74 | nzdairy DAIRY SERVICES » Bluegrass Contracting Passionate supporters of NZ Dairy awards Alexia Johnston Bluegrass Contracting managing director Brook Nettleton is passionate about the company’s support of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards. The awards wrapped up its 2023/24 season at its national event held in Queenstown on May 11 by naming and showcasing an impressive array of talent and their commitment to the highest industry, business, and environmental standards. ‘I think it’s a great thing to sponsor,” Brook says. “It’s a part of what we do, it’s something incredibly worthwhile for us to support. We need the young generation coming through don’t we. I just think it’s a great thing to be involved in.” Based in Matamata and operating over a large area, Bluegrass Contracting employs 25 full-time and up 40 seasonal staff. Its core business revolves around cultivating and harvesting large areas of lucerne, grass and maize, but it has evolved to provide a wide variety of services covering transport, effluent, stock feed and farm race solutions. At the heart of its powered fleet is 14 tractors comprising 11 Case and three Fendt, and 19 Foden and DAF truck units of various configurations, three Claas fine-chop harvesters and three JCB stackers and two bulk fertiliser spreaders. BlueGrass has its own workshop with two fulltime mechanics, plus a subcontractor working on the trucks and another subcontractor servicing and maintaining its tractors. The company annually harvests 3000 tonnes of lucerne and through its bio-solids waste management service spreads between 30 and 40,000 tonnes of effluent a year. This diversity as well as the breadth of its operations is important in providing year-round Through its bio solids waste management services, Bluegrass Contracting spreads up to 40,000 tonnes of effluent a year. The company operates an effluent tanker and system that injects the effluent 50mm into the ground under high pressure, and at variable rates, which reduces odour and run-off. work, Brook says. “There’s always something happening.” “We’ve had a pretty good season, only because we cover a bigger area. Obviously, that helps us big time and we do a good chunk of the grass [harvesting] for Fonterra farms in South Waikato; that’s irrigated so that keeps growing. “South Waikato had a very good growing season. That’s the good thing about covering two areas is that if one’s down the others up.” BlueGrass Contracting is consented to spread solid and liquid effluent and can provide proof of placement. “We are permitted to discharge onto dairy land or any land as long we we’ve tested the product. We test it and find out what’s in it and what it’s good for and then do a nutrient report on it, and what we can and can’t do with it.” The company operates an effluent tanker which has a system that injects the effluent 50mm into the ground under high pressure, and at variable rates, which reduces odour and run-off. Brook believes this system is relatively uncommon in the region. For farm races, Blue Grass has developed successful methods establishing or re-establishing them in areas with high foot traffic, and remediating areas with erosion problems. It has the equipment and experience to stabilise soft clay/soil conditions with lime or cement, depending on the material to stabilise, and has ripping equipment to reuse rock already exposed in a race or can spread additional rotten rock. Its high horse power tractor-operated rock crusher is able to mulch rotten rock. The advantage of in-place crushing is that the fine material remains as an approximately 100mm top layer to compact and set which provides a long-life surface with a good thickness that is free of sharp stones. GT AGRI SERVICES On farm repairs & hedge cutting 021 066 5350 gtagriservices@gmail.com PROUDLY SUPPORTING BLUEGRASS CONTRACTING bridgestone.co.nz Bridgestone provides Bluegrass Contracting with market-leading products, advice and nationwide support to help them achieve excellence in agriculture. Your one stop shop Specialists in Kenworth, DAF & Cummins Engines Parts & Servicing We also have on site CoF testing and an in-house Auto Electrician 07 575 3883 81 Hewletts Road, Mt Maunganui www.truckline.co.nz trucklineservices Quality Accident Repairs for all Makes andModels 07 888 6508 021 838 421 lwest@xtra.co.nz 6 Waiomou Street, Matamata We cover all aspects of Panelbeating, Spraypainting, Fiberglass repairs, Plastic Welding & Truck repairs, and o er free courtesy cars. Colin West Panelbeaters are members of the CRA and have been Matamata’s choice for crash and accident repairs for over 15 years.
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