Bio milk demand up
HAWKE'S BAY farmer Kevin Davidson believes the region is leading New Zealand in biological farming with the number of farms and the amount of milk produced.
They have been on the property 12 years after leaving the sharemilking path in Matamata/Morrinsville area. Kevin, an electrician who always wanted to be a dairy farmer, hails from Auckland; Linda is from Kaiaua.
The farm, t/a Plantation Road Dairies, is a large enterprise of 454ha (eff.) for the milking platform and 230ha (eff.) of support land, all flat. With large pivot irrigators, 94% of the dairy farm and 50% of the support land is irrigated with water from the Waipawa River on one of the farm boundaries.
At the peak of the season 1800 Friesian cows are milked daily through the 60-bail rotary; in winter at least 1000 cows are milked daily.
The rotary has a computerised milking plant with automatic cup removers. Milking stock are run in three herds and the last paddock is 2.4km from the dairy shed. Full-time staff number 13, including two mechanics/handymen who also look after fertiliser application and ground cultivation.
Best production from the farm has been nearly one million kgMS.
"My aim is to produce one million kgMS and we are not far off," says Davidson. "With my electrician background our irrigation pumps are all at low pressure, no more than 60 psi, so there is less wear and tear on the pumps and the electricity bill is reduced."
He made other alterations so the water droplets are larger and spray is reduced so irrigation can be done during windy weather. Water for stock and dairy shed come from two artesian bores in the middle of the farm.
The cows year-round get supplementary feed on pads adjacent to the dairy. He grows 80ha of maize and 72ha of whole crop for silage, plus a little grass silage. And there is waste from vegetable and fruit processing plants and by-products from grain plants. All are sourced locally. Other minerals and PKE are added when needed.
About six years ago Davidson became dissatisfied with the progress and the results he was getting and started doing trials on fertilisers and supplementary feeding. Then five years ago he met Jim McMillan who had launched Outgro, Dannevirke, flying on fertiliser mixes in slurry form and getting better results.
"I felt a coming-together of like minds; the result was I have been totally involved with Outgro for three years."
The farm is divided into five distinct areas. Each has an annual soil test and herbage tests every two months and they can receive up to six applications annually. "These are generally heavier applications during the year and lighter in the winter due to our wet soils."
He only flies the material onto crops and wetter soils. Most of the fertiliser is delivered to the farm by bulk tankers to his holding tanks and spread by his own tanker with scales and agitators.
Mixes can include guano, sulphate of ammonia, calcium nitrate, fine lime, seaweed extract, sugar in the form of molasses, humates and trace minerals.
The results: production increases from the more palatable pastures and better utilisation of that pasture.
There is more nutrient density in the pasture and Bricks tests show sugar levels have increased 500% above the conventional system.
Davidson has seen a big drop in metabolic problems. He is using 80% less nitrogen and 95% less phosphate and believes worm activity in the soil has increased by "at least 300%." He has not worm drenched any young stock for three years.
He adds that the soils are freer draining, there is less compaction and the carbon levels have increased.
"I am producing top quality milk and the system ticks all the boxes."
He believes that the Hawkes Bay is leading New Zealand in biological farming. His property has total traceability with all historical treatments and daily production from each paddock being recorded.
