Central Plateau Share Farmer of the Year winners Todd and Renee Halliday entered as a way to build their local dairy contacts - page 30 Farm performance key to success WINTER 2022 www.waterfordpress.co.nz
2 | nzdairy Page | 4 Page | 83 Page | 56 Page | 16 Page | 68 Organic farming a really positive journey Chronicling farm life a buzz for Andrew Award success helps career pathway Taranaki farmers Rachel and Kenneth Short are now reaping the bene ts of organic farming, saying they farm comparatively stress-free. 2022 Waikato Dairy Manager of the Year, Andrew Macky oversees a dairy unit right on the boundary of Te Awamutu and could not be happier with his win. Satveer Singh’s success at the 2022 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards has helped him secure a farm manager position on a 620 cow farm in Cambridge. Page | 28 CONTENTS >> Index | Page 124 These conditions are prescribed for the sake of understanding between the Company and its clients. Advertising is charged for on the basis of space taken up using a standard tabloid page. Actual space may be reduced during the printing process but this will effect all advertisers equally so no credit will be given for any reduction in size due to processing. The Company reserves the right to alter, change or omit entirely any advertisement or article that it considers to be objectionable or which may contravene any law. In the event of a failure on the part of the Company to insert advertising as instructed the Company may publish the advertisement at the first available subsequent reasonable date unless the advertisement features date sensitive material. Every care shall be taken to publish the advertisement in accordance with the advertisers instructions as to page and position but the Company reserves the right for whatever reason to place advertising in a different position and in doing so shall incur no liability whatsoever. Advertisers must advise New Zealand Dairy immediately of any error or omission in advertisements and shall work constructively to remedy the situation which in the first instance shall be a rerun of the corrected advertisement in the next available issue of New Zealand Dairy. Where advertisement proofs have been faxed or mailed to the client 48 hours prior to the nominated printing cutoff time acquiesce shall be taken as confirmation and acceptance. Corrections made by telephone shall be accepted but the Company reserves the right to decide whether a further proof should be faxed or mailed to the client. Accounts for advertising are due for payment within seven days of publication of the newspaper. Accounts not paid within this time may incur a penalty of 3% per month until the account is paid. Any debt collection costs incurred by the Company will be added to the account of the debtor. Views and opinions expressed in New Zealand Dairy are not necessarily those of the editors, Waterford Press Ltd or publisher. New Zealand Dairy welcomes contributions from freelance writers & journalists. All articles published at editors discretion. New Zealand Dairy accepts no responsibilty for loss of photos or manuscripts. nzdairy Printed by: Published by: 16,453 printed copies Organic conversion on track despite rain Major focus on staff at Te Maunga Farms Robotic system ticks all the boxes Reece Bonnor started his organic dairy journey in 2016. After three seasons at Aoraki Dairy, he and his team are now nearing organic certi cation For successful Manawatu dairy farmers Andrew Hardie and Helen Long, farming sustainably is as much about their staff as it is the environment or the animals. A 100 cow dairy farm is something of a rarity these days, but a farm of this size with a robotic milking system even more so. Christchurch Office 112 Wrights Road, Addington, Christchurch Phone 03-983 5500 PO Box 37 346 www.waterfordpress.co.nz Queenstown Office 70 Glenda Drive, Queenstown 9300 PO Box 2581, Wakatipu MANAGING DIRECTOR James Lynch james@waterfordpress.co.nz EDITORIAL Editor Randall Johnston randall@waterfordpress.co.nz Paul Mein paulmein@waterfordpress.co.nz Journalists Kelly Deeks, Hugh DeLacy, Russell Fredric, Richard Loader, Di Malcolm, Kim Newth, Karen Phelps, Sue Russell, Virginia Wright SALES ROOM Adam Feaver, Chris Graves, Megan Hawkins Mandi King, Allan J Knowles, Chris McPhee, Lisa Moffat, Colin Morais, Chris Pearce, Alasdair Thomson sales@waterfordpress.co.nz PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT General Manager Luke Lynch luke@waterfordpress.co.nz Graphic Artists Connor Gosnell, Anton Gray, Sophie McCleary, Liki Udam. art@waterfordpress.co.nz CONTENT COORDINATORS Alissa Crosby, Ann-Marie Frentz, Andrea Benns OFFICE AND ACCOUNTS Helen Bourne accounts@waterfordpress.co.nz Jill Holland reception@waterfordpress.co.nz Lyn Barlow lyn@waterfordpress.co.nz
| 3 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Karl Wood Hard work on farm starting to pay off Virginia Wright P 06 323 0255 M 027 928 8630 W farmworxbikes.co.nz - On Farm Service - New and Used Sales - Fully Equipped Workshop 06 323 0309 | tractors@trctractors.co.nz Logan 027 224 7679 | Aaron 027 224 7677 | Peter 027 224 7678 • Tractor & Machinery Sales • Side by Sides SemaLtd. Great Quality and Great Value info@sema.co.nz www.sema.co.nz Specialists in the design and manufacture of variable speed Milk, Vacuum, Water and Effluent Pump Controllers 3 Year Warranty on all our products On June 1st this year Karl Wood and partner Jessica Hodges took the next step towards their goal of owning their own herd and being nancially secure enough to start mixing more lifestyle into their hard work in three to ve years. For now the hard work is starting to pay off, although not without some help from the bank. “We’re full herd owning with 240 cows. Jess and I sold our house in Fielding that we bought four years ago and we still had to borrow about half of what we needed to buy the cows,” says Karl, undaunted, and excited that he and Jess have reached this interim goal in good time. They run the cows on 90 effective hectares in Shannon, 20 minutes out of Palmerston North, with an additional 19-hectare support block running along their northern boundary for which they share the cost of the lease with the farm owner John Gardner with Wyke Partnership. “We don’t milk off it but we can carry our young stock and cut and carry baleage from there.” Interestingly the initial contact Karl and Jessica had with the farm they’re now 50/50 sharemilking on was through the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards. In 2021 when Karl won Dairy Manager of the Year, Manawatu, Sam Howard was Share Farmer of the Year. “I think it was the winners’ eld day that we came here and I said to Jess that if this job came up in the next couple of seasons we’d go for it. We saw a great little farm that day that we liked the look of and said to Sam to let us know if he was moving because we’d be applying, and we did and we were lucky enough to get it.” Of the 240 cows they brought 24 cows, 17 Rising 2 heifers and 21 yearling heifers with them and bought the remaining 198. Keeping an increasing number of their own animals while on their previous job managing Karl’s family farm was part of the deal Jess and he had with his parents. “It’s a de nite advantage having had the help from Mum and Dad in building up a herd over the last couple of years, that was de nitely a big stepping stone,” acknowledges Karl. Jess and Karl have an initial three year contract and see themselves in the short term focusing on how best to run the farm they’re now on, as well as working out the direction they want to take their cows genetically in the next three to ve years before potentially looking at going to a larger job further down the track. They bought their cows in an even split from two retiring farmers. “They were both well-established herds that had been bred over the last 25 to 30 years by one person so it’s a pretty solid base to carry on from,” says Karl. They run 80% Kiwi-Cross and 20% their own purebred Milking Shorthorns and Holstein-Fresian; but regardless of their genetics, across all the herd, the intention is to breed medium-sized, really ef cient cows that produce 100% or more of their live-weight in milk solids. “The goal this year is for about 430kgs a cow and over the next couple of years building up to 450kgs” says Karl. Karl is mindful that he owes a lot to the Dairy Industry Awards which is one of the reasons he volunteered as Team Leader for the Farm Manager of the Year Award this year. “I wouldn’t have really pushed and got the inspiration of doing what we’re doing without having gone through the process. I started out as a Dairy Trainee in 2016 and went to nationals and did the study tour which kick-started everything.” While this coming year he wants to take the time to nd his feet with the new job, he’s de nitely planning on entering again sometime in the next two to three years, hoping to follow in his predecessor’s footsteps as Share Farmer of the Year Manawatu. Karl Wood and partner Jessica Hodges. “I started out as a Dairy Trainee in 2016 and went to nationals and did the study tour which kick-started everything. It’s a de nite advantage having had the help from Mum and Dad in building up a herd over the last couple of years, that was de nitely a big stepping stone.”
4 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Shortland Farms: Rachel & Kenneth Short Organic farming a Rachel Short is an equity partnership with her parents and husband Kenneth on two generational dairy units, 13 kilometres apart, near Opunake. Richard Loader Having commenced the three-year journey to organic certi cation in 2015 coastal Taranaki farmers Rachel and Kenneth Short are now reaping the bene ts, saying they farm comparatively stress-free. “You do feel as though you’re ahead of the game,’ says Rachel. “We don’t have all the environmental compliance issues coming at us. We did our farm environment plan that we’re required to do through Fonterra but it was a tick box exercise for us because we were already doing so much as part of organic certi cation. “Social justice also comes into organic certi cation, so there’s the whole human resources side that’s all part of what we are doing. Right now, I don’t feel as though we have compliance issues coming at us, compared to many of our conventional counterparts.” Rachel and Kenneth are in equity partnership with Rachel’s parents on two generational dairy units 13 kilometres apart, near the small rural township of Opunake. Rachel and Kenneth are variable order sharemilkers on the 168-hectare farm, milking 400 cows while another variable sharemilker looks after the smaller 68-hectare farm, milking 200 cows. Both totally self-contained system one farms, Rachel says the transition to organic was more incremental from what they were already doing, but has delivered signi cant bene ts. “In 2017 Kenneth and I went to America on an organic study tour with Fonterra and that really connected us with organic farmers both in New Zealand and America. “There’s quite a good group of certi ed organic farmers around coastal Taranaki and many of them converted to organics twenty years ago. We started looking at some of those farms and how they were farming. It really aligned with our values and what we were trying to do. “ There were a few small changes to a few products and obviously we had to switch to biological fertilisers, but all-in-all the conversion wasn’t a major leap. The biggest change has been to our soil. We used to farm above ground and knew very little about the soils.” Farming organically, biologically or regeneratively, is about farming from the soils up to really understand the soil, Rachel explains. “We’re out on the farm digging holes and doing all sorts of soil/microbial/herbage testing so that we know what’s going on underneath the ground. As soon as you get that soil biology humming it lters straight through into the pasture, into the animals and the farms, which are looking magic now. “Regenerative farming and organic farming complement each other. You can be certi ed as an organic farmer and still farm ryegrass and clover. Whereas going regenerative is adding in the multispecies pastures and really understanding that biology going on beneath the ground. So, it has been a really positive journey for us.” Re ecting on the above ground bene ts of organic farming Rachel says animal health has been outstanding and a signi cant bene t. “We weighed the calves yesterday and I’ve never been able to put weight on calves like we can now, just with the multi-species pastures. The cows have never looked better. “When you’re organic, people ask what you treat your animals with. But you don’t actually have that many animals to treat because you’re in this totally preventative mode and once you get into that everything becomes so much easier. “There are challenges being organic certi ed though and you really have to throw yourself in at the deep end. We’re certifying to all our export markets so you have to understand what all those organic standards are. “We went to every organic discussion group there was, because there’s a huge amount to get your head around to start with. We’re starting to get into the permaculture side now and have someone coming around next week to help us draw a tree plan for the farm. We want to grow vertical fodder that doubles as shelter and feed.” A passionate farmer and a land girl by selfde nition, Rachel grew up in a family that lived and breathed farming and was positive about the industry. “It was probably very infectious. If you enjoy what you’re doing when you get up in the morning, it’s not a challenge. I think that success builds success too. When things start going well, you keep going in that upwards spiral.” “We’re out on the farm digging holes and doing all sorts of soil/ microbial/herbage testing so that we know what’s going on underneath the ground. As soon as you get that soil biology humming it lters straight through into the pasture, into the animals and the farms, which are looking magic now.” Proudtosupply&service ShortlandFarm’s equipment • Generators • Water Pumps • LawnCare • Bikes • Power equipment • Marine 169Gill Street, NewPlymouth 06 757 3612 www.hondahub.co.nz
| 5 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Shortland Farms: Rachel & Kenneth Short ‘really positive journey for us’ Taranaki farmers Rachel and Kenneth Short are reaping the bene ts of organic certi cation. Contact us on 0800NZSEED - enquiry@pastoralimprovements.co.nz pastoralimprovements.co.nz Deep rooting for tough environments High performance plus palability 20 WAY ™ REBOOT ™ 12 WAY ™ SUMMERFEED™ WINTERFEED™ SOILBUILDER™ Ultimate regenerative program A focus on soil health Multi graze annual mix Winter active multi graze mix LOVE YOUR SOIL
6 | nzdairy Previous experience Richard Loader “It was a bit if a relief to have nally got the job done. As Ed Hilary says, it was good to have nally knocked the bastard off. I think to enter this kind of competition you have to have some re in your belly and if you make it near the top you get well rewarded for your efforts. When Canterbury dairy farmer Jonny Brown entered this year’s Tasman FMG Young Farmer of the Year, he had un nished business to address. On two previous occasions Jonny had been pipped at the post, coming second – this year he took the award home. The challenging Young Farmer of the Year competition is open to everyone aged between 16 and 31, and at 31 years the 2022 competition was also Jonny’s last opportunity. “It was a bit if a relief to have nally got the job done,” says Jonny. “As Ed Hilary says, it was good to have nally knocked the bastard off. I think to enter this kind of competition you have to have some re in your belly and if you make it near the top you get well rewarded for your efforts. “I think my success this year was my experience, the runs that I had on the board and some luck on the day as to what is thrown at you. This is the rst year in a while where the regional winners are all ground-based farmers.” Jonny says one of the events required draughting jersey bulls and he was able to select bulls that weighed bang in the middle region of what was speci ed – that, he says, just comes down to experience. Before the competition, Jonny was given valuable advice about always producing something to judge for each event and that was the mantra he ran with throughout all the events in the competition. “You get given all these challenges and actually producing something to judge is key – it can be completely useless but at least you have something to show the judges. “I really struggle in the design side of things and in the last head-to-head at nals we had to design and build a chair. I looked around and there were some decent chairs being constructed. I built something that was ‘very agricultural’ and not very comfortable but it was a chair. Mine was probably the worst looking chair of the lot but I got points for nishing rst, while the others were on their Winners are grinners. Canterbury dairy farmer Jonny Brown at the Young Farmer of the Year awards with placegetters Archie Woodhouse, (left, third) and runner up Andrew Allan (right). DAIRY PEOPLE » One Arrow farm: Jonny Brown way to building a better chair but had a whole lot of pressure.” Having successfully completed the Regionals Jonny says there is a huge amount of work ahead preparing for the Nationals and to add to that he and his partner Shae have accepted a contract milker’s role on Dairy Holdings’ One Arrow Farm that they have been managing for the last two years. “Taking over as contract milkers will become a real team effort and Shae and I are really excited about the step. There will be a few challenges ahead but we will also have a bit more control over how the farm operates.” Located in Bankside, between Rakaia and Dunsandel, Arrow One is a 341-hectare effective farm that winters 1330 cows. The farm has been run with a team of four permanent staff, along with calf rearers, but when Jonny commences his new role the plan is to increase the labour units to ve and he is in the nal stages of trying to secure that. “It’s a tight labour market. We’re in a good location and it’s a well set up farm but the fact of the matter is we’re still milking a lot of cows and that can turn some people off. I’m passionate about the industry but I do have views that can be controversial at times. For example, I do my very best to take annual leave, whereas a lot of people in my position are happy to work every day from the rst calf dropping to the end of mating. I don’t a hire top quality assistant manager to not get out of the way and give that person the opportunities to shine.” Jonny feels there are areas where the dairy industry could improve, particularly around the pastoral care of young people entering the industry, along with leadership skills. “For a lot of young farmers progressing through their careers it’s about nding the right opportunity. The industry has lots of opportunities but they may not always be the right opportunities for young people - no matter how much energy and enthusiasm they might have. The industry has a long list of young burned out people who are no longer in the industry.” • Concrete • Fertiliser Spreading - Farm Mapping - GPS Tracking - Variable Rate Spreading • Livestock Cartage • Grain Cartage • Shingle Supplies • Daily Freight Leeston: 03 3248 070 Dunsandel: 03 3254 039 reception@ellesmere.co.nz Proudly supporting One Arrow Ltd Phone 308 5903 weekdays l Email: agserve@xtra.co.nz on call 7 days: Doug: 027 282 2245, Matt (Tomo): 021 518 538 • Full time workshop attendance for emergancy repairs • PK trailer repairs and maintenance • Wire rope supply and splicing • Pivot mechanical maintenance, gear boxes and fence walkers • Rotary boom irrigators service and repairs • Trailer manufacturing and repairs • Dairy shed yard work - gates, rails etc. • Over counter sales and courier deliveries • Mainline repair • Chains, bearings • Alloy and stainless welding •General engineering Now at 15 MalcolmMcDowell Drive E: john@ruralcoach.co.nz | sarah@ruralcoach.co.nz | www.ruralcoach.co.nz • Business Planning • Farm Team culture and development • Leadership Development. 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| 7 nzdairy a bonus in Young Farmer competition Tasman FMG Young Farmer of the Year Jonny Brown is a dairy farm manager in Bankside, milking 1300 cows on a Dairy Holdings Ltd farm. DAIRY PEOPLE » One Arrow farm: Jonny Brown IRRIGATE WITH CONFIDENCE · IRRIGATION SYSTEMS · REMOTE MANAGEMENT · PRECISION VRI ALL IN ONE PIECE! AUTOMATED SET POINTS DETECTION! ONE ARROWLTD New Zealand Certified Builders Association CB Construction LTD - New Builds - Additions - Alterations - Farm Buildings Pleased to be associated with One Arrow Ltd.
8 | nzdairy Major focus on learning is key Sue Russell DAIRY PEOPLE » Chris Poole Chris is looking to increase the volume of crops; more maize, along with turnips, chicory and Lucerne. Chris completed a three year Bachelor of Ag Science at Massey University when he was sure farming was his future. Proudly supporting Chris & Emma Poole Congratulations to Chris and Emma Poole, on receiving the 2022 FMG Young Farmer of the Year, Waikato Bay of Plenty award. To get your rural business one step ahead, call your local ASB Rural team on 0800 787 252. Proudly backing the next generation of farmers. ASB Bank Limited 56160 24722B 0422 56160 24722B 0422 Rural Backing Next Gen Ad 126.5x100.indd 1 29/04/22 2:20 PM Pirongia dairy farmer, Chris Poole, remembers always being a keen farming kid, growing up on his parents farm. His parents moved from farming in Taranaki up to the Waikato 17 years ago and it comes as no surprise to Chris that he’s found himself working on the family farm. “Mum and Dad had a farm near Te Awamutu for six years before they moved up to the Waikato so they were familiar with the region. When they sold the Taranaki farm, Waikato was their destination.” Chris completed a three year Bachelor of Ag Science at Massey University when he was sure farming was his future. He says he found the courses really relevant with a lot of science informing his learning, so when he stepped on to the family farm to take over, he was in a good position to understand soil quality and impact, along with farming systems. “Learning about nitrogen, leaching and nutrient limits has been very useful. I came out of Massey and on to the farm feeling really con dent.” On a day to day basis Chris is responsible for the operation of a beautiful 210ha farm, opposite the golf course on the outskirts of Pirongia, a small historic settlement 10km west of Te Awamutu. Cloverlea Farms is the business that owns the farm and the business which is owned in partnership with Chris’s parents John and Anne. “It’s not a really large farm for the number of cows so to get the best possible production we operate to a System 5, with high inputs. We didn’t want a really big cow and I’m pleased with their performance.” Ensuring the farm operates as ef ciently as possible, attention needs to be given to cost-savings on supplementary feed and to this end the farm grows as much additional feed as possible. “The nutrients that are purchased through the farm gate as feed, become nutrients that end up being spread back over the farm (as ef uent) which reduces the synthetic fertilisers that we have to buy. The herd is split calved and in recent years the Autumn calving herd has increased in number to be the same as the spring calving mob. Milking every single day of the year requires a good team around you and Chris says his three full time workers are very good and extremely reliable. “One of my staff, who originates from the Philippines has been with me now 10 years and I have two young guys who have recently started. They’re both keen to progress in this industry. The work-horse of milk production is a 44-aside herringbone with Waikato plant, automatic cup removers and auto teat sprayers. The shed is capable of putting through 400 cows in an hour. With the rise in supplementary costs Chris says he’s taking a long look at the current farm system, with a view to increasing the volume of crops; more maize, along with turnips and chicory and Lucerne. An important part of the farm’s operation is the 120ha run-off, run by John, up the slopes of Mt Pirongia close by. Beef calves, reared in the dairy system, as well as dairy replacements are taken to the run-off after weaning. “This leaves more pasture for the herd while also keeping the control of how the young stock and grown and managed in our hands,” Chris explains. One of the key reasons Chris says he’s progressed well in the sector is that he puts a lot of store on talking to people to gain insight into their thinking on farming systems and tweaks that can be made to bene t the farm’s production. The area is mainly dairying though increasingly horticulture blocks are part of the mix. Chris belongs to the Te Kawa West Young Farmers’ Club and enjoys catching up in discussion groups. “I think its really important to embrace new learning and ideas about farming that are evolving all the time. The more information you have the more informed your decisions are when it comes to your own farm.” “One of my staff, who originates from the Philippines has been with me now 10 years and I have two young guys who have recently started”.
| 9 nzdairy Sue Russell DAIRY PEOPLE » Stone Goats Their goats are the breed called Saanen, known for their ability to produce large volumes. Stone Goats Saanen breed keep on climbing 029 888 1955 nutrition and provided with a happy environment to live in they are a good animal to milk. “Another reason we shifted to New Image Group Nutritionals is that they’re a company that thinks outside the square in terms of uses for goat milk, beyond just the infant formula market.” Their goats are the breed called Saanen, known for their ability to produce large volumes. The goats are milked all year and Sharon says, if well cared for, can milk up to 12 years old. The farm is set up with an indoor/outdoor ow for the goats, who enjoy being inside in an environment where they are less susceptible to worms, but with open access to outside paddocks where they can enjoy doing what goats do – climbing on platforms and rocks. Working on the farm in a six on thre off roster are three milkers. At any one time, two milkers operate the plant. “Our son also does all our farm tractor and machinery maintenance and Kevin is Mr Fixit, also harvesting silage grown and spraying. I do a bit of everything to keep the business ticking over.” Pasture and lucerne silage are harvested and the total mixed ration is fed to the goats in the housing barns via drive through feed lanes. Another blend of whole maize and DDG blend is fed in the dairy shed while they are milked. Kevin says its surprising how similar goat and cow milk are. “The nutritional value far surpasses cow milk and there’s a big difference in taste between sheep and goat milk with sheep milk much stronger in smell,” he says. Looking back ont the journey so far the couple feel the business has evolved well. “There was plenty for us to learn as we came into the dairy goat sector knowing very little, but we found when we just had to get stuck in and do it, that was our best way of learning,” says Sharon. Nestled on 60ha of land in northern Waikato at Rangiriri is a dairy goat milking farm, home to 815 milking does and a further 125 kids growing old enough to join the herd as replacements in time. For Sharon and Kevin Stone, the decision to get into goal milking was a prudent one. Prior to establishing nearly a decade ago, Sharon had worked in real-estate while Kevin was a digger contractor. When it felt like the right time to take on a new path in life and do something together they looked at their plot of land and thought about how best to farm it. When the idea of milking goats arose, the couple talked to other suppliers and learnt as much as they could about all that’s involved in running a full-scale dairy goat farm. Much of the learning though, Sharon concedes, was from getting stuck in and just experiencing it. Developing the plot of land meant purchasing a milking parlour and fortunately, one retired sheep milking plant became available in the South Island. “We ew down to check it out and to organise how best to transport it up here. The company that built the milking plant disassembled it for us and the whole thing was freighted up to us here. We were on a tight budget and it came at a very good price. The shed itself, we built,” Sharon explains. The Stones rst milked for Hamilton-based Dairy Goat Co-operative, as shareholders, however in time the decision was made to supply a different processing plant, given constraints on being able to purchase more Dairy Goat Co-operative shares to better re ect the volume of goat milk the farm was producing. “We now supply New Image Group Nutritionals in Paerata,” Sharon explains. Asked whether goats take a lot of managing, Sharon says when properly looked after with good
10 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Wairiri Water Buffalo Farming buffalo a sideline for dairy operation Wairiri Buffalo produces cheeses such as scamorza, mozzarella, halloumi, feta and caciocavallo. The Canterbury business is owned by Christo Keijzer (below) and business partner Lucy Appleton. Karen Phelps Farming buffalo could be a way for Kiwi dairy farmers to diversify and would t in easily with most dairy operations, says Lucy Appleton from Canterbury based Wairiri Buffalo. “It could sit on the side of a dairy operation very well with little additional investment required. Buffalos produce high fat, protein and mineral milk. It’s less watery than cow milk, ne in structure and tastes clean on the palette. It gives good returns to farmers who could supply cheese-making dairy companies in New Zealand and we are hopeful the industry will grow in New Zealand.” Wairiri Buffalo is owned by Lucy and business partner Christo Keijzer who started their herd in 2008 importing a small number of animals from Riverine Buffalo from Melbourne. Both came from rural backgrounds and had a desire to create a sustainable niche farming operation. They chose to farm buffalo as they had experienced the sought after buffalo mozzarella in Italy. Also the animals were well suited to the high rainfall area they are farming at Glenroy between Methven and Dar eld. They now have a herd of 60 buffalo milked through a DeLaval robotic milking system. Lucy, who has been the head cheese maker, says the robotic system has further improved the quality of their milk. They milk year round and 20 of the herd are milked at any one time. Calving is staggered to ensure continuous supply. Lucy says that buffalo are robust animals and have virtually no health issues. The farm is converting to mixed species plantations and organic principles are used where possible with Christo in charge of the farming side of the operation. Lucy says they started introducing plantain into the farm around 10 years ago but two years ago took things to a different level in terms of introducing even more species into their pasture. The difference was palpable. “Normally we’d break feed a metre at a time but that reduced to 20 cm breaks as the pasture was so thick I could hardly walk through it,” says Lucy. “Animals don’t punch through the soil to the same extent on the mixed plantations because the varied root structures form a deep fabric. We tend to think of plants as extracting goodness from the soil but they can improve soil quality. We’re also looking at introducing tree crops that are palatable to the buffalo. They enjoy willow when we fell it for them.” She says they remain committed to sustainable and symbiotic farming on the 40ha farm that includes a native forest and wetland reserve. They have no desire to grow their herd numbers further as this goes against their philosophy to farm less extensively. Wairiri Buffalo produces yoghurt, labneh, milk and cheeses such as scamorza, mozzarella, halloumi, feta and caciocavallo. Covid-19 initially hit the business hard when restaurants suddenly shut down during lockdowns but they were fortunately able to supply MIQ facilities, pivoting their business model to favour bulk supply, and of course pizza became a popular takeaway option. Lucy is surprised at how quickly the business has bounced back after Covid-19. “We can’t supply enough to meet demand so we hope more farmers will start buffalo milking operations. That way we could share resources and really take things forward.” “It could sit on the side of a dairy operation very well with little additional investment required. delaval.com DeLaval VMS™ V300 DeLaval InSight™ - a smoother, faster, more accurate arm than we’ve ever created. DeLaval PureFlow™ - a totally separate cup delivers the ultimate teat preparation DeLaval InControl™ - A seamless user experience keeping you connected to your system wherever you are. 03 308 8226 admin@canterburyfs.co.nz Robotic Milking Technology Contact us to hear how this milking system can work for you
Build good cow health this spring with Phibro Phibro Animal Health is a global company with a local focus on making a positive di erence in New Zealand’s dairy sector with products designed to optimise the health and performance of dairy cows, backed with technical support. Since entering the New Zealand market in 2018, Phibro has established productive partnerships with veterinarians, dairy consultants, animal nutritionists and technical specialists in the retail sector. “My focus is very much on the New Zealand dairy industry,” says Megan Hardy, who is Nelson-based and working nationwide as the company’s technical manager. “I’m on the road – and on the farm - all the time o ering support and guidance and serving as a technical point of contact on our products.” The lead up to spring calving is a critical time of year on dairy farms. Proper feeding and management of dry cows are essential if risks of metabolic disease are to be minimised. Milk Fever, also known as hypocalcaemia, is the most common metabolic disease a ecting dairy cattle. While the clinical rate in New Zealand cows is between four and eight per cent, there is a much higher subclinical rate of cows feeling the e ects of low blood calcium. “Milk fever is costing New Zealand farmers a lot of money. New Zealand researchers have reported a seven per cent drop in production in sub-clinically a ected animals alone.” Animate® – the smart nutritional choice for a healthy transition Phibro Animal Health’s Animate® product is an ideal proprietary nutritional supplement for transition cows. It contains three important minerals – chloride, sulphur and magnesium – that are necessary requirements for well-formulated negative DCAD (dietary cation anion di erence) diets. Megan says best results are achieved when Animate® is consumed by cows for at least 14 to 21 days prior to calving. Field trials and research have found it helps increase calcium utilization and reduce the incidence of milk fever around calving. “In turn, that lays the groundwork for improved health post-calving and increased milk production.” Animate®’s extra superpower is its palatability. Cows happily consume it, thanks to a coating of tasty molasses and dried distillers’ grains (DDG). It means cows are not put o their dry matter intake at an important time of year. Convenient to use on-farm, Animate® is sold as a concentrated supplement that can be fed on its own or mixed with other feed, (and is fed at a rate of 400 600g per cow in the 14 21 day window prior to calving). Phibro’s Animate® Feeding Programme ensures the right support is o ered to deliver optimum results for the farmer. Boosting dairy herd immunity For year-round health of the herd, Megan recommends Phibro’s OmniGen-AF®, an advanced formulated premix of biologically active ingredients. When fed consistently at the rate of 60g per cow per day, it makes a real impact on immune function. “For the New Zealand dairy sector, OmniGen is a very useful tool for supporting cows’ defenses against in lammation or infection.” OmniGen-AF® can help reduce mastitis, improve in-calf results and reduce issues with heat stress and lameness…all of which adds up to increased milk production down the line.
12 | nzdairy DAIRY AWARDS » Amber & Fraser Carpenter Awards Chair blown away by calibre of Richard Loader Absolutely wowed every year by the calibre of entrants in the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, Chair Amber Carpenter just wishes the wider New Zealand community could see and feel the care, love and passion that dairy farmers bring to what they do. “I feel so grateful to sit in the same room as the entrants,” says Amber. “We get to go down to Nationals to meet them and they really inspire me. Just to hear what people are doing on farms, how much they give back, the care and love they have for the animals and the environment, planting and caring for the waterways, what they’re doing about animal health and their people. Every single year, these people blow me away. “Looking at that group of people it’s, damn, we’re good. We have amazing people, forward thinkers, number eight wire innovators. Our land and our industry is in bloody good hands.” Amber particularly enjoys the Dairy Trainee of the Year category, saying the entrants are so much fun and fresh with the joys of spring. “Peter O’Connor, the award winner is a generational dairy farmer from New Zealand and an incredible guy, so smart. “Then you have Thomas Lundman who came second. Two years ago he had never been dairy farming. “He came from tourism and to see what he has achieved in two years and the passion he has for the industry is awesome. Then third place getter Zoe Bryson, a dairy farmer from Scotland, has taken on the New Zealand lifestyle, loves it and doesn’t want to leave. So you can literally have anyone from any walk of life and with the support of people within the dairy industry community they can grow to become incredible dairy farmers. But the bottom line is that they are genuinely amazing people.” Amber and her husband Fraser are past winners of the Auckland/Hauraki Share Farmer of the Year award, and have been involved in the dairy industry awards for the last few years, giving back to the industry that has been good to them. This is Amber’s third season as Chair of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards. Brought up a city girl in Auckland, Amber completed an Arts and Design degree, majoring in fashion, spending her career in the demanding corporate world. When she and Fraser rst went sharemilking several years ago Amber was working as the Merchandising Manager for the ‘Cotton On’ brand, while balancing her time doing the farm’s administration work. “Having the ability within the dairy sector to use those leadership skills in a wider sense, really inspired me to take on the Chair’s role. “I had skills from my background that I wanted to use and that I enjoy doing, and I felt the dairy industry awards was a place where I could be useful. “ I was also inspired by watching other people’s pathways, like Rachel Baker and Gavin Roden who Amber and Fraser Carpenter are past winners of the Auckland/Hauraki Share Farmer of the Year award, and have been involved in the dairy industry awards for the last few years. Ethan Parker 027 312 3985 SERVICES INCLUDING: Hedge Cutting • Roadside Mowing • Full Ground Cultivation • Effluent Spreading Fertiliser & Manure Spreading • Spraying Under Sowing • Power Harrow Seeding Direct Drilling • Maize and Grass Silage
| 13 nzdairy DAIRY AWARDS » Amber & Fraser Carpenter contestants SILAGE – FERT SPREADING – CULTIVATION – – REGRASSING – MERICRUSHING CARTAGE – PASTURE SPRAYING – MAIZE HAY 0800 4 VINING www.facebook.com/MIchealViningContrac�ng Proudly supporting Amorangi Farms Your milking machinery is one of the most expensive and by far the most vital piece of equipment on your farm, which is why it is crucial to ensure it is always working at its best. Milking machines that perform at full capacity maximise profitability and minimise risks for your herd Book your test now with a Registered Milking Machine Tester listed at www.nzmpta.co.nz It is a requirement to have your milking machine tested annually by a MPTA Registered Tester. Refer NZCP1: Design & Operation of Farm Dairies, Code of Practice (page 48) 027 449 7402 info@nzmpta.co.nz www.nzmpta.co.nz I really look up to. Both past Chairs for the awards, I hold a lot of respect for both those people. “ It’s also about giving back. The dairy awards have done a lot for us.” The Awards committee are all volunteers and all dairy farmers, working for the best of the programme. Amber says their biggest challenge as a collective is making sure they are doing the right thing for the programme and dairy farmers in general. “We don’t ever want to let anybody down. We’ve made huge changes to the programme and we want to make sure we’re leading it in the right direction. “We know we can’t please everybody, but as long as we’re satisfying the majority and moving in the right direction for the industry we will be happy.”
14 | nzdairy Canty/Otago bonanza at national awards For the rst time in the Awards 33-year history Canterbury/Otago has achieved a clean sweep of all three major categories and the Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award, with national nalists from that region taking home the silverware. The 2022 New Zealand Share Farmer of the Year is driven, inspirational and a great example of a farmer who is taking every opportunity the New Zealand dairy industry offers. Will Green was named the 2022 New Zealand Share Farmer of the Year, the region’s Jaspal Singh became the 2022 New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year and Peter O’Connor, also from Canterbury/ North Otago, was announced the 2022 New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year. They shared prizes from a pool worth over $200,000. Will has tasted success in the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards as the 2018 Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Manager of the Year and was also awarded that years National Runner-Up title. Share Farmer head judge, Guy Michaels from DairyNZ, says Will impressed the judges with his contagious energy, accuracy and his constant business reviewing looking for opportunities to learn. “He’s a great example of somebody who has come to New Zealand and recognises the opportunities the New Zealand dairy industry offers and has embraced the system, which is completely opposite to what he was used to back home”. Will is a 34% share milker on the 270ha Dairy Holdings Ltd Hinds property milking 1060 cows. The runners-up in the Share Farmer of the Year competition are Central Plateau farmers Todd and Renee Halliday, who are a former Auckland sales and marketing executive and a former adventure Trainee of the Year Peter-OConnor; Share Farmer of the Year Will Green; Dairy Manager of the Year Jaspal Singh, all from the Canterbury-North Otago region. DAIRY AWARDS » National winners tourism guide and boutique lodge manager. Todd (40) was born and bred in Auckland city and had never set foot on a farm until he met Renee (39), who is a dairy farmer’s daughter. The couple spent ve years in the hospitality sector managing boutique lodges together before entering the dairy industry in 2009. Taranaki couple Murray and Rachel Perks placed third in the Share Farmer category, winning the Federated Farmers Leadership merit award, the LIC Animal Wellbeing, Recording and Productivity merit award and over $19,000 in prizes. The judges described the Perks as a focused, well-rounded, genuine couple who are the real deal. The 2022 Dairy Manager of the Year is Jaspal Singh who stood out as an immigrant who is professional, detailed, diligent and possesses a desire to succeed with a dedication to growth. “From the moment we entered the farm gate to the time we left, we witnessed an immaculately presented farm and a polished and professional presentation which highlighted Jaspal’s knowledge and sense of responsibility for the farm’s management and performance,” says Dairy Manager Head Judge Gray Beagley from DairyNZ. Jaspal was an Information Technology (Computer Applications) student in India, and came to New Zealand to further his studies in 2014. Upon completion of his degree in 2015 he joined the dairy industry as a farm assistant in Mossburn and is now farm manager on Mark and Carmen Hurst’s 220ha, 800-cow property at Waimate. He won over $19,000 in prizes and also won the DeLaval Livestock Management merit award, Fonterra Dairy Management merit award and the Meridian Environmental and Sustainability merit award. Interview Judge Rosemarie Costar noted that Jaspal is committed to his family with strong values. “He and his wife Ruby’s relationship is a strength of his business.” The Dairy Manager runner-up, Robyn Mare from West Coast/Top of the South won the Ravensdown Pasture & Feed Management Award and ANZ Personal Planning and Financial Management merit awards and $11,000 in prizes. The judges described Robyn as a quiet achiever, with an outstanding broad knowledge both inside and outside the farm gate. Hayden Purvis from Bay of Plenty placed third and won almost $8,000 in prizes. He is farm manager for Peter Overdevest and Tania Akehurst on their 148ha Galatea farm, milking 400 cows. The 2022 Dairy Trainee of the Year was awarded to Peter O’Connor from Canterbury/North Otago who is described by the judges as a mature, capable person with extremely strong practical skills. The Dairy Trainee judges say the rst-time entrant is strong across all elds and does the basics very well. “Peter is an intelligent, generationalfarmer who is perceptive and articulate – farming is in his blood,” says Dairy Trainee head judge Nicky Allomes. The 23-year-old grew up on a dairy farm near Westport and was actively involved in the family farm and its development. He obtained a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (First Class Honours) from Lincoln University and worked a variety of jobs during holidays. Peter won $9,000 in prizes including a Honda XR 190 farm motorbike, along with the DairyNZ Practical Skills merit award. He is currently 2IC on Leighton and Michelle Pye’s 242ha, 900-cow May eld property and will progress to a new role managing a 400-cow farm near Lauriston next season. The judges say all the Dairy Trainee nalists possess a willingness to seek knowledge and a desire to achieve their goals. “As a group, they highlight the career opportunities in the New Zealand dairy industry,” says Mark. “The 11 nalists came from Canada, Scotland, UAE via India, there were career changers and there were the sons and daughters of New Zealand dairy farmers. SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR • Winner – Will Green, Canterbury/North Otago • Runner-Up - Todd and Renee Halliday, Central Plateau • Third – Murray and Rachel Perks, Taranaki DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR • Winner – Jaspal Singh, Canterbury/North Otago • Runner-up – Robyn Mare, West Coast/Top of the South • Third – Hayden Purvis, Bay of Plenty DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR • Winner – Peter O’Connor, Canterbury/North Otago • Runner-up – Thomas Lundman, Bay Of Plenty • Third – Zoe Bryson, Central Plateau • Where there’s a Will there’s a way P33 Congratulations to all the winners at the NZ Dairy Industry Awards from O'Dell Diesel Services Ltd; thank you for supporting us. We look forward to continuing to provide high-quality, efficient service and repairs to north Auckland & Northland. Email: admin@ods.org.nz Phone: 021 133 9245 Facebook: O'Dell Diesel Services Ltd
| 15 nzdairy Northland Share Farmers of the Year Antje and Soenke Paarmann. DAIRY AWARDS » Antje & Soenke Paarmann Special promise to NZ family fulfilled When Northland’s Antje and Soenke Paarmann entered the 2022 Northland Share Farmer of the Year award, they ful lled a promise made to very special people they call their New Zealand family. “We have entered the dairy awards twice previously; once as a low order sharemilker in 2010 working for Mary Craw and Bernard Hughes in Hunterville, when we got runner up, and a few years later when working as farm manager in Waikato. We weren’t placed on that occasion but we promised Mary and Bernie that we would enter again. They have been our mentors throughout our farming journey in New Zealand. This time we won.” In addition to being named Northland Share Farmer of the Year, Antje and Soenke took home merit awards for Farm Dairy Hygiene; Animal Wellbeing, Recording and Productivity; Environmental Sustainability; and Pasture Performance. As well as ful lling their promise, Antje says she and Soenke knew they would bene t from entering the industry awards. “Last year we attended a ‘Mark and Measure’ seminar run by DairyNZ and our biggest takeaway was that you have to work on your business, not just in your business. The awards gave us the opportunity and the motivation to do that, critically looking at what we were doing.” “We’re on the cross roads of, ‘do we want to go into farm ownership or stay sharemilking?’,” Soenke adds. “We did lots of scenarios and came out feeling we want to keep growing our sharemilking business for a while yet. “ Emigrating from Germany 16 years ago, Antje and Soenke are entering their sixth season 50/50 sharemilking on a 186-hectare effective property, near Kerikeri on the Okaihau Plateau. MB Rural had just bought the farm when Antje and Soenke started their sharemilking contract and over ve years the couple have had quite a bit of input into shaping and developing the property. Passionate about animals, Antje says she and Soenke are very proud of the 450-cow herd they have created from scratch. “We started buying calves, back when we worked for Mary and Bernie. To make up our rst herd we had to buy carry-over cows and some budget cows so it was a bit of a mixed bag. “We are really proud of how far we’ve come with the herd. We’re moving jobs next season and with the Awards we hope that the cows speak for themselves.” “Even if we had to sell the herd and start all over again, we know we can do it because we’ve done it before, “says Soenke. “We know what we’re doing.” While Antje and Soenke were not placed at the recently held National Awards they say they had an awesome few days meeting likeminded people passionate about farming and determined never to give up. While Soenke’s passion lies in pasture management and farm development, Antje’s love for farming is the animals. “We work together as a team and each have our strengths,” says Antje. “I feel it’s so satisfying going home at the end of the day knowing you have done the best you can to look after everyone.” Richard Loader POST PEELINGS | WOODCHIP | SAW DUST PALM KERNEL | FERTILISER DELIVERIES | SILO DELIVERIES Kaikohe 401 1536 Kerikeri 407 7354 Waipapa 401 6654 Kawakawa 404 0842 Proud to be associated with Antje and Soenke Paarmann and their achievements BAY OF ISLANDS VETERINARY SERVICES
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