68 | nzdairy BALLANCE FARM ENVIRONMENT AWARDS » Hancock Farms Judges laud efficient, flexible operation Karen Phelps Hancock Farms has been lauded at the 2024 Balance Farm Environment Awards as being efficient, flexible and a good example of what can be achieved on a medium-scale, intensively farmed dairy support operation. It also took out the DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award and NZFET Innovation Award. Brad Hancock, who is equity partners with wife Natasha and father Ian in Hancock Farms Limited, which owns the property, says the family has worked hard to ensure the farm is profitable and sustainable. Currently milking 415 cows the dairy platform is just 130ha. The farm, which is in the Paterangi area halfway between Hamilton and Te Awamutu, has covered feed pads and a herd home, which helps ensure healthy animals as well as minimise feed wastage. All feed is grown on the farm apart from 50-100 tonnes of palm kernel imported each season depending. Concrete bunkers to store maize and grass silage maintain quality feed and further minimise wastage. The farm can vacillate between a system 2 up to system 4 depending on the year. Cows normally go all grass from 1 October to 1 January – also weather dependent. R1s are kept on the farm year round and the family only graze out the R2s for nine months. Technology plays a key part in the operation. For example, automated drafting gates combined with digital ear tags have significantly reduced workload. Levno water metres are installed around the farm and a drone used to get a snapshot of what’s going on at different periods of the year. Brad says it’s also an efficient way to find water leaks in troughs – quicker than going into each paddock to find them – and for crop management. The family maintains a profitable system despite having a low stocking rate with relatively small jersey cross cows who produce about their bodyweight in milk each year – 470-475kgsMS. Per hectare production this season is 190kgsMS. Since 2018 the family has developed a fully fenced wetland planted in native trees, which filters a 60ha drainage network. Another 3.5ha has been retired and planted in native trees and shrubs and a further 2.5ha is earmarked for the same. Predators are actively managed and riparian borders have been created. From the process of entering the awards and the people he met Brad has gleaned further information about more actively managing soils The farm has covered feed pads and a Herd Home. Technology plays a key part in the operation. Digital ear tags have significantly reduced workload. Levno water metres are installed around the farm and a drone used to get a snapshot of what’s going on at different periods of the year. and is intrigued by the possibilities of no tillage, alternative fertiliser uses and targeted fertiliser use through soil mapping the farm. Brad is the fourth generation to farm in the area with the original family farm was purchased in 1977. RURAL, RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDERS Proud to be the chosen builders for Hancock Farms Ph: 07 871 4986 E: info@gibsonconstruction.co.nz www.gibsonconstruction.co.nz WHERE QUALITY IS NEVER COMPROMISED Although he is in charge of the day to day management of the farm, Ian, 82, is still actively involved – cutting the roadside, driving the tractor for fencing and spraying out paddocks among other jobs. “We’re very farm proud and like to keep things tidy,” says Brad. “If someone decides to drop in any time unannounced we want the farm to be a place we can be proud of.” 01 BFEA Compact Brand Guidelines V1.0 FEB 2022
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