NZ Dairy Autumn 2021

6 | nz dairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Damian & Jane Roper Nurturing nature a mission for couple The Ropers’ farm entrance features murals of bush and eels with large silhouetted designs of the Karearea , the Peripatus, and a Totara Tree. Sue Russell W hen Taranaki farmer Damian Roper de- cided to hang up his shearing handpiece to seek a dairy farming career with a structured pathway to farm ownership, he and Jane also began a journey to replenish, and give back to the environment. “We started in Waverley, South Taranaki, on workers’ wages and then climbed into 50:50 sharemilking, with our final sharemilking agree- ment lasting 17 years. We were very lucky we had excellent farm owners who could see our drive and determination,” says Damian. After two decades as a 50:50 sharemilker the couple were ready to buy a farm and they literally looked all over New Zealand, but they always came back to focussing their search on Taranaki. In 2006, they bought their farm at Alton, inland from Patea and when the opportunity presented to buy the neighbouring farm, they did just that, ensuring their business became more economi- cally sustainable. In 2017, striving to do the very best they could from their 150 ha (effective) dairy platform, including looking after their herd, they made the decision to reduce cow numbers from 500 to 420. “We were surprised and delighted to discover that by reducing the herd we noticed improved production and other benefits immediately.” Then came the quest to retire steep, marginal land on the property, used for grazing their beef cattle and sheep; this led to another whole farm dynamic unfolding in time. With a bent toward native flora Damian and Jane saw that this retired land presented them with the opportunity to create significant environ- ment gains and with their hard-working attitude, the couple set about to bringing nature back to the farm. Living their mission, one they are very proud of - ‘To show-case how a tidy, profitable and sustainable farming operation can operate successfully without any negative impact to the environment’. The couple created a 2.5 ha lake sanctuary fully planted around and under a strict water management plan with the goal to see aquatic life become as it was in pre European times. The lake has brought species back such as the long fin eel, tuna kuwharuwharu, and Koura. “I certainly enjoy the natives and the more I got into learning about some of our many rare species, the more I saw this space as serving the purpose of regeneration. We only have 150 speci- mens of kakabeak left in the wild and the Swamp Maire, Maire Tawake, has all but been eliminated due to decades of drainage happening throughout New Zealand.” Damian says he feels fortunate too to have evolved very good relationships with farmers that have specimen trees in their swamps and as a result, today, Damian is also busy propagat- ing plants and trees, eventually for redistributing throughout the community. In total the Roper’s property extends to 320ha, made up of the dairy block, 20ha for sheep and beef and 100ha of pine trees, due to be harvested in the near future. When this happens, the plan is to replant with indigenous species, creating a 8km walkway/cycleway for the community to enjoy the Makino and Ingahape streams and even venture into the Tarere conservation area – Whanganui National Park. “We’ve achieved what we have by having goals and sticking to the plan. You have to set yourself realistic goals.” While the environmental achievements are profound and ongoing, Damian points out that first and foremost, this is a working dairy farm in every sense of the word. “We have a great team, of Jane and Damian and our son Jack. A variety of jobs, flexible hours and a team approach allow the farm to excel. It is so pleasing to see our past employee’s call in or ring for a catch up and to see them use some of our farm values. The farm business is constantly looking for efficiencies. Time saving devices, water saving, feed usage and wastage minimisation, strong machinery maintenance and strong environmental procedures are constantly being self-reviewed and changes adopted quickly. “It has helped keep our business profitable and becoming more sustainable. It has also kept us up to date with compliance regulations .We can then plan for change rather than have change pushed on us”. Cropping is a very important part of our farming system with 16% of the farm in chicory/turnips and 14% of the farm in maize. “We promote no tillage where possible for soil protection and en- hancement. It seems to be the preferred method of grass and brassica crop production. Our crop- ping programme also allows us to capture any nutrients otherwise lost to pasture. “Our son Jack run’s Roper Agriculture specialis- ing in no-tillage operations. Having Norwood in Hawera has been brilliant with the supply and service of specialised drills and tractors. Jack has customised his gear with the latest in technology i.e. GPS,auto steer to get seed and fertiliser place- ment precise. The team at Norwood are experts in this area and have a great friendly attitude to go with it. The 24-hour service has been invaluable for Jack as he grows his drilling business.” The dairy farm operates to a System 4 and since reducing cow numbers production has increased 20% to 580 milk solids per cow and 1650/ha. On another positive front, fertiliser volumes have reducedand the farm annually only uses about 110 units of Nitrogen per hectare. The gas emission profile has also reduced from 15 t of COe to now 7.8 t COe. The couple attend Te Reo Maori classes in New Plymouth. “We have made connections with local Iwi and have learnt so much more about Maori history in this region. “We have started incorporating Maori cultural values into our farming operation. There is so much to learn and gain in future farming prac- tices. It is exciting times!” The family has recently built a Pa tuwatawata following strict Maori protocol and advice from our Fonterra Iwi Representative, Mitch Croswell, guid- ance from their marae, Wharepuni and help from fencers and builders in the community. “We have named it Ohuarai Pa i te kohu; Ohuarai Pa in the mist. It is going to be used for the propagation and growing of eco-sourced na- tive seedlings using a combination of traditional Maori and modern techniques then distributing throughout our community.” Those visiting the farm drive through an im- pressive entrance with eels and bush murals with large silhouetted designs of the Karearea , the Peripatus, and a Totara Tree. “One of the many reasons for our achieving our goals is what I learnt during my shearing and sharemilking career. ‘E ‘ara taku toa i te toa takitahi, ’e toa takitini – My strength is not as an individual, but as a collective.’”