West Coast/Top of the South

dairyindustryawards.co.nz

Winners Field Day

Monday 15 April 2019

1462 Kaniere Kowhitirangi

Road, Hokitika

Winners

Handout prepared by:

DairyNZ

dairyindustryawards.co.nz

Thomas & Hannah Oats

Jeffrey Hawes

George King

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FIELD DAY PROGRAMME Monday 15th April 2019

10:30am Welcome, Introductions and Health & Safety

Heather McKay, Regional Manager; West Coast/Top of the South

Lead Facilitator of today’s field day is Angela Leslie; Consulting Officer supported by

Maria Lockington; DairyNZ West Coast

10.35am Dairy Trainee of the Year – Jeffrey Hawes

10.45am Dairy Manager of the Year – George King

11.15am Share Farmers of the Year – Thomas & Hannah Oats

12:55pm Past Winner’s Reflection – Chris & Carla Staples

1.05pm BBQ lunch

BBQ lunch kindly sponsored by Silver Fern Farms and New World Hokitika

Morning tea kindly supplied by Westpac

Health and Safety notices All children must be supervised by an adult at all times Visitors must remain with the group and follow signs and directions The farm has a non-smoking policy This is an agricultural workplace please take care Please see one of the DairyNZ team if you require any assistance

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NZDIA 2019 RESULTS

SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR Thomas & Hannah Oats

RUNNER UP Jamie & Felicity Thomas

THIRD Justine Kelly

FARM MANAGER OF THE YEAR George King

RUNNER UP Rachael Lind

THIRD Laurens & Leigh Foulger

DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR Jeffrey Hawes

RUNNER UP Dallas Bradley

THIRD Jarrod Rae

MERIT AWARDS

SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR DairyNZ Human Resources Award Justine Kelly

Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award Thomas & Hannah Oats

Federated Farmers Leadership Award Michael & Cheryl Shearer

Honda Farm Safety,Health & Biosecurity Award Justine Kelly

LIC Recording and Productivity Award Justine Kelly

Meridian Farm Environment Award Thomas & Hannah Oats

Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award Jamie & Felicity Thomas

Westpac Business Performance Award Thomas & Hannah Oats

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DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

PAMU Farms of New Zealand Employee Engagement Award Clay Paton

Cuffs Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors Leadership Award Rachael Lind

PGG Wrightson - Livestock & Real Estate Feed Management Award George King

DeLaval Livestock Management Award George King

Fonterra Dairy Management Award George King

PrimaryITO Power Play Award Laurens & Leigh Foulger

Westpac Personal Planning & Financial Management Award Laurens & Leigh Foulger

DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

West Coast/Top of the South DIA Most Promising Entrant Award Stephanie Gray

Dairy Holdings Limited Farming Knowledge Award Alexis Wells

Silver Fern Farms Community & Industry Involvement Award Jeffrey Hawes

Greenfield Motors Communication & Engagement Award Jeffrey Hawes

DairyNZ Practical Skills Award Dallas Bradley

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DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

Jeffrey Hawes Merit Awards | Judges Citations

Silver Fern Farms Community &

Industry Involvement Award

Being passionate about Airsoft and with no

club on the West Coast, Jeffrey decided to

start his own. He has put his likable

personality, clear communication and great

leadership skills to good use and has managed

to secure land, gain membership and register

his club on the national register. He regularly

takes teams to competitions around New

Zealand, ensuring the West Coast is

represented.

Greenfield Motors Communication &

Engagement Award

Jeffrey has a clear and confident

communication style, coupled with his drive

and enthusiasm for the dairy industry he

swiftly won over the judges and drew them in

to what he had to say. The judges believe that

Jeffrey has what it takes to be a great

ambassador for the dairy industry and are

looking forward to seeing him in leadership

roles in the future.

Background

● A West Coaster who is 23 years of age

● Studied Information Communication

Technology

● Worked in ICT for 2 years

● Has been an environmental technician at

K2 Environmental

● Driver and yardman at Crofts and Move

logistics

● Started at Pamu Farms of NZ in Jan 2018

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Farm Overview

● Bell Hill Dairy Unit – Pamu Farms of New

Zealand

● 940 cows

● 449 Ha effective

● 60 bale rotary with ACR’s and automation

● 18/19 season production est. 305,000 kg/ms

Goals

● Farm ownership of around 200 cows

● Wishes to follow the private farming

pathway of contract milking through

share milking to farm ownership

● Grow the Airsoft club (which Jeff

founded) and the sport nationally

● Complete Level 4 Diploma in Agriculture

Training

● Milk Quality course

● Level 3 Pasture Management

● Currently studying Level 3 Animal

Husbandry

● Pamu Farms of NZ Health & Safety

Leadership training

Jeff wishes to start Level 4 Diploma

inAgriculture before the end of 2019

Off farm interests

● Spending time with wife, Sarah and son

Charlie who will be 2 in August

● Jeff is a volunteer firefighter

● Avid Airsoft competitor – Founded

Westernfront Airsoft Club

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DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR

George King Merit Awards | Judges Citations

PGG Wrightson - Livestock & Real

Estate Feed Management Award

George was maximizing pasture growth

matching feed demands and ensuring the

animals are grazing on quality pasture with the

detailed plan around re-grassing and crop

establishment. Georges regular monitoring

was outstanding and achieving extremely high

per cow production.

DeLaval Livestock Management Award

George showed a clear plan for seasonal

management of his herd. There was great care

taken to ensure cows meet body condition

targets throughout the season. He had a very

good eye for stock which showed in high 6

week in calf rates and low empty rates.

George's attention to detail was a credit to

him.

Fonterra Dairy Management Award

George showed a detailed understanding in this area and how it can affect the farms performance. He

had good policies and procedures around identifying and preventing potential milk quality issues. Judges

were impressed that with the systems and procedures in place around the dairy shed.

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Background

● Brought up on family farm

● 1yr at Mt. Somers Station

● Stockman at Double Hill Station in Rakaia Gorge

● Came home to Cape Foulwind family farm for 1 yr

● Dairy Production Manager in Ngatea for Landcorp milking 700 cows

● Home to Cape Foulwind family farm in 2008.

Training and Development

● Attended St. Andrews College from 6th form & gained Bursary in Agriculture

● Studied Diploma in Farm Management at Lincoln University

Farm Overview

● Farm owned by Alex and Julie King

● 280 cows

● On track to achieve 127,000 kg/ms 18/19 season

● 103 Ha effective

● 18 Ha support block

● 40 ASHB with in shed feeding

● 460 kg/DM imported feed fed through season (dairy pellet and baleage)

● Rainfall 2 m/yr

Responsibilities

● Day to day management of the dairy farm

o People Management

o Livestock Management

o Pasture Management

o Milk Quality Management

Strengths of the farm

● Family owned and operated

● A mix of soil types to buffer both wet and dry climatic variables

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Goal setting

● 500 kg/ms/cow

● 2020 – Capital gain through youngstock purchase

● 2020 – 50/50 SM

● Farm ownership is the ultimate goal along with a lifestyle that includes and cares for his children

Power Play - Environment

George actively seeks ways to encourage biodiversity into the farm system. With limited use of

insecticides in cropping processes and plantings undertaken he feels he is taking all steps he can to

protect native birds and the ecosystem on his farm as a whole. The ragwort moth has been an example

of how he has nurtured the natural environment to utilize biodiverse methods to help solve a weed

problem on farm.

● Waterway management:

o 98% permanently fenced, 100% stock excluded.

● Water use:

o Recycles cooler water, exploring more ways to capture water

● Land management:

o Paddocks contoured to reduce water runoff

● Waste management:

o Effluent ponds, consented to discharge

● Climate Change:

o Comprehensive planting plans for the farm, with a focus to offset carbon emissions.

Assessing types of feed in the system to mitigate GHG.

o Has a focus on efficient fertilizer application by monitor weather and applying when is

best.

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SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

Thomas & Hannah Oats

Merit Awards | Judges Citations

Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award

Thomas and Hannah are very particular about

shed hygiene and cleanliness and have a good

understanding of the things that affect milk

quality. This was evidenced by many years of

grade free supply and a well presented dairy

shed.

Meridian Farm Environment Award

Thomas and Hannah are well aware of

compliance requirements and showed evidence

of using good management practices with things

such as good soil management, fencing of

waterways and riparian planting. Thomas and

Hannah take pride in the well-presented farm

and showing their environment to visitors.

Westpac Business Performance Award

Thomas and Hannah had outstanding attention

to detail in relation to their finances. They are

very well acquainted with their numbers,

understand their taxation obligations and have a

very clear and realistic plan of how they are going

to meet their short and long-term goals.

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Background

Thomas and Hannah met while still at school in

Hokitika. Thomas left school at 17 and worked on

the family dairy farm on Johnson Rd,

Kowhitarangi. Hannah (15) could be found on the

farm most days after school and the weekends

and this sparked a real love of farming in her so

she studied through the Gateway programme

with Thomas and his father, Tegal, as trainers and

mentors. Right from this young age Thomas and

Hannah have had a goal of farming to achieve

farm ownership.

Thomas worked on the farm until it was sold.

Tegal and Wendy bought a farm in the Grey

Valley.

Hannah and Thomas stayed around Hokitika for

another year, Thomas working fulltime as a 2IC

for Karen and Peter O’Rielly at Lake Kaniere with

Hannah milking most days for Phill Routhan and

filling in on days off at O’Riellys farming and

helping mind the children. On most of their days

off they would go up to Mawheraiti to help on

the farm as they were going contract milking

there the next season and were excited about

the opportunity.

The couple moved together to Turkey Creek

Farm, Mawheraiti, which was owned by Thomas’

parents, to contract milk. They held this position

for 6 years helping to grow the farm from a self

contained 300 cow farm to a 360 cow farm with

a runoff production increasing from

118,000KgMs to around 170,000KgMs. During

this time Hannah and Thomas were married, 22nd

February 2014, and had 2 children Ellie 5 years

and Charlie 3 years, who have always been fully

immersed in the day to day operation of the

farm.

Interests include:

• Bush walks with kids up local mountains

• Making the most of the ‘free’ things we

have on our back doorstep including

enjoying the lakes and beaches

• Creating fun on farm e.g.camping, sack on

back of motorbike

• Including the children in helping welcome

and show AirBnB guests around the farm

• Teaching the kids farming skills

Off farm income:

Hannah and Thomas work often work outside of

the farm to maximise savings this includes:

• Relief milking; both Thomas and Hannah

relief milk on 3 separate farms each often

milking their own cows as well before

heading out to milk other herds

• Hannah runs an AirBnB beside the house

• Hannah has just completed her

apprenticeship with LIC to be an AI

Technician

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Short-Term Goals

Financial Goals

Thomas and Hannah have short term goals of

saving $100,000/year for the next 5-6 years by

micro-managing the herd, learning all the time

and targeting being exceptional at what they do

and season on season being consistent.

Farm Management Goals

• Remain self-contained: 140 cows

maximum

• Target days in milk (DIM) per cow by:

milking most cows in to June if

conditions and feed supply allow.

• Maintain daily per cow production above

2kgMS till March by: feeding quality

grass, strategic use of supplement,

strategic use of minerals, using milk urea

as an indicator

• All grass wintering

• Micro manage as much as possible whilst

keeping a simple system.

Personal Goals

● Simple fun lifestyle enjoying the ‘free

things’ and to save as much as possible

● Being involved with Ellie and Charlie

through their learning, school,

community

● Be very financially stable by 50 to enable

options for travel etc

Long-Term Goals

Hannah and Thomas plan to buy half Lyndale

Farm by 2026 with another 5-6 years to buy it

outright. Longer term goals include semi-

retirement by 50 years of age with flexibility to

travel, and a farm for Ellie and Charlie plus

runoff for Thomas and Hannah.

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Lyndale Farm

Farm Owners Stu and Adriane Coleman

Area 84ha

Soil Silt loam medium depth

Altitude & Rainfall 40m ASL, 3m annual rainfall

Fertility pH P K S

5.9 41 3 5

Fertiliser History N P K S

180 40 60 100

Use of high analysis fertiliser DAP and Crop ammo pot through urea silo. This is applied every grazing round. Aim to repopulate clover by raising Molybdenum levels. Aim pH 6.5 to maximise nutrient availability. 3T Lime/ha last season 2T lime/ha applied this year.

Drainage Surface drainage plus aerate – fairly free draining

Special Features • Tidy and well fenced

• planting Italian alder along fence lines

• Fenced off waterways and planted flaxes

• Surface drains highly effective no flooding

Stock and Production

Season kg/MS Cow Cows KgMS KgMS/ha

Farm Owners 17/18 536 98 52,500 625

Estimated 18/19 550 129 71,000 845

Target 19/20 550 140 77,000 917

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On Farm Management

Communication Tools

With farm owners:

• Regular phone calls,

• messages

• visits weekly to fortnightly

• Very healthy and close relationship with Stu and Adrianne

Day to day planning:

Thomas and Hannah extensively use calendars and planners to keep track of relief milking rosters, AirBnB bookings, grazing plans etc.

Staff Hannah, Thomas plus help from the children Ellie and Charlie

Health & Safety Have written plan plus a practical plan in place – main focus on keeping kids safe. Grew up with practical safety becoming second nature e.g. riding to your ability. This is how Thomas and Hannah were trained and they are passing this onto their children

Pasture Management

• Aim to ryegrass the farm over the next 10+ years

• Target ryegrass pasture species with variable heading dates and late aftermath heading. Use DairyNZ Forage Value Index plus research to achieve this

• Pastures are in good weed free condition due to diligent weed control by the farm owners Stu and Adrianne Coleman – However this also means there is little presence of clover

• Docks and flat weeds will continue to be controlled by diligent weed control at regressing and 3-4 years after with Backup

• Focus now in reintroducing clover and plantain

• Aim to trial introducing plantain in existing pastures via seed ingested by cows in meal then harrow.

• Target longevity of pastures aim for 20 years + by looking after pastures exceptionally well

• Play to strengths of the West Coast – never moisture stressed!

• Starch and protein blend of meal used until end Feb, then 20% DDGs 20% Soya Hull pellets 60% PKE

• Total 800kg meal used per cow per year

• Keeps cows peaking while pasture is going to seed plus keeps cows milking on the shoulders of the season

Stock Management

● All on farm. o 33 Heifers +2 Steers follow directly behind the cows o Heifers weighed 2 monthly, growth rates and weights above

industry recommendations o 32 Calves + 2 Steers ahead of cows initially until Feb then get own

paddocks, set stocked initially then break fenced closer to winter. o Calved weighed 3 weekly - monthly to check growth rates on track

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Herd Details ● Breed of herd: Friesian ● BW:-20 ● PW:-16 ● Recorded Ancestry: 98% ● Calving Date: 10th August ● Mean Calving Date: 28th Aug

Mating Management

• No interventions used

• All cows are Metrichecked prior to mating – 2 cows were treated this year

• Aim is to reach industry targets

• Everything within their control is used to get cows in calf especially feeding and mineral drench

• 11 weeks AI – 4 weeks with mainly Friesian, 6 weeks with quality Hereford bulls for natural mating, follow up short gestation AI

• Low line angus bulls over heifers

• 16% not in calf rate this season – this is unacceptable to Hannah and Thomas. The intend to do the following next season to improve this:

Keep meal feeding consistent through mating More than one bull to follow up next season

Winter Grazing ● Balage plus straw – stand off paddocks for all classes of stock ● 375 bales silage made on farm plus 50 left from last season 250-

300kgDM/bale ● 130 bales rygrass straw. ● Break feed paddocks 150 day round ● If wet use silage on standoffs – paddocks need to be dried out for a day

before cows go back on

Environmental ● Recycle bale wrap, ● Fenced off waterways ● Nutrient budget with Ravensdown ● No crops grown in order to maintain soil quality and minimise nutrient

losses ● Farm well used as a WCRC testing point - high quality water ● Planning to put in pod irrigation over 10ha for effluent

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Young Stock Growth Charts

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Farm KPI’s (targets) On budget to achieve 2018/19 Target 2019/20

Production (kg MS) 71,000 77,000

Cows Milked 129 140

Effective ha 84ha 84

Stocking Rate (kgLwt/ha) 1,124kg 1,197kg

Not in Calf Rate 16% 10%

FWE/kgMS $1.56/kgMS $1.50/kgMS

Financial key performance indicators (KPIs)

Profitability (budgeted) 2018/19 season

Net Dairy Cash Income/kgMS 3.52

Farm Working Expenses/kgMS 1.56

Cash Surplus/kgMS 1.66

Farm working expenses breakdown

Expenses (budgeted) $/kgMS $/ha $/cow

Labour 0 0 0

Stock 0.24 210 135

Feed 0.66 559 363

Other Working Exp 0.66 561 363

Cash surplus / deficit sensitivity table

Payout $5 advance

total $5.90

-2.00 -$1.50 -$1.00 -$0.50 $0.00 $0.50

FWE

-10% 58,000 75,800 93,500 111,300 129,000 146,800

-5% 52,500 70,200 88,000 105,700 123,500 141,200

0 46,900 64,700 82,400 100,200 117,923 135,700

5% 41,400 59,100 76,900 94,600 112,400 130,100

10% 35,800 53,600 71,300 89,100 106,800 124,600

West Coast / Top of the South Regional Sponsors

General Manager | Chris Keeping | chris@nzdia.org.nz

National Awards DinnerSaturday 11 May 2019TSB Arena Wellington

Ticket Cost $195Purchase from 25 March 2019 @

dairyindustryawards.co.nz

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards appreciates the support of our national and regional

sponsors in bringing you this prestigious event.

Westland Milk ProductsCuffs Chartered Accountants

and Business Advisors

Dairy Holdings Limited

Drummond and Etheridge

Essential Nutrition Ltd

Greenfield Motors

PAMU Farms of New Zealand

PGG Wrightson - Livestock & Real Estate

Silver Fern Farms

Stevens Orchard Lawyers

West Coast Insurance

Aotea Electric Westland Ltd

Bayleys Canterbury - Whalan & Partners Ltd

Gallagher

James and Son

Marshall & Heaphy Ltd

Norwood Farm Machinery

NZME

RD Petroleum

Trans-West Freighters

West Coast Vets