2003 Winners

2003 Canterbury Region Supreme Winners

Also winners of the Ballance Agri-Nutrients Nutrient Management Award and LIC Best Dairy Farm Award

Andy and Tricia Macfarlane, Pencarrow Farm, Ashburton, Mid Canterbury

Andy, his wife Tricia own and manage Pencarrow Farm, a 235 hectares, 680 cow dairy farm two kilometres north-west of Ashburton. The consolidation to the dairy unit in one block has happened quickly over just two years. Before dairying, the farm, purchased in 1989, was finishing beef and lambs in conjunction with a nearby property. They employ a sharemilker to run the dairying operation while Andy maintains his business as a farm advisor. Tricia does the farm accounts and maintenance around the property. This year the management team is aiming at 1432 kg milk solids/ha (1,320 kg MS/ha last season).

Flexible approach to irrigation systems

Because of the shape of the farm and its extensive tree plantings including one block of 45 ha where there's a large specimen tree every 30 metres or so, Andy has needed to use several irrigation types including border dyke, Rotorainer and a combination of fixed sprinklers and K line under the trees.

As well as big fruit trees and traditional English species, Andy and Tricia have planted native species around the cowshed, along the lane to the milking shed and around the house and yards, increasing shade for the cows and attracting ducks, fantails, blue heron and many smaller birds.

Shade, shelter, a reliable water supply, soft cow tracks and high quality feed and supplementary feed are all part of Andy's stress minimization approach which leads to healthier cows and a high milk solids return, the Ballance judges noted. Andy has a long history of monitoring and recording all data relating to soil and water management.

Environmental checklist

"In my advisory capacity, we've also developed an environmental checklist for irrigated farms, using this place as a pilot," Andy says. The aim of the checklist is to objectively quantify the current state of the farm and hence accurately measure future progress.
"I am monitoring our output per millimetre of water applied and per kilo of feed eaten in order to develop a more efficient operation. More and more dairy farmers are paying attention to production efficiency, rather than production for production's sake.
"We've put a lot of effort into irrigation efficiency and wastewater management, along with the extensive tree planting." Irrigation water - 25 mms per week - comes through the Rangitata Diversion Race scheme. A bore has been installed (40 metres deep) to get the extra 10 mms per week needed for peak season water demand.

"Simply outstanding"

Judges noted that as well as objective shelter planting in every paddock and the flexible approach to irrigation which has preserved the farm's beautiful big trees, Andy's consistent use and long-term commitment to environmental data-gathering - of nutrient output in wastewater, soil moisture, holding capacity and soil testing - "was simply outstanding."

Award Winning!

Andy and Tricia Macfarlane also won the 2003 Ballance Agri-Nutrients Nutrient Management Award and the LIC Best Dairy Farm Award.

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© 2007 Environment Canterbury