58 | nzdairy Mon-Wed 8am - 7pm | Thurs-Fri 8am - 5pm | Sat 9am - 12.30pm | Sun 9am - 12pm Empire Street 24 Hour Service 827 7099 or 0800 226 838 www.cambridgevets.co.nz Your Farm Animal Health Professionals Proud to support Astra Farms Smaller can be better Karen Phelps Sophia and Bert van den Bogaard have discovered that when it comes to dairy farming, smaller can indeed be better. Six years ago, the couple purchased their 80-hectare farm where they milk 210 crossbred cows - a significant downsize from their previous 50:50 sharemilking operation of 450 cows on Sophia’s parents’ farm. “It was about some real soul searching. We analysed what we were doing and what we wanted out of life. We decided we wanted more time, so we also went to once-a-day milking. We are so much happier now,” says Sophia. Sophia acknowledges that initially the transition wasn’t straightforward. “Economies of scale are more difficult,” she explains. “But there have been so many benefits in other ways. For example this year we’ve had the best empty rate we’ve ever had - 4.5% - and just one empty heifer – because there is less pressure on the cows and they are happier too.” The Dutch-born couple, who supply Fonterra, have an 18-aside herringbone shed with automatic cup removers that allows for single-person milking - a practical setup as it’s primarily just Sophia and Bert running the farm. The van den Bogaards believe their hands-on approach has improved their farming outcomes. “We have more control now and our finger on the pulse more than when we were 50:50 share milkers,” says Sophia. “Because we do everything ourselves, we are more in touch and care more as it’s our place and our animals. You put a little extra into it.” Family involvement is central to their operation. Son Alex, 15, and their 17-year-old twin daughters Sophia and Olivia all contribute. “Alex does stock and machinery work and Sophia helps with relief milking. Olivia helps with organising, cooking and cleaning,” says Sophia. “It’s nice having the next generation coming through.” The couple have made significant improvements to their property, having a house built, upgrading the effluent system and continuing with tree planting. Sophia says the tree, which now number in the hundreds including 33 hazelnut trees and over 20 walnut trees and citrus, pine nuts, guavas, plums, pears and chestnuts, were a feature they particularly loved about the farm when they bought it. Kahikatea trees and wetland are both protected in a QE2 block. They’ve also built their own calf shed, leveraging Bert’s skills as a trained diesel mechanic. He is currently fixing their tractor. “While this does take time, it saves money and he enjoys it as well. It also gives diversity of jobs on the farm rather than just milking the cows,” explains Sophia. The van den Bogaards maintain a forward-looking approach to their farming journey. “I don’t believe you’ve ever made it. You’re always on a journey and striving to be better. So it’s about seeing the opportunities,” says Sophia. Currently leasing 40 hectares from neighbours, that next opportunity for the couple is to purchase this land to become more self-contained rather than grazing out. “It was a hard decision as our grazer is amazing. But it will give us more control and a closed system,” says Sophia. “It will also help us to maintain a closed herd, where only bulls come onto the farm each year.” Succession planning is also on the horizon: “That’s the next thing we will start to think about. It’s about having choices.” Very positive results Randall Johnston SHEEP & DAIRY PEOPLE » Astra Farms Ewes milking strongly. Cambridge-based sheep and beer farmers Toni and Allan Browne’s sheep milking operation is feeling the effects of a dry summer, resulting in an increased reliance on bought feed. While it is traditionally considered a summer-safe area, things are never as predictable as you would like them to be in farming. “From December you could see it was really starting to dry up,” Allan explained. The only form of irrigation we’ve got is from the sky and it’s been turned off,” he said in January. With 1,700 sheep being milked, the Maui Milk-suppliers are feeling confident that the tweaks they are making to their farming system are having positive long term benefits. The couple have a 570 hectare flat to rolling hill property near Cambridge that supports bovine and ovine milking and dry stock operations. This year a lot of the ewes have reared their own lambs, a change in approach on previous seasons, motivated by a need to keep costs manageable and for better animal welfare outcomes. “The singles were the only lambs we took off and artificially reared, there were about 400 of those,” Allan explains. “Artificially rearing lambs is very labour intensive and costly and if you don’t get the right people some of the welfare outcomes aren’t as good as you’d like. “About 1,300 others all reared their own twins and triplets and then brought them into the shed to milk them and we are happy with the results we are getting doing that.” “It does help keep our budget in line. We’re still drystock farmers, so we fatten those lambs out. “We’ve taken the option of producing less milk out of a sheep, because it reared its lamb it does produce less, but it’s worth it over time and will be our base policy. We are definitely moving away from trying to rear mass amounts of lambs artificially.” The farm’s 400 cows are milked on 160ha and its ewes on 60ha. Of the balance of the farm, 20ha grows maize for silage, while the hill country fattens the lambs for the dairy sheep. The flock varies from 50% to 75% Lacaune, with the balance being Coopworth. “We lamb in August and go through to April milking. Lambing is pretty intensive, we have some huge days.” In addition to their regular pasture-based feed, the sheep get 400 grams of whole maize twice-aday in the milking shed. The management of the stock and the overall system has improved year-on-year, with the results showing in equally improved production which has been 20% higher each season. Youngest daughter Estee is a major part of the farm, working in the day-to-day sheep milking operation and has been recognised for her talent at the Beef + Lamb Awards. Allan says while sheep milking is challenging in many ways, they doesn’t regret diving into it seven years ago now. “It doesn’t suit or fit into everyone’s system, some have a go and find it’s not for them, but if you can fine tune it, the rewards are there.” DAIRY PEOPLE » Bogaard Farms NZ Helping you move forward. By combining our Business and Farming knowledge with Xero and Figured for all your Planning, Forecasting and Monitoring. 378 Crozier Street, Pirongia 3802 | 07 871 1866 | meaccountants.co.nz RURAL BUILDINGS YOUR SHED, YOUR WAY, YOUR PLACE, YOUR TIME FARM OR TRACTOR SHED ANIMAL SHELTER/STABLE WORKSHOP OR GARAGE – WE CAN HELP Scan the QR Code to design your shed and the submit for a quote. Contact Mike our farm shed specialist today: tradesales@kiwitimber.co.nz or Phone: 07 847 3443 6216 Great South Road, Horotiu, Hamilton RURAL BUILDINGS YOUR SHED, YOUR WAY, YOUR PLACE, YOUR TIME r.co.nz Olivia, Sophia, Bert, Sophia jr and Alex van den Bogaard.
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