| 73 nzdairy DAIRY SERVICES » Arnold Agriculture Quality work on a case by case basis Kelly Deeks Providing high-quality agricultural services around Morrinsville, Arnold Agriculture makes silage, balage, drilling, and cultivation simple and efficient for local farmers and it’s all done on a case by case basis according to each farmer’s position and what they are trying to achieve for the season. Kurt Arnold is from a long-standing dairy farming family and is the third generation on the family farm 10 minutes north of Morrinsville. After university and gaining some experience with a local ag contractor, Kurt saw his area was in need of more reliable and higher quality service. He started Arnold Agriculture in 2019 to deliver such and as an added bonus, it got him out of milking cows. Starting small with a loader wagon and working for a few neighbours, Arnold Agriculture grew Morrinsville’s Arnold Agriculture has expanded his machinery fleet to handle most crops from planting to harvest. quickly as customers started talking about Kurt’s quality services. He expanded his fleet and his services and today, Arnold Agriculture looks after crops from planting to harvest. “I’m not trying to drive big numbers,” he says. “For me it’s about high quality. Doing the job properly, getting those crops in and out at the right time, applying the right fertiliser at the right time and the right rate, and maintaining growth throughout the season.” As high interest rates continue to strain farmers’ bottom lines, Kurt provides tailored contracting packages to suit any situation. Starting with a conversation with the farmer, Kurt takes each farm on an individual basis, finding out what the farmer wants to achieve from their crops and their regrassing, what their needs are, what position they are in, and what’s best for their business. “Every farm is different so by getting the farmer’s backstory first, I can put a package together that suits them.” Every year after New Year’s day, Kurt goes to visit all of his customers, with a big bag of Christmas bonus sweetcorn off the home farm, to have a pre-autumn catch up and get an understanding of where they are at and what they are trying to achieve. It’s a big job to go and see everyone, but that’s exactly what Arnold Agriculture is all about. “Our point of difference is the finer detailed job we can provide. We are only a small part of a farmer’s total feed bill, and every part of it has to be done properly for good outcomes.” Kurt is also having to navigate through the recession with his young small business, which is hard to keep growing when the inflation rate on new machinery is up about 30%. Still Arnold Agriculture still proudly hasn’t leaned on the family farm for money, only Kurt’s dad, Bruce’s advice on growing his business. “Dad is the one who took their farm from 150 cows to 800 cows, and he’s been a big driver of us kids following our passions into business. He’s the one behind me saying ‘yes you should reinvest in new machinery’ when I’m not sure. He gives me the confidence to go for it.” “Every farm is different so by getting the farmer’s backstory first, I can put a package together that suits them.”
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