| 37 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Nathan Clough ‘It’s just the way that mountain works’ Kim Bowden It seems hard to believe weather conditions can change dramatically between two farms just 40 minutes’ drive apart – but Nathan Clough is learning first hand they certainly can. On the 90-odd hectares he works on the seaward side of Mount Taranaki, Nathan has found himself in near-drought conditions this summer. Meanwhile, over the hill on the Clough family farm in Stratford, where Nathan grew up, his dad and brother have had no such weather worries. “I can be on the phone to dad and he’ll say, ‘It’s raining’, while I’ll be looking up at blue skies,” Nathan says. “It’s just the way that mountain works. It plays tricks on us. It’s crazy.” Earlier in the year, the dry conditions forced him to drop to once-a-day milking of his 250 cows to “get them through the season”. It is his fifth year on the property – the family farm his wife Bianca grew up on. “The first four seasons here, we had really good summers and autumns, but this has been the toughest by far,” he says, taking a break from the chainsaw and firewood-prep. “Next year, we’re going to 240 cows, just to take a bit of pressure off the farm.” Nathan generally adopts a “trial and error” approach to figuring out how he can get the best out of the land, opting for “low input” management. “We would only import feed if we’re really stuck. Our typical palm kernel use might be 20 tonne per year.” So, he has been experimenting with some new crops. “Typically, turnips are all that’s been grown here, but I produced kale last year for a late autumn rotation feed, but found, profitability wise, I only grew a 14-tonne crop that wasn’t enough for me having had the paddock out for so long.” This year, he is giving fodder beet a go. “I’m yet to see the yield on this, but I’m just hoping to grow a heap more feed for when we’re tight.” Farming is in the blood for Nathan. “Back in the day, Mum and Dad used to pay us $5 a milking and $2 for helping teat spray,” Nathan says. Nathan generally adopts a “trial and error” approach to figuring out how he can get the best out of the land. Contracting Ltd JFM “Agricultural Contractor” Specialising in Cultivation Work & Hedge Trimming Jared McBride Ph: 06 752 4558 | Mob: 027 477 5701 jared@jfmcontracting.co.nz “Dad would tow us behind the bike on those fertiliser sacks. I have really cool memories from when I was a kid.” Now, he and Biana are both raising the next generation on the land, and it brings a certain responsibility. Nathan is discussing with the Taranaki Regional Council and QEII Trust options to protect in perpetuity “two really big bush blocks” on a separate 46-hectare runoff section he looks after. He says he went in there the other day with the elder of his two daughters, Indy. “We just sat in the bush and it was something different, you know? We just want to preserve that, not just for Indy, but for future generations as well.” Nathan is still working to find the right balance between farm life, family life and his third great love – rugby. He hasn’t found the heart yet to ditch his first club, captaining the Stratford-Eltham team to a Taranaki club rugby title last winter, travelling a good distance to trainings despite there being rugby fields just down the road from the farm, which earns him a fair bit of ribbing at the local pub. THONY AG LTD Spraying Contractor Servicing the Coastal Taranaki Region Boom Spraying Gorse & Ragwort Control Fencing & Cowshed Water Blas�ng Ph Lance: 027 932 2086 thonyagltd@gmail.com Proudly Supporting Nathan Clough Taranaki local & trusted electricians E L E C T R I C A L New Plymouth, Taranaki | 027 346 9974 | admin@tbe.co.nz RESIDENTIAL • RURAL • COMMERCIAL • ELECTRICAL PLANS • SERVICING
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