightly to around 400 from 430 and is focused on small incremental improvements to ‘tweak’ their successful farming system. They achieved record production last season of 217,500 kgs/MS and are on target, weather permitting, to hit 220,000 kgs/MS this season. Their 136ha effective/142ha total property in Aparimia, 10 minutes out of Otautau, is run by contract milkers. Chris and Samara’s kids Cruze (16) and Maddison (17) do some relief milking and Jesse (14) and Travis (12) also enjoy helping out on the farm. They re-grass each year - 13-20ha – to ensure pasture is less than eight years old for maximum productivity as they recognise this is the cheapest feed source. A close eye is kept to make sure pasture is optimal height for grazing, grazing to the right residuals and topping pasture as required. An in-shed feeding system provides a further boost to productivity and feed efficiency, feeding wheat, palm kernel and DDG, while reducing feed wastage and increasing utilisation. They feed through the system all year round but ramp it up at key times such as spring and mating. The farm has a 36ha support block used for silage, rearing calves and wintering stock. They grow around 10ha of oats and make baleage. During inclement weather cows are moved to dryer areas and there is also an old undercover sheep yard on the farm, which has proved useful shelter. They also use this for calving under in wet weather. Rising costs have impacted profitability so they are keeping a close eye on expenditure. Doing their own groundwork and cultivation helps to control some of this. Chris grew up in a farming family in North Island and went sharemilking after finishing his studies. After meeting Samara the couple went contract milking, building up their savings, buying a little dry stock block in the second year and doing some dairy grazing. In 2007 they borrowed from the equity in their drystock block, bought around 400 cows and went sharemilking on the farm they now own. A few years later they converted their drystock block to a small dairy unit with 240 cows and put a contract milker on it. They sold their small dairy unit to fund them into purchasing their farm. DAIRY » Chris and Sam Wech Both actively work on the farm and Samara also works three days a week in Invercargill in her clinic Naturopathic Approach. Her naturopathic skills also prove useful on the farm and Chris says she can treat some animal health issues effectively. Work-life balance is important for the family and, although before Christmas is invariably a hectic time for dairy farmers, they always take a break after enjoying things together such as canoeing and jet boating. “Working smarter, not harder,” says Chris, “is always the aim. “Working smarter, not harder,” says Chris, “is always the aim.” • Log Cartage • Stock / Bulk • PROUDLY SUPPORTING CHRIS AND SAM WECH Fertiliser • Gravel • Contracting • ransporting T 0800 22 5899 www.dtking.co.nz 03 225 8356 Otautau 03 225 5899 Pukemaori 03 234 8120 Riverton Complete Silage, Baling, Cultivation, Effluent, Spraying & Excavator Contracting Service Phone: 03 225 8488 Rabco Ag Ltd E-mail: admin@rabco.nz Web: www.rabbitt.co.nz
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