Northern Agricultural Research Farm (NARF)

• The Farm Today
• History
• Objectives
• Past Research Projects at NARF
• Current Research Projects at NARF
• Farm Walks/Updates

The Farm Today

The farm has an 84 effective hectare milking platform. Currently milking 270 cows with an average production over the last three years of 1000 kg MS/ha. There is a new 30 aside herringbone shed with three working vats for farmlet trials. All replacements are grazed off farm. The farm is managed by Charlotte Greaves with the help of her farm assistants Calvin Horton and Iain Sim.

• To view the farm layout click here.

History

The Northland Agricultural Research Farm (NARF) was originally established as the Northern Wairoa Experimental and Demonstration Farm in the 1920's. The aim was to lead the way in showing new techniques and to provide training opportunities for young farmers and bursaries to local students studying agriculture. The farm was owned collectively by all the greater Dargaville district farmers and run as an incorporated society.

In 2001 the farm name was changed to reflect the Northland-wide focus it had developed over the years and membership and ownership was expanded to all Dairy farmers in Northland. It is still set up and operated as an Incorporated Society and managed by an executive committee of Northland farmers and rural professionals. The farm employs a Manager and a Herd Assistant.

As a part of their commitment to deliver leading research to Northland farmers the farm has recently undergone some more exciting changes. 

Objectives

In March 2006 the Westpac Northland Dairy Development Trust (NDDT) was formed in response to difficulties by the NARF committee in sourcing funding to continue with its research programme. The Trust is a joint initiative between NARF and a local commercial Fonterra farm at Hikurangi. The two farms are working together to initiate, manage and extend research specifically aimed at Northland dairy farmers by coordinating the utilisation of resources of the existing parties. Each farm continues to run as a separate entity but are working together to provide the following outcomes:

• To raise the profile of Northland as an innovative and progressive dairying region
• To promote the dairy industry in a positive fashion to both existing suppliers and members of the public outside the dairy industry
• To utilise resources better by sharing personnel and technology involved in research and extension
• To showcase leading edge dairy technology with a particular focus on managing current and emerging regulatory (product safety, traceability), environmental and animal welfare issues.

To find out more about the Westpac Northland Dairy Development Trust please click here.

Past Research Projects at NARF

Find out more about past research projects. Click here.

Current Research Projects at NARF

Find out more about the research project invesitigating pasture management systems for Northland. Click here.

Farm Walks/Updates

See regular updates from NARF. Click here.