Dairy Farmer June 2019

Fieldays | Farm buildings and Machinery June 2019

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Moving onwards and upwards Top dairy woman Celebrating the industry’s top farmers

Farm liquidity Northland farmer goes back to basics selling raw milk

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

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June 2019 Editor

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Fieldays | Farm buildings and Machinery June 2019

Incl $8.95 GST

COVER Northland farmer Guy Bakewell is selling milk direct to the public.

Moving onwards and upwards Top dairy woman Celebrating the industry’s top farmers

Farm liquidity Northland farmer goes back to basics selling raw milk

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

11

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www.farmersweekly.co.nz ISSN 2624-0939 (Print) ISSN 2624-0947 (Online)

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DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

Contents NEWS 4 Dairy Industry Awards Top farmers named 16 Market outlook What’s going on here and abroad 18 Mahinga Kai Stricter nitrate rules in place

ON FARM STORY

8 Market demand Northland farmers Guy and Jaye Bakewell run a thriving business selling raw milk

20 Industry progression Canterbury farmers stepping up to 50:50 sharemilking

FARMING CHAMPIONS 30 Dairy champion Trish Rankin 34 Fast Five Himanshu Patel

7 GlobalHQ is a farming family owned business that donates 1% of advertising revenue to the Rural Support Trust. Need help now? You can talk to someone who understands the pressures of farming by phoning your local Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 254.

THEME 44 Fieldays 52 Farm buildings and machinery

REGULAR FEATURES

7 Guest opinion – Nathan Penny

36 Industry good 38 International news 41 Research 42 Technology

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NEWS

Dairy Trainee of the Year Nicola Blowey, Share Farmers of the Year Colin and Isabella Beazley from Northland and Dairy Manager of the Year Matt Redmond at the awards ceremony.

I

NZ’s top farmers

T WAS third-time lucky for the 2019 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards winners Colin and Isabella Beazley from Northland.

The Beazleys, both aged 31, are 50:50 Sharemilkers for Neil Jones and Wendy Crow-Jones milking 330 cows on the 163ha Wellsford property.

The couple, who have entered the awards twice previously, showed they are not afraid to try new things including farming.

They realised while studying at university office life wasn’t for them so they decided to chase the rural life dream and haven’t looked back.

The couple are proud to have overcome any challenges they have faced in their career to date but are most proud of raising their children Erin, 7, and Dayton, 2, in the rural lifestyle.

“They absolutely love it and they don’t miss out on time with us,” they said.

Time off-farm and a balanced lifestyle are important for the family, who play tag rugby, hockey and enjoy the lifestyle that 4

living near the beach gives them.

“We just try to be a happy-go-lucky couple who always see the positives in everything.”

Colin said winning the title would open many doors for them.

“This will help us to move forward in our farming career and move our business forward.”

Isabella said the lead-up to the awards had been a blast and they were grateful to everyone involved.

“We are delighted to be able to take the title back to Northland,” she said.

The couple have instituted the Three Shhhh’s rule, in which all staff need to be home by 5pm and have had a Sh-ower, Sh-ave and a Sh-… by the time the 6pm news is on.

Share farmer head judge Kevin McKinley, from DairyNZ, said the Beazleys impressed the judges with their resilience, teamwork and attention to detail.

“They are such a great team and complement each other with their roles on-farm.”

The judges also noted that they are innovative around pasture species and management and their use of technology.

“Colin uses a drone to check on the cows and has even delivered a coffee by drone to a staff member working down the back of the farm.”

The Beazleys impressed the judges with their use of social media to spread the good word about dairy farming and their strong family values and attention to detail in all areas of their business stood out.

The share farmer runners-up, Tokoroa contract milkers Marc and Nia Jones, are in their first season contract milking for Margaret Elliott on her 270ha 970-cow Tokoroa property.

Manawatu 50-50 sharemilkers Thomas and Jemima Bebbington placed third.

Canterbury’s Matt Redmond became the Dairy Manager of the Year. He is the farm manager on Craigmore’s Pahau Flats Dairy’s 232ha, 830-cow Landsend property at Culverden.

Matt, 25, has an ag commerce degree majoring in agricultural management and

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

We just try to be a happy-golucky couple who always see the positives in everything.

Colin Beazley

rural valuation from Lincoln University.

He entered the dairy industry four years ago and has worked for the past two as a manager.

“Winning is definitely the highlight of my career,” he said.

“Through the awards I have met a range of people on-farm and from different farming backgrounds with different ideas that have challenged me on-farm.

“They awards have allowed me to grow and continue to develop as a dairy farmer.

I am excited about the future.”

Dairy manager runner-up was James Matheson from Southland while third place went to Laurence Walden from Central Plateau Nicola Blowey, from Canterbury, was named Dairy Trainee of the Year. She is an assistant herd manager for Matthew and Vanessa Greenwood on Kieran and Leonie Guiney’s 600-cow, 175ha Fairlie property.

Originally from Britain, she entered the awards to compare her skills with others.

“Being part of an industry that fulfills so many key roles for society is very special and it is the relevance of agriculture to every one of us that is so rewarding.

“The range of knowledge and skills you build working in the industry and the

variety of jobs we do and situations we face each season is really exciting.

“I am really excited to progress further and achieve more.”

Dairy trainee runner-up Matt Dawson from Waikato is an assistant manager for Neville Henderson on his 229ha, 620-cow property at Horsham Downs and third place went to Harry Phipps, herd manager for Gary and Kathy O’Donnell milking 400 cows on a 140ha Rotorua farm.

Taranaki farmers Damian and Jane Roper won the Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award and received the John Wilson Memorial Trophy.

It recognises dairy farmers who demonstrate leadership in their approach to sustainability and who are respected by their fellow farmers and their community for their attitude and role in sustainable dairying.

Judge Gavin Roden said the Ropers are passionate, enthusiastic and energetic with an ability to motivate those around them.

“They are determined to be better than just compliant,” he said.

From restoring bush on their property to its former natural state to creating a lake and monitoring the water quality the Ropers impressed the judges with their commitment and passion.

The trophy was presented by Belinda Wilson, wife of the late John Wilson, and Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell.

“John was a hugely respected leader of our co-op and the wider industry and the driving force behind this award. Its establishment was his idea so it’s only fitting that the trophy be named in his honour and memory,” Hurrell said. n

Taranaki farmers Damian and Jane Roper won the 2019 Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award and received the John Wilson Memorial Trophy.

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June 2019

GUEST COLUMN

Comfort Food

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ASB senior rural economist Nathan Penny says New Zealand’s food exports are solid in almost every agri sector.

EADING world news and one can understand why farmers might be gloomy.

There’s the Brexit shambles, trouble in the Middle East, all too frequent changes in Australian prime ministers and then there’s President Donald Trump’s tweets.

Indeed, reading his twitter feed alone might make a farmer nervous.

This past month is case in point.

Trump caught financial markets by surprise, ratcheting up tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports on May 5. Following that announcement and just when the going was good, the key US S&P 500 sharemarket slid as much as 5% at one stage.

In some ways, then, a farmer has cause to worry.

Global economic growth has slowed since late 2018 and so far over 2019. And, after all, New Zealand dairy is reliant on exports for over 90% for its income.

But this article aims to provide farmers with some comfort. Indeed, it’s comforting NZ is a food exporter in times like these.

Why is that so? Well, when global incomes get tight businesses put off investment plans. However, more importantly, households go back to basics. Generally people have to eat, so food consumption often remains little changed during these periods of tighter incomes.

The other factor propping up food demand is that while growth in the key Chinese economy is slowing, consumer demand is still humming.

Indeed, annual retail sales growth so far over 2019 is still averaging a healthy 8% while overall Chinese economic growth has slowed to about 6%.

This changing composition of growth is consistent with the Chinese economy becoming more modern.

Looking back on the transition of other modern Asian economies, like say Taiwan or Korea, as industrial and export growth slows, the household sector picks up the economic growth baton.

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

ASB senior rural economist Nathan Penny says people will always need to eat so consumer demand will continue.

And a key part of this transition is that Chinese consumers, as they become wealthier, are demanding more and better food, including protein.

Theory is one thing but cold hard facts are another.

Even then, looking at the data, this theory stands up to scrutiny.

Chinese imports of whole milk powder have jumped 24% over the 12 months to March 31 compared to the 12 months prior. More critically, and despite slowing global economic growth, global dairy prices are rising with dairy auction prices jumping well over 20% since the start of the year.

At this point, though, you might rightly ask, whether this is a dairy-specific thing?

Well, looking more broadly, we see NZ food exports are solid almost across the board.

Nationwide lamb prices are above the lucky $7/kg mark while annual kiwifruit exports have passed $2 billion for the first time and continue to climb.

That said, pockets of weakness still remain. During these times, some of

the more luxury-type products might struggle.

Manuka honey exports, for example, could be subdued this year for the first time in a while.

In fact, the one premium product where we do know this is already the case is our wine exports.

Firstly, it’s a more expensive product and, as mentioned, premium/luxury products struggle in times of tighter incomes. And secondly, wine exports are concentrated in the markets like the United States, Australia and Britain, where economic growth has dipped, while the exposure to the more robust Chinese market is small.

With that in mind, more premium dairy product exports could be affected in a similar vein.

All things considered, though, it’s a good time to be a food exporter.

For dairy, we have set our 2019-20 milk price forecast at a bullish $7/kg despite the global economic headlines. In that sense, dairy and many of our other food exports are indeed comfort food. n

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Northland farmers Jaye and Guy Bakewell and daughter Darnell-Jaye 8 50:50 sharemilkers at Wellsford. are Photos: Frances Oliver

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

Success in its rawest form

ON FARM STORY

Northland sharemilkers Guy and Jaye Bakewell’s number-eight wire ingenuity is not only helping pay off their dairy cows faster but capitalising on consumers’ growing demand for raw milk.

Luke Chivers reports.

OPEN any dairy farmer’s fridge and you will likely find it stocked with raw, untreated milk.

Now more and more urban consumers are catching on.

Four days a week in Auckland’s innercity suburbs many people look twice as a sign-written truck delivers raw milk in glass bottles to residents.

“It’s just like it used to be done back in the day,” 31-year-old Guy Bakewell says.

“You know, when you could buy raw milk and it’d be delivered in a glass bottle. “ And you’d leave your empties out and they’d be swapped out by the milkman.

That’s exactly what we’re doing.”

For Guy and his wife Jaye their raw milk delivery business is as much about earning extra income as it is about helping educate consumers.

On an average day their cows are milked in the morning, milk is Dairy Farmer Ad_86mm x 210mmthe +5mm copy.pdf 1

The Bakewells have an estimated 15,000 vehicles driving past each day so capitalise by selling raw milk. They now sell more than 200 litres a day through Bakewell Creamery.

bottled by hand and delivered by truck to consumers in just hours.

“Our truck gets a lot of attention,” Jaye says.

“It’s amazing the amount of people who look at it and, clearly, are thinking ‘what is that?’

“I get a11:41 lot people come up to me 20/05/2019

wanting to know how they can buy our milk.”

It’s a venture the couple least expected they would pursue.

Originally from Palmerston North, Guy hadn’t milked a cow until he was 16.

Continued page 10

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ON FARM STORY “I had a weekend job pumping gas at a petrol station but I wanted to make a bit more coin,” he says.

“I heard there was good money in relief milking so I initially offered my services free-of-charge to a local farmer. After a few months in the role I was on the timesheets.”

It didn’t take long for the dairying bug to take hold.

“I absolutely loved it,” he says.

“Everything from driving the tractor to riding the motorbike – it was all fun for me. They were things I’d never done before.”

His interest soon turned into passion and he left high school to pursue a career in agriculture.

His parents were big believers in education and encouraged Guy to enrol in a level 1 Primary ITO course through Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre.

That was in 2004. And it was during that year at Taratahi that Guy met Jaye, a fellow classmate.

“It was one of the best years of my life,” Jaye says.

“Yes, well, that may have something to do with bumping into Guy.” Jaye is no stranger to the industry. She grew up on a small-scale dairy farm, 10km northwest of Hastings, running 150 cows.

“I’ve milked ever since I was a kid,” she says.

“Farming was the natural career choice, really.”

Guy interjects “My dad always said I should marry a farmer’s daughter but, you know, he should’ve specified a bigger farm, I think.”

Not long after graduating, the couple worked on Jaye’s family farm for a year.

“But we realised we still had a lot more to learn,” they say.

So, in 2006, they studied for a diploma in business at Massey University in Palmerston North.

Their careers have since been varied.

They have worked as herd managers, banking consultants and in mines and have served in roles in most regions from Canterbury to Northland as well as spending a year in Western Australia.

“The more we worked away from the land the more we realised that farming was the life we wanted to be living,” Guy says.

“A lot of people see changing jobs regularly as a bad thing but we viewed it as a constant internship, much like an education.

“We’ve been lucky enough to work 10

The herd heads off after milking.

Milk from 30 cows is used to supply the vending machine, which customers can use 24/7.

with some of the best operators in this country.”

In 2011 the Bakewells were herd managers for Richard and Jo Greaves on an 800-cow farm in Hawke’s Bay. “They came second in the national Sharemilker of the Year competition while we were on their farm so we learnt all about the Dairy Industry Awards and what it involves,” he says.

Three years later they worked alongside Hayden and Jessie Chan-Dorman who run a high-input system at Dorie on

the south side of the Rakaia River in Canterbury.

“We were reaching up to 600kg milksolids per cow so we learnt all about feeding in a high input system,” he says.

In 2017 they put their knowledge to the test and entered a sharemilking agreement for a well-nurtured and developed slice of rural New Zealand.

The couple are 50:50 sharemilking 150 cows with Duncan Johnson, an Auckland accountant who has owned the 80-hectare (65ha effective) farm near

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

Jaye’s daughter Darnell-Jaye and Guy Bakewell have created an income stream by selling raw milk direct to the public.

Photo: Supplied

Wellsford in Northland for more than 30 years.

“We’ve been lucky to be left to our own devices,” Guy says.

“And that has suited us well.”

They say the farm was in good shape when they arrived.

“Sure, we installed a Ravensdown fertiliser silo so we could spread our fertiliser more efficiently and did a few other jobs here and there,” Guy says.

“But on the whole the property had been well cleaned up by the previous sharemilker. We found the place in a really good way – good fences and good water.”

And their intention is to keep it that way and further those efforts in years to come, specifically in terms of riparian planting and fencing off drains.

Their farm is small by industry standards. The region’s average herd size is 300 cows.

The situation meant the Bakewells had to investigate ways to generate extra income.

“Initially this started with us shifting to once-a-day milking.

“We did that because we couldn’t afford staff for 150 cows if we were to milk twice-

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

a-day. And we agreed that if we were going to be farming every day then we wanted to be able to enjoy it.

“Plus, it’s better for the animals and their wellbeing.”

The farm is a third flat with the remaining rolling-to-steep. It is typically summer dry. Its hills overlook State Highway 1, where an estimated 15,000 vehicles zap past every day.

The two Kaipara Young Farmers members saw the steady stream of cars as an opportunity waiting to be tapped.

“We did the numbers and realised we didn’t need many people to stop in order to sell a lot of milk.”

In August last year, after months of planning and hard work, a vending machine dispensing raw milk opened on the farm.

“We sold 30 litres of milk on the first day and we’ve sold milk every day since – even on Christmas Day,” Guy says.

They now sell an average of 200 litres a day – having doubled their production since January without any major advertising. And the operation continues to grow with new orders placed every day.

The shiny, stainless-steel machine is one of only 15 in NZ providing consumers

FARM FACTS n Owner: Duncan Johnson n Sharemilkers: Guy and Jaye Bakewell n Location: Wellsford, Northland n Farm size: 80ha, 65ha effective n Cows: 150 Jersey, Friesian and crossbred n Production: 2018-19: 50,000kg MS

with unpasteurised milk.

“It baffles me that there are more than 10,000 dairy farms in this country yet there are only 26 registered raw milk suppliers,” Guy says.

Because herd-owning sharemilkers get only half the monthly milk cheque the raw milk business idea was driven by economics.

“I’m a big believer in getting creative and thinking outside the box to make business opportunities work,” Guy says.

Continued page 12 11

It’s a fantastic way for us to connect with people who probably don’t give a lot of thought to where milk comes from.

Jaye feeds the autumn calves.

The Jersey, Friesian and crossbred herd is split in two mobs. About 120 cows are milked once-a-day and their milk is sent to Fonterra.

The remaining 30 cows are run in a separate mob and their milk is used to supply the vending machine, which customers can use 24/7.

“As demand grows for the raw milk supply we have the ability to grow with it,” Jaye says.

In their first two seasons at Wellsford they have maintained the farm’s milk production at 50,000kg MS. They run a System 2-3 and feed grass silage and maize silage in autumn, early winter and early spring.

About 4ha of maize and 4ha of turnips are grown on the run-off where they winter the herd.

They winter milk to ensure continuous supply of raw milk.

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Fifty cows calve in autumn beginning on March 1. The spring calving herd calves from July 10 and they keep every calf. They are sent to the runoff once weaned.

Mating begins on June 10 for the autumn herd and on October 1 for the spring herd. They do six weeks of AI and tail off with Hereford or Angus bulls so they have no bobby calves. The heifers are mated to Wagyu and Guy does all of the AI himself.

“In the 2017-18 season I was either the first or last on the technician’s run,” Guy says.

“That meant I had to get up at 4am every morning so that I was finished by 7am. He and I decided that was a bit ridiculous and I didn’t want to do that again so trained to AI myself.”

Jaye says next season their focus will be on selling more litres of milk than MS per

Guy Bakewell

cow. “We’ll continue to supply to Fonterra but only up until we have a home for all of our milk,” she says.

“If we can diversify our milk into other value-add products, such as butter or cheese or ice cream, then we’ll look at doing that.

“But that will come in time.”

She also says if they had supplied milk only to Fonterra this season the couple would have had a really bad year off the back of a low dairy payout and poor weather.

“The benefits of diversification are huge for us,” Jaye says.

The raw milk business – known as Bakewell Creamery – is operated by

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

ON FARM STORY

The Bakewells milk 150 cows on the 80ha farm at Wellsford.

They consistently produce 50,000 kilograms of milksolids.

Guy, Jaye and his parents, Monty and Wendy, who have also invested in the venture.

“We pay the farm’s owner Duncan Johnson a rate per litre for milk sold through Bakewell Creamery,” Guy says.

The milk dispensing machine – which cost $100,000 – is housed in a small, purpose-built, transportable shop at the front of the farm.

The milk is sold for $3 a litre. Reusable glass bottles can be bought from a

second vending machine for $5.

The venture was also driven by Guy’s desire to have a stronger connection with consumers.

“They’re so grateful and appreciative.

Nothing gives me a bigger buzz than hearing how much people love our milk,” he says.

“Cream settles in the bottle overnight, making it the perfect addition to a morning coffee.”

The Bakewells use social media to market the business and are exploring

opportunities to expand their customer base.

The business has grown organically, the couple say.

In January Guy heard his consumers saying it was just another job to visit his farm to collect the milk – they wanted it delivered to their doors.

So they converted a chiller truck into a sign-written Bakewell’s Creamery vehicle.

The driving is shared among the family.

Continued page 14

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ON FARM STORY

The herd is fed maize silage.

They have also upgraded their raw milk company’s website so consumers can buy their milk online.

“We’re delivering milk four days a week, totalling around 500 litres,” Jaye says.

“The rest is sold on site.”

The farm is only 45 minutes from Auckland, which is home to a ballooning population of 1.6 million people.

“Until recently there didn’t seem to be anyone around Auckland registered for raw milk supply,” Guy says.

Now the Bakewells’ deliveries span from as far north as Whangarei to South Auckland and everywhere in between.

“Our initial goal was to get fresh cows’ milk into Remuera or Ponsonby,” he says.

“We’ve now achieved that.

“It’s a fantastic way for us to connect with people who probably don’t give a lot of thought to where milk comes from.

Regulations prevent the Bakewell’s setting up raw milk vending machines in Auckland.

“Until the rules change it seems the best way to get our fresh milk into Auckland fridges is to continue to bottle it and deliver it.

“Another option could be that a bottle of our raw milk is included in produce boxes,” he says.

The couple are certainly full of Kiwi ingenuity.

But, like most farmers, balancing time with the family with the demands 14

of the farm can be tough at times.

In the past two years that effort has become a higher priority following the birth of their daughter, Darnell-Jaye.

“Between the farm, our whanau and the creamery it’s a big workload that’s around the clock.

“We are really fortunate to have Guy’s parents around as well as the rest of his family,” Jaye says.

“They provide much-needed support from keeping the vending machines clean and tidy to bottling and delivering our raw milk. We couldn’t do it without them.”

Going from dairy farmers to raw milk producers has been a steep learning curve for the Bakewells.

They’ve been guided by Richard Houston, who started Village Milk in Golden Bay in 2012 after importing the first vending machine from Italy.

“Hiring Richard as a consultant was a no-brainer,” Guy says.

“I don’t think we would have been selling milk as early as we were without his guidance and expertise.”

Normal milk sold in supermarkets is pasteurised to kill any bacteria.

Raw milk is unprocessed, which means stringent hygiene practices are needed when the milk is harvested to ensure it’s free of bad bacteria.

“Richard showed us how to carefully wash, disinfect and dry each cow’s udder prior to milking,” he says.

“Before we started the raw milk business we also replaced every piece of rubberwear in our milking plant and overhauled our cleaning procedures.”

The business is registered with the Ministry for Primary Industries and has a food safety inspection twice a year.

It’s completely different to traditional dairy farming where you just put your milk in the vat and leave the rest to someone else.

Guy Bakewell

It’s also inspected a third time to ensure it meets Fonterra’s supply conditions.

“It’s completely different to traditional dairy farming where you just put your milk in the vat and leave the rest to someone else,” he says.

Guy reckons supplying raw milk would suit younger farmers who are social media savvy.

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

But they have to have access to a big customer base and be prepared to put in extra work.

Guy and Jaye aspire for Bakewell Creamery to be the preferred choice of raw milk in Auckland.

“We’ve got the supply, now it’s about growing the demand,” Jaye says.

“We believe we can take this to 1000 litres on our farm before we need to look at buying another property in order to increase our supply.

“Eventually, we’re hoping to have our business servicing more customers across Auckland. We think that’s an achievable goal we’ve just got to keep taking steps forward to get there.”

Those steps involve maximising the farm’s production, employing more staff, installing a bigger vat and erecting a purpose-built bottling facility to keep pace with growing consumer demand.

“We’re only limited by our imagination as to where this goes.” n >> Video link: bit.ly/OFSbakewell

Bakewell Creamery now delivers chilled milk from Whangarei to South Auckland and everywhere in between four days a week.

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MARKET OUTLOOK

Dairy, a pig of a job STEPHEN BELL

H

OLD onto your hats folks it could be a wild ride in the dairy industry but without all the fun of the fair.

There are so many things going on here and abroad that will influence not just farmgate milk prices but also input and compliance costs and thus, most importantly profits.

On the face of it things are looking up for the new season with rural economists predicting a starting price somewhere north of $7/kg MS. But Fonterra, on the back of narrowing its 2018-19 forecast to the bottom end of its range at $6.30 to $6.40/kg MS has given a wide range for this season of $6.25-$7.25. Though the economists are optimistic Fonterra has set the advance rate at only $3.80/kg MS. And we still don’t know any detail for Fonterra’s new strategy but we can take it from chief executive Miles Hurrell’s comments accompanying the third quarter results that it won’t be plain sailing for a couple of years yet.

He’s asking farmers for patience at a time some of them say it’s wearing thin, especially as what we have seen so far of the strategy it seems to involve flogging off assets to pay bills, which is a shortterm gain for long-term loss of potential revenue.

In the case of Tip Top it might seem Fonterra is selling the family silver to pay its debts but Hurrell said Fonterra is in no position to realise the ice cream maker’s potential. Pity.

Talking of short term gain it’s been a long, slow, debilitating illness for Westland but now nurse Yili has arrived and each farmer will apparently get a cash infusion of $572,000, according to ANZ analyst Susan Kilsby.

But that might be a way off given the speed at which the Overseas Investment Office moves.

Yili has promised farmers a milk price as good as Fonterra’s for 10 years but some farmers taking a longer view are worried about what happens then. And if they decide to move to Fonterra the payout will go in sharing up.

Synlait is now in an awkward position

16

ANZ rural economist Susan Kilsby calculates an average payout from Yili of $572,000 for Westland suppliers.

with its Pokeno plant. The former owner of the land sought compensation because the plant was built in breach of covenants he put on the title. However, after the High Court removed the covenants in November the Court of Appeal has reversed that decision.

It actually refused to award compensation saying the issue could be resolved by reinstating the covenants, which it did.

Synlait has now received a cease and desist notice though chief executive Leon Clement previously said the firm is confident it will find a solution.

That presumably means paying the complainant to go away but whether that will breach the appeal court’s ruling will no doubt be debated by the lawyers. Look for this to head back to court.

Perhaps the most intriguing issue now facing the dairy industry is the outbreak of African swine fever in the Chinese pig herd.

This will have implications for the dairy sector but it’s not a simple job to work out what the outcome will be when they all come into play.

For a start the Chinese are culling huge numbers of pigs, maybe more than 200 million. That leaves a protein gap. They will turn to other meats such as beef and lamb, particularly beef and that could lead to more culling in dairy herds around the world and constrain China’s dairy production.

However, it’s complicated by the United States-China trade war.

With the two countries ramping up tariffs on each other’s good that might look good on the face of it for New Zealand meat exports to China. And that

might well be the case.

But it will mean American farmers lose a big export market in China.

They will find themselves in an environment where plenty of feed is available because a lot of that won’t be going to China, either for pigs because of lower demand or because of the tariffs making prices prohibitive.

Combine that with President Donald Trump’s promise of another $16 billion of subsides, though he calls it compensation, to make it up to farmers losing sales in China and those producing the feed will be able to sell it cheaply to dairy farmers and we know American dairy farmers are exceptionally good at responding to cheap feed by ramping up production.

But that’s not all.

China’s pigs eat a lot of dairy-derived feed in their rations. The swine fever means demand is plunging and the tariffs are making American products uncompetitive.

In the last few years China imported 530,000 tonnes of whey and permeate and 84,000 tonnes of lactose a year, about half from America and most of the rest from the European Union.

Rabobank says this might be just the start of weaker whey and lactose prices.

Dry whey futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange have fallen marginally to US$850 a tonne but the reality, the US Agriculture Department says, is dry whey trading at less than US$550 a tonne on the spot market.

The effects will flow through to farmgate prices and could last for years, Rabobank says. n

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

NEWS

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TIM FULTON

A

SAM FEED WAGONS

TRIUMPH of grit over adversity will be centre stage at this month’s South Island Dairy Event.

Farmers at the twoday event in Invercargill will hear from former Paralympic blade runner Liam Malone, a double-amputee who overcame all sorts of challenges to succeed.

Malone, who was born with fibular hemimelia, suffered anxiety and depression as a teenager. He made some bad choices but turned his life around after the death of his mother. Just three years later he won two gold medals at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

While he knows little about dairying he hopes to inspire farmers to stay strong and continue rising above the challenges facing the sector.

“I realised you can’t outrun your problems, you need to face them.”

While the dairy sector has done a good job facing its challenges over the last decade the obstacles continue and that has taken a toll on some farmers.

Malone likens dairy farmers’ journey to that of a marathon not a sprint.

While changes are coming fast, they are constant and farmers need to be prepared to stay the distance.

“I’m sure at times farmers feel as though they’re in a race to meet all these new regulations and consumer expectations coming at them thick and fast and that the finish line seems a long way off.

“While I’ve never worked in the dairy sector I can relate to what they’re going through.

“But they’ve put in the training and they’re off the starting blocks and that’s half the battle.”

Supported by DairyNZ, SIDE is one of the largest dairy events of the year. It is run by farmers and lines up industry experts to deliver keynote addresses, networking sessions and practical workshops in a revitalised format.

SIDE is in Invercargill on June 25-26.

The theme for this year’s event is Creating

DAIRY FARMER

+64 7 847 8492

June 2019

Why go for a SAM?

Former Paralympic blade runner Liam Malone will be one of the keynote speakers at this month’s South Island Dairy Event.

Our Tomorrow and the event will focus on sector positivity, celebrating the industry’s successes and overcoming challenges.

The event features four keynote speakers, 19 workshops and opportunities for dairy farmers and their teams to learn and network.

SIDE chairman Simon Topham said the first day will focus on Celebrating Today while the second will look at Investing in Tomorrow.

This year’s SIDE is all about celebrating farmers’ sheer grit and drive to constantly do better by their people, cows and environment, he said.

“The sector has come a long way in a relatively short timeframe and farmers have a lot to be proud of.

“SIDE is an opportunity for farmers to get together, celebrate their wins and discuss the future of dairy.”

Other keynote speakers included All Blacks mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka, Real Insight chief executive Sue Lindsay and Golden Bay You Only Live Once farmer and blogger Wayne Langford. n

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NEWS

Next Generation Farmers trustees, from left, Victoria Trayner, Sam Spencer-Bower, Andrew Olorenshaw, Sarah Gard and Scott Evans are raising awareness of stricter nitrate rules.

Mahinga kai concerns all TIM FULTON

E

NVIRONMENT Canterbury (ECan) has dispelled any idea mahinga kai is a marginal cultural consideration.

The policy should be part of Farm Environment Plans and applies to well-known Maori foodharvesting areas and plenty of other places, an ECan flier says.

“There is no one list of exactly what is mahinga kai for any given property,” a council statement distributed at the launch of the Next Generation Farmers Trust (NGF) says.

Mahinga kai includes things such as species, natural habitats, materials and practices used for harvesting food and places where food or resources are or were gathered.

Farmers are now required to achieve a mahinga kai target in plans, the flier says.

“This means you need to identify and understand mahinga kai values and risks on your farm and respond to those when carrying out good management practice.”

The targets will not necessarily limit the way a farmer manages land but they do require farmers to manage the risks of farming on mahinga kai.

Plans will have to provide for protection of mahinga kai species and habitats when waterways are managed or cleared.

Mahinga kai must also be sustained through management of native vegetation and wetlands.

18

ECan recommends simple fencing and adjusting farming practices when spawning occurs in autumn.

Mahinga kai places include all waterways, drains with water, wetlands and springs, native vegetation and riparian areas.

This means you need to identify and understand mahinga kai values and risks on your farm.

Species include freshwater crayfish in a drain, lizards in flax and whitebait (inanga) in a creek. Whitebait can live and spawn in all waterways, including farm drains, and many of them are in vegetated waterways, particularly near the coast, ECan says.

“Their habitat is susceptible to disturbance, particularly from grazing animals and farm operations, which is why its protection is essential.”

The council says while everyone has a part to play in protecting and enhancing mahinga kai, landowners have clear responsibilities as guardians of the land.

“While the active protection of

mahinga kai is a key foundation of the Treaty of Waitangi, it is also simply part of wider environmental stewardship or kaitiakitanga.

“Looking after mahinga kai sits alongside ecosystem health and biodiversity as an essential objective in our region.”

The inaugural trust meeting at Swannanoa issued a general call for ECan to listen to vulnerable operators fearing for their livelihood under environment plan changes.

The seven-member trust, fronted by several dairy farmers, is raising awareness of stricter nitrate rules for the catchment.

Trustee Sarah Gard said the group wants to show real stories and experiences from across primary industries.

It will encourage open reporting of farming information and work with industry groups to make planning processes easier.

If a farmer is a Fonterra shareholder and a fertiliser co-op and irrigation scheme member it is hard to know who to go to for advice on a farm environment plan, for instance.

The trust also wants to pave the way for current and future farming by ensuring ECan’s land management policy is workable, Gard said.

The farmer-led, member-funded group hopes to eventually represent 350 farmers. It will soon make a submission to ECan at public plan change hearings. n

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

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ON FARM

Daniel and Paula McAtamney and daughter Addilyn are on the move to a 50:50 sharemilking job.

Photos: Tony Benny 20

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

Moving onwards and upwards A young Canterbury couple have farm ownership well within their sights. Tony Benny reports on their progress.

W

HEN Paula McAtamney went into labour just before she and husband Daniel were due to give a two-hour presentation to judges in the 2018 Canterbury-North Otago Share Farm of the Year they had to call and cancel.

As entrants in the competition, they had already made a two-hour presentation, outlining to three judges what, why and how they farm, based on judging criteria.

“The judges can’t ask questions. We had to explain and show what we were doing and hope we were doing the right things

on-farm for their judging,” Paula says.

“It’s based on best on-farm practices so you have to follow industry standards and run a good operation. It’s a big presentation and we used videos, PowerPoint and props on-farm.”

When they got through to the top five the couple had to make another two-hour presentation, this time to another three judges brought in from outside the region but complicating the picture was the imminent birth of the McAtamneys’ first child Addilyn.

“When Paula went into labour I had to ring them and say we were not going to be there,” Daniel says.

It looked like they might not be able to

FARM FACTS n Owners: Ian and Sue Thornton n Sharemilkers: Daniel and Paula McAtamney n Location: Hinds, Canterbury n Farm size: 240ha n Cows: 840 Friesian n Production target: 2019-20 400,000kg MS

Continued page 22

Daniel and Paula will be milking 840-cows this season on a farm at Hinds.

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

21

ON FARM

Daniel and Paula have been farming next to the Rangitata River, one of Canterbury’s big braided rivers. Their environmental awareness won the Farm Environment Award at the regional Dairy Industry Awards last year.

make their presentation at all but when one of the other finalists pulled out the next day they acted fast.

“Addy had just been born and was 36 hours old when Dan picked me up from the hospital,” Paula says.

“Luckily, Mum came down and looked after her for two hours while we ran around the farm with the judges.

“They said I went quite white at one point so I just sat down but we got there and managed to do well.”

They went on to win Share Farmer of the Year for the region and five of the eight merit awards.

The couple are enthusiastic supporters of the awards and while winning is good for the CV, equally important to them are the people they met along the way.

“The networks that you make are pretty cool, meeting people who are doing well but pushing hard,” Daniel says.

“They’re there for a reason and it’s to help you grow. We met a lot of people like that, going through the same sort of stuff or who have been through it and lots of them are now farm owners.

“There are mentors and people you look up to who were in our position not long ago. Their inspiration rubs off on you.”

Now, just five years after they turned their backs on their chosen careers and 22

committed to dairy farming they are well on the way to their long-term goal of farm ownership. This season they are stepping up to a new 50:50 sharemilking position at Hinds, where they will milk 840 cows.

The networks that you make are pretty cool, meeting people who are doing well but pushing hard.

Daniel McAtamney

Daniel was brought up on a sheep and beef farm and was the stock manager on a sheep and beef farm. But he could see that industry might not have the career options he was looking for.

“I decided what I was doing was probably not the best way to get my own farm,” he says.

“I’d been sheep and beef farming all

my life but I have always liked all sorts of farming. It doesn’t worry me which one. I made the decision to give dairying a go.”

Paula grew up on a dairy farm but after leaving school decided on a nursing career. After training and working as a nurse she realised she missed the farm and rural lifestyle.

“I just wanted to try to get off the farm and do something a wee bit different but I had an opportunity to come back farming, working on one of my parents’ dairy farms so I decided to get into it,” Paula says.

Both realised that despite their farming backgrounds they needed to upskill if they were to do well in the dairy industry.

They met at a dairy farming training class.

“We both went to Primary ITO training and we were in the same class and got to know each other,” Paula says.

Keen to extend themselves, they decided to enter the Canterbury-North Otago Dairy Industry Awards and competed against each other in the dairy trainee section.

“That was quite interesting because we both got into the finals, separately, so we probably didn’t talk for about a week leading up to the final judging,” Paula

Continued page 24 DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

Daniel and Paula nearly missed out on the final round of judging for the 2018 Share Farmer of the Year awards after Paula went into labour with Addilyn, now 14 months.

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June 2019

23

ON FARM

Addilyn, 14 months, loves being out on the farm and is a terror if she doesn’t get among the herd in the morning.

says, adding that it’s still up for debate who did best in the contest.

“I got the knowledge award and Dan got third overall.”

They landed jobs working on the same 1600-cow farm, in assistant manager roles but quickly proved themselves, thanks to their farming backgrounds, training and ambition.

“I was a bit stubborn and wanted to still have my own role and not just be seen as the partner who milked cows because it was my chosen career too. That was quite important to me,” Paula says.

Though they worked separately, Paula and Daniel officially became a couple during their time on the farm. After a year there they went contract milking for Paula’s parents on a 600-cow farm and bought some heifers, which were leased into the herd.

“That was probably our hardest season.

It went really dry and we lost a well and couldn’t irrigate so we had to go oncea-day. That was quite interesting for us.

The first year contract milking was a big learning curve,” Paula says.

The Central Plains Water irrigation scheme hadn’t been completed then so when drought struck farmers like the McAtamneys, who relied on irrigation water from wells, struggled.

With CPW water still not due for a year they decided a safer farming option was to find a contract on an irrigated farm with more reliable water and took on an 1150-cow, 300ha property on Rangitata Island in South Canterbury.

The farm was one of the first dairy 24

conversions in the area, about 25 years ago, which turned what had been stony, unproductive, old riverbed into fertile pasture. There are a variety of irrigation systems on the property, which seems to reflect the way dairy farming has evolved in Canterbury.

“We have three pivots, two Roto Rainers, a gun, K-Line and some sprinklers and the water comes from numerous sources.

“We’ve got bores, we’ve got surface water and we’ve galleries which provide river water,” Daniel says.

“There are five or six different consents that we have to keep within because it’s not just water from one source and so we can mix and blend water all over the farm but you’ve got to be on the ball with it.”

The irrigation system is quite complex, effectively four separate systems that can be interconnected when necessary, a challenge in itself but when combined with the requirement to operate within limits contained in the consents it’s doubly challenging.

“Dan likes that sort of problemsolving,” Paula says.

The McAtamneys have said goodbye to the cows on the Rangitata Island farm where they have been contract milking.

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

Assistant manager Jack Barraclough in the cowshed during afternoon milking. He and the other staff are shifting with the McAtamneys.

While farmers on new conversions irrigated solely by centre pivots and sprinklers can often control watering from their smart phone, Daniel doesn’t have that luxury. His phone provides him only data from flow meters installed on every pump, as required for Environment Canterbury irrigation consents for all takes over five litres a second.

He uses data from soil moisture meters

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

along with his understanding of how the system works to keep the grass growing and he must have got the hang of it because among the multiple awards the couple won at last year’s Dairy Industry Awards was the Farm Environment Award.

After two years contract milking on the Rangitata Island farm the couple are in the process of moving on to a 50:50 sharemilking position milking 840 cows farm at Hinds, about 10 minutes up the road.

They have been working towards this move for more than a year, having bought a 400-cow herd from Paula’s parents when they sold one of their farms.

“My parents sold the farm at the end of the 2017-18 season and they had a really good herd available that we thought we couldn’t let go,” Paula says.

“We knew the history of them. It wasn’t an emotional attachment but we knew all about them and how good they were.”

But with another year still to run on their contract milking job they couldn’t up and leave so had to find a home for their new herd. As luck would have it they knew of a farm where there was an opportunity for a one-year, 50:50 sharemilking job.

“That property had new owners but they couldn’t move there until they had seen out the final year of their 50:50 contract on another farm so we applied for the one-year contract on their new

farm to fill the gap and were offered it,” Paula says.

There was no way they could contract milk and sharemilk on two farms so the couple took on a contract milker and bought another 300 cows for the sharemilking job and carried on with their contract milking job at the same time.

“This season went really well. We were well up in milk production on the sharemilking farm and the home farm was similar to what we normally have.

Taking on the sharemilking position was a very good step for us,” Daniel says.

“We were hands-on at home but still quite involved up there, making a lot of the feed decisions along with the owners and all the cow and breeding decisions as they’re our cows. The contract milker has done really well and that’s a credit to him.”

“One of the things we’ve had to do well this year is communicating with the landowners and the contract milker.

There have been three parties, not just the usual two but everyone’s happy and it’s gone really well.”

The McAtamneys are now in the process of shifting two farms.

They and their five staff are moving from Rangitata Island to Hinds and their herd is being moved from the short-term sharemilking job to Hinds as well.

They have had to buy another 140 cows for the Hinds farm and chose to 25

ON FARM

She loves going on the farm – if she’s not outside in the morning she’s just a terror.

Paula McAtamney

buy them in the North Island rather than Canterbury. They feel there’s more choice and can land them in the South Island for similar money.

The couple are enjoying the transition from contract milking to owning their own herd and being able to make their own decisions.

“We’re learning all those new skills and you often don’t get to do that stuff contract milking. It has been a case of these are the cows you are milking and you have no choice, whereas now we get to choose which cows we want to milk and how we breed them,” Paula says.

“We’ve really enjoyed this farm (Makaiwai Farm). It’s been good and we’d happily stay here but going 50:50 is a great opportunity.

“We’ve already got the cows so if we don’t do it now we’ll have to sell the herd and then it would be harder to do it again,” Daniel adds.

The new farm will be a System 3 – similar to the Rangitata Island farm but with up to 20% of total feed imported to extend lactation. Stock will be wintered on the farm on fodder beet.

“Not much will change. We’ll just stick to our knitting for a year. We might be able to tweak things in the future but the new farm has been running to a pretty

The McAtamneys have just finished a busy year in which they contract milked on one farm and sharemilked on another.

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Assistant manager Jack Barraclough brings the herd in for one of their final milkings.

high standard so there won’t be huge gains to be made until we’ve got to know what the place is doing.”

Where he thinks they can make some gains is by improving their herd.

“We’ve got the basics of a young herd but we have added to it so there’s still a bit of room for genetic improvement. We’ll work on age and BW and PW – it’s not bad but there are definitely improvements we could make if we want them.”

While they are looking forward to having much greater control as sharemilkers than they had as contract milkers they accept there is also higher risk.

“Contract milking is quite safe. You pretty much know what you’re going to get regardless of the payout. But with sharemilking you take that risk of fluctuating payout and being affected by that but then you also can get a bigger return,” Paula says.

“It’s good cashflow,” Daniel adds.

“But it’s also high risk. If the payout drops it can be going the other way pretty quick.

“In the good years you make lots and low payout years it can be challenging and that’s the trouble. In the real low ones you haven’t got security because your cows drop in value, which, all of a sudden, can put you under pressure equity-wise.”

But while they’re aware of the risk the couple see the step up to 50:50 sharemilking as the best way to achieve their long term aim of farm ownership.

“We’ve probably moved towards our goal quicker than we thought we would but farm ownership is the ultimate,” Paula says.

Daniel interrupts, “I don’t know how many years away that will be.”

“We will get there,” Paula declares.

They believe one of the secrets to their success is working together.

Although Daniel spends more time on the farm than Paula, who has more office

work to look after, they are a team and often work together with stock and Paula also rears the calves.

“You have to work together. We wouldn’t be doing what we’re doing if we weren’t,” Daniel says.

“Paula does the HR stuff and that’s really important, team building events, training and that sort of thing. She keeps an eye on that stuff and makes sure it’s happening.”

Having grown up on farms the couple believe it is a great place to bring up children and are pleased they can give that opportunity to 14-month-old Addilyn.

“She loves going on the farm – if she’s not outside in the morning she’s just a terror,” Paula says.

“She’s growing up out there doing it, which is cool,” Daniel says.

“That’s what Paula and I had. We both grew up on farms doing it. It’s a cool way to bring up kids.” n

Makaiwai Farm at Rangitata Island has been home for the past two years but the chance to go 50:50 was too good the McAtamneys to pass up.

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

27

AT THE GRASROOTS

Posh kids shun dairy Manawatu farmer Hayley Hoogendyk gets the low-down on perceptions of dairy farming.

She finds private school children look down on what they see as a disease-ridden occupation fit only for state school students.

Manawatu farmer Hayley Hoogendyk says dairy farming needs to be promoted as a viable industry for young people.

Photo: Sonita Chandar

S A passionate dairy farmer I wanted to get an idea of what some high school students thought of dairy farming.

My sister is a teacher at a private high school and together we came up with a questionnaire.

She told her students I was doing some research and asked if they would take part. They were keen so she handed it out.

They were surprised when they realised it was about dairy farming as a career.

One even asked “Shouldn’t this survey be done at a state school, not a private school?”

As an industry we seem to struggle to find the young, fresh-out-of-school, noexperience person.

The industry needs young people coming in and we need people with a range of academic abilities to go on to manage, sharemilk and own farms in the future.

We need people who understand technology and can use it effectively.

Personally, I find dairy farming a great career choice even though I didn’t plan on it. I grew up as a townie in Mount Maunganui, was reasonably academic but

put more enthusiasm into soccer. I fell into the dairy industry accidentally after getting a business degree and working as an events manager. It has been seven years and I am loving it.

These are the questions and answers from the 30 students surveyed.

What skills do you need to work on a dairy farm?

Four said no skills, half thought working hard and animal skills were important.

What subjects do you need to work on a dairy farm?

Many thought none, 10 biology, seven maths, two agriculture and PE was important.

What subjects does a dairy farm manager need?

Twelve said management skills, seven business skills, three communications, three people skills and one said computer skills.

Name three positive things about working on a dairy farm.

Eight said free milk, nine working with animals and three said outdoor work. Not living near people, having a pet pig and every day would be different were also noted.

Name three negative things about working on a dairy farm.

A

28

Large majority said smell like poo, eight said waking up early, half said low pay/long hours or more specifically “you become broke”.

Five mentioned cows, five said it was hard work. One said “you catch mad cow disease”. I know a lot of dairy farmers, including myself, are mad about cows so there might be some unintended truth in that comment.

What would be the reaction if you went home tonight and told your parents you wanted to be a dairy farmer?

Three said dead/slapped or disowned, four supported, two would be happy but 12 thought their parents would be disappointed. Eight respondents said they would be told to go back to school or change jobs while another thought he would be told “that’s a decision that will ruin your life” and one would be laughed at “because it’s for people who are not intellectual”.

Finally, on a scale of 1 (horrible) – 10 (fantastic) what do you think dairy farming would be like as a career/job?

One rated it an eight, one a six and the rest just one, two or three.

The results show these students do not see dairying as a positive career option, if a career at all – more of a last resort job.

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

day, shooting into town to do errands?

However, I don’t believe this is the How many jobs can you spend time with students’ fault, it’s more naivety. family at breakfast and lunch or even take But where does it stem from and where them to work with you daily? How many does the negative come from? jobs require no travelling to get to work How do we change these attitudes though I miss sitting in daily traffic jams. and help people realise what a fantastic Sure, there are some potentially long industry dairying is? hours or hard work to be done for a Some of the most successful farmers couple of months of calving but winter I know are career changers. They realise and quieter times make up for it. what a good family lifestyle farming In my opinion dairy farming is a career can create, how flexible it is and how that allows great potential for forward rewarding a career it is where you get out thinkers, intellectuals, individuals who what you put in. are motivated to succeed and people from There’s also the ability to create wealth. all backgrounds.

We need to be shouting from the It is a great career for people who get rooftops that you can finish high school, bored easily or who learn quickly, as there work your way through the ranks and is always something that can be changed, be the farm manager of a multi-million innovated or improved. dollar farm business within a few years It is satisfying and rewarding when you and all without a student loan. reach targets and goals and having dairy They can be self-employed and grow farming experience can lead to a wide their wealth in their own farm business range of careers in supporting industries. or continue managing while focusing We all know that there is a large on other aspects of life important to range of skills useful on a dairy farm. them, whether that’s investing in houses, Personally, a good attitude, common continuing education, hobbies or sense and empathy with animals rate interests.

REVISED-HFS ad 210mmWx156mmH-PRINT.pdf 2:26 IPM believe useful subjects include How many other jobs are flexible 1 20/05/19highly. maths and science as well as business around time off, finishing early for the

understanding, leadership, computer skills and, most importantly, people skills.

My top three positives about dairying are the great, down-to-earth people in the industry, variety of skills to learn and excel at and, of course, spending time with all my cows, getting cuddles and watching their curious, entertaining behaviour.

My three negatives are the early mornings, the amount of uncontrollable things such as milk price and weather and the excessive amount of social pressure and blame that dairy farmers receive.

We need to work as an industry whole and continue to share stories about dairy farming, including the advantages of becoming a dairy farmer straight out of school and get messages into the schools via teachers and careers advisers.

We must help those high achievers realise they can use their abilities to go on to be very successful farmers and be financially rewarded. The realities of dairy farming are not what the media portray and it’s up to us as proud farmers to help push the positives and ensure we have positive young people coming into the industry. n

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A balancing act Dairy Woman of the Year Trish Rankin is a primary school teacher, fulltime farmer and a passionate environmentalist among other things.

Ross Nolly reports.

W

HEN Trish Rankin heard her name announced as the winner of the 2019 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year award she was completely taken by surprise.

She has always followed her passions 30

but never set out to strategically target an award. Entering the 2013 Hawke’s Bay/ Wairarapa Dairy Industry Awards and winning the 2016 Northland share farmer competition set the ball rolling for her. It brought about a realisation that people, many in the higher echelon of the dairy industry, are interested in what she has to say.

After moving to Northland and looking at local environmental issues she discovered her passion for resolving environmental issues in the dairy sector. “I contacted Helen Moodie who was our local DairyNZ representative and catchment engagement leader. She visited our farm and invited me to my

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

DAIRY CHAMPION first dairy environment leaders forum. If I hadn’t met her and become involved in that group I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

As well as her passion for environmental issues she has done the Kellogg Leadership Programme this year, focusing on waste minimisation on farms and aims to upskill to work in the industry’s environmental/recycling area. She feels that is where there are going to be massive opportunities for a circular economy. She has business ideas to contribute and is looking ahead to see how she can initiate them.

“The Kellogg Leadership Programme showed me that leadership doesn’t have to be the chief executive or the person at the top of an organisation.

“If I see a problem I try to work out how to fix it. That’s what rocks my boat.”

She prefers to lead from the middle and enjoys being the person who understands the strategic decisions happening above her but can work with the people at ground level.

“The challenge for me is leading from the middle. It’s the ideal position for someone who enjoys solving problems, dealing with people and not being too far removed from the challenge.”

When asked about her weaknesses Trish realises she can be too enthusiastic and can leave people behind. Often she

Trish Rankin is the 2019 Dairy Woman of the Year. Trish received her award from Fonterra co-operative affairs managing director Mike Cronin.

can see how to solve a problem when others around her haven’t seen the problem.

She has held a number of roles including dairy farmer representative on the technical user committee doing the NAIT review from 2015-18 and is one of the 19 people in the region who have completed the dairy environment leaders programme.

Trish believes following a number of passions was the tipping factor to winning the award. To say she never expected to win the prestigious award is an understatement. She had stayed at the Dairy Women’s Network conference until 5pm before rushing off to prepare for the award ceremony.

Not one to make a big fuss she went to the ceremony in a dress borrowed from her sister-in-law and her sister’s shoes.

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

Taranaki farmer and primary school teacher Trish Rankin juggles family and working and manages to fit in various roles in the industry.

“I quickly got changed, put my hair up, whipped some make-up on and sat at the back of the room not realising that there was a table for us at the front. I took off my shoes, poured a glass of wine and sat back to enjoy the night.”

Fonterra co-operative affairs managing director Mike Cronin began speaking about how, in the future, dairy women will need to contribute to their community, be involved and passionate about the environment, be keen on helping both locally and nationally and have their eye on the big picture.

“It was at this point my sister turned to me and said ‘holy heck, put your shoes on I think he’s about to say your name’.”

“When I heard my name I thought what am I going to say? I didn’t have a prepared speech because I never dreamed that I’d win.”

It worked out quite nicely though because she was able to walk past many of the people who had guided her and encouraged her to enter the awards.

“By all accounts I gave a good speech.

“I have no idea what I said. I just remember thinking holy guacamole, there’s a few hundred people out there.

“My public speaking training kicked in and I said to myself, feet planted, hands down, breath deep and talk.”

She turned down her first award nomination because she didn’t feel she was at that level. Another nomination prompted Dairy Women’s Network chief executive Jules Benton to phone her and

ask her what she would want to get out of it.

She decided she would accept the nomination but was still unsure whether she was at that level. Benton told her she would never know unless she entered.

“I hadn’t picked just one thing to follow. I’d picked things that I loved to do and concentrated on doing them well.

But I’ve always been prepared to discuss how to work on the things that I don’t do so well.

“It never feels difficult if you do things that you love and you’re always going to do them well. You must tackle something for yourself, your family or something that matches your values. I’ve become very selective about choosing what I’ll join and have learnt how to delegate or point someone in the direction of people who can help.”

As Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year she receives a $20,000 Fonterra scholarship for a professional business development programme.

She has contacted a number of senior women business leaders and they all advised her to do something lifechanging that she could never usually afford.

“I’m considering attending Harvard Business School or Stanford University.

I’m also interested in the University of Bradford’s online MBA in circular economy and business innovation.

Continued page 32 31

DAIRY CHAMPION

Trish and Glen Rankin with some of their friendly herd. They are sharemilkers on a 440-cow farm in Taranaki.

“Initially, I only wanted to do an MBA. But the advice I received reminded me that an online course doesn’t necessarily allow you to make contacts. You’ve got to consciously try to get into the next strata of business people.”

When Trish attended the recent Dairy Industry Awards ceremony she talked to a number of chief executives, chairpersons and members of Parliament.

“It’s mind-boggling to think that I’m rubbing shoulders with those people and being able to do it confidently and have them know who I am. That’s what this sort of award and work can do.

However, one minute you’re chatting to the Fonterra chief executive, the next morning you’re trying to sort out the kid’s bedrooms.”

She has learnt a lot and come a long way considering she did not come from a farming background.

The daughter of a policeman, she was born in Christchurch but moved to Greymouth at the age of seven. At 17 she moved back to Canterbury University 32

and Teachers College to train for three years and began her teaching career in Christchurch. She always knew she wanted to be a teacher and has fond memories of making her family play schools.

If I see a problem I try to work out how to fix it.

That’s what rocks my boat.

Trish Rankin

In 1999 she moved back to Greymouth and met husband Glen in Greymouth in 2000 when he was working for AgriQuality and she was teaching. They

got married in 2003 and have four boys, Charlie, 13, Harry, 12, Tom, 8, and Patrick, 6.

In 2001 Glen decided to go dairy farming and moved to Canterbury where he was the herd manager on an 800cow farm and Trish got a teaching job in Ashburton. Several moves later, they ended up in Northland.

That is where Trish learnt to milk, do a shed wash, drive a tractor, feed stock and put up a fence in what she calls her farm assistant job. It was a challenging farm to learn on but with super patient husband Glen she learnt what she needed to know to run the farm so Glen could have the odd days off.

“Milking 17 rows OAD was definitely a challenge and cows will always let you know if you have done something wrong.”

She also completed an agribusiness management diploma through NorthTec. They are now in their second season as 45:55 herd-owning sharemilkers on a 154 hectare Parininihi ki Waitotara farm in

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

South Taranaki milking 440 cows.

She balances teaching part time at Opunake Primary School and being on farm full time. During term three of the school year she is full time on the farm to help with calving.

A well as being an active dairy enviro leader and member of the DEL network she is also chairwoman of the Taranaki DEL group. In 2018 she was elected to the national executive for the NZ Dairy Awards.

She says there is a stereotype that the rural sector has been slow to recognise women in the workforce but she believes the opposite is the case and women are now recognised as business partners throughout the agricultural industry.

“A job is a job not necessarily a gender. On every media story you now see husbands thanking wives and vice versa. At the recent NZDIA we had a regional managers meeting where all the 11 regional managers discussed their memorable moments. Every guy said ‘my wife did all of this, I’m so proud of her.’

“DairyNZ, Fonterra and all of the many rural organisations love seeing diversity.

It’s just going to get better,” Trish says. n

Dairy Woman of the Year winner Trish Rankin has had a number of roles in the industry including that of climate change leader and sits as the dairy farmer representative on the technical user committee doing the Nait review.

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FAST FIVE The Dairy Farmer team is always out and about looking for dairy industry workers going about their business. Keep an eye out, you just never know when one of our team might tap you on the shoulder.

This month we catch up with Ngatea farm manger Himanshu Patel.

1. Why did you go farming? What attracted you to the industry?

I chose farming because I spent a bit of time in India around cattle and enjoyed working with them. I was attracted to farming because it is an open work environment, flexible and also there are lots of opportunities in dairy farming. It has a bright future.

2. What do you enjoy the most about farming and why?

I enjoy milking cows and working with them, looking after their health and maintaining pastures. I am keen to learn new things and improve my knowledge in dairy farming by attending discussion groups.

3. What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced as a migrant?

The biggest challenge being a migrant was the language barrier as the Kiwi accent is different from the Indian English accent. Searching for a job was difficult as people were looking for NZ experience but when all goes well, it ends well. It was also difficult being away from family and friends.

4. Future goals I am looking forward to starting in the manager’s role and hope to take the step up to contract milking in the near future.

5. If you weren’t farming what would you be doing? What would be your dream to do or job to do?

Himanshu Patel

I love movies so I would love to have been a Bollywood movie star.

Since I have done agricultural engineering in India, if I wasn’t farming in NZ, I would be probably working in the agriculture banking sector in India.

HIMANSHU Patel is originally from India’s westernmost state of Gujarat, north of Mumbai. He grew up in the small town of Prantij near Ahmedabad where his father worked as a bus driver for the government.

As a child he often spent his summer holidays visiting his uncle and aunt who reared cattle, which got him interested in agriculture.

Leaving school he studied agricultural engineering at Anand Agriculture University. As soon as he graduated he started thinking of how to further his studies. While talking to a family friend he learnt that in New Zealand dairy farming is on a large scale.

He came to NZ in 2013 and studied applied technology levels

4-5 at Wairaiki Institute of Technology in Rotorua.

He says coming to NZ was tough with no family support and he also found it difficult to cope with the accent.

He completed his course and started training on a farm near Tokoroa as farm assistant. Over the years he has learnt a great deal and gained a lot of experience leading to him progressing.

This season he will take on his first role as sole charge manager at Big Sky farm near Ngatea.

He believes that if people do a good job then good things will come their way, especially in the dairy industry where there are lots of opportunities.

Away from the farm he enjoys spending time exploring NZ with his wife and friends and is a movie buff.

Proven Product. Best Spread.

Thank you to all our farmers who took the time to enter our Grown on the land v Grown in a lab discussion. Congratulations to dairy farmer Tim Dwyer from South Taranaki and Putaruru farmer Susan Harper who have each won a $300 voucher from Bell-Booth.

GROWN ON THE LAND V GROWN IN THE LAB Tim Dwyer FAKE meat is not a replacement for real meat, it’s an alternative or a side dish that has its place. You could say the same about two-minute noodles or chicken flavoured chips.

It is just another food and could be an opportunity for some farmers to change from dairying to crops as all these products have a chickpea or similar crop base. And we probably need these products to feed the growing population.

But once people see the processing, additives and energy needed to try to replicate a healthy raw product that already exists most people will probably stick to the real deal. Who knows what hormones and proteins are being used to produce it.

This could actually be good for the meat industry. Eating fake meat could be like a gateway food for vegans and vegos to try it and actually man-up and one day eat meat.

Susan Harper I THINK artificial meat is a just a whole lot of hype and don’t think it will ever take off – it certainly won’t in NZ. I’m not interested in it as it doesn’t grab me. We all know how much like plastic margarine is. I can only imagine what lab meat will be like and imagine all the food colouring, salt and other preservatives that are used to make this false meat. They can’t be good for you. I looked up some of the ingredients and wasn’t impressed.

At least with real meat that has been home-grown on the land you know there is meat in the patty. There is one group that is pushing this that believes people can survive on legumes etc but some people can’t eat that sort of thing so what are they supposed to eat?

I will stick with real meat thanks.

want to be part of this

Each month Pull The Udder One invites farmers to express their views on topics chosen by the Dairy Farmer team with every entry published being awarded a prize kindly donated by GlobalHQ clients.

Showcase your products alongside your debate of choice and show your support of our rural communities.

DISCUSSION?

contact your partnership manager today

JULY DISCUSSION:

ROBOTIC MILKING VS TRADITIONAL MILKING With technology advancing rapidly, would you let robots take over in the milking shed?

Individual entries will be accepted as well as those from a warring duo.

The submission deadline is June 19, 2019 Enter now at farmersweekly.co.nz/pull-the-udder-one

Terms and conditions apply.

Win a $250 CRV Ambreed voucher for each of our published letters

farmersweekly.co.nz

INDUSTRY GOOD

Shaping young minds, one farm visit at a time Natalia Benquet

Senior consulting officer

I

’M A firm believer in the power of education.

As Nelson Mandela once said “Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world.”

I’ve been impressed by the efforts many of you are making to inform people about what really happens on-farm, whether it be through correcting misinformation online, sharing your stories on social media or opening your farm gates. It really can make a difference, even though it might not always feel like it at times.

A few months ago I was fortunate to see first-hand the impact that can make when I helped at two school visits to dairy farms in Canterbury.

It was amazing to see just how engaged and curious the children are in learning more about dairy and where their milk comes from.

We talked to them about everything from cow and calf care to looking after the environment, irrigation, milk collection and quality controls.

Feeding the calves on the Calfateria and milk tasting were clear highlights for the kids but they were even amazed at simple things like how much grass a cow eats each day. I found this a good reminder to stop and appreciate the little things we can often take for granted.

For a lot of the students and their parents it was their first visit to a farm and one teacher wrote to me to say everyone, students and parents, had an awesome experience.

“We are forever grateful,” she said.

The icing on the cake was the thankyou letters from the children – they made my day.

These school visits are part of 36

DairyNZ’s cowbassador Rosie is helping educate young people about dairy.

DairyNZ’s Rosie Education programme.

Over the past year, thanks to farmer volunteers, 7553 children along with their teachers and parents visited a dairy farm. The programme takes care of the communications between schools and farmers and helps meet health and safety requirements.

It’s great that farmers are opening their farm gates and schools are taking up the chance to educate their students and caregivers about dairy. My hope is more farmers and schools engage in this learning experience because, for many children and parents, it might be the first and only chance they get to spend time on a farm.

with DairyNZ The visits might encourage a child to take up a career in dairy and give the parents better information to help them work through their children’s career options and might even inspire a career change for themselves. They are also a chance for you to tell your story and shape the impression parents or teachers might hold of the dairy sector. n

MORE:

About Rosie’s Education programme or hosting school visits at dairynz.co.nz/ education DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

DBOY AWARDS

Top dairying businesses SONITA CHANDAR

J

UDGING is under way for the 2019 Dairy Business of the Year awards with winners to be announced later this month.

Now in its 12th year, the DBOY event held across all dairy regions of New Zealand provides a unique opportunity for farmers to obtain a comprehensive farm performance assessment and report on their dairy enterprise’s financial, human resources and environmental management, the triple bottom line.

Regional Optimisation Days that highlight how award-winning farmers have obtained a resilient and profitable system will be held this year on the regional winners’ farms throughout NZ during October and November.

“These field day events are a great day out and an excellent opportunity to

hear and learn from some of NZ’s most resilient, sustainable and innovative dairy farmers,” DBOY managing director Warren Morritt says.

“Attending these events provides an opportunity to see first-hand those farming principles that are applied on these high-performing farms and is a perfect time to ask questions, share ideas and to expand your own farm knowledge that could then be applied to your farming system.”

Winner of the 2018 DBOY supreme award, Tim Montgomerie of MOBH Farm says “We have entered DBOY three times now as the data gained via the farm performance report is invaluable in assisting us make evidence-based decisions for our business.

“DBOY allows us to benchmark ourselves with other top-end businesses and provides an accurate warts-and-all critique of our business.”

On behalf of all the sponsors the competition is managed by Headlands and sponsored by gold sponsors the Ministry for Primary Industries, Theland Farm Group and Headlands, silver sponsor Nutrinza and bronze sponsors Dairy Exporter, Pioneer, NZI, CRV Ambreed, JobDone, Dairy Farmer and supported by No8HR and PGG Wrightson Real Estate.

The awards are being held at the Millennium Hotel in Queenstown on Thursday June 20. n

MORE:

Tickets are available on the website www. dboy.co.nz or to find out more call Monique Stewart on 0800 735 588.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Dairy Crest now Saputo

T

HE Dairy Crest brand name will be replaced by Saputo Dairy UK from July, its new boss Tom Atherton has confirmed.

The name change follows the acquisition of Dairy Crest by Canadian dairy processor Saputo in a deal worth almost £1 billion.

But Atherton said there are no plans to change the name of Dairy Crest Direct, the producer organisation of 330 southwest dairy farmers, which supplies the milk used to produce its Cathedral City and Davidstow cheddars.

He also revealed plans to increase cheese output from 50,000 tonnes a year at its Davidstow factory to 77,000t in the next few years.

That will involve a deeper relationship with existing dairy producers and potentially the need for new milk suppliers.

“I’m really proud of our relationship with Dairy Crest Direct, it’s going deepen and carry on,” he said.

“All our milk producers are located within 80 miles of our Davidstow factory in the southwest.

“The Dairy Crest Direct name will move under the Saputo umbrella.

“That relationship is incredibly important to us. It underlines our company. That strategy does not change.

“As that side of the business grows we will want more milk. Cathedral City is a big, profitable brand,” he said.

“My priority would be existing farmers

first and allow them to grow with us.

“But there is potential to take some new farmers on.”

Atherton said Saputo will also be looking to export its British-produced cheddar cheese brand across Europe, the United States and Canada.

Saputo is one of the top 10 dairy processors in the world with production facilities in Canada, the United States, Argentina and Australia.

The company produces and retails a wide range of dairy products and it prides itself on high-quality cheeses.

Atherton, who has worked for Dairy Crest since 2005, was recently appointed president and chief operating officer of Saputo’s newly-formed Dairy Division (UK). n

Feed to relieve heat stress A NEW feed additive can help protect dairy cows from heat stress and reduce performance losses in hot weather.

Heat-stressed cows show fewer signs of oestrus and feed intakes fall, limiting production.

Estimates suggest the combination of lost milk, decreased fertility and lower feed efficiency cost British farmers £40£85 a cow.

To help reduce core body temperatures and limit the effects Cargill Animal Nutrition has developed an additive that increases hydration at a cellular level.

Its Equaliser CoolCow contains an

38

osmolyte and rumen buffer and can be included in the total mixed ration.

Cargill’s ruminant technical manager Dr Philip Ingram says heat stress risk is measured with a temperature humidity index (THI), which reflects relative humidity and ambient temperature.

High-yielding cows start experiencing heat stress when their THI rises above 68.

An ambient temperature of 22C with a relative humidity of 60% equates to a THI of 68 and will trigger heat stress in dairy cows.

“UK weather data shows mean daily THI was above 68 during July and August in 2016 and 2017 and

consistently above 68 for at least three months – from June to August – in 2018.

“The THI is normally three to seven points higher in the sheds than outdoors, so housed cows can be more at risk.

“Managing heat stress requires adequate supplies of clean water and plenty of trough space. Buildings should be well ventilated and feed should be fresh and pushed up regularly to encourage intake.

Equaliser CoolCow is added to the lactating cow ration at a rate of 100-150g a head a day throughout the summer. n UK Farmers Weekly

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

2480RE86X210

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A successful formula

D

AIRYING must be on the front foot when it comes to promoting the benefits of full fat milk and formula, Kendal Nutricare chief executive Ross McMahon says.

He needs very little prompting to extol the virtues of full fat infant formula and adult dairy-based nutrition products.

Based at Kendal, Cumbria, McMahon bought the factory from Heinz in 2015 and set about establishing it as a global export business.

Sourcing considerable volumes of full fat milk powder from Yew Tree Dairy, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, the business does not have a dedicated pool of farmer suppliers though McMahon suggests that could be something the company might look at in future.

“I came here in 2014 when Heinz was about to buy Kraft so the rush to do the deal from their side was intense.”

The company now has significant export deals in place and a growing presence in British retail space via supermarkets such as Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda.

It employs 138 people and its major products are Kendamil infant formula, organic infant formula, goat infant formula and a range of smoothies and meal replacements for the adult market. It also produces infant cereals.

But it is exports that have driven the business forward, with a deal signed in China with the state-owned importer Orient International Holding Shanghai Foreign Trade Company.

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Kendal Nutricare chief executive Ross McMahon is chasing exports, particularly in China.

It’s worth an estimated £350 million over the next decade.

“I have worked in the food industry for 33 years and you realise that a lot of the production standards in different countries are not always enforced – in the United States, for example.

“But in China the standards are incredibly high and we have to work with them to get Kendamil out there.”

And at a time when there are mixed messages about the benefits of full fat milk for human health McMahon is zealous in his promotion of this dairy asset, with particular disdain focused at infant formula manufacturers using palm oil in their products.

“It is unnatural to put palm oil in a child.

“By putting in whole milk, consumers are seeing a big difference (to their health) and that is a positive move for us and the dairy industry.”

But does he see Brexit as a threat or opportunity for his business?

He comes down firmly on the latter.

“Brexit, for me, is about currency movement.

“It is also an opportunity because the government is incentivising its staff to promote companies such as ours in overseas markets.

“Brexit has been a catalyst for this.” n UK Farmers Guardian

Getting the mineral balance right to improve your mating If you are serious about addressing metabolic issues, poor milk production and a reduction in the involuntary culling of cows, it’s time to give serious consideration to the use of Bell-Booth’s intensive course of minerals and trace elements, the IntenSE range.

Six years on, IntenSE240 still delivering big results on a big Canterbury dairy holding When you milk 6,200 cows and your goal is to produce three million milksolids in a season, getting your trace element program right the first time, is critical.

With a farm policy of: 1. no CIDRs; 2. five weeks AI; 3. five weeks of the bull, since M. Bovis seven weeks; 4. operating costs at $3.50/ kgMS; the animal health program of choice on this corporate needs to be formulated with the right ingredients, at the right levels, to get the right outcomes.

For the last six seasons the contract milkers on this large, family-owned corporate have implemented an IntenSE240 program. The easily-dissolved, IntenSE-powder product is dosed-daily via waterlines during the lactation period. The staff on this farming group love simple and easy systems; they find no bother adding IntenSE240 to the waterline, it’s just part of the daily routine. The farm’s owner has a straightforward policy when it comes to expected outcomes: “If you expect cows to perform close to 500kg milksolids, you need the support of a good trace element and mineral program and IntenSE is formulated to support these goals. The results speak for themselves”:

Farm 1 (2016)

1,850 cows 6 week in-calf rate: 77% Empty rate: 9.5%

MATING 2018 RESULTS*

81% 8.5%

Contract milker Barry recognises the value of a cow in good condition and is confident that the IntenSE program has contributed towards this objective.

Barry says “The staff and I strive to do the best and the IntenSE program is part of the strategy. Our blood test results come back great and we know going into mating the cows are primed and ready. We only have the odd case of metabolic issues and somatic cell counts sit below 200,000 all season”.

Start the programme before drying off to get the results. *results from scanning and farm records

Farm 2 (2016)

2,600 cows 6-week in-calf rate: 72% Empty rate: 12%

MATING 2018 RESULTS*

72% 11%

Contract milker Mark is pleased with the outcomes from his IntenSE240 program. “Large herds have some additional challenges when it comes to getting cows in-calf and with Canterbury average empty rate for spring 2016 mating around 18-20%, for us to secure a 72% 6-week in-calf rate and a 12% empty-rate we’re really pleased with the results”.

Farm 3 (2016)

1,750 cows 6-week in-calf rate: 80% Empty rate: 6%

MATING 2018 RESULTS*

80% 7.5%

Contract milker Chris says “Blood test levels are never low and thanks to excellent mineral levels from IntenSE240 I don’t need to boost animals with injections which saves so much time, energy and money. I don’t use many metabolic recovery treatments and I didn’t even need to call the vet in. I have even had the opportunity to do some voluntary culling so I can sell any late-calvers.

I believe if I do the little things right, the big things look after themselves”.

Phone 0800 80 90 92 www.bell-booth.co.nz

RESEARCH

Grants for green work

T

HE Ministry for Primary Industries is calling for applications to the 2019-20 funding round for the Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change Research Programme.

It helps the agriculture and forestry sectors with the challenges arising from climate change.

MPI investment programmes director Steve Penno says the programme has been supporting New Zealand’s response to climate change since 2007 and has been recognised internationally as leading the world in this area.

“NZ-based research is directly adding to the global knowledge base on the biggest issues facing our planet and will continue to keep NZ at the forefront,” Penno says.

The impacts of climate change are projected to intensify over the coming decades – both environmentally and economically.

Both domestic and international expectations about the response to climate change and sustainable use of resources have risen.

Research highlights that 63% of farmers agree or strongly agree that global human activity is contributing to climate change, a significant increase on the proportion agreeing in 2009.

“This is a particularly exciting year in our climate change journey and we are looking forward to seeing the research proposals that will take our primary sectors to the next steps.

“We are still learning about how

This funding gets scientists and researchers working with the agriculture sector to understand and solve the problems and even see the opportunities.

Primary Industries Ministry investment programmes director Steve Penno says New Zealand’s response to climate change is worldleading.

climate change affects our livelihoods, how to adapt and how to mitigate our contributions to warming.

“This funding gets scientists and researchers working with the agriculture sector to understand and solve the problems and even see the opportunities.”

Each year’s funding prioritises one or more research theme topics.

For the 2019-20 round they are:

Research Theme 1: Impacts of climate change and adaptation.

Research Theme 2: Extension of climate change research.

Applications are assessed by an external advisory panel, which provides recommendations to MPI for final grant decisions.

Organisations, individuals or partnerships with co-funding from industry are encouraged to apply.

Applications must be received by 3pm on Friday June 14. Projects can run for one or two years.

Since 2007 the programme has invested about $50 million in more than 150 targeted, basic, applied, and policy research projects relating to climate change in the land-based production sectors.

The reports as well as a 10-year retrospective are available on the MPI website. n

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TECHNOLOGY

Greg Lovett invented the iWing to keep pivot irrigators stable during windstorms after he had one blow over and was told insurance companies may not cover future damage unless they could be stabilised.

Farmers find solutions TIM FULTON

M

OTORBIKES and kites inspired Greg Lovett to invent the iWing – a kind of spoiler for a pivot irrigator that could save him more than half a million dollars in the next windstorm.

The Ashburton crop grower stood to lose $600,000 after a pivot blew over.

Insurance covered the loss but Lovett was shaken by his insurer’s suggestion irrigators might not get future cover unless they can stay upright.

Lovett’s imagination whirred when he talked to a motorbike

42

rider who said he couldn’t race without a spoiler.

Kite-makers had similar aerodynamic advice for him and it wasn’t long before Lovett was road-testing an appendage for his pivot.

The iWing was a standout entry at this year’s innovation awards at South Island Agricultural Field Days.

Contest organiser Charlotte Glass, a farm consultant and panelist at a recent agri-tech forum in Christchurch, recalled Lovett’s response to judges asking how he tested the design.

“Well, we hooked it up behind the ute and we nipped up the road at 100kmh,” he told them.

Glass, founder and managing director of farm consultancy Agri Magic, said farmers can often find their own fixes and the

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

iWing was a fine example of Kiwi innovation.

It is easy to over-complicate technology and she often tells clients if they’ve got a hammer every problem looks like a nail.

Glass also advises clients against rushing into untried systems suggesting the second mouse gets the cheese.

While entrepreneurial farmers like Lovett seldom have problems testing designs they often lack connections and funding.

Farmers could do more if the innovation sector was more supportive, she said.

Panelist Will Burrett from data software and analytics company Map of Agriculture said some developers fail to do enough market research.

Well, we hooked it up behind the ute and we nipped up the road at 100kmh.

“It’s really about understanding what problem you are trying to solve. A lot of people see a commercialising ideal without robust conception for getting that prototype into the market. You’ve got to really make sure that when you do go to market, your product is going to be effective.”

Entrepreneurs in early stages of commercialising have to guard against being distracted by short-term, money-making side ventures with little relevance to original strategy.

After working so hard to get a product to market and now earning cash, forward-thinking for the business could go out the window.

Farmlands chief financial officer and strategy head Kevin Cooney, whose company is making a major investment in IT, said farmers want integrated systems but technology adoption is too fragmented.

“Personally, I think we need to have some kind of platform that is the honest broker for the data.”

Burrett said while that would be ideal, developers naturally want their own version that nobody else can touch.

Lincoln Agritech chief executive Peter Barrowclough said commercialisation can be a rocky path. Seed funding for new ventures has fallen on hard times and a supportive ecosystem needs to be recreated.

On the up side, Barrowclough predicts more farmers will adopt a digital ag approach to business using data to understand variabilities in a herd, for instance, or to apply inputs at just the right time.

Kiwi companies continue to make it to market with new products, operating in a first-world nation where agriculture is a major and important part of the economy.

That is a rare status for primary industries in developed countries, he said.

Primary industries will benefit from the so-called internet of things – the transfer of information between linked devices, image processing and artificial intelligence to help decision-making.

Similarly, robotics could relieve labour shortages and create local manufacturing opportunities.

“You’re not going to compete with the Japanese in terms of indoor robots but why not compete with robots that work in harsh environments. We could be a world leader with that,” Barrowclough said. n

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

JERSEY PROFIT BW and PW Economics

82%

of BW the T op Je Pro rsey D 50 ven tr S ir car es ry A2A the 2g ene

BW and PW are economic indices. They consider:

Net Fat revenue

Net Protein revenue

Less volume related costs

Cull cow revenue

Bobby calf revenue

Fixed per cow farm costs

NZ COW POPULATION ECONOMICS: Source: Dairy NZ-NZAEL Website

BW

PW

60

81

114

132

NZ average cow Xbred Cow

82

115

NZ average cow HF Cow

32

35

NZ average cow All Breeds NZ average cow Jersey Cow

NZ BULL POPULATION ECONOMICS: Source: Dairy NZ-NZAEL Website

BW

Highest 5% Jersey Sire BW Average

214

Highest 5% Xbred Sire BW Average

193

Highest 5% HF Sire BW Average

123

More Questions? Contact: jerseyprofitnz@gmail.com

43

A technological marvel

In 2018 Fieldays hosted 1051 exhibitors, 130,866 visitors including more than 300 international visitors from 42 counties and contributed $221 million to New Zealand’s GDP.

Advances in technology and ongoing work behind the scenes play a key part in Fieldays being a world-leading event. Sonita Chandar reports.

T

HE New Zealand Agricultural Fieldays has been built on the back of primary industries and over the past 50 years has gone ahead in leaps and bounds, National Fieldays Society chief executive Peter Nation says.

Fieldays is the southern hemisphere’s largest agricultural event and the ultimate launch platform for cuttingedge technology and innovation and technology has been at the forefront of that progression.

“I actually said last year that what we have achieved in the past 50 years we will achieve again in just five because of the technology that is constantly being developed,” Nation says.

“Our vision is to be a world-leading event but at the end of the day it is all about the customers and keeping relevant.”

44

This year will see a radio frequency identification Fieldays Explorer Band introduced.

“It is a personal business card so when you visit a site you can scan it and all of your contact details will be uploaded – it’s too easy,” he says.

“You don’t have to repeatedly fill in your contact details to enter competitions. You can save all the paperwork you gather from exhibitors and you can have an easy place to store all of the leads you gather from your time at Fieldays.”

Nation says it is cutting edge technology and when he recently attended the Disney Institute he was surprised to find it does not use something similar.

“Disneyland has a million people go through their gates every week so I was a bit taken aback that they weren’t using similar technology.

“We know we are delivering an event that is world-class but living and breathing it every day we take it for granted. Then when we go to places like Disneyland as an exercise in benchmarking ourselves against other events and when they go wow, we realise that we are at the forefront in terms of world events.

“We are not keeping pace with technology for the sake of being cool.

We are doing it for greater efficiency so we can continue to give our customers a great user experience.”

The Fieldays app has also been upgraded and will now help visitors find the closest coffee cart or toilet and will also give directions and estimated walking time.

Visitors to Fieldays might notice several changes to the layout this year with the demolition of the Gallagher building in the middle of the site. D Street

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

FIELDAYS®

We know we are delivering an event that is world-class.

Peter Nation

now runs straight up the middle and right though the site. Another building has been refurbished as an upmarket conference centre and signs and roads have been upgraded.

What visitors won’t notice are the underground GPS cables which serve several purposes. They will monitor foot traffic and how and which direction it flows to give an idea of how visitors are moving around the site.

The entire site has been GPS mapped so whereas it used to take two to three weeks of site planning, this can be done in just a few days.

“We know accurately where each

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

cable is underground. This means our exhibitors know exactly where to dig safely when they are erecting their site.”

Site preparations began in April with an estimated 40% of sites built complete with branding, already up before the end of May. “In the last week of May this sped up and we are fortunate that the weather has been good.

“I think nearly every single marquee available in NZ is on site and it is looking great.”

What won’t change is the focus of Fieldays though Nation says they have moved from being dairy centric to include all primary industries.

“It is important as an agricultural event that we showcase the industry in its entirety, which is reflected in the theme.”

This year’s theme is Cultivating Value, which Nation says is a play on words as cultivating reflects what we do in the primary industries and value is what is created from that cultivation through growth and exports.

“The theme reflects our growing focus

on the primary sector,” he says.

“We often hear and talk about having to feed 10 billion mouths in the years to come but it is well proven that NZ can feed just 50m.

“In reality, it is more like 45m when you consider the 5m people here at home.”

And bringing those industries to the world is a priority as is bringing town and country together through education.

“This year we have the largest number of international delegates from the United Kingdom and Europe attending and 11 countries exhibiting, which is really exciting.”

With preparations well in hand for this year’s event, planning for Fieldays 2020 has already begun.

“There is never a dull moment here, that’s for sure.

“We can’t wait until the 11th hour and then say to our customers ‘want to come and play?’

“We have to be on the ball and thinking continuously about how we can improve or do things better to ensure that great customer experience.” n 45

FIELDAYS®

Plenty to see and do at the Fieldays

K

National Fieldays is where town meets country and there is plenty for visitors to see and do. Sonita Chandar reports.

IWI ingenuity will be once again showcased in the Innovation Centre at the New Zealand National Fieldays.

The latest innovations in agriculture, backyard inventions and commercial improvements are always an integral part of Fieldays with thousands of visitors eager to view the latest rural advancements.

“The Innovations Centre will again be jam-packed,” National Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation says.

“It is actually overflowing with entries and we have an amazing array of innovations. It is looking really strong and will be a hive of activity.”

The Innovation Awards showcase innovation across several industry areas: dairy and drystock farming, horticulture, information and communication technology, cloud and mobile-based software, animal health and genetics, water and waste management, environment and clean-tech, animal and farm management, farm safety and leading research.

Entrants in the Fieldays Innovation Awards will be boosted by a team of knowledgeable, passionate and wellconnected organisations. The awards provide an ideal platform for innovators to conduct market research, gather information, receive advice, make connections and launch their ideas nationally and internationally.

“We love seeing how widespread our entries are and have always encouraged the small, grassroots entries just as much as the bigger, more established ones,” event manager Gail Hendricks says.

“Kiwis are clever people and some of the ideas featured at the Innovation Centre are ingenious. Fieldays is a great launch pad for these ideas and there will be plenty more this year.”

46

New Zealand celebrity chef Simon Gault is just one of many chefs who will entertain the crowds in the Kitchen Theatre.

Also returning is the Fieldays Health Hub, which had more than 23,000 people through it last year.

“We are delighted to be able to provide this service,” Nation says.

“I am aware that the team picked up some serious medical issues so for us to be able to help them is a big thing. The great part of the hub is that it is a neutral platform where a person can walk in and be anonymous and get advice and help.”

Nation says the hub is important for rural people, especially for those living a long distance from services.

“When you think about it and read the reports, farming families can be quite isolated and living in fragmented communities where businesses have left or services have disappeared, leaving them more isolated.

“They can come here and get advice and help quickly and easily. We are really proud to be able to provide a service that could ultimately save their life.”

Continuing the focus on health and wellbeing is the Kitchen Theatre.

Visitors will still be treated to a wealth of knowledge and experience from this year’s group of eight celebrity chefs who will educate, entertain and inspire.

“But, at the same time, we are starting to push more into food technology and food science,” Nation says.

“The focus has shifted to a more healthy approach and leading that are big names such as Peter Gordon and Simon Gault.

Gordon is our version of cooking royalty having been invited to cook for President Obama and for both the NZ and British Prime Ministers. Gordon received an ONZM for his services to the food industry.

Gault is a NZ celebrity chef, entrepreneur, food writer and television personality known for appearing as a judge on Masterchef NZ. “Simon’s journey and battle with type-2

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

diabetes is well documented,” Nation says.

“He went on and told his story to influence people to make smarter diet choices by filming the Why Are We Fat documentary. And he will bringing that kind of advice and lessons to the Kitchen Theatre.”

Other chefs include nutritionist Claire Turnbull, Ray McVinnie, Brett McGregor, Marc Soper, Yvonne Lorkin and Megan May. Other favourites returning include: Rural Catch where eight rural single catches will be on the lookout for a potential love interest while competing for an impressive prize pool including the coveted Golden Gumboot.

During the week they will be competing in a variety of challenges designed to show off their rural skills and knowledge of agricultural business.

The boy-racers of the farming world will be back to provide all the noisemaking, smoke-generating and wheeliepopping action spectators expect to see at Tractor Pull events.

Chainsaws growl and wood chips fly during the thrilling challenges in the

The Innovation Centre will once again house the latest agriculture, backyard inventions and rural advancements.

action-packed Stihl Festival of Logging.

The festival is an array of timber sport activities to capture everyone’s attention.

Quality workmanship will be paramount but speed is also of the essence when NZ’s top fencers go head to

head in a match of skill, speed, endurance and tenacity to compete for the Wiremark Golden Pliers and the Silver Spade trophies. n

MORE:

fieldays.co.nz/what’s-on

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47

FIELDAYS®

Innovative agritech Kiwi innovators are stepping up to meet the global challenges of a rapidly evolving agritech landscape, Callaghan Innovation agritech manager Simon Yarrow writes.

P

Technology-enabled, data-driven solutions not only reduce hands-on administration, helping to ease labour demands , but can also improve the quality of critical decisions on the farm, Callaghan Innovation agritech manager Simon Yarrow says.

farm offer massive opportunities for efficiency.

One example, from Kiwi company Levno, is a sensor on rural fuel tanks that monitors capacity and automatically notifies fuel suppliers when a delivery is needed – a time-saver for the customer and vastly more cost-efficient in terms of route planning.

Often referred to as the Internet of Things, these sorts of technologyenabled, data-driven solutions not only

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MORE:

Callaghan Innovation is running a series of free agritech seminars and innovation tours at Fieldays

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OPULATION and wealth growth will drive a 70% increase in demand for calories and a 100% increase in crop demand by 2050, according to a 2015 study by McKinsey Global Institute.

Expanding the farming footprint and cultivating more land is not the answer to meet that demand.

Instead, it will come down to increasingly efficient use of existing resources, including land and labour.

One of the key mechanisms capable of delivering the efficiencies is the application of smart digital tools and new agritech innovations.

Traditionally, agricultural change has been biologically driven, with agritech advances focusing on areas such as animal health, breeding and pasture production.

Now, the focus is shifting to automation and smart, connected, digital solutions using data to improve farm management and deliver more efficient, more productive use of resources.

Many New Zealand companies are already rising to the challenges presented by the rapidly evolving agritech landscape.

Digital sensors that collect and apply data from different sources around the

reduce hands-on administration, helping to ease labour demands, they can also improve the quality of critical decisions on the farm.

With access to timely, accurate scientific analysis, farmers and growers can make better decisions to improve their productivity and economic outcomes while also meeting their sustainability targets and regulatory reporting requirements.

Satellite technology, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles are another area that could deliver a big agritech payoff.

The smart solutions coming out of our local agritech scene are no surprise.

NZ’s agritech sector has always had a natural advantage grounded in our deep, fundamental understanding of agriculture and the fact many of our leading innovators come from a farming background with first-hand experience of the challenges.

But there is a good reason to be excited about the wave of agritech solutions being developed in NZ. In the past, one of the limitations for our agritech sector was that businesses tended to take a NZ-centric approach to the products and solutions we developed. Now, there is an ambition to solve global problems and the potential is massive. n

FIELDAYS®

Looking out for future farmers

F 50

Farmers are facing an increasing array of challenges at the same time as traditional means of peer support and communication are drying up but, as Colin Williscroft found, it’s not all bad news.

ARMSTRONG project manager Gerard Vaughan tells a story of an older farmer who was really under the pump, struggling to keep up with an ever-

increasing list of jobs to be done and regulations to be complied with.

He was putting in long hours and doing it tough but he told himself the sacrifice was worth it because it was for

his children. They would be the ones to benefit.

So it came as a bit of a shock when, having sat down with his kids to explain his lifestyle and why he didn’t spend much time with them, they told him “If it

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

NOT ALONE: Services like Farmstrong and rural support trusts mean farmers don’t have to go it alone when things get tough.

important, Vaughan said.

“Once farmers start talking, other farmers will listen.”

In the lead-up to Farmstrong’s launch farmers were more focused on decisions over their land and their stock rather than the most important part of their business – themselves.

“Once farmers start talking, other farmers will listen.

Gerard Vaughan

means my life is going to look like yours I don’t want to be farming”.

Though that is not necessarily the norm, Vaughan said it illustrates the need for farmers to keep some perspective in their lives for their own sake as well as their friends and families.

Farmstrong turns four in June and during that time the programme has engaged with an increasing number of farmers who, according to surveys, find the information available on its website, especially around mental health and wellbeing, very relevant.

What is also helping is farmers sharing their own experiences.

Though the impact of people with a public profile like Sir John Kirwan and Doug Avery talking about mental health cannot be underestimated it is farmers opening up publicly about the challenges they face that is really

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

That is changing but more work is needed, Vaughan said.

One area farmers should think about more is how to build in regular breaks and time away from the farm.

Vaughan understands it can be difficult with a farming business to get away completely but spending money on getting other people in to make time off possible is a smart investment by farmers in their own wellbeing and by default the future of their business.

There is potential for communities to work together to help make those breaks possible, he said.

Rural Support Trust Manawatu spokeswoman Dame Margaret Millard said changes in farming workplaces and communities have created a disconnect among people.

Smaller, family operations are not as common as they used to be and on larger farms staff are more likely to come and go without really engaging in the community.

With the closure of sale yards, country schools and churches over the years the chance for rural residents to catch up for a chat are less than they used to be.

“It’s not like in town when you can just go out and have a coffee.”

Sports teams and clubs like Young Farmers have an important role to play but there are fewer of them around than there used to be.

That means people who are often working in isolated locations have less

access to peer support at times when pressures on them are increasing.

Not only is farming becoming more technical and compliance-driven but there is a lot of negativity being directed at the industry.

Instead of the respect farmers were used to they are now being treated as whipping boys, Millard said.

That is hard to take and quite damaging to some, especially when much of the criticism is misinformed and misdirected.

Positive support is important and rural communities need to continue to contribute towards that, now and into the future.

Keeping in touch with other people and being reminded of the many positive things going on in communities helps individuals look ahead and realise that even though they might sometimes feel a bit isolated, there are people they can talk to who understand the challenges they are facing.

Rural support trusts are always there for a free, confidential chat, available to anyone in the rural community who is finding things getting a bit much.

Farmstrong will use Fieldays to give one of its newest resources, Under the Pump, a push.

Under the Pump, which can be found in the resources section on the Farmstrong website, provides farmers with a guide to recognising burnout along with some tips from Farmstrong ambassador and All Black Sam Whitelock on ways to deal with it.

Farmstrong can be found at Fieldays at site E34-E36. Whitelock will be on-site on Friday, June 14 from 2-4pm Vaughan is confident farmers are on the right track in acknowledging the importance of looking after themselves but now is not the time to drop the ball.

“Ultimately, when it becomes normal planning for farmers to consider how to get the best out of themselves just as important as how to get the best out of their land and stock, that’s when we’ve turned a corner.” n

Need support or advice?

Rural Support Trusts 0800 787 254 Farmstrong farmstrong.co.nz National Telehealth Service 1737

51

BUILDINGS & MACHINERY

The tractor collection has about 15 different brands but most are Case, for which Maurice Donald has a special affinity.

The pull of tractors

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A Leeston farmer who had a passion for tractors spent 50 years collecting an impressive array of them. Sonita Chandar reports.

ROM an early age Maurice Donald had a thing for tractors.

So much so he amassed one of the largest, if not the biggest, collections of Case tractors in New Zealand.

At the time of his death about seven years ago he had collected 60 tractors over 50 years.

“Maurice always had a bit of a kink for tractors,” his brother Pete says.

“He started collecting around the age of 16 and didn’t stop. He also collected models of tractors and had about 500.”

The Donald brothers grew up on the family’s 121ha mixed cropping, sheep and beef farm at Leeston near Lake Ellesmere.

“We grew up around tractors and machinery and to me a tractor was just a tractor.

“But Maurice was a different story – he was tractor mad.”

Pete would often lend his brother a hand when he was fixing them up or stripping them back and refurbishing them.

He even kept his secrets.

“I remember Maurice bought one and didn’t tell mum and dad although they went along with his collecting.

“He hid it in the bushes at the run-off.

Dad and I were doing some work there and he saw the muffler sticking out of the bushes. I had to admit that I knew Maurice

52

had hid it there and got in trouble for not telling.

“What was really funny was our uncle had actually sold it to him so dad gave him a rev-up. I think by then he probably thought enough was enough.”

Maurice’s’ love of Case tractors was probably fostered by his grandparents. His grandfather on his dad’s side of the family owned the Case agency in Leeston and the collection contains an old D Case from his grandfather on his mother’s side.

But the oldest is a cross-engine Case dating back to the 1930s.

“The engine on that is mounted horizontally across the tractor rather than vertically but I can’t remember where he got it from. In fact, we do not have records for any of them – it was all in his head and he took that information with him.”

There is also an L Case industrial tractor once used to shunt railway wagons at Lyttelton in 1938 and a Fordson N. The rarest is a 1200 Case with pivot wheels so it can travel sideways.

“There are two here but I think there are only about five in the country.”

The collection has about 15 brands but they are mostly Case tractors.

“Of course, it was all in the days of no internet and once word got out that Maurice was in the market, so to speak, people would ring him.

“For a while there seemed to be steady stream of them arriving. It was a running

joke that each would be his last one. But then another would come up and he would go and buy it.”

Having never married or having children to pass the collection to Maurice left it to the Peter Donald Family Trust. Pete vows he will never sell it.

“I have had several offers from people wanting to buy different ones but they are not for sale.

“I promised Maurice I would never sell them.

“He rarely ever sold any and those that he did were ones he didn’t like and knew he could sell to fund the next purchase.”

Though there are no transaction records for any of the tractors he does hope to eventually have a plaque made for each one.

“I will never sell but have lent them out to a friend of Maurice, Jonty Ward, who has shown them at various events.

“His knowledge of tractors, makes and models is amazing. He even knows where to get parts to fix them up which is really handy.”

About 45 tractors are in good running order and he occasionally pulls one out and starts it up and does the odd maintenance on it.

“Maurice was never that keen to use them on the farm in case something went wrong and he couldn’t get the parts.

“But through Jonty I should be able to find what is needed.”

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

It is my brother’s legacy and hopefully one that people can enjoy.

Pete Donald

Seven years ago he built a large shed to house half of the collection and intends to build another to house the other half, which is in an old barn.

“I pulled them all out recently and gave them a clean and then put them back in order of age.

“The shed is packed pretty tight so it takes a bit of manoeuvering around.

There are also a few bits of agricultural machinery housed with the collection.

The farm is now dairy, milking 900 cows on 500ha and is managed by son Tim. Pete looks after the run-off and, ironically, does the tractor work.

“Unfortunately, the farm and cows have to come first but perhaps when I retire I can sort and display them properly.

“I hope it is always kept intact and who knows, the next generation could set up a museum and have them on display permanently.

“If people show an interest we are happy to show them and so far we have had few busloads of visitors go through the collection.”

Pete says he has no idea what the collection is worth as he hasn’t kept up with prices, demand or availability.

“It is hard to put a figure on it but the sentimental value outstrips any monetary value.

“It is my brother’s legacy and hopefully one that people can enjoy.” n

Leeston farmer Maurice Donald was tractor mad from the time he was a young boy. Over half a century he collected 60 tractors. He also loved collecting model tractors and had a collection of about 500.

Maurice Donald passed on the collection to his brother Pete who promised he would never sell it.

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

53

Mark and Wendy Hinton and their son Daniel and his partner Sheridan Standen run a large contracting business in Taranaki.

Photo: Ross Nolly

Contracting family carries on A Taranaki business is a family affair. Ross Nolly reports.

I

N THE 1930s Taranaki man Jack Hinton began building haystacks using heavy-horse equipment.

But now, nearly 90 years later, the business has moved in leaps and bounds and kept pace with technology and machinery.

When Mark and Wendy Hinton bought Hinton Contracting in 2002 they were building on an already strong family tradition begun by Jack.

They have grown the business to the stage where it now operates up to 26 tractors and 100 implements.

Mark and Wendy had a Mr Whippy icecream franchise till they bought Hinton Contracting.

“Contracting was completely different to selling ice-creams. We sold our property, business and lived in the house at the depot. It was a big step as we gave up all of our assets to get into the business,” Wendy says.

54

“Selling ice-creams was anti-social because we worked after school, during holidays and weekends but contracting is similar during summer. We haven’t really had a free summer or summer holiday since we bought the ice-cream business.”

A day doesn’t just happen. A great deal of planning is involved to ensure the right equipment turns up to the right farmer at the right time on a busy day.

“It’s pretty stressful trying to keep everybody happy and constantly working around the weather. We employ 30 staff during our busy summer period and it’s important to have them all going in the right direction at the right time and to not over-work them,” Wendy says.

“You’re continually thinking up to five days ahead but within that, the plan is constantly changing. Often you’ll get a phone call and have to scramble to make a job happen for a farmer. We could turn the job down because we already have

that day planned but then we wouldn’t be doing our job. We aim to get the job done without impacting other jobs.”

Mark and Wendy never really get away from work. They usually go home at night thinking they’re done for the day but they’re not because they’re still talking and thinking about work.

“You must stay on top of it. You can’t just do half a day each because it’s really difficult to get your head around it again.

It’s pretty complex,” she says.

“If you know the job history and have taken all of the phone calls it’s easier than if you’ve come in without having all the details. Once you have that booking in your head you’re already thinking three or four days ahead.”

Their business is built on effective communication and having reliable and responsible staff to do those jobs.

Communication is the name of the game from the office to the field.

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

BUILDINGS & MACHINERY “The farmers we’ve worked with for many years trust us and know we’ll be there when we say we will. They’re not panicking and ringing us at crazy hours any more,” Mark says.

They rely on their staff and are constantly in touch by radio. A farmer might want the tractor to go to a certain gate so those details must be accurately taken down and relayed to the drivers.

It might simply be a case of the equipment being too big to go through a particular gate and needs to go to a gate further along. Often the drivers arrive at a property at night so there is often a lot of detail that needs to be captured and passed on. And those messages must be clear and accurate.

“That’s where our core staff come to the fore. They’ve been to the farms before and know where the potential hazards are and each farmer’s preferences. They can also relay that to our new staff,” Wendy says.

Their seasonal staff are mostly from Britain with many returning each year, which simplifies matters because they know the clients and their farms.

“We have enough staff on hand that we don’t need to do the long hours that some contractors put in. But we’re normally always in the office until everyone is on their last job. During the busy season we don’t usually leave the office until 9pm1am,” Mark says.

The company’s size means there are always back-up drivers and equipment available. This gives them the ability to change things around if needed. It is an added expense but gives farmers assurance jobs will be completed on time.

Once a crop is on the ground they are committed and it’s a priority to get the job done in the agreed timeframe.

“It’s vitally important for us to set a time and arrive punctually. We’ve become better at organising and doing our jobs so that panic phone calls at odd hours of the night are now a thing of the past.

Most farmers now ring during office

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

Hinton Contracting has its own workshop for repairs and maintenance. Alan Price and Reece Hann work in the workshop.

Photo: Ross Nolly

hours or are preempting and becoming much more proactive,” Wendy says.

“We don’t say yes until we know for certain that we can do a job. I don’t think we’ve ever not got to somebody when we said we would, unless the rain came a day earlier than forecast. We’d rather say no than take the risk and leave a farmer in the lurch.”

Now son Daniel and his partner Sheridan Standen are taking over the business. Daniel started from the bottom working as a driver to learn the ropes.

“We’ve done 17 years now and while we still want to be part of it we just don’t want to be in control all of the time any more. It’s time to let someone else take the helm. We get tremendous satisfaction knowing that the business is staying in the family,” Mark says.

Daniel and Sheridan are up for the challenge and have already formed good relationships with clients and staff. They will seamlessly transfer into their ownership-management roles and

continue to grow Hinton Contracting.

Daniel has many skills in contracting, understanding all areas of the business including the effluent side. He has been managing that department for a number of years and has taken courses to ensure his knowledge is growing and correct.

Daniel and Sheridan aim to focus on doing things the way they have always been done. It’s proved to be an efficient way to do business and has enabled the company to grow and build up a loyal customer base. The business is built on reliability and they want to ensure they carry that on.

Sheridan formerly worked as an environmental scientist at a New Plymouth consultancy so has a lot of transferable skills but realises there is a lot to learn in her new role.

The couple have an 11-month old son, Ivor, who is already showing an interest with his third word after “mum” and “dad” being “tractor”. n

The business began with horse-drawn equipment but now operates up to 26 tractors and 100 implements.

55

BUILDINGS & MACHINERY

A tractor for every day of the week Manawatu farmer Reuben Sterling is happiest when driving around the farm on a tractor.

A Manawatu farmer has more tractors than the average farmer. Samantha Tennent reports.

M

ANAWATU farmer Reuben Sterling would much rather be behind the wheel of a tractor than at the shed

milking.

His preference for tractors goes back to when he was growing up on the family farm at Rangiotu. He would often head out with his dad Rob and sit next to him while he mowed paddocks and did other jobs.

“I guess every farm kid wants to be like their dad and drive the tractor,” Sterling says.

“I remember being about six and going to get the cows in for milking on my own with the four-wheeler.

“And the earliest memory I have of driving a tractor is at the age of 10 when dad would let me drive up the race to the paddock and then take over.

“When he had finished the job he 56

would let me drive back down the race.”

The 96-hectare farm has been in the Sterling family for more than 100 years.

Sterling’s parents, Rob and Ann began leasing it in 1979 and bought the farm in 1985.

Leaving school Reuben moved to Palmerston North and went building for about five years. When his dad told him he wanted to stop milking and was thinking of converting to drystock, Sterling returned home to take over. He is now lower-order sharemilker milking 115 cows.

That was 15 years and since then he has amassed a small collection of tractors and various other equipment so the tractor to cow ratio is high compared to other farmers who might have one or two at most.

Between him and his Dad there is a suite of seven tractors. The other bits of machinery floating around include a baler, wrapper, combi-baler, sprayer, two mowers, a conventional baler and a

plough.

“Over the years we’ve collected more gear.

“We weighed up using contractors but they are not always available to come and do the job when you want them so we bought our own gear.

“We are completely self-sufficient and we have pretty much everything we need to do the job ourselves.”

Each tractor is allocated for different jobs, one is designated for feeding out, one has the mower attached all season, one tows the mixer wagon and another has the hay rake on the back.

Having lots of tractors and designating them to a specific job means he saves time when changing jobs. He can jump from one tractor to another rather than wasting time changing the implements.

“When we’re doing silage bales everything is ready to go. There’s no need to spend time changing gear around.

“It’s a bit of a collection. Some of them

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

are over 60 years old and not really that flash. I learnt how to drive in them and they were old then.”

But while they are still going Sterling will keep using them.

His uncle Roy is a semi-retired mechanic and helps keep the machines maintained and fixes them if anything breaks down. Rob is a semi-retired electrician and floats around helping on the farm where needed. He can weld and do the basics so between him and Roy the gear is looked after.

A few years ago he decided to invest in a newer, more modern tractor he could use to do the odd local job here and there to help pay it off. It helps justify having the gear and creates some diversity for his operation.

“It is a good way to make some extra income, especially being a small farm.

“It is great to have a tractor with a cab and air conditioning as well as a heater that actually works.”

They also bought a conventional baler so he could do their hay and the odd job for nearby farmers.

“We usually use it do the outside round of the paddock to have a few small and easy-to-handle bales on hand for down cows and feed for calves.”

In the rest of the paddock they use the combi-baler, which speeds up baling.

“I can bale and wrap with one machine and they can sit in the paddock till I have time to get them.”

Included in their array of equipment is a power harrow and drill Sterling was keen to use to increase pasture quality. He sows about two hectares of sorghum every summer and uses chicory in his regrassing programme.

They run a System 2, feeding palm kernel and tapioca at the start of the season before the spring flush but pasture use is key.

“We have a mixer wagon but we don’t use it if we don’t have to.”

The mixer wagon was bought when Sterling and his dad were trying winter milking. They found the winter premium was gobbled up buying extra feed and

There are only 115 cows on the Sterling farm but they have seven tractors and an array of agricultural equipment.

the extra running costs and reverted to seasonal supply.

They have a custom-built mobile feed trough for mixes and silage, which is fed in the paddock.

This season gone we actually dried off just before Easter because it was so dry.

The Friesian and Friesian-cross herd averages about 335 kilograms of milksolids. Sterling describes the land as being marginal for dairy so they try to achieve the bulk of their production before Christmas.

“Once it dries out production drops right down and we end up having to nurse our cows through until we get some autumn rain.

“This season gone we actually dried off just before Easter because it was so dry.

The custom-built mobile feed trough for supplements in the paddock. Rueben takes feed out to the herd.

Because of the summer dry he has been trying once-a-day milking. Traditionally, he goes OAD in January when it gets dry but last year he milked OAD all season.

“There are a lot of pros with OAD on a smaller farm.

“I find it less stressful. I always feel like I’m rushing to get jobs done before afternoon milking.”

Sterling has a daughter, Harper, and being OAD makes it easier to spend time with her.

“I start later in the mornings and don’t feel bad for waking Harper up early. It also allows me to pick her up after school.”

He is keen to remain OAD. It suits his lifestyle so he will give it another go next season before committing permanently.

Sterling is unsure what the long-term plan will be. Being small scale limits options and he wants to get out of the shed eventually. For now, he enjoys the lifestyle and having the flexibility to spend time with Harper.

And if he won Lotto?

“I would probably buy a couple of nice John Deere’s and a drystock farm.

“But first I would take a year or two off to go off-roading and hunting around the country.” n

BUILDINGS & MACHINERY

Old meets new A Taranaki couple are investing in their future by building an upmarket shed. Ross Nolly reports.

E

VEN though many farmers seem to be taking a cautious approach to spending Taranaki farmers Hayden and Alecia Lawrence are bucking the trend and are in the process of building an innovative cowshed.

The couple who milk 400 cows on their 154ha farm at Eltham are building a DeLaval Double Up Parallel Parlour P2100 rapid exit system cowshed.

The shed will bristle with technology but will still be considerably cheaper than a rotary shed with the equivalent output.

It has the same efficiency as a rotary cowshed but has a design similar to a herringbone.

The new cowshed is being built around the old shed while it is still being used for winter milking. It is a prefabricated kitset supplied from DeLaval’s various production plants throughout the world.

That let the couple save money by using their existing yard and facilities and investing that money in technology.

The substantial savings are because the components come wired and constructed

by DeLaval. One of the most fascinating aspects of the build was that the 30m by 18m gable roof was built on concrete plinths in a nearby paddock and lifted onto the roof in one piece, a project done

by Widespan Sheds Taranaki.

“Being prefab everything goes up faster.

It took a week to build the roof in the paddock. We finished milking at 7am on the day we lifted the roof. It was lifted up and over by two cranes with spreader bars and bolted down by midday. The health and safety savings were huge because no scaffolding was required,” Hayden says.

He feels herringbones and rotaries both have positives and negatives. The new system is like a cross between the two systems.

“We undertook a great deal of research and did a focus tour to Australia to see the sheds in action. We also milked in some of the New Zealand sheds. This system is very common throughout the world but not in NZ.

58

Hayden and Alecia Lawrence are installing a DeLaval Double-up Parallel Parlour on their Taranaki farm. It will be one of only three in the country.

Photos: Ross Nolly

The winter herd is being milked with the new shed going up around them. The cows have quickly got used to the construction noise.

“On a global scale its old technology but relatively new to NZ. The price sits between a rotary shed and a herringbone.

“If we wanted to install the same technology into a similar output rotary

cowshed it would have cost substantially more.”

The system has suspended butt-pans to capture manure, which keep the pit clear of effluent. All tech and pipes are hidden in cabinets, which makes the 3m

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

wide pit a clean and comfortable milking environment.

The couple turned up at the first rapid exit shed ready to milk in their overalls and gumboots but were told they were overdressed because it is rare for manure to enter it because of the suspended buttpan.

“There will be a comfort floor for the milkers and you’ll be able to walk in and out without going through the cows as the shed has an underpass between the pit and milk room.

“The shed will be much more timeefficient and safer for humans and cows and a nice place to work.”

The cows are all individually baled by yokes, which rise and the cows are released at the same time after being milked. The cows leave the bails and move out and over the underpass and through drafting gates.

Blood and conductivity meters are being installed to monitor and automatically report the cell count and any blood content.

Every time the cows are released a flushing system washes the deck and wall squirters automatically remove any effluent left by the cows as they leave.

It’s all hands on deck as Hayden gets his hands dirty helping build the new shed.

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

The winter herd is being milked with the new shed going up around them. The cows have quickly got used to the construction noise.

A 50-inch screen on the wall at the far end of the shed reports everything the six cameras monitor.

“You enter the shed through an underpass without hampering cow traffic.

From a biosecurity standpoint no one has to walk through the milking environment to get to you,” Hayden says.

“There will be a large Ranchslider entrance. You’ll only need to push one button, change the vat tap and you’re milking. When you walk out you’ll push another button it’ll auto-wash and automatically shut down and you’re done.”

The vat, pump room and toilet will be on the ground floor. A flight of stairs will lead to a mezzanine floor that will house an office, kitchen and staffroom. Windows will look out over the milking area and the farm.

“This will give us a dedicated space and allow more farm meetings to be held at the shed rather than at the house. The mezzanine floor will give staff somewhere to have a cup of coffee if they arrive early,” Hayden says.

Fitter Gary Wallace from Southern Dairy Solutions and electrician Chris Perrett from Chris Perett Electrical Solutions are two of the most crucial people during the technology part of the build.

“We’ve had a long relationship with both these companies. They understand our business well and have always found solutions to meet our needs.

“We’ve put in a new feed system although we’ve always had scales on our silo and mixer. Chris worked out that because we already have air there to open and shut off the silos, for very little extra cost we can enter the weight at the silo, push the start button, which

automatically opens the silo, runs the crusher and bottom auger until the weight is met then it shuts off the silo, runs all the lines clear and shuts everything down,” he says.

“It’s simple and effective and that’s what technology should be.”

Continuing winter milking while construction was under way was one of the logistical challenges they had to consider. Building the new 24-a-side double-up shed over the old 22-a-side herringbone shed on the old site generated many savings because the link races, yards, water supply, drains, effluent drains are already in place.

“It’s been a work in progress but we’ve had it pretty well planned in terms of scheduling and having everyone on board with our aims. Our intention is to be milking in it early June.

“We recently bought the neighbouring property. Our herd has now gone from 220 cows to 400 and it now takes us eight-hours a day to milk. The new shed will reduce milking times down to three hours. That’s a huge difference.”

They have three young children so work hard to get to their many sports and other activities. They are looking forward to the extra time the new cowshed will provide.

“The only time you actually make money is when you’re in the cowshed so it has to be a happy place to be.

“Many people build their sheds at the end of their career and then move offfarm,” he says.

“It’s a big investment and we pushed fairly hard financially to be able to do this but we want to see the benefits of it. We didn’t want to do it in 15-years and then employ a contract milker.

“We’re building a shed for us to see and enjoy its benefits now.” n

59

BUILDINGS & MACHINERY

Barn boosts milk take Annual flooding and soggy paddocks were the catalyst for Fran and Tony Allcock to build a barn on their Waikato farm. They call it their MOO-tel.

SAMANTHA TENNENT

F

ARMING on a waterfront comes with flood risks and for Tony and Fran Allcock.

One or two floods each year is the norm.

Their 97-hectare property at Te Rore, west of Hamilton, runs along the Waipa River. It has been in their family for 130 years and Tony is the third generation to farm it.

The soils are heavy, mostly Horotiu sandy loam with some river silt and every winter 8ha goes under water. To help combat the weather the Allcocks built an Aztech cow barn, which they have dubbed the MOO-Tel, in 2013.

“Everyone else had a house on the farm except the cows and they were the ones doing the work,” Fran says.

She welcomed the barn because before it was built they had to nominate a sacrifice paddock that later went into maize. The cows would also stand on races or in the yard and lose substantial condition.

“We have 11 lifestyle blocks across the river and for them to be looking at

60

damaged pasture, well it wasn’t a good look,” Fran says.

“The barn gets the cows off the paddocks in winter so we no longer have to worry about pasture being damaged or how paddocks look to our neighbours.”

When the barn was built they included a feed lane in the middle with 60m troughs running on each side as well as feed troughs on the outside edge of the barn.

They have since bought a mixer wagon and feed the cows in the barn twice a day year-round.

At 4am an automatic timer sends the cows to the barn where half their daily rations are waiting. The cows are fed before they begin milking at 6am.

After milking the herd heads to the paddock and during the hot summer days is back in the barn by noon to have the other half of the ration.

“Some of our biggest production gains from building the barn are through summer,” Tony says.

“Getting out of the heat and relaxing in the barn where it is nice and cool has really helped the girls both in terms of health and production.”

The herd is 280 Friesian cows. Before building the barn, they got 100,000kg MS a season but hit 163,000kg MS in their fifth season with the barn.

“They’re being fed better and are in better condition.

“The barn protects them from the elements and they’re not wasting energy trying to cool down or keep warm.”

They grow 650 tonnes of maize on 27ha and feed some palm kernel and soy meal.

Before building the barn they operated a System 2-3, feeding maize and hay or silage. Through the in-shed feed system they were feeding fed 2-3kg/day yearround but that has been reduced.

Fertiliser costs have also significantly reduced and compost from the barn goes back onto the farm along with a bit of urea.

“We are monitoring the soils.

Everything seems to be holding but we will keep an eye on it and use fertiliser where required. It’s early days,” Tony says.

The composting base has many benefits and nitrogen leaching has also been reduced because it is captured in the barn and applied at a more suitable time of year.

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

Some of our biggest production gains from building the barn are through summer.

The effluent system comprises a weeping wall and a green-water storage pond. Green water is used to clean the concrete apron in front of the barn and the yard. It is then captured again and cycled back through the system.

It has been a learning process for the Allcocks to understand how the cows respond to the barn.

Tony says that since building the barn they have had no cases of eye cancer whereas before they got one or two each year.

“We haven’t got the ups and downs now and we feel happier with the cows’ welfare,” he says.

“It’s great to head to the barn and see the cows comfortable and relaxed. There’s always the odd one we mistake for dead as she’s sound asleep and misses the call for milking.”

As well as protecting the herd from summer heat and saving pastures the

The Aztech barn built in 2013 to address pasture damage and animal welfare has led to a rise in production. barn keeps the cows toasty in the winter.

The temperature under the sawdust in the barn can get up to 50C, creating an electric blanket for the cows.

In winter the cows are run in two mobs, spending nights in the barn. Nearly all the cows calve in the barn. The nursery is at the back of the barn.

“We don’t have to look for calves in drains and gullies. It’s a much easier and smoother calving now,” Fran says.

“There’s also minimal naval infection because the calves are kept warm and dry in those first few hours.”

They aim to increase production further but reduce their operating expenses. They are looking at succession options and ways to encourage their son and sharemilker Lucas.

“We are planning ahead so that the property will remain in the Allcock family for many years to come.” n

The MOO-tel on the Allcocks’ farm creates a cool environment in the summer and keeps the herd warm in winter.

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

61

ANIMAL WELFARE

New welfare rules coming New animal welfare regulations for disbudding and dehorning will come into force later this year.

V

ETERINARIANS are gearing up to help farmers comply with new rules for using local anaesthetic during removal of any horn tissue from cattle from October 1.

The Veterinary Association has been educating members so they are ready to help farmers comply with changes to the Animal Welfare (Care and Procedures) Regulations, its chief veterinary officer Dr Helen Beattie says.

“We support these changes as they are a win for animal welfare.

“They mean that the immediate pain associated with these common procedures should be eliminated for all cattle.”

But farmers must be aware of their obligations and how best to meet them.

Rules for removing horn tissue and dehorning cattle require the animals to be given effective local anaesthetic pain relief.

Failure to comply can result in fines from $3000 for an individual to $25,000 for a corporate body.

In many cases horn removal is done by veterinarians or technicians but farmers with appropriate training and a local 62

anaesthetic veterinary authorisation can also do it.

“We have been working hard to ensure that veterinarians and farmers are well supported regarding these changes to make sure veterinarians can help farmers meet these requirements on-farm,” she says.

That has involved member workshops outlining the new regulations and ways veterinarians can help ensure farmers can comply with them.

“We have also developed new and updated existing policies, guidance and standard operating procedures, which include step-by-step best practice instructions for these common procedures.”

Only veterinarians can authorise nonveterinarians to use registered veterinary medicines such as local anaesthetic.

Veterinary staff including technicians can do the procedures, a veterinary authorisation can be issued to a farmer or person in charge or veterinary operating instructions can be given to someone who is not the animal owner or person in charge.

“We encourage farmers to speak to their veterinarian about which option will work best for them.”

Veterinary Association chief veterinary officer Helen Beattie says farmers must be aware of their obligations and how best to meet them.

More information on the new regulations, including guidance materials, policies and standard operating procedures for veterinarians (accessible to association members) can be found on the NZVA website. n

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

EFFLUENT

Effluent storage and irrigation systems What’s the best effluent storage and irrigation system? DairyNZ’s effluent expert Logan Bowler talks about some the pros and cons of each to help you weighup your options.

W

ITH more effluent storage and irrigation options available over the last decade it can be hard to decide which one to pick.

So, which is the best?

From my point of view each has pros and cons and it’s largely dependent on your farm and what factors are important to you.

For those of you considering upgrading or installing an effluent storage or irrigation system I thought I’d run through some of the key benefits and trade-offs with each.

Let’s start with effluent storage.

Traditionally, ponds have been the go-to for a number of years. And it’s easy to understand why. They’re reliable and generally the most cost-effective option.

It’s also easy to tell when they’re getting full and relatively easy to agitate to remove solids – providing you leave good access for stirring equipment.

But they’re not a great option for farms with high water tables, in which case they need to be built above ground. If the farm has no hills or spare soil to mine, and heaps is needed, to build the pond above ground it can get expensive to truck in.

Tanks are a good alternative for those on high water tables.

They’re super quick to install, usually two or three days, and some see them as a tidier storage option.

They’re also easier to cover than a pond to prevent rainfall but usually require level indicators to know how much effluent is in them.

If your site is suitable for a pond, a tank is generally a more expensive option.

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

Farmers looking at upgrading their effluent system should talk to an accredited company to make sure they get the right system for the farm.

Bladders are the latest innovation in effluent storage. But just because they’re the newest doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the best fit for your farm.

They’re cost effective for storing small volumes, minimise odour, eliminate rainfall and are safe because they’re fully enclosed and fenced off.

However, they’re more expensive than ponds for those needing large storage volumes and can be difficult to determine how full they are.

While they eliminate odour, covered effluent often goes anaerobic and that can create significant odour when irrigating. Also, as there’s no ability to use mechanical agitation, solids could potentially become an issue.

Now, let’s talk irrigation systems. There are three main types: twin-boomed rotating, sprinklers and travelling rain guns. While traditional twin-boomed rotating irrigators have been around for a long time they’ve come a long way over the last two decades and perform quite well.

They’re easy for most staff to manage, travel up the paddock with runs of around 250m and spreading widths of up to 30m, generally cope with raw effluent and have moderate flow rates for daily pumping.

Sprinklers, which were developed largely to deal with wet Southland soils, have low application rates, like a gentle rain shower, and low application depths if shifted regularly.

Because they have low application depths many are needed to achieve reasonable daily pumping volumes or must be shifted multiples times each day.

They’re also best suited to an effluent storage system that separates solids, otherwise the nozzles tend to get blocked.

Because they don’t travel they also require regular shifting throughout the day.

Travelling rain guns are the latest irrigation technology.

Larger nozzles and significant pressure allow them to cover big areas with low application depths and high daily pumping rates.

However, they require relatively high pressure and flow rates so won’t work well if put on the end of an old pumping system. Solids can also be an issue for blocking the turbine so some sort of solids removal is recommended.

As I’ve said previously, if you’re looking at upgrading your system, talk to an accredited company to make sure you get the right system for your farm.

This is my last column in the series and I hope you’ve found the information in them useful. n

Logan Bowler is a DairyNZ environmental extension specialist and effluent management expert.

MORE:

On effluent storage and management at dairynz.co.nz/effluent 63

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One last word …

I

T HAS been a busy month with lots happening down on the farm. Herds have been dried off and sharemilkers hit the road as they moved to new jobs marking the start of a new season when farms are bought and sold and new contracts signed.

It is also that time of year when we celebrate our farmers – awards season.

But first, congratulations to my colleagues Bryan Gibson and the team at Farmers Weekly who were named best trade/specialist publication and website at the Voyager Media Awards in Auckland last month.

Editor Gibson said “Our aim is to provide business, policy and political information farmers need to know in making decisions about running their farms.

“We put farmers first in everything we do.

“Our newspaper and website are unashamed champions of the agriculture and horticulture sectors and primary industries but that doesn’t mean we ignore the difficult issues. We believe it’s important for farmers to know what the critics are saying and what the industry is doing to address those concerns.”

Owners Dean and Cushla Williamson, themselves farmers at Feilding, believe

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the award vindicates what they are trying to do.

“We back farming as critical to New Zealand’s economy and way of life,” Dean Williamson said.

“We’re hands-on in this company which exists to serve the agricultural community.”

We back farming as critical to New Zealand’s economy and way of life.

Dean Williamson

Congratulations to all the finalists and winners of the Dairy Industry Awards also held last month. If this is the calibre of people we have in the dairy industry then it is a good place to be. Of course, these finalists are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more of you unsung heroes out there.

The Dairy Business of the Year Awards are being held in Queenstown later this

month so no doubt we will hear from some more great farmers.

Also on this month is the South Island Dairy Event (SIDE), which is NZ’s premier dairy conference and the largest event of its type in the country.

Organised by farmers for farmers, the annual programme is designed to promote thinking and debate as well help like-minded farmers network and find inspiration and motivation.

It is also that time of year when farmers make their annual pilgrimage to the National Agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek near Hamilton.

Once again there will be plenty of bargains to be had and lots to see including the Stihl Festival of Logging, NZ fencing championships and excavator competition, Ag Art Wear, Tractor Pull, Kiwi’s Best Kitchen and the ever popular Rural Catch.

If you have a cool farming picture you would like to share let us know. Thank you to Jake Davie who supplied this month’s photo and Petra Godbold for her early morning milking photo last month.

Sonita

Like us: farmersweekly.co.nz Follow us: @DairyFarmer15 Read us anywhere: farmersweekly.co.nz

DAIRY FARMER

June 2019

Dairy Diary

Proudly brought to you by Farmside

June 2019 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday 1

Sunday 2

June 4 – Lincoln, Fonterra and NZX

June 18 – SMASH

Managing Your Milk Price Risk, Taranaki. Come along and hear from the team at one of our workshops. RSVP to rodney. mcmillan@lincoln.ac.nz or 027 499 5840 or heather.stevenson@ lincoln.ac.nz

SMASH Conference 2019, Cambridge. Programme highlights includes features of farm businesses that survive and thrive, how to value your pasture – let us count the ways and a DIY guide to living well in a crazy world. To register visit www. smallerherds.co.nz. More information email smash.registrar@ gmail.com or phone Noldy Rust 0272 553 048

June 5-6 – DairyNZ Feed Right Training – Southland/Otago. Aimed at rural

3 professionals who 4offer or plan to offer5feed management and 6 nutrition advice. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz June 5 – DairyNZ P3 Monitor Farms Field Day. This Field Day will focus on the host farmers’ system and management practices to identify opportunities and solutions that meet the hosts’ future goals and objectives. We will also discuss seasonal issues and challenges affecting farmers in the region.

10Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz 11 12 13 June 6 – DairyNZ

June 20 – DairyNZ

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Northland Agricultural Research Farm Field Day. Open invite to all. Combined discussion groups of Aranga/Waihue, Te Kopuru, Ruawai and Tangiteroria. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz June 25-26 – SIDE 2019 Creating our Tomorrow, SIDE 2019, Invercargill. Run by farmers for farmers, SIDE lines up industry experts to deliver keynote addresses, networking session and practical workshops in a revitalised 14format. Info at side.org.nz 15 16 July 2-4 – NZ Society of Animal Production

Future Environmental Outlook, Dargaville Aranga and surrounds.

Come along to the Kaihu Tavern for an industry update and discussion on new Northland Regional Council plan and how it affects dairy farmers and the Government’s proposed climate change policy targets. Info at www.dairyevents.co.nz

NZSAP 2019 conference, Palmerston North. Join us for a farmer day with both a sheep and beef and dairy streams and a field trip to visit various research sites around Palmerston North on Wednesday July 3. Info at www.nzsap.org

June 12-15 National Fieldays largest agricultural event and the ultimate launch platform for cutting-edge technology and innovation. Info at fieldays.co.nz

Shed Hygiene: keep it clean, various dates and locations. This is 21 event for all farm 22 employees in the23 a must-attend milking shed keen to learn more about mastitis management or refresh your skills. Info at www.dwn.co.nz/events

June 12 – Dairy Women’s Network

DairyNZ

North Waikato, coffee morning catch-ups. Join us for a coffee catch-up on the second Wednesday of each month. Come and have some free time for yourself and connect with others. Info at www.dwn.co.nz/events

Calving Smart, various dates and locations. Come to a Calving Smart event and prepare for the busiest time of the year. For those new to calving try our calving simulator cows Frieda and Jen with their calves Cardigan and Ferdinand. Info at www. dairyevents.co.nz 28 29 30

Emergency first aid course, Central Otago. Are you up to scratch with your basic first aid and CPR skills? Come along and learn some farm specific first aid skills at this two-hour course run by St John and Dairy Women’s Network. This event is open to men and women and is suitable for all farm staff.

Info at www.dwn.co.nz/events

Dairy Masters

17Mystery Creek, Hamilton.

18 Fieldays is the19southern hemisphere’s 20

24June 17 – Dairy Women’s 25 Network 26

Dairy Women’s Network

Become a Dairy Master, various dates and locations. Two-day technical training workshop. You will experience a hands-on programme providing technical training covering six topics including pasture and herd management and profitable dairy cow feeding strategies. Places limited – book now 0800 662 667.

We know rural because we are rural www.farmside.co.nz

We’ll be here for tomorrow’s rising stars.

Boots and all.

LIC is a proud sponsor of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, and has been for over 15 years.

Congratulations to all of the National Award winners. It’s great to see these rising stars apply their knowledge and skills to build standout careers and farming businesses.

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LIC is passionate about improving the prosperity and productivity of our farmers and will continue to support future generations of dairy farmers to become the stars of tomorrow.

There's always room for improvement