Business Rural South Summer Issue by Waterford Press Limited

RURAL PEOPLE: Kenneth & Catherine Pottinger

Business Rural / Summer 2013

Highlands to Hinds and handy herd Sue Russell Canterbury dairy farmers Kenneth and Catherine Pottinger’s farming journey has straddled both hemispheres and remarkably different landscapes. The Scottish couple came to New Zealand almost seven years ago, moving from sheep and beef there to dairying here, something Kenneth says has been a really positive experience. “My creed is to do the basics right. We set ourselves some goals early on. Priority one was to provide a secure financial future for ourselves and our then unborn children, and we weren’t going to achieve that in Scotland.” Since settling here, the Pottingers have had a wealth of farming experiences, firstly as stock manager then a season in a second-in-charge dairy position, two and a half seasons as farm managers, and two seasons as contract milkers, all with Synlait Farms. They are now 50:50 sharemilkers on a farm owned by Donald and Fiona Sutton, near Hinds, south abnd seawards from Ashburton. The 1550hectare (effective) property carries 550 friesian-cross cows. It is the Pottingers’ first herd – they bought their stock from five locations in Canterbury with the assistance of Richard Andrews, from Livestock Exchange. “We ended up buying the herd for less than we had budgeted for, which was a good feeling,” says Kenneth Pottinger. “Next season we plan to go to 600, which will be our capacity.” He admits to being very keen to use technologies that are free, and there is an abundance of them in the market, mostly on smart phones. “There is information out there on all aspects of farming, and it is just a matter of finding what

Pottinger possie: Henry, Edward and Milli Pottinger help out with calf rearing. Their parents, Kenneth and Catherine Pottinger, are sharemilkers on a 550-cow farm at Hinds, near Ashburton.

Next season we plan to go to 600, which will be our capacity. fits our objectives. Dairy New Zealand is a great resource.” He would like to get automatic cup removers installed in half the 40-a-side herringbone shed. Doing this would reduce staff fatigue and the risk of over-milking. “The benefits to the farm team and cows far outweigh any cost to us,” he says.

Dairy fatigue is something he is conscious of. As the owner of the business, he understands his responsibility is to step in to take up the slack when workers are stressed and need a break. Next year he plans to take on an extra farm-worker for the first half of the season. “My job is not so much to be thinking about today and tomorrow, but a couple of months out,” he says. “But it is also important to step in and be hands-on when needed. This season Eddie Trounson and Robert Lark have been great additions.” It has been a busy time on the family front as well, since arriving in New Zealand. With three children – Milli 5, Edward 4, and Henry 2 – and with another on the way, family life is full on and

very satisfying. The children do their bit, helping out with the calf-rearing. Kenneth and Catherine availed themselves of the Dairy NZ Mark and Measure course. learning designed to support strategic planning and financial management. They say it gave them confidence and reinforced what they already knew. “It created an environment for Catherine and me to sit down together and work out where we are going,” says Kenneth. The farm-owners, while hands-off, are very supportive, something the Pottingers believe gives a good balance. “This farm is the old family farm. I think their relationship to it runs a little deeper as a result,” says Kenneth.

On-farm research ‘best value’ • From page 14 research. Invermay is really good at that. Julie’s got kids, and she’s passionate about what she does. Once you lose these people, you won’t get them back. “I hope they hold their ground. They’re good at what they do, and we’re lucky to have them in this country.” The Clarkes have used electronic identification (EID) in their flock to monitor ewe condition score and to monitor triplet ewes that are now being monitored through a parentage gate with Farm IQ. This is used to find out how many lambs each triplet ewe has reared and how heavy they are. . The Clarke farm was traditionally friesian beef steers, and romneys lambing at 130 to 140%. Hoggets were grazed off the farm. But involvement in the monitor farm programme has led them to make changes. Sheep are now one quarter texel/romney base using Mt Linton sires, and now, also, some growbulk rams. This year lambing is 150%. They have reduced the numbers of beef cattle, but have taken on dairy replacement

grazing. They now lamb the hoggets on farm, this year tailing 90%. Two Clarke brothers are nearby dairy farmers, and their mother and her partner have a run-off farm. “We’ve got Wyndham surrounded,” says David Clarke. “We’re far enough apart to be out of one another’s way, but close enough to help one another. It’s a very fortunate situation. “Mum has done a very good job of growing the business.” The family history in the district goes back almost 100 years. A bit of a do is likely. “Not many companies last 100 years, so it’s worth celebrating.” As for being a monitor farmer: “I would do it again. I’d recommend it to anyone. It’s a leap but you get rewards out of it if you are prepared to put the time in and are open to change. “We are progressing and look forward to achieving 160%-plus lambing. “The committee has been great and we’ve all learned off one another and kept one another motivated. When you are working alone, it’s hard to get motivated when you wake to hear the hail and sleet and shit on the roof.”