94 | nzdairy PEDIGREE HOLSTEINS » Hanze Farms A herd to be proud of 20 years in the making Xanthos (13) in the digger. Rosa Watson Over two decades, Rotorua dairy farmers and passionate Holstein Friesian breeders Scott and Larissa Anderson have relentlessly pursued quality. Past winners of the Central Plateau/Bay of Plenty NZ Dairy Business, the couple run 380 cows on 105ha 20 minutes south of Rotorua and have taken pride in developing a quality dairy herd. The couple took over the herd started by Scott’s father a number of years ago and was something Larrissa was keen to carry on, but this time adding Jerseys into the mix, Scott said. “When Larissa came along, she sort of changed that into cross breeds,” Scott said. “We brought Dad’s predominately Jersey herd and we had a Friesian herd, and we mixed the two together.” That was about 20 years ago, and the couple haven’t looked back. “Dad started with scraps ... and he sort of brought it up to what it was when we bought it. “Larissa’s quite passionate and she just carried it on. The herd’s a good herd and it’s all credit to Larissa.” The couple like the Holstein Friesian for its vigour, but enjoy the smaller size of the Jersey. “We won’t let the breeding go too far one way or the other.” The dairy herd peaks at 380 and there are 100 “lining up” for calving in March, Scott said. It had been a great season so far, he said. “It’s going really, really well. We’re 10 per cent ahead and we’ve held that over the year.” They had made some internal changes to the operation that had helped create efficiencies in the operation, he said. “We’ve made a few small tweaks here and there.” In a change this year, they haven’t been feeding maize to the herd to see what impact it had on animal health. “We’re not feeding it at the moment but we’re still 10 per cent up.” They also introduced halter collars which were coming into their second season that were provided helpful animal health data for them to run with. The couple have made huge efforts in developing the farm in recent years, fencing and planting around 40ha of unused gullies, too steep for tractors or dairy cows, in an assortment of native trees and flaxes. To date the couple have planted some 8000 native plants through NZ Natives, putting in another hectare. Two years ago, they introduced Ballance’s MitAgator tools to assess their farm for further environmental steps they could take, and also double check the work they had already completed. They provided drone maps, assessed the contour and topography of the farm, and provided advice on how to reduce the operation’s environmental footprint. Prior to this, they had already increased the effluent coverage area, literally doubling it on the home farm. The Ballance team was able to confirm that was providing good benefits. “(The effluent cover) is still doing a bloody good job.” An in-depth look at soil test results revealed they could get a better return by applying different types or less fertiliser. “We’ve taken on board what they give us.” The cost of going through the programme was about $5000 and Scott estimates they had saved $20,000, predominantly in fertiliser. Getting the farm and the herd to the point it is had been a huge sacrifice for the family, but one that Scott says was worth it. “We are 100 per cent satisfied with what we’ve done over the years, and what we’re doing.” 021 272 3646
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