NZ Dairy Autumn 2024

When it comes to milk conversion, goats are the F1 performers - page 28 Goats ‘like Ferraris’ AUTUMN 2024 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   Aaron and Fiona Campbell �� 03 Barnan Dairy Farm �� 04 Cam and Cassy Spencer �� 05 Carlos and Bernice Delos Santos �� 06 Claxby Farm �� 08 Gladvale Farms �� 10 Duncan and Jan Smeaton �� 12 Faull Farms �� 13 Eastbourne Dairy Farm �� 14 Farm Fresh South �� 16 Kenneth and Rachel Short �� 18 Kim Turner �� 20 Manaia View Farms �� 21 Maxnco Farms �� 22 Miah Smith �� 23 Michael and Shahn Smith �� 24 Michael and Susie Woodward �� 25 Milkabit �� 26 Finnerty Farms �� 28 Greg and Ingrid McCracken �� 30 Hayden and Alecia Lawrence �� 30 Hayden McDonald �� 31 Buddhi Alankarage �� 32 Hopcroft Farms �� 33 Heavenly Moos �� 34 Blake Cameron: Cameron Family Farm �� 36 Jaden and Carey Gray �� 37 Java Pastoral �� 38 Poplar Partnership �� 39 Jersey Girl Organics �� 40 Jody Malcolm �� 42 John Tanner �� 44 John and Debbie Moorby: Gibson Construction �� 46 Murray and Rachel Perks �� 48 Kenmure Ayrshires: Daphne Gordon �� 49 Comins Farming �� 50 Paragon Holsteins: Bishopdale Farm �� 51 Nic and Kirsty Verhoek �� 52 Nicole Barber �� 54 Otto Dogterom �� 55 Ricky and Maria Johnson �� 56 Robbie Sherriff �� 57 Pouarua Dairy Unit �� 58 Paul Franklin �� 59 Peter and Lucy Smithson �� 60 Tawa Ridge Farm �� 62 Tim Fransen. �� 63 Miraka �� 64 Agriconsult �� 66 Four Peaks Hoof Trimming �� 67 Dairy Tech South �� 68 NZ Milking & Pumping Trade Association �� 70 Putaruru Veterinary Services �� 74 Olam Food Ingredients �� 76 Hoof Ltd �� 79 Powder Projects �� 80 Aquila Sustainable Farming �� 82 Quinedale Holsteins �� 84 Penny Smart and Hal Harding �� 85 32 | Sharemilking pathway for Buddhi 52 | No-waste farming 63 | Mentorship key for organic uptake 16 | Farm Fresh South expanding 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 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Chris Pearce chris.pearce@waterfordpress.co.nz EDITORIAL Editor Randall Johnston randall@waterfordpress.co.nz Paul Mein paulmein@waterfordpress.co.nz Journalists Alexia Anderson, Ange Davidson, Kelly Deeks, Hugh de Lacy, Tracey Edwardes, Russell Fredric, Richard Loader, Kim Newth, Karen Phelps, Sue Russell, Rosa Watson, Virginia Wright. 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| 3 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Aaron and Fiona Campbell Rising costs force rethink for couple Kelly Deeks Aaron and Fiona Campbell are making sound financial decisions with a long-term focus as rising costs and a falling milk payout bring challenges to their Production System 5 Manawatu farm. The Campbells are now in their ninth season of ownership of their 110ha farm at Bunnythorpe near Palmerston North. Their 370 cows milk all year round for Open Country Dairy, with 270 spring calvers and about 70 autumn calvers plus carry overs. They are fed with approximately two tons of maize per cow on top of palm kernel with molasses combined. As their interest payment has almost doubled then their milk payout dropped to the lowest they had seen for some years ($10.05 to $7.30) halfway through last year, for the first time the Campbells had to pay interest only on their mortgage. Not ideal, but also good to have the option. Going into the current season, the payout wasn’t improving very quickly. “We needed a plan to get through,” Fiona says. “The payout still hasn’t reached $8, and knowing our costs are around that $8 mark, we had to cut our expenses but be careful not to cut anything that would end up hurting production.” The Campbells’ System 5 means up to 50% of the cows’ feed is imported and therefore costs, so lower-cost feed was a great place to start. The Campbells have secured a palm kernel price some 35% lower, making a huge difference to their budget. Then as the price of urea started to come down, they have utilised it regularly well within the cap and achieved excellent returns. “We’ve tried to grow as much as we can and reduce everything we’re buying in,” Aaron says. Minimising waste with the proper utilisation of grass has also made a difference to the budget. “The rotation length must be perfect. It must be 2.5 leaves and residuals hitting 1600 to 1650, because I struggle to get 1500kgDM/ha on this wet farm. We’re making sure our grass, which is our cheapest form of feed, is our absolute priority.” Aaron and Fiona are in Bunnythorpe for the longterm and they will make sure their farm is being looked after at all costs. After a very wet 2022/23 season, the Campbell’s focus on soil management saw them deep ripping 70% of the farm last season and this to open up Forage Services is proud to be associated with Aaron & Fiona Campbell Proud to be Associated with Aaron & Fiona Campbell LAKEV I EW FARM Courtesy Motorcycles are proud to be associated with Aaron & Fiona Campbell supplying then with Suzuki Motorcycles, ATV’s and Farm Service Check out our farm specials! facebook.com/BarenbrugNZ barenbrug.co.nz Supercharge your pasture for a great autumn! The rockstar hybrid, upgraded to NEA12 endophyte. Shogun is renowned in NZ farming, setting the standard for 1-3 year pasture. The benchmark in tetraploid perennial ryegrass, with superior year-round growth, persistence, easy grazing and excellent animal performance. Our hybrid ryegrass is the phenomenal 3-5 year pasture bred to deliver performance your neighbours will envy, with GPXKTQPOGPVCN DGPGƂVU VQQ Shogun NEA12 Our new superstar, bred for the good of your animals, and the environment. Delivering high intake, yield, nitrogen uptake and persistence, this is the diploid of the future. The next generation perennial ryegrass with superior persistence, improved summer growth and colour, and a great endophyte. Maxsyn NEA4 Array NEA2 4front NEA2 Forge NEA their silty loam soil and increase drainage. To conserve cost, they did the job themselves and it made a huge difference to grass growth. They plan to continue deep ripping every three years. Meanwhile Aaron and Fiona are making some time savings at home with their two of their three cricket-mad sons now licensed and driving themselves around. Their youngest is sitting his restricted license in May, and it’s going to be a game-changer. All three work part-time on the farm. Aaron and Fiona are really thankful for the support of their staff and their wider team including their accountant Keith Earl, their bank manager Brigit Boon, and farm advisor Simon Redmond. The Campbells’ System 5 means up to 50% of the cows’ feed is imported, so lower-cost feed was secured.

4 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Barnan Dairy Farm Split milking system works well for Barnan Farm The farm has a free stall barn which can house up to 450 cows. Sue Russell Positioned almost exactly halfway between Dunedin and Invercargill at Waiwera South sits Darrell and Julie Wendelgelst’s 190ha (175ha effective) dairy farm. The property is home to 440 Holstein Friesian cows and operates a split milking system to produce milk all year for Fonterra. Calving takes place in late July and again in March, with 280 calving in the Spring and 120 in Autumn. Smart Collars have been introduced to the herd, freeing Darrell up somewhat during mating time and around awareness of animal health. Asked how the cows are looking in February when NZ Dairy spoke with him, Darrell says the herd is doing well, though the farm is quite dry. Additional supplements in the form of wheat, PK and canola are used while grass and barley silage are made on farm at the both the runoff and dairy platform, and used all year round. A team of three staff assist Darrell on a day to day basis with a roster of 8 on and 2 off, 8 on and 3 off meaning they receive a 3 day weekend every 3 weeks. “This seems to work really well, with each staff member doing 1 in 3 weeks of milking.” Darrell’s ‘machine-mad’ oldest son Ashley is now helping on the farm and if the new run-off purchase goes ahead Darrell says there’s plenty of work for him to get stuck into on that piece of land. Milk is produced through a 40-aside rotary plant which Darrell says works well. Asked why split calving, all year round milking suits, Darrell says to his mind a dry cow still costs money to feed, so having the ability to produce more milk through the herd compensates for this and supports the bottom line. The farm has a free stall barn which can house up to 450 cows and the herd are all inside through winter, regardless of whether they are in milk or dry. Calves, heifers and some beef cattle are also grazed on the run-off. “When it is time for cows to calve they do so in a loafing area covered with straw. This can easily hold 200 cows which gives them the very best possible start in life.” Where the farm is situated, Darrell and Julie’s neighbours are not dairying, with a mix of cropping and sheep and beef most common for the area. Activities off the farm include volunteering for the local Fire Brigade and belonging to the Lions Club. The community of Waiwera South close by is small, with perhaps 15 houses but it does have a school with about 30 children enrolled. The fire station is located near the school. Darrell says he’s still interested in improving his in-calf rate, with currently 28% of the herd dry after a 9 week mating period. “That’s about where it has been the last few years.” All in all Darrell is pleased with the situation of the farm and farming business. “We’re at the mercy of the pay-out each season but we’ve been operating this farming system long enough now to know how to get the best value from our hard work.” “When it is time for cows to calve they do so in a loafing area covered with straw.” Brad Hosking 027 754 6075 - 24 hours of ce@highlinedairy.co.nz MILKING SYSTEMS ead Specialising in: • Complete Dairy Shed Maintenance • New Dairy Shed Builds • Platform Repairs and Maintenance • Water and Effluent Management • General Engineering • Registered Milking Machine Technician • Read Milking Machine Service Agents BOTTING BROS. LIMITED BALCLUTHA • Silage • Ploughing • Digger & Truck Hire • JAMES 027 333 3844 • MATHEW 027 333 3851 Find us on Facebook

| 5 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Cam and Cassy Spencer Marlborough move a lifestyle win Rosa Watson Making the move from the deep south to sunny Marlborough has been a lifestyle win for award winning sharemilkers Cam and Cassy Spencer. The couple relocated to Canvastown with their three young children to take on a sharemilking opportunity of 650 cows. They had been 50:50 sharemilking on a on a 141ha, 420-cow New Zealand Rural Property Trust (NZRPT) farm near Otautau in Southland. They were runners up in the Share Farmer of the Year category of the 2020 Southland-Otago Dairy Industry Awards, and received merit awards for pasture performance, along with recording and productivity. However, when the farm went on the market in 2022 the family landed an opportunity further north in sunny Marlborough. Instead of selling their herd, and buying further north, they decided to hold onto their cows they had been breeding from over five years and top up the herd with various lines from the Tasman area. With Cam as the AI tech, they have made big improvements in their cows, and valued holding onto them for the move. Wintering them in mid Canterbury made the shift a little less stressful for their animals, before continuing onto the farm late July before calving, Cam said. Although it had been a huge undertaking, the move has been great, and the cows have performed well so far in their new environment. “Putting aside the challenges that moving up here involved, the lifestyle’s been awesome. Every week we have been exploring the area, meeting new people, and getting immersed in the different culture of diversity the area brings. That side of it’s been great.” Canvastown School – that their eldest attends – is five kilometres down the road and has been an amazing support for their children. Their second child will start in May. The 3.5 kilometre farm had its logistical challenges, as it was “quite a long farm”. To manage this, Cassy came up with an adapted milking routing not only to suit the herd, and long walks, but to sustain production for the season taking into account the varying weather and drought this area brings. “To manage this, we split our herd into two milking mobs on a 3-in-2 alternating roster, therefore the milking times remain the exact same day in day out (5am & 3pm), however the herds alternate their days. “So Herd A will be twice-a-day milking one day, and once-a-day the next, and Herd B on the opposite. (This means) the herd that is on once a-day can utilise the further away paddocks.” She said the benefits had been great, and so far, the season has already shown that production had followed in tow. “We are still maintaining this current milking routine sufficiently through the drought, where a lot of farms around us are all on OAD milking.” Currently they are milking 600 cows, and employ three fulltime staff, including their staff member “Norbelt”, that followed them from Southland. The dairy shed was an “older style” herring-bone milking shed, that had required some work. They were pleased with the performance of their herd this year - so much so they had to readjust their targets that had been set lower due to the dry conditions. For the future, the couple still have the dream of owning their own farm through sharemilking and working hard. But it was getting harder to find those jobs, Cam said. “The pathways to farm ownership are becoming a lot harder, and maybe the farm owners need to start looking at who’s coming in to take over when they want to sell their farm and move on” Cam said. However, there had been a few more jobs crop up for next season, Cam said. And the recent dairy price announcement had been promising. Making the move from Southland to Marlborough has been an ‘awesome’ lifestyle move for the Spencer family. Proud to support Cameron and Cassandra Spencer Locally owned & operated Paul 027 422 5893 | Phil 027 372 9864 | accounts@lesliecontracting.co.nz

6 | nzdairy Following their dream Kelly Deeks 50/50 sharemilkers Carlos and Bernice Delos Santos continue to follow their dream towards farm ownership despite low milk payouts, rising costs, and challenging seasons, as they make good decisions about spending with their future in mind. Carlos and Bernice have been in the dairy industry for 23 years, working their way up from relief milkers, through lower order sharemilking, and continuing to grow their business and their herd. By 2017, they were 50/50 sharemilking 300 cows at Ngakuru and entered the Central Plateau Dairy Industry Awards with a view to improving their business. As well as the title of Central Plateau Sharefarmer of the Year, the couple walked away from the competition with a firm plan for how to achieve farm ownership. They immediately started grazing all their young stock off farm, enabling them to increase their herd from 300 to 360 cows, and they worked out how many cows they needed to be milking each year in order to get to 1000 cows, with a view to then selling the majority of the herd and putting that money into a deposit on their own farm. “1000 cows will get us a farm, but there will be a few obstacles on the way so we always need to be mindful of our expenses.” Carlos and Bernice are now in their second season 50/50 sharemilking 1000 cows at Hamurana near Rotorua, scaling up from their previous 50/50 position on a 600 cow farm at Rerewhakaaitu. Cows are still milked twice a day. The farm will milk over 1000 cows next season. DAIRY PEOPLE » Carlos and Bernice Delos Santos They had a tough first season on the new farm, with reproduction issues creating high empty rates and impeding on early calving. Although they missed the boat on intervention, they got quickly on to the issues for this season. Now they are facing a new set of challenges. “It’s been a hard season financially, and it’s been about getting through and surviving,” Carlos says. “We’ve cut back on personal expenses but on the farm, I’m probably spending more to make sure we don’t have another bad season.” Carlos and Bernice have spent money on reproduction, CIDRing some cows and continuing to synchronise yearlings to get replacements from them as they have done for the past 10 years. “That was one of the things we didn’t really want to give up,” Carlos says. “We are making good genetic gain out of doing that and we didn’t want to compromise it.” His says his approach this season is it’s easier to ask the bank for forgiveness than for permission! Meanwhile he is making some new savings by doing all his own fertiliser application, a bit of mowing, undersowing, and spraying. The family budget is now under additional but worthwhile pressure with the recent arrival of Carlos and Bernice’s fifth child, a son, and his siblings are very much enjoying him. Bernice and Carlos have a genuine partnership and they both work hard towards achieving their dreams, having built up their herd together, right from the first 30 cows they bought. “My wife does a lot of work, whether it is on the farm, or looking after our budget, or looking after our kids, or looking after me. I couldn’t have done it without her.” Carlos and Bernice Delos Santos Bernice, Casey and the newly born Caleb with Carlos in front of the vats.

Five tips for successful grazing... ...with an automatic milking system 1. Ensure a good infrastructure for the cows. 2. Unrestricted water access in every paddock. 3. Cows are more inclined to travel during daylight hours. 4. Limit grazing to a maximum of 3 days per paddock. 5. Adapt to weather changes with flexibility. Curious to see more about grazing and automatic milking? Then scan the QR-code and learn more. Grazing and robotic milking? A perfect fit! Find out more on lely.com/nz Scan me

8 | nzdairy Family focus on succession planning Karen Phelps DAIRY PEOPLE » Claxby Farm A 1400ha farming operation in Eyrewell, Canterbury, is about to pass to the next generation. “Historically succession hasn’t been done as well as it could have been so this generation has placed an even bigger focus on planning,” says Marcus Spencer-Bower. “The biggest preparation has been making sure the companies’ structures are set up correctly so when shares transfer it is easy. Allowing for open discussion means that everyone has a chance to speak up on their future.” The property spans three dairy units and a shared dairy support farm. A total of 3000 crossbred cows are currently milked across the three units. In the near future Marcus will lease 400ha of the land and milk 950 cows from parents Margaret and Richard. His brother Sam and sister Olivia will lease the remaining 1000ha and milk 2000 cows. Each farm will have its own support block. Marcus says this will give the option for them to run the farms more autonomously. The original land has been in the family since 1852 when Marmaduke Dixon voyaged from Lincolnshire, England.Claxby is the original farm name, derived from a small town in England the family originated from. Largely sitting along the banks of the Waimakariri River some 20 kilometres from Rangiora, the land was used for farming sheep before converting to dairy.Spring calving in early August, it’s now typically a twice a day operation that transitions to 16 hour milking when the peak tapers off. Cow collars help eliminate risk through mating and make drafting easier. Marcus has been using Hereford semen over the bottom end BW of their dairy cows to reduce the number of bobby calves while creating additional value, selling the calves at 4-10 days old. Marcus says the family only wants to breed replacement dairy cows from its better cows. “I have tried AI programmes with the heifers but with poor results so have moved back to using bulls and keeping it more natural for the first calvers,” he says. Currently the brothers are running the farms they each plan to lease. The farm Marcus is in charge of will move into a development period to have the farm fencing, lanes and layout updated to make the farm more efficient. Paddocks at present are a variety of shapes and sizes and have varying infrastructure. Chloe, Jo, Ruby and Sam Spencer-Bower. “One paddock will have one trough and one two etc. Some gateways are so small you have to drive a certain way to get through them so it’s about making everything work better. It will also help to attract and keep staff.” Efficiency is a real focus for the family: “Like everyone, with the way costs are going, it’s about getting more out of what we are spending. Improved pasture species, fertiliser utilisation and feeding cows better as well as staff efficiencies. It’s about sticking to our knitting but doing it really well.” “The biggest preparation has been making sure the companies’ structures are set up correctly so when shares transfer it is easy.” VERSATILE - ROBUST - PRECISE BA MURRAY LTD “Our Machine Can Be Perfectly Adapted To Suit Your Requirements” • Versatile From Direct Drilling To Cultivated Soils • Metering Of Up To Three Individual Components • High Coulter Pressure • Suitable For All Sowing Conditions FARMING WITH PASSION • Self Propelled Sprayers • Truck Mounted Boom Sprayers • Handgun Unit • Spreader Trucks • Proof of Placement Mapping HIDE SPRAYING LTD REGISTERED CHEMICAL APPLICATORS IN ALL CLASSES Ph/Fax: (03) 313 5278 • Mob: Andrew 0274 372 006 Ph: (03) 313 7723 • Mob: Graham 0274 333 786 Email: hidespray@xtra.co.nz • 211 Mt Thomas Road, RD1, Rangiora 7471 Hide Spraying is proud to support Claxby Farm - Landcare Servicing North Canterbury, Hurunui and surrounds M: 021 730 865 P: 03 4233162 E: office@canterburywaterservices.co.nz • Pump Sales, Service and Installations • General Farm Water Services • New and Existing Dairy Shed Water Reticulation • Sales, Design & Installation of Secondary Irrigation (Solid Set Irrigation) • Lifestyle and Domestic Water Pumping Systems • General Irrigation Needs

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10 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Gladvale Farms Early adopters of new technology The extended Lindsay family (top). Gladvale Farms encompasses five dairy units totalling 1350 hectares, and two support blocks totalling 600 hectares. Richard Loader Sixth generation Southland dairy farmer David Lindsay has always been an early adopter of new technology in the pursuit of better, more efficient and effective ways of doing things on farm. David’s farming business, Gladvale Farms, encompasses five dairy units totalling 1350 hectares, and two support blocks totalling 600 hectares. Four of the dairy units are in the Oreti Plains area, with the fifth unit forty kilometres away in Dipton West. Gladvale Farms generally milks 3500 cows across its farms. Heavy investment in cow barns and feed pads enables lactation to be extended to winter milking on two of the properties, while cows on the other three properties are wintered out to graziers. The support land is used for rearing beef cattle and dairy heifers. Keen to take more control over soil and nutrient testing, David did some on-line research and found that the appropriate technology and equipment was available overseas. “We did the cost benefit analysis and still found that the numbers stacked up, so imported the equipment, which we expect will give us more accurate and timely results. “We have only had it six months, so it is still quite new. Despite being expensive, there will be significant cost savings. “The equipment gives us much more control over the process because we are not having to we wait for someone to visit the farm and do the testing, then await the lab results before taking any action. As an example, we can test a paddock before putting it in crop, and get the results immediately in terms of what nutrients are required. “We can also test the efficacy of various organic nutrients that have been applied to the soil. The kit also includes other probes such as for soil moisture and we are experimenting to see if they will assist when we irrigate.” Having grown up on a farm David developed a passion for farming life and knew as a youngster that being a farmer was what he wanted to do. “Any spare time I had, when I wasn’t going to school, I was out on the farm helping dad with anything that needed doing. It gives you an understanding from a very young age about how to operate a farm.” Despite the well-publicised raft of rules, regulations and compliance reporting that have dogged farmers over the last couple of years, David remains passionate and optimistic about farming in New Zealand “Some of those rules and regulations are just unnecessary, counter-productive box-ticking exercises. “We have started to see a bit of a change under the National led coalition government and the outlook for farming is more positive than it was. We’re predominantly a pasture based system which provides obvious advantages at “We’re predominantly a pasture based system which provides obvious advantages at the moment when you look at what’s happening around the world.” the moment when you look at what’s happening around the world. I still think that New Zealand has a good story to tell around our farming and ETHAN MATHIESON M 027 634 7534 E mathiesonelectrical@gmail.com Fert Wholesale Direct Ltd Farmers, are you concerned about improving your fertiliser efficiency and environmental footprint? Then Fert Wholesale Direct Ltd can help, as we have helped Gladvale Farms Ltd. The ONE System which through independent trials shows a doubling of response to N. And more recently, our Revolutionary Compound Urea/SOA product where every granule contains both forms of N. Contact Shane Harold on 021 0235 6491 or shane@fertwholesale.co.nz the quality products we produce, so I think that we still have a lot to be excited about in respect to our future.”

Freephone: 0800 400 365 Benefits of the system • Turn key installation • Small foot print • Fully automated • Low running costs • Low rate / low depth application • Low man hours to operate • No smell • 60% fresh water savings • Fully patented system headoff ice@cleangreeneff luent .co.nz www.cleangreeneffluent.co.nz nfd22kwClean Clean Green Effluent Company The award winning patented Clean Green E luent Company system has been helping farmers worldwide since 2007 to save time, money and hassle ensuring they easily meet their e luent environmental obligations. “With no storage ponds required the fully automated system can apply e luent at 0.25mm (1/4mm) application depth per 24 hours. It doesn't take much time to maintain, has low running costs and can save up to 60% on fresh water conserving this precious resource for other important uses on farm,” says system designer and company founder Lindsay Lewis. The system starts with a unique patented concrete lined weeping wall that removes 35% more solids and nutrients from the e luent than any other weeping walls tested and is over 1000 times cleaner than a solids press, says Lindsay. This iltered liquid is suitable for cleaning external yards and automated green washing of external yards via the system can reduce fresh water usage by 60% and wash time to nothing. He says solids removal reduces NPK in liquid e luent to a level that allows the fully automated, low rate, low depth application system to safely apply e luent to land on a daily basis at a maximum rate of 0.75mm application depth. “This removes the risk of nitrate leaching or ponding,” explains Lindsay. “As the solids dry in the weeping wall, the liquids separate and are distributed to pasture. The entire system stays odour free and aerobic and, as the NPK levels in the liquid are low, it can be utilised by the pasture immediately. The distribution area for the liquid can be as little as 2ha/100 cows to meet a 150kg per ha loading. The liquid e luent is dispersed via eight maxi pods covering 2ha per day. As the nutrient loading within the liquid is greatly reduced, the pods only require movement on a fortnightly basis.” He says high levels of NPK are retained in the solids stored in the weeping wall. These solids are removed and applied to pasture as dry humus on a yearly basis. “This low rate low depth application allows e luent to be applied safely to land on a daily basis therefore reducing storage requirements to a minimum. No mega ponds are now required. This minimal storage still exceeds the requirements of the Dairy NZ pond calculator. Ag Research testing has indicated the low rate and low depth application system will cause no environmental ill e ects, even in winter.” Lindsay says that because the liquid e luent is dispersed on a daily basis it keeps its aerobic form alive. “This liquid is plant acceptable and can be utilised by the pasture as it is applied compared with anaerobic e luent (pond stored), which can take several weeks to become aerobic and plant acceptable. This process time can cause excessive nutrient losses and metabolic issues in the pasture.” The Clean Green E luent Company system is a robust user-friendly process that guarantees full utilisation of all the farm’s nutrients while reducing workload and high running costs. The Clean Green E luent Company can design and install a fully automated, turnkey system along with providing an independent assessor to complete the consent application. “The Clean Green E luent Company system’s versatility can be adapted to any situation - dairy cattle, sheep, goats - providing a system that will remain compliant into the future.”

12 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Duncan and Jan Smeaton Passing baton onto the next generation Karen Phelps Farm succession planning is never easy but Duncan and Jan Smeaton, who farm in Waihi, Coromandel, have started the process with son Andrew and wife Hollie recently purchasing a 50% share in the farm company, which owns the herd and associated plant machinery. “It feels a bit sad and spooky but it’s recognition of what needs to happen,” says Duncan acknowledging the fact that for farmers it can be difficult to think about letting their farm pass on. “Farm wealth is no use in the cemetery so we have to be mindful of succession and Andrew and Hollie’s ability to purchase the rest of the farm when we go. Duncan and son Andrew. It’s about making sure the process is as equitable as possible for all our children as well as making it possible for the ones who want to carry on the farm. It’s a difficult and delicate balancing act.” The Smeatons have looked at what other farmers have done and had advice from succession planners, lawyers and accountants. “We’ve taken a strategic and thoughtful approach to a slow and difficult process. I also had the benefit of a similar process decades earlier when Jan and I purchased a smaller part of our current farm off my siblings. We made some mistakes, emotions are involved and none of us is prepared for navigating this stuff. It takes patience, persistence and time to think the process through. It’s about communicating and working hard to get a win-win situation where everyone feels reasonably happy at the end.” He says that although years ago it was possible for him and Jan to purchase a smaller farm and herd all at once it’s more difficult for the next generation with bigger farms: “In my son’s case he’s biting bits off it at a time. The current family farm is a 190-hectare property that milks a herd of 500 Jersey-Friesian cows split between two dairies. Duncan says while their best country can produce at least 1100kg MS per ha, that is offset by their tougher country, which produces down to 600kg MS per ha. They send away 160,000kg MS in a good year. The farm is pasture-dominant System 2 and has recently moved to once a day milking from 24 December. That’s been a really good move and makes me wonder why I used to milk twice a day to the end of the season. I must have been a masochist,” he says with a laugh. “A few years ago we were going PAEROA egional ransport 2020 td REGIONAL TRANSPORT • LIVESTOCK CARTAGE 021790296 rtlstock@gmail.com 25 Willoughby Street, PO Box 11, PAEROA | 6 Rosemont Rd, WAIHI PHONE 07 862 8643 | EMAIL kevin@lynchandpartners.co.nz Lynch & Partners are pleased to be associated with the success of Duncan and Jan Smeaton to once a day in the middle of January prompted by droughts we’d been experiencing. Then we thought for two to three weeks of extra twice a day milking why not stop before Christmas as it makes Christmas and New Year much more pleasant for us and our staff. It’s also good for the herd and we get fewer foot problems, somatic cell count is manageable and cow condition at the end of the season is better which means better mating and reproduction subsequently. It also helps with staff retention. For example two staff milk in the morning but only one staff member is required to shift the cows in the afternoon and the other staff can have the afternoon off.” Duncan admits it is hard to think of passing the farm on one day but is happy the family has started the process of succession: “You work hard to accumulate this asset and then you have to get your head around letting it go. Don’t underestimate the sensitivities around these matters and how much awareness and patience are required. It’s not a one size fits all scenario.”

| 13 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Faull Farms Faull Farms span six generations Richard Loader Quietly nestled a few kilometres inland from the Tasman Sea and a 15-minute drive from New Plymouth the farm that proudly spans six generations now has a milking platform of 320 hectares of fertile volcanic ash soils. Home to 1150 Friesian and Friesian cross breeds, the farm is supported by five run-offs totaling 90 hectares, all within walking distance of the main farm, and providing winter grazing and crops to support the farm’s primarily grass-based operation. Production currently sits at 590,000kgMS, placing Faull Farm in the top dairy production per cow/hectare in New Zealand. Integral to the farm’s operation are 50/50 sharemilkers Brent and Amy Stephenson, who are supported by five staff. Fifth generation family member Gavin Faull, along with his wife Carol, and their three sons Matthew, Oliver and Edward, now own and lead management of Faull Farms, in consultation with Gavin’s four brothers Allan, Sir Richard, Bernard and Nigel. “My father started a small country grocery store on the corner of the farm,” says Gavin. “In those days you had grocery support businesses in every little village. I grew up with my four brothers in a small house attached to the shop and went to local primary and high schools. Two of my brothers became academics, one became an Arch Deacon, another entered retirement village management and I had the business head. Because the farm had been in our family for so many years and my father said we could never sell it my goal was to develop an economically and environmentally sustainable farming business that we could all take an active share in.” Gavin took the running of the farm over in the 1980s and led the farm’s expansion and the development of key infrastructure to support the farm’s goals of economic and environmental sustainability. Gavin’s goal of sustainability was also about the local community and allowing it to use the farm. “One of the things we have to look at is sustainability of people, which is what urbanisation has broken down immensely. Fifteen years ago we built a modern Dairymaster sixty-bail rotary shed. I called it the Supershed after I had built it due to its size and its cost. But it also has a conference room that seats one hundred people and can be set up like a viewing theatre with a glass wall that overlooks the whole milking operation. That is used by local organisations and the dairy company for education and training.” Schools as far away as Wellington use the farm in their curriculum and frequently visit the pristinely Matthew, Oliver, Gavin and Edward Faull (top). The ‘Supershed’ includes a conference room that seats 100 people. Our local family business is proud to supply our products and services to Faull Farms. Residential • Commercial • Rural www.robmason.co.nz Proud to Support Faull Farms WESTOWN AGRICULTURE 06 753 6611 Chris 027 220 9007 180 Cowling Rd | New Plymouth www.westownagriculture.co.nz “Ongoing research & development results in superior products & performance advantages including; more yield, faster milking, no slip and no teat end damage.” beautiful farm with 25 years of riparian fencing and planting, QEII blocks of native bush and a sophisticated effluent system. Visitors to the farm have extended to esteemed guests including prime ministers and other politicians, church groups and King Charles (then Prince Charles). “He was interested in our riparian planting, how we had planted our forests and trees and preserved existing trees. Eight years ago we won the Supreme Ballance Environmental award for Taranaki, so it does have a high profile.”

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