Boosting Crop Production by Spreading Effluent
Tararua district farmer Jamie Harris milks around 400 cows using a split calving system on his farm, Crossdale Dairies.
“We had one at the other farm and while we looked at others we came back to the Archway system for several reasons.”
The trustees had studied an independent cost benefit analysis by Dr Debbie Care, of AgVice. This compared three effluent systems -- weeping walls, mechanical solids separation and pond only. The Archway capital costs were mid-priced but their operating costs were 60-70% lower than the other two methods and after four years theirs was seen as being more cost effective.
They offered a warranty of 20 years and a 50 year warranty on the concrete.
“With the storage of the bunkers and the pond we have the flexibility to spread the solids or water when the weather is OK for the liquid and when cropping land is available for the solids.”
Full utilisation of nutrients helps environmentally and with no mechanical gear there is less to go wrong and the system has a low labour need.
The shed wash water and yard effluent falls to two side-by-side holding bunkers 56m x 6m x 1.5m deep; each side has six months capacity. Once one side is full it is left for a further five-six months and by then almost all liquid is drained off and the solids are removed.
Tel. 0800 ARCHWAY
