18 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Kenneth and Rachel Short Regenerative farming the norm for family Cows with Halter collars and cowshed in background. Russell Fredric After running an organic system for the past five years, regenerative farming is simply the norm for Ken and Rachel Short who have created a profitable, low input operation in the process. The couple are equity partners and sharemilkers with Rachel’s parents, Louis and Barbara Kuriger, on two organic farms 13 kilometres apart near Opunake on the seaward side of Mount Taranaki. The farms comprise Shortland Farm 1, peak milking 400 cows on 168 hectares, and Shortland Farm 2 which has a variable order sharemilker, peak milking 190 cows on 68 hectares. Both units calve in spring, are self-contained and carry their own young stock. Shortland 1, which is the home farm, has been certified as organic since 2019 and Shortland 2 since 2018. “Last season was a record high for Fonterra organic so we got $10.80 last season. Our average payout for the last three seasons has been $9.89,” Rachel says. The home farm has Halter technology which reduces the need for fences, electric wires, motorbikes and gates by training cows to understand and respond to sound and vibration cues from the cows’ collars. For the 2021/22 season the farm working expenses (FWE) was a modest $2.95 per kilogram of milk solids from a total production of just under 120,000kg/MS, resulting in profit per hectare of $4,939. However, in the face of increased costs during the past year, including employing two full-time workers, one being a son of Ken and Rachel, their 2023-2024 budget has accounted for FWE of $3.14 which includes the Halter lease cost, and profit per hectare of $4,596. Despite this, and from reviewing their five year figures, Rachel says their bank manager describes the home farm as a low cost system with good profitability, plus the Halter system contributes to lower fuel consumption and this is further aided by running a low input system, she says. “We use a lot of biological soil stimulants; we didn’t have the increases in fertiliser that others did. The only [feed] supplement we make is hay. We don’t have all the extra cost of wrapping and all the environmental side of getting rid of all the wrap. “We actually have a fully completed farm environment plan that Fonterra do. Ours is currently fully achieved, we’ve got no actions to complete.” Ken and Rachel’s number one priority now is to continue tree planting, and while they have already planted many thousands so far, they would like to have planted even more. “Some years we have planted up to 5000 trees, but we should have been doing 10,000 a year.” To date these plantings have focused on riparian areas and these have been completed, but going forward shelter and shade will be the focus. Between the technology and the new staff, Ken and Rachel are finding themselves spending less time in the milking shed “and enjoying it” while we can.” “Farming is really enjoyable at the moment. We are probably telling a bit of a different story to what the media is talking about. “I think the [Halter] collars and other things are just another piece in the puzzle that just makes farming enjoyable. OPUNAKE 027 207 7775 • ALL FARM WIRING & REPAIRS • NEW HOUSE WIRING & ALTERATIONS • NEW COWSHED WIRING & ALTERATIONS • ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS PG O’Rorke Contracting Hay and haylage requirements All ground work requirements Planting and harvesting of Fodder beat E luent Pond Irrigation For more information please call Paul on 027 451 4425 Proud to support Kenneth and Rachel Short
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