42 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Paul & Christine Ashton Bryan Donovan ( left) and Lindsay Farm owner Paul Ashton. Bryan, who is Paul’s father in law, has helped for many years in the family business. Compliance hoops for raw milk producer Richard Loader Paul and Christine Ashton operate Lindsay Farm, a raw milk producer and seller. The couple have been on the farm, located on Lindsay Road, Waipukurau in Central Hawke’s Bay for 20 years having converted to dairying 15 years ago. Prior to this farm they owned a property at Norsewood. The farm is run using certi ed organic practices, a process that takes time and patience, allowing nature to settle in balance. “Organics is a completely different mind-set to conventional farming thinking. We can’t use antibiotics. As an organic farmer you are totally reliant on the soil biology to support pasture to feed the herd and these things take time. There’s no quick x,” Paul says. That transition period between traditional to fully organic farming is often what puts people off changing to the practice, however once achieved Paul says the bene ts that ow are signi cant. “In traditional farming there’s a huge reliance on soluble nitrogen being applied to pasture. What we’re concerned with is in the biological health of the soil; that’s where organic farming begins, by allowing nature to work as it should in the soil, without interference. What we noticed is that we have so much more clover growing in our pasture.” Stocking rates also have to be tuned to the soil and what it’s capable of producing in feed. Paul says they do not buy in supplementary feed, so production can only be from what the farm itself produces. The Ashton’s farm is 100 ha of ats and dry hills on which 50-60 of the 110 A2A2 cows are milked at any one time. Calving is spread over the whole year and cows are milked for up to nine months before resting prior to calving. 50 head of young stock are also on farm as the business runs a closed system Selling raw milk also has many regulatory hurdles to navigate to operate legally Paul says. . “MPI have strict compliances governing what raw milk producers can and can’t do, if they wish to sell their milk. The regulatory control scheme is a document of 80 pages to work through. In our case we only sell raw milk and we’ve been doing so since 2008. We don’t supply a milk processing factory. We market our milk using the brand ‘Your Milk’,” Paul explains. Rules govern food health standards that must be applied when the milk is harvested and bottled. These are compliances Paul says he has no issues with. Where the problems begin in terms of the regulations is how the milk can be sold. A 30-hour, from harvesting to point of sale, time-frame has meant that the locations ‘Your Milk’ can be delivered to are in a geographically small area. I can’t get our milk to those who want it further a eld, such as up in Gisborne. It’s physically impossible to get it there within the economic limitations we must operate in, in order to remain viable and it’s such a sad situation for those who want to enjoy the bene ts that come from drinking raw milk.” Paul and Christine’s daughter Ange is also involved in the business, delivering milk and talking orders and handling the administration. To comply their milk is sent to speci cally approved stations positioned where it can be uplifted and deliver by the purchaser within the 30-hour window to their home. When a batch of milk is picked up, the purchaser has to sign a document stating the date and time it was picked up. Once the 30-hour time-frame has passed, that batch of milk can’t be sold, something Paul describes as plainly ridiculous. “We know that all the enzymes and good bacteria in our milk continue on long past 30 hours but the rules state that this is the legal time in which it can be produced and sold. If not delivered to the home within 30 hours it must be discarded. We know the milk is absolutely good for seven days.” In order to be fully compliant the Lindsay’s have created ‘Lindsay Farm Transport Ltd’, where those buying the milk actually sign-up as voluntary transport operators to enable them to pick up their own milk. In all, currently there are seven depots the milk is taken to and each week between 1800 and 2000 bottles are sold. ‘Your Milk’ supplies upward of 1500 families and nationally Paul believes there are about 23 raw milk producers, a much smaller number than in years gone by, the result, he says, of the regulations governing the industry. Intense and legally complex arguments from raw milk producers haven’t shifted MPI’s perception that, fundamentally, raw milk is dangerous. “We nally signed the legal agreement enabling us to supply milk within the regulatory framework in 2020 when the problem of safe home delivery was resolved. STEVENSON & TAYLOR LTD info@sntltd.co.nz 2294 Takapau Road, Waipukurau, Hawke’s Bay stevensonandtaylor.co.nz STEVENSON & TAYLOR LTD 2294 Takapau Road,Waipukurau. www.stevensonandtaylor.co.nz PH: (06) 858 6041 • E: info@sntltd.co.nz Proud to support Paul & Christine Ashton - Lindsay Farm RORISONS RMD WAIPUKURAU MOTORS 2 0 0 6 L I M I T E D PHONE 06 858 9777 “our can do attitude” Waipukurau Motors is the only locally owned and approved Mitsubishi Parts and Service centre in Waipukurau and there’s pretty much no job they can’t tackle, all makes and models, right here on your doorstep in Central Hawkes Bay. You name it - the team can probably do it! So give us a call on 06 858 9777, say hi to the friendly team and let them take care of your automotive needs. Proud to support Lindsay Farm
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