NZ Dairy Spring 2021

68 | nz dairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Kieran & Olivia Clough Growing asset base a focus for couple Richard Loader O ver the last ten years Kieran and Olivia Clough have focused on growing their South Taranaki farming business and creating value. From low order sharemilking on Kieran’s parents’ property in Eltham, 10 minutes south of Stratford, the couple made the move to 50/50 sharemilking on a 260-cow farm a short distance away. Owned by Jennifer Clark, the 78-hectare dairy platform is augmented by a neighbouring 14 hec- tares. A small five-hectare run-off provides supple- ment and is used to winter 100 cows for a couple of weeks each year. Kieran and Olivia also own their own 43-hectare block of land about 10 minutes away in Pukengahu, which is currently leased to Kieran’s parents as support land for their dairy unit. Kieran says creating value is about working towards a common goal with Olivia and utilising their assets to create an income as well as growing the asset base and its value. Their ultimate goal is farm ownership. Leaving his parents’ farm was about progressing towards their ultimate goal with the purchase of their own herd but Kieran says there are definitely a lot less 50/50 sharemilking jobs available. “As land prices have gone up it’s more of a stretch for farm owners to be paying a 50/50 sharemilker. Everyone is a little more leveraged up against the banks. Equity partnerships might become a more popular stepping stone to farm ownership.” A spring calving Friesian herd, calving has gone well for Kieran and Olivia this year with only a hand- ful of cows still to deliver their progeny. “We keep about 60 heifer replacements and because we are a Friesian herd all the bull calves get sold at four days old,” says Kieran. “We do just over five weeks of AI and that’s where we get our Friesian heifers and bulls. At the moment we’re using a Hereford bull for natural mating for the last five weeks of mating. All the Hereford calves get sold as four-day-old calves as well into the beef market. The only bobbies we have are out of the heifers because they have a jersey bull over them.” Last season the cows were all grass fed right throughout the season. But this season’s very wet winter has slowed grass growth and palm kernel has had to be brought in to top up the cows so condition can be held as they go into mating. In November last year a new four bay lean- to pole shed was built by Eltham Construction, replacing an elderly shed that was no longer fit for purpose. “The first bay is a lock-up workshop with con- crete floor. The middle two bays are more or less storage for whatever we want including machinery or hay. We can even use them for calf rearing if we need to. The end bay is purpose built fertiliser or PK bunker. The shed just simplifies things. We can have all the fertiliser dumped in there when it’s time for the spring and autumn fert. At other times we can store the PK there where it’s nice and dry and I can now park my tractor in the shed, and there is somewhere to lock up my tools and motorbikes.” The goal of farm ownership remains firmly in sight for Kieran and Olivia, with the couple hoping to remain in South Taranaki close to family and friends. “As land prices have gone up it’s more of a stretch for farm owners to be paying a 50/50 sharemilker. Equity partnerships might become a more popular stepping stone to farm ownership.” Feeding out with Taranaki Maunga in the background. South Taranaki farmers Kieran and Olivia Clough. Schurr & Ireland is proud to support Kieran Clough. NEW PLYMOUTH 36 Eliot Street / 06 759 0105 ELTHAM 11 Stanners St / 06 764 8305 www.schurrireland.co.nz Empowering your ideal future. 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