NZ Dairy Autumn 2021

96 | nz dairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Sole Farms: John & Tracey Hickman Dairy pathway still Richard Loader J ohn and Tracey Hickman’s dairy farming journey has taken them on a magical trajectory from development, to debt consolidation to the commencement of succession planning. A young boy who only ever wanted to go farming, John has achieved everything in life that he hoped he would and has no hesitation in recommending dairy farming as a career. “It’s hard work, but the return on investment is fantastic. There’s still a pathway for young people to start with nothing and work their way up to farm ownership.” Growing up on his parents Taranaki sheep and beef farm, John decided that dagging and crutch- ing was not for him and started his dairy-farming career as a farm assistant after leaving school in the early ‘80s. Rising to contract milker John and his brother returned to the family farm that had been converted to dairy in 1989, taking up partnership as 50/50 sharemilkers. The following year John married Tracey. The brothers’ partnership lasted six years before John and Tracey made the call to traverse the Cook Strait and take a 50/50 job in Edendale Southland on a 500 cow farm, leaving the Taranaki herd with a contract milker. At the end of the fourth season the Taranaki herd was sold and John and Tracey moved to a new 50/50 job on an 1100 cow farm in Avondale. That farm was sold two seasons later, and John and Tracey stepped onto the property ownership ladder. “We purchased a 308-hectare sheep and beef farm further up Avondale Road and converted that to dairy. We progressively built that property up to about 600 hectares, milking 1500 cows. In 2008 we bought a 220-hectare cropping farm on Bayswa- ter Road, just south of Avondale Road, which we converted to dairy that year.” In 2010 the Avondale property was sold, a 200-hectare property in Oreti purchased and converted to dairy with a 54-bale rotary ready for milking June 2011. “In 2015 100 hectares of neighbouring land was added to Bayswater, enabling us to grow that farm from 750 cows to 1050, milking through a 64-bale rotary.” Two years ago 97 hectares was purchased next to the Oreti property. Used mainly as run-off for growing grass, wintering a few cows, it also takes pressure off 540 hectares leased in Avondale for young stock, wintering, running bulls, beef and some dairy grazers. With a total of eight Filipino staff full time and one part timer, John and Tracey have placed farm managers on each of the dairy units, as well as the Avondale drystock block. Tracey looks after all the bookwork and accounts while John oversees the entire farming operation as well as the calves. Unable to speak highly enough of his Filipino team, John says many of them have been part of the operation for lengthy periods of time, with the shortest period being three years. “Two of them are about to become residents. One of them has been with me for 13 years. I’ve had a really good run employing Filipino staff; they’re always reliable and turn up for work. We pay them well, provide them with good housing and they stay with us.” With four adult children, the task ahead is debt repayment and succession planning. Youngest son, Liam, is in the final stages of his degree at Lincoln University and will return to the farm this year in time for the start of the new sea- son, starting at the coalface in Bayswater. “He will do a couple of years there and then if he wants to continue farming we will do a progression plan. We’re about to start looking at formal suc- cession planning involving all our children and our accountant to ensure whatever we do is equitable.” “Two of them are about to become residents. One of them has been with me for 13 years. I’ve had a really good run employing Filipino staff; they’re always reliable and turn up for work. We pay them well, provide them with good housing and they stay with us.” Filipino staff form the core of John and Tracey Hickman’s farming operation, with two staff about to become New Zealand residents. 159 Great North Rd, Winton · Ph 03 236 7131 sgengineering@xtra.co.nz www.stevegearyengineering.co.nz Machining · Repairs · Fabrication Installation · Augers · Engineering Supplies Supplier of goods & services Sole Farms 03 214 1228 info@serltd.co.nz • www.serltd.co.nz Keep warm this Winter Get a LongerWarranty Periodwith an Accredited FujitsuHeat Pump Installer Weed, Crop, Pasture & Liquid Fertiliser Spraying Twin Conveyer Sheep Shower Available BALING Wrap on wrap balage Net baling Mowing, Raking and Baling CULTIVATION Roller drill power harrow, Ploughing, Leveling bar, Deep ripper and Precision auto steer 12 ton tip trailer with silage bins and rock sides for hire Call 027 332 4420 for or a free no-obligation quote SERVICING THE SOUTHLAND REGION UMBILICAL 2,600m pipe Pump stirrer Joskin 16,000L slurry tank