Open AccessSpecial management aspects of farming pakihi
Author(s) -
Brent Riley
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
proceedings of the new zealand grassland association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1179-4577
pISSN - 0369-3902
DOI - 10.33584/jnzg.1998.60.2294
Subject(s) - lease , agriculture , stocking , dry season , agricultural science , bay , geography , pasture , surface runoff , agricultural economics , agroforestry , business , environmental science , forestry , ecology , biology , economics , archaeology , finance , cartography
I farm in partnership with Michelle, leasing a 218 ha dairy farm and adjoining 60 ha runoff in Collingwood, Western Golden Bay. We wintered 810 cows and 110 yearlings on the property which comprises 35% alluvial river flats and 65% pakihi. We are also 20% shareholders in a family-owned company that operates four dairy farms, one of them being the farm that we lease, the other three being run by my two brothers and their families, and my parents. One of these we have visited at Matariki on the field trip. We run a high stocking rate system of 3.6 cows/ha with high inputs and produced 245 000 kg milksolids last season. We farm in a wet environment, although we do get some sunny days. So far this season we have had 110 inches of rain, up on the average of 100 inches. Fortunately, we live on the dry side of the valley! I hope to give you an insight into farming pakihi; the process we went through to develop and establish pasture from scrub; and the changes that have occurred with time on this soil type.