NZ Dairy Autumn 2021

74 | nz dairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Landwirt: Andre Meier & Natalie Cameron Dairy high-flier eyes improvements Kim Newth L ast year’s New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year, Andre Meier, has been busier than ever deploying his flair for improvement at Otamarakau since moving to a contract milking role there last June. Andre and partner Natalie Cameron are near- ing the end of their first season there, contract milking a 425-strong Friesian herd on Natalie’s family’s farm. The name of the couple’s contract milking business – Landwirt Ltd – draws on Andre’s Swiss ancestry and means ‘land farmer’. Whereas his previous role – managing an 800-cow Pongakawa farm – involved farming on rolling to steep country, the current 138ha milking platform is flat and well-irrigated. Andre and Natalie also run a 300ha drystock block on an adjacent ridge. Farm maintenance has been a top priority this season. The flat land can be prone to pugging so drains have been cleaned to mitigate potential overflow issues.“We’ve just been bringing every- thing up to scratch, including also fencing, tracks and sorting out mastitis issues, getting that under control,” says Andre. Unwanted grasses present a challenge across the farm, but pasture improvement is starting to make a difference. “We’re trying to turn it around, pasture-wise, re-grassing with quality perennial ryegrass.” While it is still early days at Otamarakau, Andre is already making big strides in calving perfor- mance, having lifted the previous 55% six week- in-calf rate to 69%. “We are achieving these gains through close monitoring and making sure we have the correct intake levels for the cows. Plus we identify all the non-cyclers first and get a reproduction programme going for them.” The green flatland farm at Otamarakau is suitable for TAD milking, and Andre and Natalie did milk on a TAD basis through to December last year but switched to OAD before Christmas. This was partly a management system to free up time for farm maintenance but also delivered benefits for the herd. “It is a bit less stress on the cows. We didn’t see a major drop in production and the cows are way happier. It also gives you those free after- noons over summer.” The couple plan to resume TAD milking at the start of next season. New this season is a weeping wall effluent system, installed by Archway Group. Andre says Archway did a great job. The system was installed rapidly over three days, so there was very little disruption to the farm’s usual schedule. “The beauty of it is that it’s totally maintenance free. There are no mechanical parts so it’s easy to look after. You don’t have to do anything apart from pump liquids away.” Sited off the cowshed and feed pad, the weep- ing wall effectively delivers solids separation. Greenwater is recycled for floodwashing while effluent solids are stored until soil conditions are suitable for good nutrient response. Another farm at Otakiriis being added to the operation next season and will need an efflu- ent system too. “We will go with Archway Group again because of how well it has gone here.” When Andre was named as 2020 New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year, judges spoke of his impressive leadership style and willingness to help others. Andre is committed to the ongo- ing professional development of his team that includes experienced herd manager Lindsay Williams and dairy trainee Sam Clark. SPECIALISTS IN WATER & EFFLUENT •Water-Metering &Verification • FarmWater Retiulation • Consents &Consultation • Project Management • CustomEngineered Solutions • Turn-Key Solutions | Design | Supply | Build • Solids Separation&Green-Water Recycling • Freshwater &Effluent Irrigation At AgFirst Engineeringwewill give you indepentend advice, give you all your options andmake a recommedation onwhat type of systembest suits your needs. Independent Professionals to Agriculture &Horticulture Contacts: Davieith Verheij, 021 925 534 (Waikato, Taranaki) Scott McKenzie, 0278074979 (BOP) HARDWORKING GOOD BUGGERS NUTRIENT | EFFLUENT | CONTAINMENT 0800 ARCHWAY | WWW.ARCHWAY.CO.NZ PRH is heavily involved in the Kiwifruit industry carting containers, Kiwifruit pallets to the port and bin fruit to packhouses. In the off season we are carting goods all around the country be it in containers, bulk tippers & general goods. PRH 027 772 2305 dispatch@prh.nz Andre Meier, 2020 NZ Dairy Manager of the Year, has taken on a contract milking role with partner Natalie Cameron milking a 425-strong herd at Otamarakau. REFRIGERATION | AIR CONDITIONING | ELECTRICAL 027 4517 246 R2 heifers grazing at Otamarakau.