Our Farms
Our farm consists of approximately 920 Friesian dairy cows, 500 young and replacement cows and 100 Friesian and Angus cross bulls. We have two dairy platforms of approx. 130 and 153 hectares effective, each with a 50 bale automated rotary shed. We also have two support blocks in close proximity of 155 and 63 hectares.
We are a system 4, with pasture being the predominant feed and a key focus and driver of profitability. We are spring calving with dry cows wintering off on the support blocks.
One dairy platform is irrigated by travelling irrigators from the Oroua River and the second dairy platform has no irrigation.
Our Animals
Our animals are our athletes a vital asset. Thanks to them we have a fantastic product that provides high quality, nutritious, and vital food for babies and people all around the world. We look after our animals as best as we can and animal welfare is a priority for us. We work hard to ensure our animals always enjoy the five freedoms defined by Ministry.
Our animals enjoy luscious green grass and free ranging pasture every day. They are in their natural environment and very happy cows.
Five Animal Freedoms
Freedom from hunger & thirst
Freedom from discomfort
Freedom from pain, injury & disease
Freedom to express natural behaviour
Freedom from fear & distress
Our Technology
We are striving to be a leader in innovation and technological advancement on farm. As part of the Rural Innovation Lab, we are a pilot SmartFarm. This means we are privileged to be the first to test cutting edge Ag technology that will improve farming practices.
Our dairy sheds run AFI software, and we are able to capture significant amounts of data daily on our cows including production, health, weight, feed. We use various technologies such as FarmIQ, Figured, Xero, Office 365, Teams, WhatsApp to digitise our work as much as possible, simplifying and streamlining operations and improving communication across the business.
Our Enviroment
Our Environment including soils, water and air are the basic elements of our farming systems. We take great care in preserving and enhancing these to provide a healthy future for our farm and future generations. Our farm is set on the banks of the Oroua River which is a beautiful, clean river that our children swim and play in, and is an important resource for our farm in dry periods.
We have undertaken many initiatives to ensure our natural resources are protected such as fencing all waterways, planting native trees, investing in infrastructure to ensure we capture nutrients. Sustainability is a key focus for us and part of our strategic plans, with key projects such as real time nutrient measurement, waste reduction and carbon capture being investigated.