| 67 nzdairy Another productive season for Alice and Bryan Rather than seeking out a sharemilking position this season, last year’s Hawke’s Bay / Wairarapa Dairy Manager of the Year Alice Gysbertsen opted to stay on as 2IC on Bryan Tucker’s 308-ha dairy farm at Greytown. “Things have been going well here and staying on is a good opportunity for me to get more experience,” says Alice, adding that a sharemilking contract is still in her plans for next season. A dairy career was always on the cards for Alice, whose parents Bart and Tineke Gysbertsen worked as contact milkers and sharemilkers throughout her childhood. In 2014, Alice was named Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Trainee of the Year, adding the regional dairy manager’s accolade last year. At Greytown, she works alongside her father, who holds the milking contract for the farm as well as running a 500ha drystock block for Bryan. Including Alice, the farm employs four full-time staff plus her father and peak milks 950-cows, producing around 355,000kgMS a year. Alice’s first season at Greytown, starting in June 2022, kicked off with a flooding event in what was a very wet season. “Bryan told me he’d never seen anything like it – it was exceptionally wet. DAIRY PEOPLE» Tahora Farm / Bryan Tucker and Alice Gysbertsen Barley is fed in-shed, along with the right minerals. Now we have the polar opposite. It is the best calving I’ve ever had in my life, just because it’s dry. There’s very minimal – if any – pugging. It’s like autumn calving at the moment and with an exceptional amount of grass, so it’s a very nice situation.” In mid-August – about half-way through calving - the herd was split in two to create two smaller herds, one with the younger and older cows and the other with the mid-range cows. “It just takes the pressure off the younger ones and is better for animal wellbeing.” Barley is fed in-shed, along with the right minerals. “Things are going well so far.” Bryan Tucker, whose family has been farming at Greytown for over 100 years, is not only an experienced dairy farmer in his own right, but is also a piggery owner and an award winner, having picked up a regional Farm Environment Award in 2003. Native planting on the farm has been extensive since the early 2000s and effluent from both the piggery and dairy farm is very well managed. “All the trees provide good shelter and shade for the stock. Bryan is very passionate about trees. In places where trees have had to come down, he’s planted flax hedges instead. He has developed a very well-integrated effluent system. The effluent pond sludge is pumped out every year and spread with a slurry wagon. Very little urea is used. It’s definitely good for me to be able to learn from people like Bryan who have been farming here for a long time. All in all, it’s a joint effort between us and my dad as well.” Kim Newth • from page 66 It’s quite an involved process.” Josh’s main cow families are Fays and Paradises from Australia, Lydias from Canada, D family from Cresslands as well as some lines of Tahora’s prominent families. All in all Josh says he’s pleased with what he’s achieved in his time at Tahora Farm. He says Dean and Jo are great owners, with Dean connecting often with him as day to day life on the farm unfolds. Proud to Support Bryan Tucker and Alice Gysbertsen : info@lala.co.nz Member Electrical Contractors Association of NZ MASTER ELECTRICIANS 35 Jellicoe Street, Martinborough P: 06 3069 491 E: office@cans.co.nz • Electricians • Water pumps • Water treatment • Milking equipment • 24/7 call out service COTTER & STEVENS PROUD TO SUPPORT BRIAN TUCKER & ALICE GYSBERTSEN Supporting Bryan Tucker & Alice Gysbertsen 06 304 8911 | www.popeandgray.co.nz Experienced Livestock team servicing all your livestock requirements throughout the Wairarapa Chris McBride – Area Manager – 027 565 1145 Max Hutchings – 0275 384 961 | Carl Petersen – 027 242 0268 Carey Ashwell – 021 433 274 | Andy Donaldson – 021 628 094 Bunter Anderson – 027 444 1169 Last summer and autumn were exceptionally dry. Irrigation over more than half the farm helped to soften the impact. “Having experienced both an exceptionally wet and an exceptionally dry season here, I am pleased to say the farm can handle both and still achieve its production targets.” www.rurallivestock.co.nz Hayden McCarthy 0274 730 802 Proud to work alongside Tahora Farm
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