| 85 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Rua Awa Farming House sales nance farm ownership Sue Russell Isaac Algar and Jordyn Crouch in the calving pen. Their 130ha farm carries a milking herd of 310 cows. Jordyn Crouch and Isaac Algar rst met as high school students and have been together ever since. The couple have big ambitions backed by a strong work ethic which has brought them to the point where, at a relatively young age and stage in their farming journey, they have bought their own dairy unit. “We were very lucky to have support from our parents to buy a house in Rotorua and then we bought a second home. With demand for houses when we sold these it gave us enough to realise our dream of farm ownership, with some help from the bank,” Jordyn explains. Jordyn and Isaac contract milk 1150 cows on a large dairy farm in Eastern Bay of Plenty, owned by Robin and Claire Barkla. The couple’s own farm is at Atiamuri, about an hour away so weekly visits to it keep them in touch with what is happening on that farm which is run on a day to day basis by their former 2IC. Their 130ha farm carries a milking herd of 310 cows. Jordyn grew up on a dairy farm at Orini, in the Waikato and worked as a consulting of cer at DairyNZ in the Bay of Plenty following completion of a BAgScience degree through Massey University. “Massey provided me with an excellent foundation to my farming career and the time as a consultant gave me opportunities to see all sorts of farming systems and to network.” As contract milkers the couple are responsible for employment of staff and all the elements that contribute to growing cows that produce high quality milk. It’s satisfying, demanding work, with no two days the same, that Jordyn and Isaac thoroughly enjoy. “We’re aiming for a nice cross-bred brown cow of 400-450kg,” says Jordyn. The staff roster has been developed in such a way that no person milks more than 3 days in the roster. Both Jordyn and Isaac are fully engaged in the roster and a milk harvester is engaged as well. Milking happens through a 44 aside herringbone shed. Two years ago the farm produced a record 504,000kgMS. The farm has a stocking rate of 4 cows/ha. “This year we only achieved 465,000kgMS and we’re always looking for ways to increase volumes but not at the expense of less pro tability in terms of per kg cost of production.” Through winter all the stock is wintered off farm on lease blocks. Both Jordyn and Isaac ensure they have time off the farm, enjoying all the bike tracks the Rotorua district offers. “I know it is really essential to have balance between farm work and off-farm activities that get you away from the property.” And with plenty of experiences and learnings behind them and a bright future ahead Jordyn says there are some things she feels are really important for those beginning their farming journey. “First I think take your time to nd the right people to work for. Make sure you take time to think what you want out of the job and the other important thing is balance. It’s a big step going from school to working full time so make sure you have good support.” Jordyn knows from personal experience that with a bit of exercise under her belt she thinks more clearly and feels much better prepared to cope with the challenges of the day. Immediate goals are to continue to work hard to repay debt and to continue to enjoy on and off farm life. Milking & Water Systems Ltd - 11 Te Tahi Street, Whakatane 07 307 0704 milkingwatersystems@yahoo.com PROUD TO SUPPORT RUA AWA FARMING WE SPECIALISE IN: New Dairy Plant Installation Existing Dairy Plant Maintenance Licensed NZMPTA Milking Machine Testers Dairy Effluent Systems Installation & Maintenance Water & Pumping Systems Installation & Maintenance
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=