48 | Winter milk contract a winner from page 47 Michael milks 460 cows, supplying winter milk to Oceania Dairy. DAIRY INDUSTRY Oceania Dairy “But it was a drought year, we had just bought the farm and things got really tight financially. On the Willowbridge farm that I lease I’d taken on dairy grazing, but because everyone was cutting costs all that dairy grazing disappeared. “So I had no income off the lease block with all this grass and silage to make. I ended up buying some autumn calving cows and going winter milking. “After one year of winter milking Oceania offered me a winter milk contract, which was quite a good premium, and I’ve stayed that way with them ever since. “I say every cloud has a silver lining and that was certainly the silver lining to the downturn.” Michael says Oceania is a comparatively small company, which enables a very close personal relationship that he enjoys. “You can ring them up, you don’t have to say you are Supplier Number three, you say its Michael Horne speaking and they will bring up my information without even looking my number up. “If there has ever been a problem they have been very sympathetic and they will come out to the farm if they have to. It’s that personal touch that I like.” This is the first year in Michael’s dairy farming life that he hasn’t milked cows. He has provided a contract milker with an opportunity, while freeing his own time up to concentrate on farm development. “The farm has been irrigated by border dyke flood irrigation which is being phased out by the irrigation company and in its place I’m installing spray irrigators. Of the 145 hectares, I only had 130 hectares in paddock, the rest was in head races or wasteland. Putting the pivot irrigator in I have reclaimed that wasteland and now have 140 hectares in pasture. Not only do I get an extra 10 hectares in pasture, the 130 hectares that was in pasture will grow better grass because it is getting water little and often. It is a way more efficient way to irrigate.” Looking ahead to the future, Michael hopes that his farm will become generational with one of his children eventually taking it over. Perhaps then the relationship with Oceania will also be intergenerational. P: 03 434 1232 | E: oamaru@laserplumbing.co.nz | W: www.oamaru.laserplumbing.co.nz Onsite Wastewater Solutions Service & Maintenance New Homes Home Heating Solutions 24 hours, 7 days Laser Plumbing Oamaru - Your complete plumbing professionals 173 Maces Road, Christchurch, New Zealand Phone: (03) 381 4499 Email: enquiries@kelfordengineering.co.nz www.kelfordengineering.co.nz BOILERS ARE YOUR LIFEBLOOD AND OUR LIVELIHOOD Emergency Boiler Service / Boiler Inspections / Repairs and Maintenance / Boiler Installations Combustion Tuning / Portable Boiler Hire / KESB Electrical Steam Boilers / Parts and Servicing PROUD TO BE A SERVICE PROVIDER TO OCEANIA DAIRY Quality ISO 9001 Registered elarc.
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