42 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Cornwall Park Farms Ltd New dairy shed future proofs farm The first power bill after a month of milking in the new shed was $600 dollars cheaper, thanks to 240 solar panels installed on its roof. Randall Johnston Fonterra-supplier Paul Lightoller, of Cornwall Park Farms, is excited to put his new dairy shed to the test for a full season in Taranaki. His family owned 220ha effective property of mostly flats, which lies south of Stratford, just outside the township of Ngaere – is home to about 540 Frisian Kiwi cross-bred cows. They grow turnips and have in-shed feeding, feeding about 800 kilograms per cow each season. They buy in hay and water is sourced from a river that runs right through the middle of the farm. January and February were unusually dry and this did have an impact on pasture growth earlier this year. “It’s not ideal when it dries off earlier than usual here, you don’t get the same level of growth, but every season is different and you just have to be able to adjust to that.” Te Awamutu-based firm Gibson Construction completed the new dairy shed install, assisted by a local engineer and electrician – and the build is something Paul and his father Jay had wanted to do for quite some time. “We purchased a smaller farm at the end of our road about 10 years ago years ago and the herringbone shed was well past its best and getting to point were significant money would be needed to be spent on upgrading the facility,” Paul explains. The rotary shed on the home farm here was about 34 years old too, so they were both pretty tired. We had 540 cows to milk through the two sheds, so it made sense to build a bigger 60-bail rotary shed as centrally as we could. We went the rotary path, mainly so it could be run by one person. It’s been really good so far, next season will be the real test – once we do a whole season in it, but so far, so good.” The first power bill they had after a month of milking in the new shed was $600 dollars cheaper, thanks to 240 solar panels that they also decided to have installed on its roof. “The decision to install the solar panels was purely an economic one – on current electricity prices the solar panels are on track to pay for themselves in five years. The solar panels supply power to the cowshed, so when there’s no demand from the shed, the power generated is 027 894 5553 percyearthmoving@gmail.com Specialising in concrete boom pumping, line pumping & shotcrete in the Manawatu-Whanganui & Taranaki regions. 021 0844 3000 pat@concretepumping.nz RURAL, RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDERS Ph: 07 871 4986 E: info@gibsonconstruction.co.nz www.gibsonconstruction.co.nz WHERE QUALITY IS NEVER COMPROMISED Proud to be the chosen builders for Cornwall Park Farms Ltd supplied back into the grid for which we receive a credit on our account,” Paul explains. Paul’s father Jay Is still very active on farm, while his daughter Brooke, 18, started working on farm in August of last year and has been a massive help to the overall operation. “She has a true passion for animals. She has a genuine interest in genetics and breeding and has recently completed her AI training.” “Costs are going up and interest rates are a big one at the moment, so we keep a close eye on our operating costs and regularly monitor our budget, anything we can do to refine how we operate is always considered and I think that’s important.” Other staff include a husband and wife team James and Carla, from the Philippines, who are a vital part of the team and contribute to a smooth operation, which is especially essential during peak times. The goal is 250,000 milk solids per season and that is normally quite achievable. In the future, Paul is keen to upgrade the water system on parts of the farm along with a few minor improvements.
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