| 5 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Paramount Dairies Farms are linked with the common purpose With the peak of the season now behind them, Jared says decisions will soon be made around which cows to off-load. Karen Phelps Lamorna Farm is a beautiful dairy property extending over some 524 hectares at Orari, between Ashburton and Timaru, home to 2,000 cows, a 100-bale Milfos rotary platform, and wellestablished infrastructure. The farm is also home to sharemilkers Jared and Sara Crawford and family, who own and operate Paramount Dairies Ltd. The farm is part of the Farmright Dairying Network, owned by the NZ Superfund, and Jared says while the collective of farms are run independently, they are linked with the common purpose of operating as efficiently and productively as possible. NZ Dairy spoke with Jared again in January, and he described the season as a very good one, with production tracking 9% above that of last year. “The cows are holding condition well at this time of the season. We’re always looking closely at ensuring we maintain the herd in the best possible condition, and this has meant making timely adjustments to feed, rotation lengths, and grazing management as conditions change,” Jared says. The focus during spring was to ensure a really good quality feed was delivered to every cow in the form of a DDG wheat blend early on. “With fully fed cows, it meant we were able to get them to peak a bit higher. With quite a dry winter and start to spring, putting that feed in helped significantly, as pasture growth did not fully come on until late October.” Jared says cow health generally has been very good this season, helped by the use of Allflex collars introduced to the herd 18 months ago, providing earlier and more accurate information, particularly when a cow begins to go off-colour before any obvious physical symptoms are visible. The technology also came into its own over mating, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of bulls required to be run with the herd — a win-win in terms of staff health and safety, as well as reducing bull-related costs. “That ability to intervene early is a huge positive for us, in terms of mitigating the impact should issues go undetected for longer. It’s a tool in the kit we’ve really come to value.” Working with Jared and Sara is a team of eight full-timers. The team is very stable, having, for the most part, spent several seasons at Lamorna. They understand the farm systems well and have taken to the Allflex technology extremely well. “After several years, one of our very valued team members is heading back to work in the mines in Australia, so I’m looking to make a structural shift by introducing a manager role. This will allow me to step back somewhat from the day-to-day operations and to concentrate more on training and overseeing.” With the peak of the season now behind them, Jared says decisions will soon be made around which cows to off-load and extending the rotation as attention turns toward the end of the season. “We will look to move to three-and-two milking.” Jared knows he is in a fortunate position as a sharemilker on the farm. He has invested significant time and effort into creating and fine-tuning farm management systems to achieve the best possible outcomes across cow health, milk production, staff training, and overall team experience. “There are not many sharemilkers who can say they have everything they need. We have good owners and a great management team supporting us. Everything is very well maintained.” Meanwhile, off-farm, Jared and Sara have taken sole ownership of the House of Hop, a brewery and restaurant that they now lease out near Geraldine. Steve 027 640 3414 E-mail: o ce@oliverbrothers.co.nz www.oliverbros.co.nz • Dairy Conversions • FarmTracks • Feed Pads • Underpasses • Silage Pits • Bulk Cartage • SiteWorks & Driveways • Tree Removal • Water Reticulation & Storage • Irrigation • Mole Ploughing • Light ConstructionWork • Composting Barns SPECIALISING IN DAIRY FARMS & MAINTENANCE 027 640 3414 www.oliverbros.co.nz Locally Owned & Operated For 25 Years JASON FARMER - 027 433 7704 www.farmerscanningservices.co.nz farmerscanningservices@gmail.com ULTRA-SOUND SCANNING OF SHEEP AND COWS - Experienced Technician using the latest in scanning equipment - Specialist in foetal aging in dairy cows - Experts at defining multiple births in sheep Farmer Scanning Services Ltd www.pyegroup.co.nz KEN CAIRD SALES m 027 268 4299 k ken@pyegroup.co.nz JAYDEN WARNER OPERATIONS m 027 686 1173 k jayden@pyegroup.co.nz Baling | Chopping | Mowing | Feeds Sales | Beet Harvesting | Cultivation | Drilling | Cartage | Effluent BDC - Working with Jared & Sarah Crawford at Paramount Dairies • General Excavation • Dairy Conversions • Dairy Lane Development and Maintenance • Drain Clearing • Stump and Tree Removal • Digger 4-25 Ton • Truck & Trailers • Bulldozer • Mobile Shingle Screen 0800 343 551 | blake@digger4u.co.nz Toby: 027 286 8577 | tobydownie@gmail.com EXCAVATION / LAND DEVELOPMENT
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