NZ Dairy Autumn 2023

Reece & Natasha Cox will soon take up their new 50/50 sharemilking role on a 700-cow farm near Taupo - page 72 Hard work well worth it AUTUMN 2023 www.waterfordpress.co.nz

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NZ Dairy accepts no responsibility for loss of photos or manuscripts. #nzdairy #yourstory www.waterfordpress.co.nz   Victor Rutherford ������������������������������������������������������������������������� 03 Waikeria Prison Farm ������������������������������������������������������������������ 04 Hohepa ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 05 MacInnes Farm ��������������������������������������������������������������������������� 06 Ad & Anita Hendriks �������������������������������������������������������������������� 07 Kenneth & Rachel Short �������������������������������������������������������������� 08 Anchor Jerseys �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 09 Andre du Leeuw ������������������������������������������������������������������������� 10 Anthony Kiff �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 11 Aran & Sharleen Sealey �������������������������������������������������������������� 12 Dayne & Sophia Addison ������������������������������������������������������������� 13 Andrew McGiven ������������������������������������������������������������������������� 14 Janet Schultz ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 15 Aquila Farms ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 16 Ballyberg Farm ��������������������������������������������������������������������������� 18 Barnen Dairy farm ���������������������������������������������������������������������� 19 Bosterra Ltd: Arjan van’t Klooster ������������������������������������������������ 20 Carlos & Bernice Delos Santos ���������������������������������������������������� 22 Brookview Genetics �������������������������������������������������������������������� 24 Cameron & Cassandra Spencer �������������������������������������������������� 25 Chris & Desiree Giles ������������������������������������������������������������������ 26 Claxby Estates ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� 28 Corrigan Sowman ����������������������������������������������������������������������� 30 C&N van Dorsten ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 30 Coshquin Farm ��������������������������������������������������������������������������� 31 Whakatohea ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 33 Fraser & Amber Carpenter ���������������������������������������������������������� 34 John Stevenson Farming ������������������������������������������������������������ 35 NZ Fieldays ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 36 Glenkylie Dairy Farm ������������������������������������������������������������������� 38 Cave Farms �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 39 Bryan & Kim Roach ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 40 Howard Family ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� 41 Fonterra Farm Source ����������������������������������������������������������������� 42 Jason & Sandy Herrick ���������������������������������������������������������������� 46 Josh & Kareena Sneddon ����������������������������������������������������������� 48 Kass & Emily Rauber ������������������������������������������������������������������� 49 Merivale Farms ��������������������������������������������������������������������������� 50 Kylie Evans ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 51 Murray & Rachel Perks ������������������������������������������������������������������� 52 NZ Dairy Goats ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 54 Nigel Rawlings �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 57 Miraka ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 58 NZ Veterinary Association ���������������������������������������������������������������� 60 Rapid Road Farm ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� 62 PJ Van Dongen ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 63 Paul Franklin ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 64 Ridgeline Farms ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 65 Peter & Sarah Walters ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 66 Steve & Amy Gillies ������������������������������������������������������������������������� 67 Walsh Enterprises �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 68 Ross Soffe �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 69 Pouarua Dairy Unit �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 70 Reece & Natasha Cox ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 72 Sofus & Jacqui Hahn ���������������������������������������������������������������������� 73 Rockburn Farming �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 74 Sherraine Holsteins ������������������������������������������������������������������������� 75 South Ealing Dairy �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 76 Tessa & Brendan Hopson ��������������������������������������������������������������� 77 Spring Sheep Milk �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 78 The Brow Farms ����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 81 Tocker Farms ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 82 Wyatt & Perret �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 84 White Gold Pastures ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 85 Northland Farm Services ����������������������������������������������������������������� 86 Future Post ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 87 Seales Winslow ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 88 Winton Stock Feed �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 90 Advance Dairy & Pumps ����������������������������������������������������������������� 92 Baz Janssen Building ���������������������������������������������������������������������� 94 Total Effluent Dairy �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 95 Camco Dairy Services ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 96 Fabish Jackson ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 98 Dairy Vets ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 99 Moa Milking & Pumping ���������������������������������������������������������������� 100 Dairy Holdings ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 103 26 | Emphasis back on grass 34 | Beef rearing added income stream 66 | Having the right people on-board 12 | Cow collars a business, lifestyle investment OUR PARTNERS: Christchurch Office 112 Wrights Road, Addington, Christchurch Phone 03-983 5500 PO Box 37 346 www.waterfordpress.co.nz Queenstown Office 70 Glenda Drive, Queenstown 9300 PO Box 2581, Wakatipu MANAGING DIRECTOR James Lynch james@waterfordpress.co.nz EDITORIAL Editor Randall Johnston randall@waterfordpress.co.nz Paul Mein paulmein@waterfordpress.co.nz Journalists Ange 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| 3 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Victor Rutherford Luck, halter system saviours in a storm Russell Fredric Victor Rutherford considers himself extremely lucky on at least two counts,despite having a big clean-up on his hands in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle. “We can’t complain because there’s a whole lot of people whose lives have been ruined in Hawke’s Bay and there’s Plenty of people here in the Kaipara who’ve been affected worse than me, so I consider myself extremely lucky really.” Despite this, his 480 hectare dairy farm had a considerable number of trees down across races; many were 100 years old and about 40 metres high and came down in “inconvenient places”. “Once again, we were really lucky; we had four come down on our tractor sheds and they all missed the machinery and the tractors in the sheds. How that happened is beyond me. I’ve had a man on a chainsaw since the day after Gabrielle [for about a month] and we’re not even a quarter of the way through yet.” Despite these challenges and combined with a slow start to the season, Victor’s decision last year to fit Halter collars on the cows has been an absolute saving grace in the once-a-day milking and pasture management for the farm’s 700 cows. Operated from an app on a portable device, the Halter system eliminates the need for fences, electric wires, motorbikes and gates by training cows to understand and respond to sound and vibration cues from the collar. They quickly learn to recognise these cues and the prompt to walk to the milking shed or to remain within virtual fences. If they have crossed over a virtual fence,the cues will gently guide them back. The collars also send a notification if there are any potential health issues. Victor has high praise for the system. “It’s fantastic. The problem is, with the size of the farm, most paddocks are between four and fiveand-a-half hectares and it’s just not practical to run 200 metres of fence reel out every time you want to split a paddock, whereas with Halter we split every paddock, we just do it on the phone.” “It has helped us incredibly with pasture quality. The cows are a lot more interested in eating because they don’t just walk into a four-and-a-half hectare paddock and decide what they want to eat. They walk into a paddock that’s divided two or three times by an invisible fence.” One of the issues with cows is that whenever they hear a motorbike they stop feeding and stand “Once again, we were really lucky; we had four (trees) come down on our tractor sheds and they all missed the machinery and the tractors in the sheds. How that happened is beyond me. I’ve had a man on a chainsaw since the day after Gabrielle [for about a month] and we’re not even a quarter of the way through yet.” at a gate expecting to be moved on to fresh grass, but the Halter system has eliminated this behaviour. Cows can also do a lot of pasture damage in really wet weather while waiting for a break fence to be moved, Victor says. “With the Halter you just activate it on the phone and 12 minutes later they all get a message that says you can move; there’s no anticipation so the cows don’t punish a paddock in anticipation of the fact they’re going to get moved.” The farm’s milking regime has also radically changed. With the Halter system prompting cows to move to the shed, super-early starts are now history and because gates can be kept open, moving around the farm in a tractor is also infinitely easier. “It’s phenomenal. It’s life changing.” Kaipara farmer Victor Rutherford had a big clean-up on his hands in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle. Proudly supporting Victor Rutherford and his farming endeavours NORTHLAND Spreading Northland The precise way to grow Call us today: Jason Williamson 027 499 2530 Ravensdown Customer Centre 0800 100 123 • We apply what you need, where you need it • Ravtrak advanced guidance • Proof of placement maps • Application history stored online • Experienced local operator • Options for all terrain

4 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Waikeria Prison Farm Farm not your typical dairy operation The season has been extraordinary for silage at the Waikeria Prison Farm. Typically, about 15 prisoners work on the farm. Russell Fredric Weather aside, it’s business as usual at the Waikeria Prison farm,although it is not your typical dairy operation. Stretching in length in the order of 10 kilometres from end to end and covering 1100 hectares, the farm is run as two units, milking 1800 cows through two rotary sheds. Principal instructor industries Stewart Morgansays the qualifying prisoners who are selected to work on the farm through an advisory panel process are usually within six months of parole eligibility. Due to being run within the prison system, the staff and prisoners who run the farm start milking at the leisurely time of 7:00am and although it used to run a high production, high input system, for practical reasons cows are now milked once a day (OAD). “Our labour situation’s a little bit unique; that’s the sort of time when we can get our work parties out from the units. A lot of farmers are finishing by seven o’clock but we’re just starting.” Typically, about 15 prisoners work on the farm. In addition to gaining practical experience, they have the opportunity to study towards Primary ITO qualifications. “Everybody gets started on level two agriculture general skills. How far through they get depends on the length of time they we have them for which varies a lot. Almost all of them have the opportunity to do the unit standards related to the operation of an LUV [side-by-side] and a wheeled tractor and obviously to assist with milking.” In addition to the Kiwicross milking cows, the farm rears 280 white-faced Kiwicross/Herefords with 20% of the heifer calves being kept for replacements while the balance are steer calves raised for the beef market. Natural mating runs over nine weeks, finished off with Hereford bulls, and calving starts on July 19 and runs until late September. “In general [the inmates] love the opportunity to work with the calves; in fact, the guys that are doing it often adopt one as a pet that follows them around. That’s quite a common thing.” The herd has a respectable empty rate of 9% to 13% and the sires are specifically selected with OAD milking in mind. “Bulls are selected for their progeny being good once a day milkers. I guess some specific cows don’t cope well under a once a day milking system in terms of their udder conformation; their udders will blow out if they’re not milked twice a day.” Annually, the farm grows about 30 to 40ha of maize for silage, grass silage as conditions allows and 30ha turnips as a summer crop, and although it comprises two separate units, it has the benefit of being able to move stock around the full 1000ha around as needed. This season has been extraordinary, Stewart says. “In the Waikato we’ve had a lot of rain, it’s raining now which is quite unusual for February. We are potentially in a feed surplus situation now which is almost unheard of in February.” The season started off favourably despite being wet, but “we haven’t had a dry period”, he says. “The grass is still actively growing; in fact, we’ll probably end up making some more silage later this month [February].” “Our labour situation’s a little bit unique; that’s the sort of time when we can get our work parties out from the units. A lot of farmers are finishing by seven o’clock but we’re just starting.” Murray Barclay Dealer Principal 0274 753 690 Mike Whitburn Sales Manager 0274 824 614 TE AWAMUTU 200 Benson Road 07 870 2411 We keep you growing Proud to support Waikeria Prison Where quality and service count For all your contracting requirements Phone 07 872 0000 .nz www.johnaustinltd.co 2023

| 5 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Hohepa Farms The Hohepa community won two gold medals for their cheeses at last year’s NZ Champions of Cheese Awards, as well as three environmental sustainability awards. Hohepa proves a community success story Ange Davidson Every life fully lived’ is the guiding vision at Hohepa, a supportive community for intellectually disabled people in Hawke’s Bay. Carl Storey, land enterprise manager at Hohepa says the organisation’s core business is to provide meaningful opportunities for engagement, participation and contribution for the people they support. The land at Clive and Poraiti was originally farmed to feed the community but now the farm produces and sells fresh produce, dairy products, and ecosourced native plants with surplus produce sold locally and as far south as Christchurch. “On the farm our people are engaged and satisfied and make a full contribution as they walk about the farm carrying out tasks. “They help themselves to vegetables and enjoy the outdoors and spending time with the animals. Some of the people we support also work as paid employees on the farm, or in the shop or nursery,” says Carl. Hohepa has about 60 cows which are milked all year round in a six bail walk-through dairy shed, the last remaining shed of its type in the country. The walk-through model works well for the people they support as they can be in contact with the cows. “We produce around 1000 litres of fresh pasteurised milk each week which is sold from the Hohepa shops in Clive and Poariti or delivered around the Hawke’s Bay area. “We produce soft cheeses, quarks, yoghurt, feta, and a blue, and we’re the only producers of a Danish hard cheese called Danbo in New Zealand,” says Carl. The Hohepa dairy took home six medals at last year’s NZ Champions of Cheese Awards including two gold medals for their Danbo cheeses. In the same year, Hohepa won three environmental sustainability awards for their compostable plastic packaging, paper labels and non-toxic inks and Demeter certified farming practices. “The people we support attended the award’s formal dinner. They got up on stage to receive the awards and they just love it” laughs Carl. “They have a great time and we’re so proud of the mahi in our community. “For the environmental sustainability awards we showed the judges how our packaging is a great opportunity to educate customers about composting rather than recycling. We also talked about our fresh milk delivery sales where each glass bottle is used for at least 300 cycles and our deliveries are made in an electric vehicle. “We explained how farming biodynamically means we can store and lock carbon into the soils rather than have it released into the atmosphere and that we have a complete effluent cycle with minimal inputs to grow grass all year round. We use our cows to convert that grass into milk,” he says. Santiago De Marco, Hohepa’s General Manager has been involved with the community for more than 23 years and believes that a close connection to the land, its seasons and life rhythms are all part of the unique Hohepa experience. “The people we support experience so much joy in being involved in the community, and achieving and learning. They are able to grow and contribute to the community. “The success of the Hohepa story is something we celebrate as a community and is evident in each person we support,” he says. Hohepa is one of the oldest organic farms in New Zealand and the third largest employer in Hawke’s Bay. “We produce soft cheeses, quarks, yoghurt, feta, and a blue, and we’re the only producers of a Danish hard cheese called Danbo in New Zealand.” The issues facing the global dairy industry, coupled with an ever-shifting landscape demand that you use agile and accurate testing methodologies. Wherever you are located, whether testing cow, goat, sheep, or camel-based dairy products, we’ve got you covered! 75% of the world’s raw milk is tested with one of Charm’s kits. Where the SCIENCE of Food Safety is a way of life! ATPHygiene & Sanitation T : 09 576 7326 E : sales@foodtechsolutions.co.nz W: www.fts.co.nz Hohepaavoids issues in their qualitysystem&protects their products fromthe invisible, byusingCharmskits Fast Alkaline Phosphatase The NovaLUM IIX luminometer uses PocketSwab Plus ATP (adenosine triphosphate) swabs enabling total surface hygiene verification in only 5 seconds! Please contact: Food Tech Solutions Keep up with MPI & dairy manufacturers obligations under RMP. Rely on this for cleaning verification and validation of sanitation and hygiene practices. Help prevent cross-contamination and microbial procedures. Data is collected tracked/trended for HACCP documentation and food safety/quality audit purposes. - Room temperature stable - Self-contained & Single service tests - Allow (real-time) corrective actions! Ensure that dairy heat treatments designated as a CCP are applied as documented in the RMP heat treatment plan, in real time, using Charm’s FAP test methods! 06 876 7748 info@wcse.co.nz www.wcse.co.nz Wine Country Sheet Metal & Engineering are proud to support Hohepa 306 Alexandra Street, Hastings, Hawke’s Bay PO Box 14017, Hastings Paul 027 244 3354 | Kyllee 027 688 8677 Paul & Kyllee Henton • DAIRY • DEER • EQUINE • PIGS • BEEF • SHEEP • ANTI-FATIGUE • WINTERING @AgriTechImportsNZ pkhenton@xtra.co.nz www.comfycow.co.nz

6 | nzdairy Migrants ‘important to our farming operation’ Richard Loader Absence makes the heart grow fonder and it took time spent working in London for Mathew MacInnes to realise that his heart belonged to the land on which he grew up. The land is 116 hectares in the Hauraki Plains that Mathew’s grandparents bought in the ’60s and his parents bought in the ‘80s, and which had been his home since a five-year-old, helping his dad on the paddocks. When Mathew returned to the farm aged 24, his dad told him to spend a year working on someone else’s farm — and do he did. He also met Natasha, who became his wife and partner. The following year he managed a smaller farm owned by his family for a couple of years, before moving onto the ‘home farm’ and progressively worked up to 50/50 sharemilking and finally the golden dream of farm ownership, milking 320 cows. Mathew’s love of farming has much to do with the constant variety of work presented on a daily basis, but he says it’s also a very solid environment to raise three daughters — Sienna 10, Ava 7 and Keira 3. “The girls love coming out on the farm on weekends and holidays and I like it because it gets them off devices. Natasha came from a sheep and beef background, and does some relief milking in the holidays, but she’s a primary school teacher, working full time. There’s a really good farming community in the Hauraki Plains — everyone looks out for each other.” Mathew says believing in the product they are producing is another big reason why he does what he does. “We think we do it more sustainably than anywhere else in the world and it’s good to be involved in something like that. So many other countries can’t produce milk, especially the way we produce it using grass. Most of the world’s milk is not produced by grass, and most Kiwis don’t understand that.” In addition to the home farm, Farm assistant Parminder Singh, Mathew and farm manager Satnam Singh. DAIRY PEOPLE » MacInnes Farm Mathew also looks after two other nearby family farms, maintaining contact once or twice a week, overseeing the general direction they are heading in, and support the staff as needed A 210 dairy cow unit is a minute down the road and has a Kiwi born farm manager. The other one is 20 minutes away and is a 460 farm, with one manager and two assistants, all migrant Indian workers. “There’s also a Filipino lady helping me on the home farm,” says Mathew. “Learning how to manage people has been important. I’ve done some staff courses in the past and worked on how to be as good as I can be. We’ve found migrant workers to be really important to our farming operation. They are keen, willing to learn and reliable. We’ve had our migrant workers for over three years now and prior to that we were struggling every year with keenness, reliability and willingness to learn by Kiwis.” Mathew thinks that part of the reason that it’s hard to find good solid Kiwi workers is because the ladder to farm ownership has changed from what it was like in the ‘80s and ‘90s. “Without family help, it’s too hard to do that now, the farm prices are too high. For that reason, many good people don’t go into the industry. It’s also harder to find 50/50 jobs.” CHARTER D ACCOUNTANT E Specialists in Farm Accounting • Cashflow Budgeting • Fonterra Shareholding Advice • Farm Sale & Purchase Advice • Equity Partnerships • GST • Livestock Valuation Options • Income Equalisation Pleased to support MacInnes Farm www.hoogeveen.co.nz | office@hoogeveen.co.nz | 07 862 9090 5055 State Highway 2, RD1, Ngatea 3597 Call 027 278 7421 - and we’ll get right on it. • Grass Stacks • Maize Harvesting • Baled Silage & Hay, Round & Square • Spraying • Ground Cultivation • Maize Planting • Under Sowing • Fert / Lime Spreading • Surface Drain Spinning • Track & Trailer - Cartage of Metal, Lime, Fertiliser, Stock, Silage, Hay & Maize TRACTI CO G Only the best equipment & always excellent workmanship

| 7 nzdairy Anita Hendriks with staff members at milking. DAIRY PEOPLE » Ad & Anita Hendriks Legislation is ‘not yet well defined’ Russell Fredric Geraldine dairy farmer and Federated Farmers South Canterbury dairy chair representative Ad Hendriks finds it difficult to isolate the most pressing issue for himself and other farmers. “Well, there’s so many,” he says. “One is, He Waka Eke Noa is not in a happy camp at the moment. I think a lot of the legislation we have to deal with, the biggest upset is that farmers just don’t get listened to in any of the legislative processes. “The legislation process itself, it’s not only a farmer thing, it’s now evident that it happens with all professions. The Government just has their own agenda, they push it through and don’t care what you say and why you say it, and they put out a consulting process but they don’t do anything with information obviously. “That’s more of an issue than the legislation itself.” Ad cites an example that, under winter grazing rules it was originally proposed crops had to be sown by a set date. However, after a strong backlash this was subsequently amended to require grazed annual forage crop paddocks to be re-sown as soon as conditions allowed. Ad says under the freshwater rules there would be three options for winterfeed crops: Firstly, permitted activity (if there was no risk to water), Secondly, winter grazing management (manageable risks) and thirdly the need to obtain consent in special circumstances. “The winter grazing plan templates, as in option two to be provided by the government, are not ready yet, which leaves farmers only the consent process if not a permitted activity. “As this law has been passed into law, some farmers must have a consent but the regional councils have not enough staff to deal with all these applications, while the farmer is under time pressure to put these winter crops in the ground. Farmers are between a rock and a hard place.” Ad’s 250 hectare, 800 cow farm is close to Geraldine and is highly visible to the public, including tourists. This, and having a cycle track also running through part of the farm further puts the property under the microscope, with the consequence of complaints, which have proven unfounded, having been made to various agencies, Ad says. He is committed to complying with winter grazing rules, but some aspects of legislation are not yet well defined, he says. “The Government hasn’t got its act together, so they haven’t got anything in place yet, so you can’t go for a farm or a winter management plan because they didn’t have the procedures in place to design a plan and what it needs to look like. “Here we are, planting our winter feed and you’re not even knowing if you are allowed to use it next winter if you’re on the wrong slope or close to some water stores. It’s not really good enough.” There is also a problem with local authorities not having enough staff to process the consents, which puts farmers in a position of needing to plant winter crop and not knowing if they are farming within the law, Ad says. Despite these concerns, there are some things he is perfectly positive about. As a Fonterra supplier he is pleased with how the company is tracking following its major reset in 2018 to focus on its core business, including returns to its farmer shareholders, to turn around its balance sheet, which included the sale of some substantial New Zealand and overseas assets. “I think it was a wise decision to concentrate on New Zealand milk; it’s great to want to be the biggest in the world, but in reality, you need to be the best in the world.” He also has good news on the farm; two seasons ago he was facing a perplexingly high empty rate of 20% in the herd, which he says was unsustainable, but has managed to turn this around to 8%. “We concentrated on several things, we had a closer look at cow condition and shied a little bit away from fodder beet and going back to kale, so hopefully this year we will see more improvement there.” Proud to support Raukapuka Farms Mainfert is proud to be a long term nutrient partner to Ad and Anita Hendriks WJ Stack Contracting For all your ag contractingneeds 0274 173 160 willstack05@gmail.com wj stack contracting

8 | nzdairy Halter system creating good vibrations Russell Fredric DAIRY PEOPLE » Kenneth & Rachel Short Using a Halter cow collar and virtual fence system is unexpectedly creating good vibrations for Kenneth and Rachel Short. The couple are equity partners with Rachel’s parents, Louis and Barbara Kuriger, on two organic farms 13 kilometres apart near Opunake. Rachel readily admits that while they love working outdoors with animals, they were never big on technology on the farms, but that changed almost in a single moment. “We went away with our dairy business group up to Waikato in June 18 months ago, and as part of our trip around one of the places that we were going to was a farm that had [the Halter system]. “At that point we thought that cow tech was not something that we were even into in at all. We got onto this farm and talking to the farmer and to the Halter team, watching him do a virtual shift of the cows and we basically walked out the gate and signed a contract.” However, because their farm is certified organic and the technology was new, the system had to be approved by the certifiers. It reduces the need for fences, electric wires, motorbikes and gates by training cows to understand and respond to sound and vibration cues from the collar. With these cues, which are powered by a set of patented algorithms, cows learn to recognise and remain within virtual fences. A well as the collars, the system comprises a communications tower and a mobile phone app. Audio cues signal to a cow that she is approaching or has crossed over a virtual fence and will gently guide her back. Taranaki farmers Rachel and Kenneth Short with sons Max and Zak. A vibration indicates to her that she is on the right path. If a cow chooses to ignore these cues by remaining outside a virtual fence, then the collar will deliver a low-energy pulse. The system minimises all shifting and fencing workload, and with the press of a button shifts any mob to the milking shed, or to graze a new break. Precise pasture management, health and heat detection are also included in the Halter system. Because they are solar powered, Halter collars do not need a battery replacement. After years of closing gates, it was difficult to get used to the system when it was first installed, but after a week “we 100% trust it, it’s quite amazing”, Rachel says. “I just think within the next five years, cow tech like collar tech is going to be everywhere. “There’s a huge amount of advantage already, we haven’t even had it through the best part of the season. Wait till we get to wintering and calving; just that all day putting up break fences, bringing cows to the cow shed, all that sort of stuff.” With having some time now freed up, Kenneth and Rachel are looking forward to having the opportunity to become involved in some off-farm industry and community activities. The farms comprise Shortland Farm 1, peak milking 400 cows on 168 hectares and Shortland Farm 2 peak milking 190 cows on 68 hectares. Both units are self-contained and carry their own young stock. OPUNAKE 027 207 7775 • ALL FARM WIRING & REPAIRS • NEW HOUSE WIRING & ALTERATIONS • NEW COWSHED WIRING & ALTERATIONS • ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS Proudtosupply&service Kenneth andRachel Short’s equipment • Generators • Water Pumps • LawnCare • Bikes • Power equipment • Marine 169Gill Street, NewPlymouth 06 757 3612 www.hondahub.co.nz Fungi TALK TO THE EXPERTS FOR FARMING SUPPORT FARM SERVICES HOMEOPATHIC farmservices.nz info@farmservices.nz 07 858 4233 @HomeopathicFarmServices

| 9 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Anchor Jerseys Anchor Jersey calves. Family support has been massive for Aleasha Sue Russell FARM REFRIGERATION SPECIALISTS Mike: 021 94 2120 | Chris: 021 94 2121 | Phone Office: 07 871 9565 e: agreymer@gmail.com | www.reymerag.co.nz | 768 Pirongia Rd, RD 6, Te Awamutu • BALING • CHOPPING • DRILLING • CARTAGE • GROUNDWORK • CROP SPRAYING • LIQUID FERT SPRAYING With an absence of nearly two years between interviews it was a great opportunity late March to catch up with Aleasha Shaw, from Ohaupo-based dairy farm, Anchor Jerseys Stud and to find out how the farm has developed in that time. Anchor Jerseys Stud was estabished in 1926 and Aleasha proudly is the fifth generation of the family to be tending to the farm. She’s not alone in that endeavour though, with Mum Judy playing an intergral part in the successful operation of the 102 effective farm at Ohaupo, just South of Hamilton. “Mum has been really important for me through me taking over running of the farm. She’s helped with looking after children and still rears the calves and looks after planning around pasture management.” Judy also looks after all the maize and deals with the contractors, leaving Aleasha free to concentrate on the dairying operation. The family feel to the operation goes beyond Aleasha and Judy to Aleasha’s grandfather Don, who works for many decades with CRV Ambreed and has been integral to decisions around the most suited genetics to use on the herd of 380 pure Jersey cows. Asked what the breeding programme is based around, Aleasha says she’s looking for certain key attributes when bulls are chosen for breeding. “I want great udder capacity, strength and production. We want big Jerseys and ones that get in calf easily, produce strong healthy calves, and do so year in year out, while producing a very good milk yield through a season.” And to provide that those decisions have proven correct, Aleasha says the herd on average is 7 years old, meaning there are some very good long-term performers within its ranks. “We’ll keep a cow in our herd for as long as she’s producing. I really love the older cows we have.” In terms of farm management practice, there’s been a move away from a two-herd Autumn calving regime, Aleasha introduced 5 years ago. Half the herd, back then would calve one year and carry over to the second following Autumn to calve again, with the other herd, calving in the intervening year, every two years. “Our reasoning to do this was to ensure the cows didn’t peak milk at the same time they were being mated and went into mating in the best possible condition, however we discovered that while we obtained excellent milk volumes in the first year, with the extended lactation, some cows struggled after that time, so we’ve decided to go back to a 70% Autumn, 30% Spring, split calving system.” Aleasha says this past summer has been quite different from what usually happens, and there’s subsequently been plenty of grass about for the herd to enjoy. Pedigree heifer calves are raised and kept on the farm, rather than being sold at annual sales. “We would have some stock good enough to sell but that’s not our main purpose,” Aleasha explains. The farm is mainly flat with a smattering of peat land, common to the district, where several peat Lakes are located. Helping Aleasha on a day to day basis is Sarah Guise. Aleasha met Sarah when her son was at kindergarten and Sarah said at that time she was looking for some part-time work on a farm. So between Aleasha and Sarah, days on the farm are busy. “We don’t have anyone coming in and relieving but that’s just fine. I’m very involved in this farm and want it to be the best it can possibly be. I’m hoping, in time, my daughter Elouise will want to carry it on.” Aleasha also has a son Nate, who is 8 years old. The children attend local Paterangi Primary School, a good country school which services many farming families in the community. When asked about production expectations this season Aleasha says its been a fairly average year and she’s not expecting record volumes. “I’ll be happy is we get between 190,000 – 200,000 kg/MS.”

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