NZ Dairy Summer 2020

| 45 nz dairy www.energyvets.co.nz enquiries@energyvets.co.nz ENERGY VETS TARANAKI LTD Inglewood Clinic (06) 756 7228 Waitara Clinic (06) 754 8791 ON FARM » Craig & Tania Rowe a back-up plan Your Animal Health Professionals • Best Prac�ce Accredited • Complete Pet Care • Physio and Rehab • Animal Health Products • Farm Services • Available 7 days by appointment 518 Queen Street Levin Ph: 06 368 2891 www.lhvc.co.nz Proudly part of the Totally Vets group now we calve early in the spring to make the most of our early grass and then we just have to get through crunch time in February/March.” They may be dairy farmers but Craig has no doubt that the key to everything is being good at growing grass and that the dairy industry as a whole could make gains when it comes to growing quality feed. It’s not just about growing the grass but also maximizing its utilization he explains, using rye grass as an example. “Rye grass only has three leaves and the once the fourth starts popping up the oldest leaf will die so you actually start losing growth and quality. You want to make sure the cows get on to it at the correct time and voluntarily eat as much as they can eat without having made them go hungry. You have to think about the grass as a plant, not just a feed source, because really we’re actually horticulturalists with animals on the farm.” Craig believes in making the most of what you’ve got but he knows he’s lucky with their location. He also believes you need a bit of luck in farming generally and that despite the best planning things can go wrong. When there’s a problem he’s a firm advocate of picking up the phone. “I ring people up,” he says. “I use my peers around the district or contacts to find things out. There’s a wealth of knowledge out there and the worst someone can say to you is ‘no, we’re not going to help you’. We’ve got a good community around here.” “You have to think about the grass as a plant, not just a feed source, because really we’re actually horticulturalists with animals on the farm.” The Rowe farm in Taranaki milks around 422 cows on 150ha effective. C anterbury farming couple Ted and Sue Rol- linson are the New Zealand region winners of the inaugural Zimmatic™ Sustainable Irriga- tion Awards. The Rollinson’s own a 380-hectare dairy farm in mid-Canterbury. Sharemilkers Tom and Leanne Heneghan have been on farm for 11 years and milk 1,500 cows on the property. The Awards aim to celebrate excellence in sustainable irrigation and encourage Australian and New Zealand farmers to share ideas for achieving sustainable water management. Each entrant was judged on the following categories: sustainable irrigation management; irrigation-driven improvements, which may include cost reductions, environmental outcomes, yield im- provements and/or improved efficiencies; waterway protection; stewardship/community. For Ted, entering the awards was an opportunity to benchmark their irrigation system, which spans 360 hectares of their farm, against some of the best operators across New Zealand and Australia. He is quick to credit the farm’s success to partnership and team work. “The runs we’ve got on the board with our irriga- tion management have absolutely been the result of a 50/50 partnership with Tom and Leanne,” says Ted. “We’ve all worked hard to get to this point. One hasn’t got the Award without the other.” Tom agrees and says he is grateful to the Rol- linson’s for their commitment to investing in the necessary infrastructure to do the job right. “Ted and Sue have invested heavily in the infra- structure on this farm, when they could have easily cut corners and still had a productive and profitable business. As sharemilkers, we are incredibly ap- preciative of that.” Ted and Tom also acknowledge the input of Charlotte Glass from AgriMagic, who has been their environmental consultant for more than eight years. Awards head judge Keri Johnston says the Rol- linson’s are dedicated to continuous improvement, and have been for many years. “Ted and Sue are just as passionate today as they were when they started. The fact that they have upgraded their irrigation system several times as technology and efficiencies have improved, and are still looking for more opportunities, is testament to their commitment to being irrigation trailblazers. “They are progressive, smart farmers, who are aware of their environment, the risks and oppor- tunities if presents, and are a valued part of their local and wider community. And now with Tom and Leanne, they have another generation coming through, bringing more ideas to the table, collabo- Partnership the key to success for award winners rating and doing research. The strength of their partnership was really evident to us.” Recognition from the Awards comes after a complete reconversion of the Rollinson’s irrigation system from flood irrigation to spray irrigation, which took place between 2014 and 2017. “Where our Zimmatic centre-pivots cross tracks, Precision VRI is used to eliminate watering of these areas. We completed the whole conversion our- selves, re-contouring all paddocks and re-aligning the tracks using a 25-year-old 20 tonne digger and a 50-year-old grader.” Ted first came to mid-Canterbury from Murchison in 1981 and was one of the first drivers of dairy in Canterbury. The word in the community at the time was that his dairying dream would only last six months before going belly up. Nearly 40 years later, dairy is now an integral part of the mid-Canterbury economy. Over the years, Ted has been an advocate for fair and equitable water access in the region, including working with Environment Canterbury and gaining access for farmers to local irrigation schemes. He was also chair of the Rakaia River Users Group for many years. The judges acknowledged that the Rollinson’s have been influential in sustainable irrigation and their community for a long time. “One of the judging categories was about shar- ing knowledge and supporting others in their com- munities to adapt and change, and Ted can certainly claim credit in this space!” says Ms Johnston. Ted says that while he’s had years of farming experience, there is always more to learn and the Awards have been a great opportunity to do that. We’re looking forward to learning from the supreme winners in Australia and see what ideas we could implement here in Canterbury to help us take the next step.” “Ted and Sue have invested heavily in the infrastructure on this farm, when they could have easily cut corners and still had a productive and profitable business. As sharemilkers, we are incredibly appreciative of that.” Sharemilkers Leanne and Tom Heneghan (left) with farm owners Ted and Sue Rollinson.