NZ Dairy Autumn 2021

30 | nz dairy FRESH MILK » Andrea & Stuart Weir / Organic Dairy Hub Cow to consumer: Bridging the urban-rural divide • from page 28 The DeLaval parallel parlour milk shed and shop with viewing area have proved popular with schools and kindergartens. Organic Dairy Hub (ODH) offers freshly bottled Organic Full Cream A3™ Milk with full traceability from cow to consumer. “There are probably two generations who have never had access to a farm. This shows kids where their food comes from and helps bridge that rural-urban divide,” says Stuart. The couple farm 100ha with 200 holstein/ friesian cows. They winter milk around 160. Both Stuart and Andrea are hands on farmers and typically work 10-hour days starting at 6am each morning for the milking. They calve at the end of February to give a winter supply herd for Fonterra and Real Milk. No bobby calves are sent off the farm - all of their calves are either replacement heifers or beef cross calves sold on for the beef industry. They have just finished building a 170 metre deep well. This will replace their water take from Salt Water Creek, which runs through the farm and give them greater water security over the summer months. They are hand washed, iodine teat sprayed and hand dried before the cups are put on. Their milk is tested every week for consistency and bacteria count. It also dictated the design of their milk shed, a parallel parlour with DeLaval plant. Stuart says they didn’t want a rotary because Real Milk Timaru necessitated a cleaner shed. Their shed has a pan that runs the length of the pit for effluent so nothing goes onto the floor of the shed. With automatic cup removers they only need one staff member. It is also a rapid exit shed as the head bail lifts up and the cows just walk forwards and out. The dairy shed and shop with viewing area have become popular with schools and kinder- gartens. Andrea takes the tours where kids get to feed calves and sample the milk. Electrical solutions, made easy! 027 444 8458 ct.elec.services@gmail.com HONDA PRODUCT FEATURES WORK ON FARM. jeremy@timaruhonda.co.nz Supporting the future of organic farming That’s why organic farmers use FIL for their dairy hygiene and teat care. With a unique UDQJH RI 2UJDQLF &HUWLĐHG SURGXFWV \RX FDQ UHVW DVVXUHG WKDW \RXÝUH XVLQJ WKH EHVW VXLWDEOH SURGXFWV IRU \RXU RSHUDWLRQ 2XU UDQJH LV DOVR EDFNHG E\ D WHDP RI $UHD 0DQDJHUV WKURXJKRXW WKH FRXQWU\ 7KH\ÝUH WUDLQHG DQG H[SHULHQFHG ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR SUHYHQWLQJ PDVWLWLV XGGHU KHDOWK DQG HPSRZHULQJ VWDď 7R OHDUQ PRUH DERXW RXU RUJDQLF FHUWLĐHG SURGXFWV JHW LQ WRXFK ZLWK \RXU ORFDO ),/ UHS RQ ƂN EQ P\ Our solutions are based on what dairy farmers need to perform - and organic farms are no exception.