NZ Dairy Winter 2021

| 65 nz dairy DAIRY AWARDS » Matt & Moniek van Hout • from page 64 “Kelly was quite switched on, she just didn’t have the experience in dairy farming and that is where we were able to help her get some of those skills. I could see she had the ability to pick up the dairy skills pretty quickly. That worked out very well and she learned a lot during the season she was here.” Across three dairy farm units, Claxby Farms’ employ eighteen staff and Sam says much of the farm’s success comes down to how the staff mem- bers perform as individuals and as a team. “With a large team it is particularly important to have good systems in place to develop staff. Each staff member has two development plans during the year, which include performance reviews and talking to the staff about their goals, where they want to get to and how we can help them progress.” Sam sees entering the dairy industry awards as great incentive for staff to get stuck in, learn and get recognised within the industry. Keen to progress her career, Kelly has taken the opportunity to move to a new farm in Dunsandel this season as 2IC, milking 800 cows.” “That is a massive step for me in my career going forward. It is bit smaller than where I was but it’s a good step up as 2IC.” Staff an investment, not a cost for couple Richard Loader T aking good care of staff, which includes a favourable roster, is an investment rather than a cost, Southland sharemilkers Matthew and Moniek van Hout say. The switched-on couple are this year’s South- land-Otago New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, (NZDIA) Share Farmers of the Year runners-up, win- ning three merit awards and $6,200 in prizes. A qualified cabinet maker, Matthew has com- pleted an apprenticeship in agriculture and rural staff management while Moniek holds a Bachelor in Business Management, (first-class honours) ma- joring in strategic management and management communication from University of Waikato. The couple are contract milkers on Matthew’s parent’s, John and Teresa van Hout’s 225ha generational property, which peak milks 660 cows. They are also 10% equity partners in the three family farms milking 1230 cows on a 461ha milk- ing platform. They have two children, Maikel (2) and newborn Sophie, consequently their family needs have been part of their decision making to ensure they and their staff have the best work-life balance possible, Matthew says. This has included changing the staff roster from eight days on, two off to six days on, two off in addition to increasing staff from 2.5 full time equivalent to three. “It just takes a lot of pressure off.” While this increases the direct cost to the busi- ness, there are both direct and indirect benefits and cost savings, Matthew says. “It’s also a cost to the business if we have a high staff turnover and with having a new family there’s room for us to have a bit more down-time with a newborn.” Entering the NZDIA awards necessitated looking at the entire business “inside out”. “I think there’s huge value in stepping back and looking over things.” There was also considerable value in having access to the assistance of the award sponsor partners. Included in Matthew and Moniek’s prize haul was the LIC Farm Recording and Productivity Award, the Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award and Federated Farmers Leadership Award. Winning the awards was great for their team as well as themselves and Matthew encourages others to enter. The farm’s herd of friesians average 580kg and typically produce around 620kgMS annually which equates to 107% of their body weight. This is possible due to the farm running a higher input system, supported by a 74ha run-off, having a wintering barn and lifting sugar beet during winter for a high ME supplementary feed. Although the farm winter milks, cows are calved during spring only and are rotationally dried off six weeks pre calving, based on their calving dates. Despite the demands on the cows, they do not face health challenges due to being very well cared for. “Obviously being in the barn and having the feed up to them all the time, they can easily maintain condition, making for happy cows.” The 2019/2020 season was a record, with pro- duction of 403,919kgMS. The current season has finished with about 390,000kgMS due to a slightly higher empty rate of 13.1%. Assuming a payout in the mid to high $7 range in the season ahead, Matthew and Moniek will be looking to increase their share of equity in the farm. • Self Pr opelled S pra ye r s • T ruck M ounted Boom S pra ye rs • Handgun Unit • Spreader Trucks • Proof of Placement Mapping HIDE SPRAYING LTD REGISTERED CHEMICAL APPLICATORS IN ALL CLASSES Email: hidesp ray@xtra.co.nz P h/ F ax: (03) 313 5278 • M ob: Andrew 0274 372 006 P h: (03) 313 7723 • M ob: G r aham 0274 333 786 Hide Spraying is proud to support Claxby Farm Dairy awards great incentive T • Turn key packages for complete design & build of shed • Hot-dip galvanised structural steel • Chain effluent scrapers • Full concrete placement • Full range of latex and rubber bedding • Stall dividers • Cow brushes Phone (03) 236-6077 or (027) 411-2805 53 Great North Road, Winton “Cow barn design and building specialists with 25000 cows comfortably housed” Proud to support Matthew & Moniek van Hout James Harvey Partner p: 03 218 6179 | e: james.harvey@mcp.co.nz | w: www.mcp.co.nz Photos: Feeding at in the wintering barn at John and Teresa van Hout’s 225ha Southland property (above and left). Calves tuck into their milk at a feeding station.