Dairy NZ

The DairyNZ team in conjunction with Olly and Kim Gibberd and Mark Johnston, have undertaken a series of meetings to constitute a plan for the Focus Farm.  We have carried out a "needs" analysis programme on the Trust and farm called a Whole Farm Assessment, which will impart a set of key recommendations that will provide the Trust, Sharemilkers and Farm Advisor with some direction as to priorities to address in their dairy business.  The sharemilkers have assisted the DairyNZ team in inputting their data on to the DairyBase system which will allow analysis of previous physical performance, which in tow should offer some areas to improve on.

Denis Collins and Mark Johnston measuring the drymatter yield of the oat crop.

The plan is to create some seasonal objectives and a Calendar of Events (similar to the DairyNZ Season Management Calendar) which outlines the activities of the Focus Farm in advance.

At this point there are three major goals on farm - to increase profitability through increased forage grown and eaten within the farm boundaries and access further irrigation.  There are numerous accessory goals including decreasing bulk tank somatic cell counts, improving human resource components of the business, taking the herd from an unrecorded herd to a recorded herd, and competing in the Ahuwhenua Trophy in the near future.

Each week a farm report/farm walk is submitted by Olly and Kim on a Monday, followed by a farm walk and/or a teleconference on the Tuesday, which allows everyone to work through the events of the previous week, the plan for the upcoming week and to address big issues and events in the Calendar of Events in advance.  The summary of these discussions are documented in a Weekly Farm Report. This outlines the big issues facing the Focus Farm at present.