62 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Java Pastoral Vanessa and Jacques Le Prou of Java Farm. Good for the wallet and environment Embracing new technologies in the dairy industry is proving to be both good for the wallet and the environment for Vanessa and Jacques Le Prou, owners of Java Pastoral, a 145-hectare dairy enterprise near the coast at Opunake in Taranaki. When the couple bought the farm 12 years ago, the infrastructure needed replacing which gave them the opportunity to predict what they would need in 20 to 30 years in order to be to be low labour, low power and meet environmental pressures. “We try to use new technology wherever we can, and we’ve figured on a ten year payback for our investments. As we were building a brand new cow shed, we were able to incorporate the pipes for green water into the concrete. It would be more difficult to convert an existing shed,” believes Vanessa. Green water is the liquid part of the effluent that is used to wash the shed and feed pad. All the farm’s effluent goes into a weeping wall; two large concrete pools that are angled to separate the liquids from the solids. The liquids are then pumped into a lined pond and used for cleaning. “The green water is diluted by rain so it’s not smelly. We have storage for 75,000 litres of green water and a 25,000 litre tank just for washing the yards. The cost and environmental savings are significant per cow per day and it justifies the extra cost of that technology,” she says. “We didn’t have to line the pond but we could see that we’d have to in the future. Same with installing the green water; local water is cheap now but it’s going to become more valuable as it is less available in the future.” Renewing the pastures on the farm was a high priority as much of the land was in 80-year-old pasture producing only 10 tonne of feed per hectare. To deal with the weeds, a four-year cropping regime was instigated using a maize and chicory rotation and lots of spraying to knock back weeds before going into permanent pasture. Jacque and Vanessa calve at the end of June and milk twice a day until Christmas when they switch to once a day milking for the rest of the year, giving them time to do other jobs, get to the gym, watch kids sports and make the most of the nearby surf. “The decision to mainly milk once a day is research driven as well as a lifestyle choice. The cows hold their condition and milk better which is good for when there’s a drought. The system saves us time, gives us flexibility, and works for both the cows and people,” laughs Vanessa. “Every decision we make on the farm is looked at as a three-legged stool. Is it good for the farm, the finances and the family? If we can say yes to all of those things, it’s a goer.” “People tend to look at environmental improvements as regulatory, and yes, you do have to meet Ange Davidson Office 06 278 0020 Steve Roylance 021 287 5335 Peter Laurence 027 252 2174 WilliamMoynihan 027 279 7099 CLAASHarvest Centre areproud tosupport JavaPastoral For all your agricultural contracting requirements in Taranaki • Drainage • E luent Ponds • Earthmoving • Maintenance 027 271 5033 karlbunn@hotmail.co.nz Proudly supporting Java Pastoral 06 278 4160 • 027 456 7875 141 Glover Road, Hawera them but we’ve found that they work in a complimentary way for the farm and for us 100 % of the time,” she says. “We didn’t have to line the pond but we could see that we’d have to in the future. Same with installing the green water; local water is cheap now but it’s going to become more valuable as it is less available in the future.”
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