| 19 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Kenneth and Rachel Short Kenneth and Rachel with sons Zak (15) and Max (13), plus dogs Zion and Ninja in one of the hay barns. Rachel and Kenneth Short have two family farms totalling 236ha in coastal Taranaki. They milk 600 cows and went certi ied organic in 2018. The following Autumn, they planted multi-species pasture, and Rachel was introduced to the ‘undeground livestock’ that have become the powerhouse of health and wealth on the family’s farm. Their farms are in coastal Taranaki free-draining soil but they’ve seen noticeable improvements to the health of their soil and animals by following the advice of independent advisors, which include AgriSea rep Gavin Robertson. Gav initially supplied AgriSea Animal Nutrition. “They were well into the organic certi ication process for their two farms and in January 2022 we talked with them about our Fish hydolysate, Soil and Pasture products and discussed application rates and costs. “It turned out that the AgriSea system was going to be much better for the balance sheet,” explains Gav. Rachel says the di erence on the farm is marked. “Previously we had rain events and duck ponding and we’re not anymore. The pasture roots are a lot deeper, I believe we’ve added a lot more resilience. “The cows are happy, though they were always chill. But I was told the other day that I am always smiling. I don’t have the pressures that other farmers have.” She says sadly, there’s still some pushback from some within the agricultural industry to what can be achieved through farmers’ own curiosity and scienti ic observation. Reaping the regen rewards with AgriSea “It’s a really weird place to be. As an industry you hear farmers themselves saying ‘we’ve got to get out there and tell our stories to the urbanites and the greenies who don’t understand us’. “But actually when you are on a regenerative and organic journey it’s not them, it’s our own industry that we get the most pushback from. “We’ve been told that as farmers we have to get o social media, don’t believe it, all we need is rye grass andmaybe a bit of plantain which reduces methane. We went out on farm and we weren’t even digging holes or looking at pastures. “That is the conventional world. You don’t go below the ground.” Rachel says their own journey into organic farming was helped by good advice, andmentoring fron others in the Taranaki region that have been seeing the bene its of these methods for decades. Pasture diversity and using AgriSea biostimulants and other animal nutrition products has led the Shorts to not only healthier animals and soil, but a happier life. Rachel says people often ask her why she looks so happy. “The cows are happy, though they were always chill. But I was told the other day that I am always smiling. I think that’s because I don’t have the pressures that other farmers have. Rachel says withmulti-species pasture diversity and using biostimulants, their insect pressure “has gone”. “Insect pressure is what happens when you throw insecticides on everything. We’re constantly told [with regen farming] the science isn’t there. But science has got us into a whole lot of trouble.” Rachel says prior to going into organic and regen farming, their farm - on a coastal Taranaki free-draining soil - was operating well with no obvious animal health problems. Her parents had a successful farming career and Rachel and Kenneth had won the Taranaki Sharemilker of the Year 10 years ago. So what led her down the regen path? “I got curious. Fonterra was ramping up its organic programme and taking on farms in Taranaki again, and there’s a strong group of coastal Taranaki farms that converted to organic 20 years ago that I could learn from. “It wasn’t a massive shift for us to organics. When we started looking at pasture diversity and regenerative methods, that’s when we changed from conventional farming where we farmed one hundred percent above the ground. “We realised there was a whole ‘nother aspect to our farm. “In conventional farming you forget completely about your underground livestock - I wouldn’t have even thought about that. We did 75mm soil samples, and would just be told by a fert rep ‘this is your nutrient programme’. “We never dug a hole. “When we started with regen and organic farming, you look below the ground and the rest of it ilters through. It all comes from the soil.” To ind out more about how to rebuild life back into the soil microbiome of your farm you can contact AgriSea at www.agrisea.co.nz Valid 1st March - 15th April 2024 Liquid special applies to: Soil Nutrition. Terms & Conditions apply. Solid special applies to: Soil+ and Combo+. Terms & Conditions apply. Also available bulk or bagged. Solid $100 Half Tonne $300 One Tonne Liquid $50 100 Litre $100 200 Litre $500 1000 Litre
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