60 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Waiokura Holstein Friesians Foundation of family knowledge invaluable Aimee Wilson There is plenty of learning being passed on to the younger generation from the multi- generational Parry farm at Waiokura. Rhys Parry was still learning from his grandfather up until last year when he passed away at the ripe old age of 96. His father and uncle still own the farm and Rhys and his wife Tamara brought their own place in 2016 in an equity partnership with her parents. On their 81ha block they also had the opportunity to lease 60ha across the road, making it a reasonable size purchase but with good production options. In 2022 they paid out her parents 20% shareholding and purchased another runoff inland from Hawera in 2023 to grow their own supplement and young stock for winter cows. They have increased their herd size to 370 cows producing 230,000KgMS and have the herd genetics at a level where Rhys is happy to offer quality youngstock, mixed age cows and service bulls to the industry annually, while still achieving strong genetic gains on farm. Rhys and Tamara Parry have increased their herd size to 370 cows producing 230,000KgMS. “We have lifted cow numbers and putting 15% more milk in the vat at a lower feed cost to make the numbers stack up on runoff land,” she said. Rhys always thought he’d stay on the family farm situated right on the Waiokura stream, as the only one of four kids interested in the industry. “We looked at this property as the return on asset was higher with the attached lease block, and it’s a lower value land compared to Rhys’ family farm, which is in the heart of dairying in Waimate East,” Tamara said. The farm was rundown when they purchased it but the land grows great grass and they enjoy hard work and reward from seeing the property improve and its financial capability. Rhys finds breeding cattle intriguing, and the concept that you can feed the same thing to each animal and yet they perform so differently to each other with huge variability of genetics. Heading overseas at 21 and enjoying his time exploring foreign cities, he soon realised his heart was on the farm, and spent a lot of time researching online about breeding cattle while away. For all your agriculture contracting needs. Call Jason today to avoid delay 027 459 1154 “It made me realise it was part of my make up and if I wasn’t immersed in it, I found it really hard.” Ruminant nutrition and fertiliser were the most interesting topics that Rhys got involved in learning more about while away. Right now he’s excited about the Artificial Insemination industry for bulls despite the success rate being quite small. “We get a lot of interest and the bulls I am breeding are as good as those in the catalogue,” he said. He acknowledges to be good at farming you have to give your whole life to it, and it helped that he had already built up a foundation through growing up on Waiokura. “I have inherited all of this knowledge that I’m massively grateful for.”
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