| 59 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Waikino Estate Karen Phelps Rebecca and John Conen call themselves ‘accidental farmers’. “We’ve gone board room to barn,” says Rebecca, “but there’s a whole lot of benefit to that.” Both from a corporate backgrounds, along with Rebecca’s son Jackson the family’s lives have experienced a cataclysmic shift in the past four years as they set up a 100-hectare dairy farm complete with a run-off block and a newly established KiwiBerry orchard in Waikino Gorge near Waihi. Previously hailing from Wellington John was an IT strategist and Rebecca was a chief of staff for a property organisation specialising in governance. “After I left school I spent a lot of time on my auntie and uncle’s racehorse farm and I just loved being around the animals,” says John. “When my last child left home Bex and I decided life was short. I’d had cancer and it made me reflect on life and what’s important so we decided to go farming.” In the first year they bought a herd and at the same time put in the orchard while both doing their full time jobs. While it’s a lifestyle choice they both say farming has to operate as an effective business first. “We bring our previous corporate experience into farming but it’s certainly been a steep learning curve in terms of farming,” says John. “But I think we’re doing okay, we’re 40% up milk solids on august last year.” The big change has come from improvements they have instigated. “Our ability to think strategically and think practically and use data has been important,” says Rebecca. “We lean on people with more experience but we want to bring our own experience to farming as well and we’re not afraid to try new things.” One of the key changes has been condensing calving more each season. “In my opinion if you’re calving in July in Waihi you’re feeding out a lot of silage and putting burden on pasture,” says John. “We will push our calving to early to mid-August and this year 80% had calved in the first four weeks. We hand rear 80-90% of our calves, they are on colostrum for the first seven days then this season we have shifted to milk Have gone from the boardroom to the barn In the first year they bought a herd and at the same time put in the orchard. Improved service for our dairy clients CoroVets nowoffers a full MilkQuality ReviewandUdder Health Improvement Program, which includes: • On farm analysis of all aspects of the system relating to udder health, and milk quality, including: • Milking routine evaluation. • Plant inspection and optimisation during milking. • Environmental risk factors on farm. • Targeted milk culturing and mastitis pathogen identification. • Full herd test reviews, after every herd test. • Individualised dry cow planning, and culling guidelines • 3 on-farm progress reviews, at key times of the season. 0800 267 683 farm@corovets.co.nz www.corovets.co.nz 10 Mueller St, Waihi | 215 Aickin Road, Whangamata | 1 Wharf Road, Tairua Contact Us WE ARE PROUD TO WORK WITH WAIKINO ESTATE. SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITIES . ormandy Road, Paeroa | 07 862 8263 paeroafarmservices.co.nz | powder, which has meant more milk in the vat and milk powder is marginally cheaper ” Both acknowledge that while a run off is costly it gives their dairy farm a break and the cows come back into much more grass. It’s another example of the strategic decisions they are capable of making. Diversification has seen them rear 80% of their calves for resale as R1s and R2s and establish the KiwiBerry business. “Again we knew nothing about orchards,” says John. “We got our first small yield last year, which was year three of it being in the ground. This year we hope to get 4000-5000 trays with full production at 10,000-11,000 trays from 1.3 hectares.” “We have an amazing support team with our vet and different suppliers etc,” says Rebecca. “We are continuing to ask questions and pushing the envelope a bit more each season. What continues to astound me is how supportive the community is. Fellow farmers want to see you succeed and that’s something pretty special.”
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