60 | nzdairy RURAL PEOPLE » Richard & Jo Beckett Steady growth for family farm operation Kim Newth Knowing how to work stock around rocky terrain is all part of the job for dryland dairy farmers like Richard and Jo Beckett, who are used to grazing their herd on old lahar country in coastal Taranaki. Jo’s parents Hugo and Maria van der Poel have been farming in Warea for 36 years. Richard and Jo are now 50/50 sharemilking alongside them, with Jo’s parents still very much involved. Hugo also works as a rural contractor. Four years ago, the family operation purchased another 60 hectares across the Waiweranui River from the original 95-hectare block to further extend the milking platform. The farm winters around 400 cows, predominantly Jersey cows that are a good fit for this country that swings between summer dry and winter wet. Grass and grass silage covers almost all feed requirements on this system two operation, supplemented with some hay and palm kernel. The annual production target is around 140,000kgMS with the ultimate goal being 150,000kgMS. “We cull quite aggressively to stay on top of issues like mastitis – repeat offenders are gone,” says Richard. “At the end of the day, we want to have a nice productive herd to milk. Last year we did 148,000kgMS and that was a very good year for us. We just keep trying to do things better but were helped last year by a wet summer that really fuelled the grass growth.” Spring calving has also gone well this year. “Even though we had a lot of rain, it was one of the best we’ve had. The cows were in very good condition and everything went well.” Before entering the dairy industry nine years ago, Richard worked as a builder. His first experience of farming came as a result of his brother hurting his arm in a rugby game; Richard offered to help him out in his farm work that spring. Since moving into farming, his background in building has proved very useful. “In our first season here, when we were 25 per cent sharemilking, it was a low payout year so I went back building over late summer/autumn for a local builder on the coast.” Richard is making his mark on the field in more ways than one. He’s a valuable player in the Taranaki premier club rugby scene, playing for Coastal as a lock. Alongside work on the farm, he and Jo are also busy raising their two children Isabella, 5 and Hunter, 3. Jo is hands-on around the farm too, doing all the relief milking and rearing calves. “We used to do everything between us but since we bought the extra land we’ve employed another guy, Carl, who I met through the rugby club and that has worked out really well. He’s been farming for 20 years and really enjoys milking.” Pasture is developed one paddock at a time, with the focus last year on river flats through the farm. Riparian planting has also been a big priority with some 4500 to 5000 plants going in over the past three years. “My father-in-law looks after them. Planting is the easy part – keeping them alive is what takes the work.” Isabella, 5, with Jo Beckett (top). Richard Beckett with Isabella and Hunter, 3 (below). NZ Farmers Livestock and Livestock Specialist, Bryan Goodin are proud ƚŽ ďĞ ĂƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ZŝĐŚĂƌĚ ĞĐŬĞƩ͘ ,Ğ ŝƐ Ă ǀĂůƵĞĚ ĐůŝĞŶƚ͕ ĂŶĚ ǁĞ ĂƌĞ ĚĞůŝŐŚƚĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ŚŝƐ ĞīŽƌƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞŵĞŶƚƐ͘ ƚ E &ĂƌŵĞƌƐ >ŝǀĞƐƚŽĐŬ ǁĞ ĂƌĞ ĐŽŵŵŝƩĞĚ ƚŽ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ĨĂƌŵĞƌƐ ĨŽƌ ĨĂƌŵĞƌƐ͘ Our ŶĞǁ ĂƉƉ ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐ LJŽƵ ǁŝƚŚ Ă ƚŽŽůďŽdž ŽĨ ƉŽƐƐŝďŝůŝƟĞƐ ǁŚĞŶ it comes to livestock trading on your mobile device - bid, buy and ƐĞůů ǀŝĂ ŽƵƌ ĂƉƉ ƚŽĚĂLJ͘ dĂůŬ ǁŝƚŚ ƌLJĂŶ ƚŽĚĂLJ Ͳ ϬϮϳ ϱϯϭ ϴϱϭϭ͘ HARTLEY CONTRACTING • Drain Digging • Metal Screening Pleased to support Richard & Jo Beckett 027 623 4971 j.hartley@xtra.co.nz
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