WORDS AND IMAGES BY ANNIE STUDHOLME
Almost a decade ago Eiffelton dairy farmers Sara and Stu Russell, with farm owners Richard and Diana Bourke, took steps on their family farm that, even by today’s standards, were significant shifts in practice. The changes justified their nomination to enter Ballance Farm Environment Awards in 2015, with them being awarded the LIC Dairy Farm Award.
The award recognised efforts to future proof the farm business for the long term. The judges appreciated the couple’s holistic view, examining their use of land, labour, and capital, while considering dairying’s effects upon surface ground water and its impact on soil properties.
Since then the farm has moved in leaps and bounds from their early steps that had them opt for liquid nitrogen applications over traditional granulated N, as one of the key shifts towards more sustainable practices.
“I guess we were really just then, as now, trying to be proactive. You can’t be completely ahead of everything that is coming but if you can at least be aware of it you can try to lift the bar through the processes you use, to see what you can improve upon,” says Sara.
The couple’s awareness of their farm’s environmental footprint, and regulatory demands to come came in part from their shared experiences working on dairy farms in Ireland during their OE.
The post-foot and mouth disease environment of UK dairying dictated greater recording and monitoring of livestock and farming practices, and came to include capturing environmental impacts and fertiliser applications.
“And Stu has also always had a passion for sustainability, for researching and trying out new methods to increase your farm’s efficiency.”
Lessons learned
They were lessons that stuck when they returned to help Sara’s parent convert the family’s deer farm to dairying, working alongside Sara’s brother James and his wife Ceri.
Today that has evolved into the couple running a 760 herd 50:50 sharemilking business on the farm, across 255 effective hectares.
When the farm intentionally moved to liquid nitrogen application it required significant investment on their behalf at a time when granular was undoubtedly cheaper and easier to apply.
Using the liquid mix required constructing a mixing bay, complete with a 30,000 litre bunded storage tank and industrial pump.
The liquid option has meant their nitrogen use has fallen well below the now-regulated 190kgN a hectare limit, to average only 70kgN a hectare last year. Cost of application is minimised purpose. Some things out there are genuinely beneficial, but there can be a lot of trial and error in finding out which.”
Sara is encouraged by the results they have seen from using some of the less conventional applications like humates and fish fertiliser, all contributing to her goal of trying to build a more circular farm system with minimal waste and a lighter footprint.
Regen brings natural touch
It is this same philosophy that has inspired them to adopt some regenerative practices upon the farm.
“We have been working with Melinda Driscoll from Ruralco who has been very good at helping us transition to some regenerative type pasture swards,” says Sara.
At a basic level this has included sunflowers and chrysanthemum sown with kale crops, with the former helping aerate the soil with their root structure, and the latter acting as an insect deterrent, thanks to its naturally occurring pyrethrums.
“We have noticed how the calves also prefer to go for the chrysanthemums over the kale, and have not had to use any insecticide on the crop against white butterfly.”
They have also built some regenerative mixed multispecies pastures into 10 paddocks on the farm. The mixes are broad and interesting, comprising the likes of chard, oats, pasture lucerne, plantain, fescue, and buckwheat to name a few. Some of the plantings are part of a multi-farm trial being conducted by AgResearch, Synlait and Danone across Waikato, Southland, and Canterbury to determine the suitability of regenerative mixed pastures on dairy units.
“We have had the mixes for four years now and do notice the cows’ production tends to lift when they are on those paddocks. They seem to enjoy the variety they get from it.”
Sara sees some continuing trial and error work in the pasture mixes as time and grazing determines the species that can endure, and those that may fall out from the varied mixes.
Guernseys win hearts
The couple’s daughter Margaret shares Sara’s passion for animals and livestock and between them they have become obsessed with the gentle Guernsey dairy breed. Sara’s Guernsey hobby now means they have 50 part- bred Guernseys in their largely Jersey herd, bolstered by Sara bringing in five embryos last year from a reputable Australian Guernsey stud.
“They are a very attractive cow, with a lovely temperament, very calm and the calves are like big puppies.”
Guernseys have the highest proportion of A2 milk genetics of any breed, with almost 80% of their population producing milk with the protein.
Their inability to break down beta carotene in pasture also endows their milk with a deep golden creamy appearance.
“They are also proving themselves in the herd. One of my two-year-olds is the third best in her age group in the entire herd for production.”
Pedigree breeding is in Sara’s blood, with her grandfather having founded the family’s original Taranaki based Jersey stud Ngatimaru. It is this stud she is working to revive since becoming sharemilkers in 2011.
Margaret is also passionate about showing her hard work through A & P shows and is looking forward to the return of this year’s Canterbury Show where she will be exhibiting the family’s best Jersey and Guernsey heifer calves. She then heads across the Tasman later in January for International Dairy Week at Melbourne.
Sara’s passion to revive the family Jersey stud is also based on having a keen eye on the farm’s sustainable future.
Stepping lightly into future
The two generations remain committed to continuously lowering their farm’s environmental footprint viewing it as part of a sustainable journey, rather than having a defined destination.
This has included restructuring their irrigation system to operate as a precision system.
Utilising Vantage precision irrigation system the centre pivots are capable of varying their application, determined by which of the three soil types they are operating above, soil moisture levels and temperature.
“We are also always looking at how we can minimise waste, including waste coming onto the farm as packaging.”
They switched from bringing in 24 tonne a year of calf meal in 40kg bags, eliminating the waste stream of almost 1000 meal bags, and getting the meal at a lower rate that paid for the silo in a year.
Sara’s Mum Diana also remains active on the farm, having planted over 5000 trees in the past year alone. Sara loves the family dynamic of working with her father Richard on a daily basis and they way it allows their children to work with and learn from their grandparents.
Looking to the future, Sara and Stu are encouraged by the interest their two children Margaret (12) and Richard (15) are taking in farming. While Margaret has her Mum’s interest in animals, Richard is passionate about gear, keen on tractors and equipment and already committed to work with a contractor over summer.
Both attend Geraldine High School, renowned for its leading Primary Industry Academy that helps get students engaged early with the sector, in Richard’s case accepted to start his Level One training.
Meantime Sara is also keen to ultimately cash in on the quality cream her Jersey and Guernsey cows are so proficient at producing, by one day starting an artisanal butter label.
Combined, the family’s skills and passion means the farm is well positioned for the next generation to prove sustainable dairying has a place in Canterbury.