| 29 nzdairy Move back from QLD worked out well Lilah (6) helping out on farm. Richard Loader Luke and Sunny Oud’s return to the Northland farm that has been in Luke’s family since his maternal great-grandfather bought it in 1913, was a response to busy lives in central Queensland and the vision of a farm-based lifestyle in which to raise their children. “I had been mining in the outback of central Queensland for about nine years, doing seven days on and seven days off, “ says Luke. “Sunny was a registered nurse attached to a surgical unit in Rockhampton, doing shift work. We had two young boys and it was just too challenging, with the type of work we both had.” In 2016, the opportunity arose to return to the farm and contract milk for Luke’s parents, Tony and Sue. The couple sold their home in Australia with the longer term plan of buying another house or land in New Zealand. Having never managed a dairy farm before, becoming contract milkers afforded Luke and Sunny the opportunity to learn the ropes under Tony and Sue’s guidance, before taking the next step. That next stop occurred in 2019 when Luke and Sonny invested in the farm’s 200 cows and became 50/50 sharemilkers. Looking to invest in land and also create some economies of scale, in 2022 the couple purchased the neighbouring 120 hectare dairy farm as a going concern, which amongst other things included 260 Ayrshire cows. At the same time they entered into a lease arrangement with Tony and Sue, combining the farms and the herds, and milking across two sheds. “Since purchasing the neighbouring farm we have invested in a feedpad, effluent storage, calf barns, new pasture, maize, and cow shed repairs, and brought the farm back up to scratch. Having the two farms gives us economies of scale and enables us to employ two staff, whereas the 200-cow lease farm was owner operator. It also provides us with general operating efficiencies.” Located on the fertile flats of Northland near the small township of Ruawai, the 75-hectare effective home farm is made up of Kaipara clay, a wet marine clay that is challenging to manage during peak grass growth in winter and spring. The farm is supported with a 66-hectare hilly runoff 15 kilometres away that is used for young stock and growing supplement. Very early in Luke and Sunny farming career they were shown the benefits of a Kiwi cross herd, DAIRY PEOPLE » Luke and Sunny Oud particularly with the wet environmental conditions they faced, and now all the herd are mated with LIC kiwi cross. The neighbouring farm’s Ayrshire herd is progressively being phased out and only 60 remain. Proudly supporting Luke and Sunny Oud With lifestyle and the desire to raise their family on the farm, Luke and Sunny now have four children; Max (14), Willem (12), Lilah (6) and Jack (1). “During the busy calving season we play a bit of a tag team, with Sunny looking after the children in the earlier part of the morning while I am out on the farm, and then I come in and take childcare duties while Sunny goes for calf rearing, often with a little person in the tractor as well.”
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