The FRNL principles applied are:
- Reduce nitrogen in cow diets, through growing and feeding plantain and fodder beet on the milking platform and support blocks
- Capture nitrogen during risk periods with catch crops and plantain
Some other strategies also applied were to
- Use lower-N imported supplements e.g. lifted fodder beet and maize silage
- Reduce N fertiliser
- Reduce stocking rate in accordance with reduced inputs
Farmer experiences
The expandable sections below cover experiences of our monitor farmers.
For a full report on the catch crop results of the Canterbury dairy monitor farms, click here.
Monitor farmer biographies
Follow the progress of the monitor farmers to help aid your own decisions to reduce nitrate leaching. Click on each farm below for more information.
The geographic spread of the monitor farms and range of systems represented means every farmer in Canterbury should have a farm they can identify with.
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Grant and Jan Early
Grant and Jan Early are dairy farm owners from Mayfield.
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Eric and Maxine Watson
Eric and Maxine are arable farmers from Wakanui.
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Chris, Nigel and Ross Rathgen
The Rathgen family run a mixed dairy and arable farm system in St Andrews.
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Brent and Maryn Austin
Brent and Maryn are arable farmers from Mayfield.
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Peter and Joc Kinney
Peter and Joc Kinney are dairy farmers from Culverden.
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Tony Coltman
Tony Coltman dairy farms near Dunsandel.
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Bill and Shirley Wright
Bill and Shirley Wright are sheep and beef farm owners from Cave.
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Blair and Amie Kirkland
Blair and Amie Kirkland are sheep and beef farmer owners from Parnassus.
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Paritea, Ngāi Tahu
Sam Lovelock managed Paritea, a dairy farm of Ngāi Tahu Farming at Whenua Hoe, Eyrewell.
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Parekarangi Trust farm
Parekarangi Trust farm, Rotorua, became a monitor farm in 2016.