70 | nzdairy BALLANCE FARM ENVIRONMENT AWARDS » Donalds Farm Connecting with the Karen Phelps Working on Donald’s Farm is a little different from the norm. Not only must farm manager Sam Waugh take care of all the usual farm tasks his job role also extends to running education programmes and working with industry to find sponsorship to fund them. “It’s a pretty unique business to be involved with and unlike any other job I’ve had. It keeps me fairly busy,” he says with a laugh. Donald’s Farm was gifted by the late Donald Pearson to New Zealand Young Farmers in 2018 to be a not-for-profit operation and provide initiatives to connect young people to farming. The 74ha total/63ha effective property is located on the outskirts of Auckland. It milks a herd of around 120 jersey cows and 10 milking shorthorns through an 11 a-side herringbone shed and rears jersey bull calves to sell as 100kg weaners. This year’s production was 46,010kgsMS peak milking 125 cows. Sam, who was named Young Farmer of the Year runner-up for the Northern Region, has heralded a number of management changes to the farm, which resulted in it winning four merit awards at the 2024 Ballance Farm Environment Awards: Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award, Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award, DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award and the Norwood Farming Efficiency Award. With regards to soil management soil testing is undertaken each year to generate the fertiliser programme. Lifting the ph by applying lime has made a difference to clovers and organisms in the soil along with a move towards minimum tillage with cropping and re-grassing to minimise sediment lose and erosion. Chicory is used as a summer feed crop, which is good for stock but with a deep taproot it also opens up and aerates the heavy clay soil. The deep taproot also takes carbon from the atmosphere and puts it down deep into the soil. Donalds farm work closely with a number of schools, bringing primary and secondary students to the farm to learn about farming and the wider agri sector. “They are involved with the Papakura Stream Restoration project and our waterways feed into this stream. We are doing native planting on the farm and we are also building the native tree nursery with them to plant along the stream. It’s still in development but the goal is to produce 50,000 plants per year.” A covered shelter on the farm is used strategically to minimise pugging and damage. Connecting the community with the ag sector is a big part of the reason Donald’s Farm exists. This sees it work closely with a number of schools, bringing primary and secondary students to the farm to learn about farming and the wide agri sector. Last year the farm hosted 900 visitors and Sam says the ultimate goal is 5000 per year. “You can see a light bulb go off for some students as they gain a better understanding of how food is produced and also career opportunities in the ag sector.” Sustainability is another major focus and has resulted in a number of initiatives including a plant nursery on the farm in conjunction with Conservation Volunteers New Zealand. “They are involved with the Papakura Stream Restoration project and our waterways feed into this stream. We are doing native planting on the farm and we are also building the native tree nursery with them to plant along the stream. It’s still in development but the goal is to produce 50,000 plants per year.” By the end of this winter 28,000 natives will have been planted on Donald’s farm and the overall aim is likewise ambitious - to plant 120,000 and retire some of the steeper land. Sam says that Donald’s Farm is a good example of how combining commerce and education can help showcase agriculture as a viable career path and connect the wider community with farming. 01 BFEA Compact Brand Guidelines V1.0 FEB 2022 Feeding your calves is made easy and hygienic with our range of MilkBar Mobile Calf Feed Trailers. With Unique levelling, no pipes or tubes and a tank that empties completely. FARM EQUIPMENT BUILT TO LAST LEADING THE MARKET WITH DESIGN & QUALITY We manufacture key farm items targeted at the rural industry to make farm lives easier with the confidence that they are getting a quality New Zealand product which comes with full backing, service and warranty. Proudly supporting Donald’s Farm 027 286 5364 tokoroaengineering@xtra.co.nz www.tokoroaengineering.co.nz CALFERTERIAS CALF TRAILERS FEED TRAILERS SPARE PARTS Transport your calves’ safety around the farm in one of our well-built, hygienic and easy to use Calf Trailers. Comes in three different sizes to suit your needs and herd size. Our Premium 6m and 4m Feed Trailers are NZ’s top seller for a reason. Sturdy and purpose built with the farmers needs in mind, these Feed Trailers are built to last. Full range of spare parts for Milkbar mobiles and Tokoroa Engineering Products
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