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DAIRY PEOPLE » John & Mary Washer
NZ Dairy
Diverse business spreads risk Karen Phelps Taranaki-based John and Mary Washer operate a unique and diverse farming business. The couple’s policy of spreading their farming interests has proved highly beneficial as different rural markets rise and fall. Their operation has four components: 400 hectares of dairy farms at Rahotu, which peak-milk 1700 jersey cows; a bull sale and hire business; a 1200-calf-rearing business which also stock trades out females to the dairy industry; and an innovative farm land development. “We are all about being risk averse even though it can make operating the business more challenging,” says John Washer. He admits they have been fortunate to be part of the generation of farmers he terms “the lucky generation”. His family arrived from England in 1873, initially farming leased land at Auckland near where the international airport now stands. “The second generation ended up buying land at the peak of the market then nearly losing it during the depression,” he says. “The third generation was involved in the war. We’ve had nothing really to worry about.” John farmed in partnership with his parents, Charlie and Beryl, for 40 years before he and Mary went out on their own. They now run the original family farm at Rahotu, which has grown considerably with additional farm purchases and leases. They now have five dairy units producing a combined total of 550,000 kilograms of milksolids. John Washer says a key to their business success has been selling when everyone wants to buy, and vice versa. “We’ve been able to follow the grass curve
by selling 250-300 cows every year to new conversions at Christmas time. It helps us maximise turning grass into milk as that’s our dry period. “I’m not sure if this will happen this year with the drop in payout. but that’s another key – moving with the market. Older heavier cows are worth more as meat value.” Their commercial bull farming business, trading under the brand, 0800 Bull Hire, this year celebrates 30 years in business. It supplies around 15 per cent of the bull business in Taranaki. The Washers carry all breeds of bulls and supply more than 1000 bulls, mainly jersey, each year to farmers all around the country. An important point is that the bulls are spread over four geographic locations – Piopio, Te Kuiti, Mt Messenger and New Plymouth. It’s another aspect of the Washers’ focus on risk management. “This means that if we get any health problems or a drought in one region, we are still able to supply and certainty of supply has become key for our clients,” says John Washer. “Being on a trucking route has been a key to making this system work because we can get backloads to transport our stock between units.” Their land development, Tapuae Country Estate, is another example of thinking outside the square. Rather than subdivide land and sell it off as lifestyle blocks, the Washers recognised that townies often fancy the rural life but don’t really know what they are getting themselves into. So, they have made it easy for them to have the best of both worlds. Investors can select from the one-acre, coastal. freehold house sites and are able to build their house within the 4000 quare metre land area. Residents automatically by title have an equal
John Washer and bull manager Sean Crowley with a herd of young jersey bulls.
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