DAIRY NEWS NOVEMBER 10, 2020
14 // MANAGEMENT
Living on an organic island Running an organic dairy farm is a bit like living on an island where one has to be completely self sufficient. That’s how Tony Dowman who’s in charge of the Pamu, or Landcorp, dairy farm complex at Moutua, near Foxton in the Horowhenua, describes running an organic dairy farming operation. Peter Burke went along to look at one of the farms that Pamu has converted to organics. objectors was built in the area, partly because it was a long way from public transport, there was flax to cut, and it was also considered a somewhat ‘uncomfortable location’. Tony Dowman is in
also wet in winter and spring. It’s fair to say the land is damp and that’s why there was a large flax growing operation there in the past. In WWII, a camp for conscientious
ALL THE Pamu farms at
Moutua are close to the winding Manawatu River and large stopbanks are required to protect from major floods. The soils in the area are highly productive but
Auto Inline Liquid Dispenser
Water Flow Indicator
Dispenses chemicals and minerals into a water supply Check Valve
ig
hV
i s ib
il it y F l o w I n d
ica
ti
on
H
Outlet
Quick Release Couplings
Pressure Release
No Flow Control Valves
Benefits Inlet
Particle Filter
E a s y A d ju
Mast available in various lengths
Three models available st m
Flow (Flourescence Visible)
e nt
• • • • • • •
Reduce water loss Locate leaks with ease Saves time and labour costs Positive indication day and night Easy to install Stainless steel construction Designed and manufactured in NZ
Can Handle • • • • • • •
Suction Tube
Zinc Magnesium Copper Salt Bloat oil Minerals Chemicals
Ideal for:
Benefits
• • • •
• • • • • • •
Animal health remedies General water treatments Wash system detergents Horticultural chemicals
Reduces labour costs Easy to install Operates using water flow Any pressure from 10 – 210 PSI Competitively priced Made from high quality materials Designed and manufactured in NZ
Features:
charge of the seven Pamu farms on which 31 staff are employed. The farm I visited is called Tasman, which runs 305 cows on 155 hectares and is now fully certified organic. Last season it produced 138,000kgMS. Tony Dowman was involved in the conversion of Tasman which started in 2016. “This farm was amalgamated out of two and a half conventional dairy farms. They were running on a system four to five with a stocking rate of about 3.1 cows per ha, but when we converted to organics we dropped this to 2.1 cows per hectare and moved to a system one, self contained pasture based system. We specifically did that on day one to ensure that we farmed as we intended to farm,” he says. According to Dowman, they did this because they had seen others who converted to organics trying to hold onto cow numbers and milk production, but the pasture didn’t always keep up with this approach. He says the 30% reduction in stocking rate saw production fall correspondingly by 30% but on a per cow basis production has stayed equal and he says in the last year they have managed to increase this over previous levels. Another key factor in
Tony Dowman heads Pamu’s dairy farm complex at Moutua, near Foxton.
the conversion to organics was choosing the right date to start the process. Dowman says the process takes three years for the land and one year for the animals. He says on start date for the animals they cannot use any nonorganic supplementary feed that might be available on the farm. “We have to clean this out at key dates within the three year conversion process, then start again ensuring the feed is of equivalent status to the conversion process.. So the conversion date is really important. We didn’t do it on the 1st of June because it’s really difficult to be able to fully feed cows through
July, August and September. We decided to do it on the 10th of October so that allowed us to get through that spring peak and then to have our pasture in a growing position and we could harvest our own silage to get us through summer,” he says. The soils at Moutua are well developed, highly productive and resilient and there is no need for irrigation. The risk comes in winter and spring with the rains and Tasman, unlike other Pāmu farms at Moutua doesn’t have a feed pad. This says Tony Dowman, requires careful grazing management and maybe having sacrifice paddocks or other
management plans to deal with the wet. Organic farming is about farming within quite prescribed limits. Tony Dowman likens it to living on an island and being completely selfcontained. In terms of supplementary feed they grow roughly 15 hectares of maize that’s harvested in autumn. They also grow turnips and have plantain and clover crops and when they convert the paddocks that have been used for maize and turnips back to pastures they use a mixed sward which includes rye grass, cocksfoot, white and red clovers, prairie grass, timothy and plantain.
Thinking outside the [tree and fence lined] box
Enquire about our all NEW Chlorinator
• Water driven – no power required • Non-contact indication – no seals to wear • Designed for minimal maintenance • Available in packs of 2, 3 & 5 units Several sizes and mast lengths available
Singh’s Engineering Services
66-68 Mahana Rd, Hamilton, Ph/Fax 07-849 3108 www.setech.co.nz or your local dairy equipment dealer
Dung beetles will deliver upon the promise to restore and protect our freshwater while increasing production and drought tolerance.
We need to be smarter than just focusing on planting and fencing. MPI supports planting, fencing and “other initiatives to prevent farm runoff ”. Without question that is where dung beetles fit in.
Thinking outside the [tree and fence lined] box
Thinking outside the [tree and fence lined] box
There is absolutely no better scientifically proven way of reducing overland The solution is right under our feet flow than dung beetles. They deliver an up to 80% reduction in overland Dung beetles will deliver upon the promise to restore and protect our freshwater while Dung increasing beetles offer a remarkable natural flow. This results in a 97% reduction in sediment, and equally includes production and drought tolerance. sustainable solution to revitalise our soils and reduced e. coli and phosphorus. “Dung beetles are able to aerate soil, improve the nutrient cycle and help manage water absorption and pastures, and can rehabilitate New Zealand’s dispersion the beetles potentialtobenefits amazing!” – Scotty farmer waterways – if we actFarming now. For Our Future Generations Seed … dung fix the are broken nutrient cycle Macdonald, and boostWairarapa production.
Dung beetles will deliver upon the promise to restore and protect our freshwater while Contact us Dung Beetle Innovations increasing production and8685 drought tolerance. Shaun 021 040 | shaun@dungbeetles.co.nz
For more information or to order online go to www.dungbeetles.co.nz
We need to be smarter than just focusing on planting and fencing. MPI supports planting, fencing and “other initiatives to prevent farm runoff ”.
ORDER NOW
10%
DISCOUNT* *FSP orders placed *FSP orders placed before 30/06/20 before 30/07/20