2008 Winners

2008 LIC Dairy Farm Award

David and Voray Croft

Hillcrest Farm

The Crofts farm with firm priorities, and this is reflected in a successful, stable dairying business.

They haven’t induced a cow for three years, retain border dyke irrigation so they don’t have to cut down farm trees, err on the side of being “overstaffed” to ensure a happy workforce and apply nitrification inhibitor over their entire farm.

David and Voray’s Hillcrest Farm, on Culverden’s western town boundary, is a 290ha spread including a 100ha run-off. The milking platform is 150ha effective. 550 predominantly Friesian cows are milked with production expected to be around 250,000kgMS by the end of this season.

In addition to the Hillcrest Farm entry into these awards, they have another dairy farm nearby, a 132ha unit with a contract milker.

Which is all a very big leap from their entry into dairying, in August 1993, milking 420 cows on the newly converted Croft family farm, Hillcrest.

Explains David: “Voray came from Auckland, and I’d grown up on this farm, but neither of us had milked a cow before, not even a house cow.”

David’s parents came to the area in 1962, when they bought 186ha of what is now part of Hillcrest Farm. It was used for beef, cropping and sheep; Corriedales until irrigation reached the area in the late 1970s and then Romneys.

When David left school he worked 10 years driving. After he and Voray were married however the couple bought the 132ha farm up the road from his parents and went into a farming partnership with them.

By 1992 there were about five dairy farms in the Amuri basin, and David and Voray thought the future looked good. Their farm was not irrigated, so, as part of the Croft family succession plan, they took over the family farm and converted it. “It was a good challenge,” says David, with understatement.

Water is a key consideration for the Crofts. It’s not the quantity, says David, its how the water is used that counts. Two years ago he put in a large collection pond designed to capture the run-off that would otherwise not be utilised from their border dyke irrigation. A new centre pivot and sprinkler system fed from the collection pond allows an extra 80ha of Hillcrest Farm to be irrigated.

David got the idea for the collection pond from a much smaller set-up and pursued it, despite there being no data or track record to work from. The idea is imitated now and he’s happy to share what he’s learnt, including details of a year’s worth of monitoring of the nutrient in the run-off water.

David and Voray are happy to be known as “tree huggers”. Following in the footsteps of David’s father, they “won’t stop” planting trees.

“Cows aren’t silly,” says David, “they love the shade and the shelter.”

To increase the efficiency of their border dyke irrigation, and allow them to retain their trees, they are extending the distance between dykes from 12m to 36m.
David and Voray live on Hillcrest Farm with their children Robert (16) and Catherine (13). The farm has four fulltime staff and one part timer.

What the judges said…

• Attention to animal health and feeding management is reflected in above average production.
• A collection pond allows recycling of the border-dyke irrigation water through a centre pivot.
• A high awareness and consideration to staffing needs and their work environment.

2008 Wrightson Habitat Improvement Award

Murray and Sue Johns

Paua Bay Farm

The Johns family take obvious pleasure in ensuring their small corner of the country is a happy, healthy place for all living things to be.

They are stewards of 367 stunning hectares of land and six kilometres of coastline at Paua Bay, 20 minutes east of Akaroa on Banks Peninsula.

Murray and Sue’s land is divided into two blocks of medium hill country – one a headland and the other a valley running down to the Paua Bay beach. With their son Will, they farm sheep, beef and deer.

Will is sixth generation on this land and there can be no doubt the succession planning that’s already underway with his parents and sister Kate will ensure that he won’t be the last of his family to call Paua Bay home.

The Johns’ place is a home – temporary or permanent – to many more beings than this family and their livestock.

Seals and penguins enjoy the rocky shores, fish and shellfish thrive in the remote waters, a wide range of native animals, birds and (some rare) plants appreciate the sanctuary of two bush areas protected by covenant with the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust, and tourists come year round to enjoy it all.

Murray and Sue have had a homestay business for 18 years and more recently developed a farm tour sideline. They pride themselves that their guests leave with memories of more than just a slick tourist operation.

“It’s not just looking at the scenery, running a dog, shearing a sheep,” says Murray, “it’s about the life we live.”

The Johns’ are realistic about their farm size limiting their income and say they will continue to work on broadening their base. Options for Will include leasing more land nearby.

Murray and Will share the farm work. Last year they wintered 1600 composite/Romney ewes, and 430 hoggets. They finish about 75 percent of their lambs on the place. They also run 110 hinds and 45 beef cows on an effective total of 340ha.

Like his parents before him, Will (with partner Hannah) is an active member of YFC. A keen dogman, Will and his dog Sarge recently won the South Island Yard Dog competition and were placed third at national level.

Tourism is an important boost to this farm’s income, but more than that, the Johns’ enjoy “sharing life’s journeys” with visitors from throughout the world.

Murray’s family connection with the area stretches back to 1837 when a French blacksmith named Francois LeLievre came ashore on a whaling boat. The beauty of the place captivated him, and some of his shipmates. Upon their return home they convinced the French government to sponsor a settlement there. And the rest, as they say, is history.

“Ever since then the Johns’ have integrated the values and traditions from the past into their current lives, and future plans,” says Murray.

What the judges said…

• Creation of two Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust covenants.
• High level of stock welfare.
• Successful integration of farming and two tourism businesses.
• Strong inter-generational awareness and involvement.

© 2009 Environment Canterbury