| 75 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Walsh Enterprises count Mike taught biology for ten years at Matamata College until his parents-in-law, John and Alison Walsh, lured him onto the 193ha home farm at Kereone. “Most farmers are changing their practices and we do well in comparison with other countries when it comes to the environment, water, carbon and animal welfare, but if we are forced to produce at higher costs then fewer goods will be made and the decrease made up by other much less environmentally-aware farmers overseas.” The home farm was first purchased by John Walsh’s father Theo, but in the 1970s John and Alison bought a neighbouring farm and the two were worked separately until the 1990s when a new milking shed was built to serve both properties. Subsequently a block over the road where dry stock had been wintered was bought and the herd size increased and young stock grazed off-farm. Last season Walsh Enterprises produced 247,226kg of milk solids and is on track to do about the same this year. The second farm is run in partnership with a contract milker who’s been with the company for five years, and it grows up to 10ha of maize silage a year, with the yield often hitting 24-25t. The home farm grows a further 18-22ha of maize silage, and both farms are topped up with all-grass silage, supported by a small amount of palm kernel to fill the feed shortage over the dry summer. Mike’s core concern about the legislative direction being taken by the government is its one-sizefits-all presumption. “Most farmers are changing their practices and we do well in comparison with other countries when it comes to the environment, water, carbon and animal welfare,” Mike says. “But if we are forced to produce at higher costs then fewer goods will be made and the decrease made up by other much less environmentallyaware farmers overseas.” SPECIALISTS IN DESIGN/SUPPLY/BUILD WATER & EFFLUENT Proud to be Walsh Enterprises’ preferred effluent system supplier On behalf of NZ Farmers Livestock, we’d like to formally commend Walsh ŶƚĞƌƉƌŝƐĞƐ͕ ĂŶĚ DŝŬĞ 'ĂƌƌƵĚ ŽŶ ŚŝƐ &ĞĚĞƌĂƚĞĚ &ĂƌŵĞƌƐ ƉŽƌƞŽůŝŽ͘ tĞ ĂƌĞ ƉƌŽƵĚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞŝƌ ĞīŽƌƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĂĐŚŝĞǀĞŵĞŶƚƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ŽƵƌ ĂŐĞŶƚ͕ ƌƵĐĞ DŝůůƐ͕ ŝƐ ƉůĞĂƐĞĚ ƚŽ ďĞ ŝŶǀŽůǀĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ůŝǀĞƐƚŽĐŬ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚƐ͘ At NZ Farmers Livestock we are 100% NZ owned and operated, and have a ůŽŶŐͲƐƚĂŶĚŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ĞƐƚĂďůŝƐŚĞĚ ŚŝƐƚŽƌLJ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ůŝǀĞƐƚŽĐŬ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ͘ We are proud to have ĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚ EĞǁ ĞĂůĂŶĚ͛Ɛ ĮƌƐƚ ŽŶůŝŶĞ ůŝǀĞ ĂƵĐƟŽŶ ǁĞďƐŝƚĞ ĂŶĚ ĂƉƉ͕ ǁŚĞƌĞ ĨĂƌŵĞƌƐ ĐĂŶ ĂĐƟǀĞůLJ ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƚĞ ŝŶ ůŝǀĞƐƚŽĐŬ ĂƵĐƟŽŶƐ ƐƚƌĞĂŵĞĚ ůŝǀĞ ĂŶĚ ĚŝƌĞĐƚ ĨƌŽŵ ƐĂůĞ LJĂƌĚƐ ĂŶĚ ŽŶͲĨĂƌŵ ĂƵĐƟŽŶƐ͘ &Žƌ ŵŽƌĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ĐŽŶƚĂĐƚ ƌƵĐĞ DŝůůƐ ŽŶ ϬϮϳ ϱϳϰ ϬϮϰϮ Both Walsh Enterprises farms supply Fonterra, and Mike is an ardent supporter of the co-operative. “Fonterra has had to improve and restructure over the past few years and we’ve turned it around. “I’m pleased with progress and excited about the co-op’s future,” Mike says. 24 Hour Service - 7 Days PROUD TO SUPPORT WALSH ENTERPRISES Phone 07 889 0598 (Morrinsville) 07 888 8051(Matamata) Email service@mcgregorsfarmservices.co.nz 9 Ron Ladd Place, Morrinsville 3300
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