Hauraki High Profitability
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The P3 Trust, established in 2012 by dairy farmers, aims to bolster the dairy sector on the Hauraki Plains and uplift the local community's well-being. A standout initiative of the Trust is its Monitor Farms; high-profit farms on the Hauraki Plains. They share vital insights through a weekly newsletter and annual field days, and also offer a P3 Annual Speaker Series and a P3 Education Series.
The P3 (Profitable Progressive Plains) Trust was set up with the purpose of increasing the wealth, sustainability and satisfaction of dairy farmers on the Hauraki Plains, and to lift the wealth and well-being of the Hauraki Plains community.
To achieve this, the trust facilitates educational opportunities through its P3 Education Series and the P3 Annual Speaker Series which is designed to make you think and bring the community together.
The most well-known work of the P3 Trust is its Monitor Farms with high-profit farms spread across the Hauraki Plains sharing their information through a weekly newsletter and a couple of fieldays during the year. The information reported is significant to all farmers wishing to optimise profit and move from a satisfactory operation to an optimal operation.
Weekly newsletter
The weekly P3 Monitor Farms newsletter provides regular updates of KPIs local farmers can benchmark against. Reporting includes financial performance and evaluating some of the more experimental, and potentially unfamiliar on-farm practices.
Join us on Facebook
The P3 Dairy Trust Facebook group will provide event information, weekly updates and more.
Current P3 monitor farms
Haurakian Charitable Trust
Haurakian Charitable Trust (Owners) with Donald and Melissa Mclean (Contract Milkers)
- A flat 170 hectare dairy farm situated on State Highway 25 just south of Waitakaruru.
- The effective milking platform is 165 hectares.
- The soil comprises of peat over clay.
- This is Donald and Melissa’s first season contract milking the property.
- Advisor support of the farm is by Dairy Direct for farm planning.
- Crossbreed cows are farmed on the property and calving date July Ist.
- All young stock are grazed on a nearby runoff.
- A system 2 operation with PKE contracted to meet feed deficits during the season.
- 10 – 15% of the farm is planted each year for a summer crop.
- 150kgN/Ha is applied annually and the farm effluent stored in a cliptank and spread over 30 hectares.
John, Ryan and Alex Burton
John (father), Ryan and Alex Burton (Brothers) - Owners (Shares in farm business)
- Ryan Burton – Contract Milker
- The flat dairyfarm is located on Burton Road south of Kerepehi and West of Netherton.
- The property is 217 hectares, 215 hectares effective in total, having purchased an adjoining 37 hectares 01/06/23.
- The soils are made up of 75% peat and 25% of peat over clay.
- The dairy platform is farmed along with 107 hectares of runoff.
- With the increase in cow numbers to 660 Friesians the shed was extended to a 50 ASHB.
- The farm is run as a system 4 having 21 – 30% of feed imported annually.
- Most of the feed coming in is grass silage from the runoffs managed by John. The runoffs winter 200 cows and provide grazing for all the youngstock. This allows the farm to be operated as a closed system.
Neil, Glenda and Teagan Gray
- Farm Manager Teagan.
- The flat dairy farm is located on Ngatiapua Road near Turua.
- The 170ha dairy platform is farmed along with 91 hectares of effective runoff.
- Soil type predominantly Hauraki Silt and Clay Loam.
- Teagan is the fifth generation to farm the property.
- A large herd home is used in the winter and spring to manage the wet soils at this time of year, however focus is on a pasture system.
- 480 Crossbred cows are run on the farm.
- All young stock are farmed on the runoff.
- Along with the dairy farm, Neil and Glenda manage the fresh liquid milk (Buttercup dairies) on the Thames – Turua Road farming 25 cows.