| 51 nzdairy New baby and a new farm Kim Newth It was a busy start to the season this year for Southland dairy couple Kate Cummings and Carlo Scheepers, who moved to a new contract milking role just two weeks after the birth of their firstborn son, Rowan. After two seasons contract milking 440 cows on 143ha in Dipton for Chris and Charleen Withy, the couple were ready for a big new challenge. This season they moved to Wreys Bush, near Winton, to contract milk 725 cows on 240 hectares for William and Debbie Egan of Rivervale Dairies. “We were ready to take this next step and grow ourselves more – we’d put it down in our plan to look for a 700-plus cow contract,” says Kate. “ [And] when I went on a year’s maternity leave from my job with VetSouth [West Retail Lead] at the end of April, I knew I wanted to be on farm with Carlo. This is just what we’d been looking for – it’s a great opportunity.” Soon after Rowan was born in mid-May, the couple were moving house, moving farm equipment – and moving staff too. “Our staff came with us - Carlo, my fiancé, is from South Africa and so is our staff, so we helped them move here as well.” Almost as soon as they arrived at Wreys Bush, the farm’s 725 cows were trucked out for wintering off-farm. That gave Kate and Carlo a breathing space to plan for the new season and adjust to life as new parents before the cows returned at the end of July. “It is quite a different farming system that’s running here compared to the previous farm, but one that we’re familiar with from previous farm experiences – we’re really enjoying it. Thankfully, we had a kind August too. It has been much better than last season, which was so wet.” Being a new mother on a new farm comes with its own set of unique challenges that Kate is taking in her stride. “I did all the calf rearing with our baby strapped to me and with Debbie and William popping in to help – we’ve had such incredible support around us.” Kate is from a notable dairy farm family. Her Wyndham-based parents Helen and Jock Cummings are proud owners of the 2025 Valden Cow of the Year, Rivendell Sham Beatric-ET 4*ET EX3 SP, bred by Rivendell Holsteins. Helen has operated her Mayalan Holstein Friesian stud for the past 25 years. At the 2025 Holstein Friesian NZ Awards, Helen was honoured with a Distinguished Service Award in recognition of the lasting impact she has made through her services to the Holstein Friesian community. The home farm, managed by Kate’s brother Clint, scored Fonterra’s lowest somatic cell count (SCC) award for the South Island and sixth place nationally for 2024/25. Dairy farming is a joy for Kate, who started her own Holstein Friesian stud, Maylea, at nine years of age and has been showing and judging for almost as long as she can remember. She judged the 2024 NZ DairyEvent Youth Show and attended the 2023 European Young Breeders School in Belgium. “I’m really grateful doing what I do – I love the dairy industry so much. I truly appreciate every day doing what I love with who I love, and taking this next step has been a joy.” Kate and baby Rowan. DAIRY PEOPLE » Kate Cummings / Te Kahika - Stephenson Steering farm forward Bernadette Cooney A year on from being named Wairarapa- Hawkes Bay Farm Manager of the Year, Grace Te Kahika and her husband Issac are steering the farm to its next phase, preparing to step into 50/50 sharemilking next season. Ten kilometres south of Dannevirke, Grace Te Kahika sole manages a low-input dairy operation on her parents’ 76ha property, a farm she knows well. Her parents, Jeff and Anne Stephenson, spent more than three decades building the place up before retiring to Golden Bay, where, as Grace says, “They’re living the dream. Sea kayaks off the front lawn, blue penguins under the deck, and no cows to milk.” Their 185 Kiwi Cross herd are milked once-a-day year-round, a system that suits the farm and family life as the couple raise their two boys, Quinn (9) and Jake (6), growing up in gumboots, feeding calves and helping on the lease block. “Thankfully, they love it and are real outdoorsy boys.” Issac, a sheep and beef farmer by trade, has recently stepped into the dairy shed and, to Grace’s relief, enjoys it. “This springtime was our first working together, with Issac putting a few hours in the morning before he goes fencing or to our leased beef block.” The pair are excited to take the next step, despite the high price of dairy cows. “The prices they are fetching are a bit daunting, but with strong milk payouts it feels achievable.” Proving you don’t have to chase high inputs to get great results, the shift to once-a-day milking, has not negatively impacted production. “Last season we hit the best numbers we’ve ever had, up 7000 solids on our 10-year average.” “We keep the milking system simple. Plus, a nice, quick six-week calving. All Kiwi Cross cows and low input, so low nitrogen use.” “We’re big believers in looking after the soil so it can look after everything else.” Having worked with agronomist Tony Joseph of Soil Holistics, Grace uses a tow-in fertiliser blend of natural fish and liquid seaweed with small doses of synthetic nitrogen. Around 15 kg N per hectare, a fraction of the 100 to 150 kg N of other farms. Less synthetic intervention means less need for drenching, and once a day milking means better body condition and less lameness. Her AI programme reflects the same sense of order and efficiency. “We use all LIC semen and no bulls on farm. It’s safer and easier to manage with two kids running around.” The first three weeks of AI are done with sexed semen to secure quality heifer replacements (of which she aims for 50 next year) followed up by a few weeks using Charolais and finishing with short-gestation semen to keep calving tight. Grace’s approach to animal health is equally straightforward: minimal stress and good feed from healthy soils. The herd is fed 20 tonnes of palm kernel a year, and everything else is home-grown feed mostly grass baleage. “A bit of love and attention goes a long way with the girls.” Scott Simmons Owner/Operator Ph 021 202 7674 Aerodrome Rd, Dannevirke scott.simmons@outlook.co.nz Services: Cultivation, Direct Drilling Round and Square Balage, TubeWrapping Round, Square and Conventional Hay Proudly working for Te Kahika Call Tony 027 253 4646 Grace Te Kahika and her husband Issac. Proudly supporting Kate Cummings
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=