| 35 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Shaun & Nikoia McKelvie: Maxnco Farms Good team culture key on large scale farm Sue Russell Shaun and Nikoia McKelvie are sharemilking ve minutes from Edendale, Southland on a 552ha dairy unit owned by Bathan and Jane Muir and Ken and Jill Muir. The large business which comprises two herds of 800 cows each employs four staff on each of two units. One herd is milked through a 60 bail rotary and the other through a 54 bail. “We have protrac and auto teat spraying in both sheds, with the older shed now 22 years old. The 54 bail is 18 years old.” Given that number of cows to put through the shed, staff begin work at 4 am in the morning and it takes about 3 ½ hours to put each herd through. Three people have been in the shed up until midOctober when that number dropped back to two. The farm supplies Fonterra and Shaun says he’s pleased that most of the staff have been with the farm for a number of years. “We don’t generally have a high turnover of staff which is really good. “ We place a lot of importance of looking out for each other and creating a good team culture and I think this is why we’ve got a good employment track-record here.” The scale of the operation does bring career progression bene ts that if there are vacancies, staff have the opportunity to take the next step, as there is plenty of experience within the team. Spring has gone well Shaun says and through winter there were only two or three snow events to work around. He says it’s their plan to remain on this farm. Calving has gone very well and a wintering barn transforms into a nursery once calving is underway. “We keep all the Friesian heifers as replacements while we rear 50 bull calves with the balance going to another farmer who fattens them for sale.” Last year, one of the team, Sophie White, took out the Southland-Otago Dairy Trainee of the Year Part of the milking herd grazing on the Edendale farm. Team member Sophie White with Shaun and Nikoia McKelvie. Award, something Shaun and Nikoia are extremely proud of. “She’s a great example of what a keen young person can achieve if they’ve got their head screwed on the right way and have the right attitude. We were thrilled her progress and hard-work was recognised with this reward.” Because of that, this year Sophie is on the Dairy Awards Committee and when not busy working on the farm, she’s out there driving up interest by others, new to the sector, in entering the awards. Looking after the staff is important to Shaun and Nikoia. They nd ways to say thank you to the team as often as they can. “Each week over calving we hold a full staff meeting and Nikoia brings morning tea and the local coffee van “Mad Cow Coffee” drops in Coffee along for the team then after calving each month we have a full team meeting .We also aim to get off farm once a month we try to do something off the farm together.” A bowling trip to nearby Wyndham was next on the bucket-list to tick off. Asked about any recent farm practice innovations Shaun says they have recently put Tru-Test Datamars Collars on the herd. “They will do all our heat detection for us and automate the drafting out.” This is Shaun and Nikoia’s third season sharemilking on the farm and before that, managing it since 2010. “We’re very pleased with where we are in our farming journey. Bathan and Jane are great owners and we can see the rewards for our efforts. It’s also good to be part of helping others as they build their own farming careers.” Scott Hutton 027 355 0818 – General Manager Ben Halstead 027 203 7542 – Operations Manager Brock Payne 027 715 1734 – Livestock Coordinator Justin Robertson 027 600 4049 – Liquids Coordinator Dean Moore 027 779 9449 – Bulk / Spreading Coordinator OFFICE (03) 206 9966 SIMPLICITY - PASSION - TRUST - INNOVATION Proud to be working with Maxnco Farms Ltd www.caldwellcontracting.co.nz (03 206-6465)
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