| 57 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Ethan and Sarah Koch Hauraki Plains dairy farmers Ethan and Sarah Koch have built their farming business around one core value - family. Balancing ambition with stability, the couple’s approach to sharemilking reflects a strong focus on their children’s education and well-being, as well as their long-term goal of farm ownership. The Kochs currently sharemilk on Sarah’s parents’ 96-hectare property, owned by John and Kathy van Bysterveldt, who have farmed the land for nearly 40 years. “We’ve chosen to stay here because it’s given us real stability for the children and enabled us to grow our equity,” says Sarah. “Rather than taking on a larger sharemilking job somewhere else, we decided to buy a rental property so we can continue to build equity without uprooting the family.” The couple are parents to eight-year-old Levi, six-year-old Emily and four-year-old Lucy. Sarah teaches part-time at the children’s local school and manages the farm’s calf-rearing and administration. “Education has always been important to us,” says Sarah. “We didn’t want to be shifting the kids every few years. We’re lucky to be on a family farm where we can make this lifestyle work.” Last season the couple produced 137,000kgMS, with a target of 150,000kgMS this season. The system three-to-four farm focuses on feeding cows during pasture deficits, utilising around 400 tonnes of maize, 300 tonnes of palm The Kochs currently sharemilk on Sarah’s parents’ 96-hectare property. Beef calves provide valuable trading income kernel and, last year, 80 tonnes of kiwifruit. A nearby 30-hectare run-off block, just three kilometres away, is used for rearing young stock and producing silage when the season allows as well as growing 7-10 hectares of maize annually. To improve resilience against changing weather patterns, the Kochs have also adapted their cropping programme. “Following a couple of very dry summers, we increased the hectares of chicory we grow,” says Sarah. The property features a roughly equal mix of silt, peat and clay soils. “Each soil type reacts differently depending on the weather,” explains Sarah. “When it gets really dry, the peat takes longer to bounce back, but the fertility is excellent and some winters we’ve grown grass all the way through.” Alongside the dairy herd, the family operates Kikhills Herefords, using sires from both their stud and Mahuta Herefords with key genetic traits of low birthweight and easy-calving. “Our goal is a smaller-framed Friesian with consistent stature and lower liveweight. We’re happy with how the herd looks, nothing less than F10 to F16.” Calving around 350 cows each season, the couple sell the bottom 20–25 per cent and maintain a no-bobby-calf policy by nominating all cows to Friesian bulls, keeping replacements, and breeding the remainder to Herefords. The resulting 10-day-old beef calves provide valuable trading income. Financially the focus remains on paying down debt and building equity through both the farming operation and off-farm investments. Karen Phelps “We’re close to where we want to be with equity,” Sarah says. “We’re actively looking at farms that would work for our family and schooling needs, ideally within the next two years.” Ethan and Sarah’s practical, family-focused approach continues to guide their success. “We prioritise time that’s intentional with the family,” says Sarah. “Farming is a really enriching world for the children and we feel incredibly fortunate to be building a future together here.” A formulated diet that complements cow needs and grass availability is increasingly where New Zealand dairy farming is heading and Castlegate James New Zealand is at the forefront of that shift. The company occupies a unique position in dairy nutrition, transforming co-products from the human food chain into high-value animal feed. Its approach begins with the cow itself, formulating from the animal’s nutritional needs and working backwards to create blends that align with the farm, the farmer’s goals and the wider management system. “Every farm is different,” says Tim Hickman, Commercial General Manager for Castlegate James New Zealand. “We’ve seen huge opportunity to formulate diets according to animal needs in New Zealand and to help farms achieve more from their systems.” Among its most popular products are PK Infusion, PK Brew 35, Hi Pro Energy, Sweet Calf meal, Avon, Bread, and Cookie meal. The company also provides custom blends designed to meet specific nutritional requirements and seasonal challenges, ensuring each feed delivers optimal protein, energy and fibre levels to complement pasture and enhance animal performance. Customers Ethan and Sarah Koch, who farm in Hauraki Plains and have been using some of the company’s PK Brew blend, are among those seeing results. Formulated Diets the Future of New Zealand Dairy Farming “With the PK Brew the Kochs are using, it’s a way to add a bit more to the PK rather than feeding it straight,” says Karl Swanson, key account manager for Waikato. “It adds more protein and energy and helps lower the price of the feed at the same time. Brewers grain is a cheaper product, and the 70 per cent PK and 30 per cent brewers grain mix gives a win-win outcome.” The company’s success is being driven by collaboration with farmers and a clear focus on results. “Over the years farms have tended to use more feed inputs to complement the grass and get more from their systems,” says Tim. “A big proportion of what we do is bespoke blending according to the farm and herd nutritional needs. Farmers get more value from their feed and their overall system.” “We’re having significant success working with farms using a formulated system and nutritional advice from our experts,” says Karl. “It’s delivering significant returns for farmers.” Operating in Australasia, Castlegate James New Zealand diverts more than 700,000 tonnes of food material from landfill each year. Tim says as the New Zealand dairy industry continues evolving, with its expertise and commitment to farmer success, Castlegate James is helping lead the transformation to formulated diets ensuring cows, farms, consumers and the environment all thrive together. Talk to us about • Formulating diets for targeted profitability • High energy blends for peak performance • Balanced blends for pasture-based farming www.castlegatejames.com 0800 MR FEED
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