| 9 nzdairy Regan at the awards. DAIRY PEOPLE » Benio Dairy Limited Regan came into the dairy industry awards on the encouragement of friend Ann-Kristin Loferski who won Dairy Trainee the year before. “She was telling me how great an opportunity the awards presented. I’m so pleased I did as there was so much great learning.” Key learnings, Regan says, were about diving deeper why he does what he does. “I Focused on the nutrients we use on farm as it was an area i needed to improve my knowledge. There is so much to talk about when putting it together into a 1 ½ hour presentation.” He began this with an overview of the whole farm, explaining the use of Halter, the benefits this brings to pasture utilisation, animal health and reproduction. “Halter has been a game-changer for us and the industry. It means we can feed the cows fresh pasture upto 8 times a day, it is especially great when it comes to ensuring that each cow leaving the milking shed still gets their fair share of grass.” The virtual fencing, has revolutionised how pasture is managed. The clever technology applied means that Regan can adjust the feeding breaks from his phone, every couple of hours. “The app tells us the kgs of pasture consumed by the herd at any given time. It’s our aim to fully feed the cows to maximise milk solids production.” Asked to explain how the herd is trained to understand where to go and where not to go on the collars, Regan says its a case of introducing them to the tones and vibrations the collars emit, over a two week or so period. “In those early days we still actually have a physical break line and when the herd get near it they receive a vibration that causes them to turn either left or right, depending on which ear the tone occurs in. It’s an incredibly clever technology and we wouldn’t be without it.” After the presentation on the farm, judges viewed the herd while Regan talked about cow condition scoring, use of fertiliser, reproduction and milk solid targets. He also talked about his training, having completed Levels 3 and 4 Primary ITO units. Regan has also attended a Dairy Training limited Contract milking course and a Rabobank Agpathways course. Regan attended classes in Gore which he says he enjoyed very much. “Attending these courses has introduced me to likeminded farmers and broadened my knowledge to progress in the industry.” Not only did Regan receive runner-up in the event held in Invercargil but he also received two merit awards: The Fonterra Dairy Management Award and the AWS Legal People and Leadership Award. “I was thrilled and surprised to receive these awards. I’m definitely keen to enter again and am already starting to prepare for next year’s Judging.” Proudly supporting Benio Dairy Limited 21 Springford Street PROUD TO PARTNERWITH BENIO DAIRY LIMITED
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