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June 2022 TARANAKI FARMInG LIFeSTYLeS
The Taranaki Farming Lifestyles is published with pride by Integrity Community Media, a privately owned NZ company. Phone: 0800 466 793 Email: info@integrity.nz Postal Address: PO Box 474, Dargaville Physical Address: 107 River Road, Dargaville Editor: Deb Wright 021 639 696 deb.wright@integrity.nz Journalists: Denise Gunn | Ann van Engelen Advertising: Braxton Epere 027 525 8217 Production: Gavin Bainbridge | Anna Fredericksen | Kelsey Hansen | Liz Clark Accounts: accounts@integrity.nz Distribution: Laurie Willetts Printed by: NZME Website: farminglifestyles.co.nz Opinions expressed in this publication and in advertising inserts, by contributors or advertisers, are not necessarily those of Integrity Community Media. All inserts delivered with the publication are not produced by Integrity Community Media.
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Taranaki farms in line for smart cow collars
by Denise Gunn
A successful roll-out of solar-powered, GPS-enabled smart collars for dairy cows in Waikato and Canterbury, will now see farming technology company Halter expand into Taranaki, Southland, Otago and the Central Plateau. Halter’s smart collars, fitted to each dairy cow and coupled with a simple app, allow farmers to remotely shift, virtually fence and proactively monitor their cows’ health, feed and behaviour. Instead of using traditional methods to move cows around the farm with fences, electric wires, motorbikes, gates and dogs, smart collars use sound and vibration sensory cues. Halter business development manager Steve Crowhurst said the smart collars train cows to understand and respond to these cues. “A sound indicates where a cow can’t go and vibration indicates when she is on the right path. “Halter enables farmers to guide cows around the farm or keep them within a static boundary, unlocking a number of benefits for the farmers, the cows and the farm itself.” Sensors monitor a cow’s every movement 24/7 right down to the most subtle changes in behaviour. “The system uses this data to predict and alert farmers when a cow is on heat or showing signs of poor health.” The company believes the smart collars will also help combat New Zealand’s labour shortage. “We’ve been able to support farmers to run 750-cow, three-mob farms with just two people, and still manage to maintain normal output and sustainable hours,” said Steve. Owl Farm, a 160ha demonstration farm in the Waikato, has trialled the smart collars. The farm runs as a joint venture between St Peter’s School in Cambridge and Lincoln University. The farm’s demonstration manager Jo Sheridan said Halter has given them greater workplace flexibility. “Halter has not only enabled us to reduce hours but it’s also empowered all team members to make informed decisions using the data provided.
Halter CEO and founder Craig Piggott
Through Halter, the entire team can see everything that’s happening on the farm. “By no longer needing two people milking and getting cows in we have more options to carry out other work on farm and offer flexible, sustainable time off.” Halter is currently commercially operated in Canterbury too. Craigmore Group, one of the largest corporate farming operations in the country, has found Halter can offer farmers an improved work-life balance without compromising on production. Matt Redmond is the farm business manager on a 147ha, 520-cow Craigmore farm in the Culverden Basin, North Canterbury. “In a nutshell, having Halter has meant we’ve been able to offer staff a better working life. Rather than spending hours sitting behind cows, our workers can spend more time on high-value management and the big picture tasks. “The human benefits are one thing, but Halter benefits the cows too. You can see it when they walk to the milking shed. They are so much calmer without having the noise and pressure of a motorbike and dogs behind them. It’s a whole new world.” Halter’s smart collars are leased under a per cow subscription.
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