A desire to “do the right thing” influences farming practice on Aberystwyth Dairies 300 ha farm near Geraldine in mid-Canterbury.
For Pareora dairy farmer Peter Collins, his return to growing maize has been nothing short of extraordinary.
To grow better and more feed in a smaller area is a goal that any qualitydriven farmer would strive for – and that’s exactly what West Coast dairy farmers Nathan and Catherine Simpson are doing.
“Why change what isn’t broken?” is the philosophy behind the Stewart family’s successful 20 year relationship with Pioneer® brand products.
A 400-cow wintering barn is allowing South Canterbury farmers Daniel and Penny Burgess to keep their production up no matter what the weather brings.
Maize silage is helping West Coast farmers Craig and Louise Fayen get their herd through to calving in top condition, delivering production, cow fertility and financial benefits.
Maize silage is playing an important role in West Coast farmers Gary and Stacey Graham's plans to increase farm production and profit.
Canterbury farmers Dean and Carol McConnell have experienced maize silage from both sides of the fence. Their 200 ha mixed cropping farm grows maize silage each season and sells it to their dairy operation. From a cropping perspective, maize provides reliable yields while, from a dairy perspective, it is a great option for putting weight on cows.
Andrew and Nicky Watt and their children Michaela (9), James (7), Aidan (4) and Ryan (18 months) are equity managers of Cloverdale, a 730 ha property located near Tinwald, south of Ashburton.
The sheer size of the operation produces major challenges which the Turners have had to overcome. Currently the cows are milked once-a-day through two 54 and one 62 bale rotary sheds. "Once-a-day suits us because the farm is 14 km long and so the cows have a long walk home and the sheer size of the operation makes twice daily milking logistically difficult," says David.
For Canterbury farmers Russell and Leanne Clearwater, maize offers a supplementary feed that is consistent in supply, quality and cost, year in year out. Wintering 1,300 cows on 330 hectares near Dunsandel, Canterbury the Clearwaters are in an area where plenty of alternative supplements are grown locally.
A modern farmer succeeds by utilising new technology to work smarter, not harder, whilst maintaining high standards of cow and staff comfort and animal health and welfare.
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