| 43 nzdairy for ‘workaholic’ Robert and Cate Willis with children Luca, 12 and Isabella, 17. DAIRY PEOPLE » Russell Heald Smart on-farm technology improves efficiencies The Jenkins Road Dairies team: Alex, Manpreet Singh, Gavin (front), Raka, Hayden and Adrian. Kelly Deeks Tuatapere’s Jenkins Road Dairies has made a move to automation, improving efficiencies with time and labour savings and enhancing its animal welfare as smart technology helps farm staff to provide the best care possible to the 1300cow herd. The two dairy sheds on two adjacent farms, while already being fitted with in-shed meal systems, automatic cup removers, and automatic teat sprayers, have this season been fitted with Protrack for and to end automation and integration with the farms; herd management. Contract milker Manpreet Singh Boparai says the dairy sheds are now one-man sheds. “We are streamlining everything we can to try to bring more efficiencies into our system,” he says. “This being a large herd, we always deal with large numbers of staff, so having exactly the same system in both cowsheds it’s a lot easier to run and manage, and a lot easier to train our staff as well.” Five full time and two casual staff work across both Jenkins Road farms. A different person will be milking in the morning to the person milking in the afternoon, so while inter-staff communication is critical to the smooth running of the farm, it can also be difficult to get everybody in one place at one time for a sit-down meeting without losing time and efficiencies. “All of these systems have made communication a bit more streamlined. The whole system is on the cloud,all of the staff have the MINDA app on their phone, and information is being shared with everyone.We are relying on technology and automation and smartphones. “Every morning, everyone gets a plan of what’s going on that day, and if anyone has got anything to be shared with the whole team, they can just put it on the group chat. It’s simple, but we use it all the time and it’s working for us.” On animal welfare, Manpreet says if someone “We are trying our best to keep our cows full all the time, and we have a hue insurance strategy of summer crop every year which takes the pressure off. As soon as we start feeding summer crop, the cows won’t drop off production, they will hold or even improve.” As contract milkers, Manpreet and Jaspreet are running a small business inside a bigger business, and they have to deliver on both fronts. They are lucky to have a good farm supervisor and farm consultant, and supportive farm owners who all work together as a really good team. Manpreet and Jaspreet have both immersed themselves in the small local community of Tuatapere, and are filling integral roles outside the farm gates. “Wherever we go we participate in the community and try to help in whatever way we can,” they say. Accountant Jaspreet is working as treasurer for Tuatapere Community Pool, and Manpreet is part of Tuatapere Volunteer Fire Brigade. sees a lame cow, they can just punch in the tag number and she will be drafted straight away. “We had been doing this manually and to pullone cowout of 1300 cows, it was a mission. Someone has to stand on the other side and go through the tags and then draft the cow, and sometimes we would miss her. Maybe we would keep on missing her. “Now we just push the number in and right in the next milking she’ll be out. This really helps us to look after animal welfare.” Manpreet and his wife Jaspreet are now into their second season contract milking at Jenkins Road Dairies, and it has been a pretty unstable season weather-wise. A bit of rain at the start was followed by a lot of wind, drying off all the moisture and stressing the grass which was trying to grow, but going to seed. “The quality of grass has been a challenge throughout the season, and we’re struggling with quantity as well,” Manpreet says. “This being a large herd, we always deal with large numbers of staff, so having exactly the same system in both cowsheds it’s a lot easier to run and manage, and a lot easier to train our staff as well.” Robert: 027 439 5096 Email: rivertonfarmdrainage@xtra.co.nz TALK TO THE EXPERTS FOR FARMING SUPPORT Biological/Regenerative Farming Systems Coaching. Focusing on the most cost effective practical way to connect plants to soil to achieve the ultimate animal/human performance. GREG BARCLAY P 0274505054 E gregbarclay@xtra.co.nz W www.soi lconnection.net
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