NZ Dairy Spring 2021

| 11 nz dairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Alan Law using regenerative farming method Alan says pasture quality has greatly improved by creating the best possible conditions for clover and biology to flourish. Reduce synthetic nitrogen Mitigate leaching Maintain pasture, production and profit A unique, ground-breaking process Forward Farming Biological is proving that it can successfully transition farmers into a biological or regenerative system without increasing their budget, and without a loss in production or grass growth. “Farmers have been led to believe that heavy use of synthetic nitrogen is the only way to boost pasture growth and, as a result, milk production and profitability.Therefore, there is a widely-held belief amongst farmers that if they reduce synthetic nitrogen, they will lose milk production, grass growth and money. This is simply not true,” says David Law, director of Forward Farming Biological. David walks the walk – he is a past dairy farmer and used the regenerative methods on his own farm so he knows first hand that they work. He also understands the effect decades of marketing hype from fertiliser companies has had on farmers and that it has made it difficult for farmers to get their heads around changing their farming method to something more sustainable. Brother Alan, also a farmer, is a case in point. When David first wanted to change to regenerative farming on the family farm it led to a rift in the family lasting five years as their philosophies clashed. It took Alan years to see that David’s way of farming was superior and to benefit from a regenerative farming method using Forward Farming Biological’s Total Replacement Therapy programme. David explains the programme as a unique, groundbreaking process that is the result of a team of international specialists combining their expertise in soil biology, chemistry, agronomy and nutrition. The team has worked tirelessly to closely analyse what makes a farm produce its own nitrogen, sequester carbon, and reduce methane and leaching. The results of the programme are growing great pasture with less synthetic nitrogen, as well as reducing methane and leaching, and increasing soil water holding capacity, says David. This of course gives farms resilence against climate change events such as droughts, helps farmers easily meet environmental compliance and results in better animal health. The Total Replacement Therapy programme is being implemented on 22 farms with different soil types throughout the North Island with great results and data to back them up that can be viewed on forwardfarming.co.nz “We don't cut nitrogen out, there is a transition process, so our method is risk free for farmers. We strongly invite them to contact us so they can farm better for the future, taking away the stress many are feeling with the unavoidable changes that are coming.” Total Replacement Therapy totalreplacementtherapy.com The groundbreaking, scientifically-supported regenerative farming method