Brochure - Hill Laboratories

2013 BAY OF PLENTY
Dennis, Judith and Gordon McFetridge
McFetridge Farms Limited
SUPREME AWARD WINNERS
ALSO WINNERS OF:
LIC DAIRY FARM AWARD
MASSEY UNIVERSITY DISCOVERY AWARD
WATERFORCE INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT AWARD
MERIDIAN ENERGY EXCELLENCE AWARD
When millions of tonnes of `sludge’ from the
collapsing Ruahihi power scheme canal flooded
through their land Dennis and Judith McFetridge
wondered if they’d ever farm dairy cows there
again.
Ballance Farm Environment Awards National Sponsors
The canal had been built to deliver water to the Ruahihi Hydro
station on the banks of the Wairoa River and what ended up on
the McFetridge farm was a mix of water, tonnes of clay from the
canal banks and weeds, including kikuyu grass.
Today the farm bears little resemblance to that awful September
20 day in 1981.
Now it is well fenced and grazing 180 two and three years old
cows. Riparian areas on either side of Ivy Stream and steep
sidlings have been planted in natives and are attracting bird life.
Despite three decades of careful pasture management, low lying
parts of the farm are not as fertile as they should be and kikuyu
control is a constant issue.
Son Gordon now manages the family’s two dairy farms on
Omanawa Road and has continued to improve the strategies his
father employed to help restore the lower farm.
Grazing cows overnight in smaller paddocks on the clay areas
and cropping the land have been among the methods used to
help improve fertility.
The herd is mainly jersey or a jersey cross because lighter animals
are better suited to the farm’s contour.
Gordon has improved the effluent systems of the properties by
installing positive displacement pumps which enable effluent to
be delivered at a consistent rate.
Regional Partners

• Objective
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Excellent
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Innovative
Biodiversity;
Dennis, Judith and Gordon McFetridge
McFetridge Farms Limited
SUPREME AWARD WINNERS (continued)
Son Gordon, who completed a degree in agri-business at
Lincoln University and for five years worked as a Rural Manager
with the National Bank, now manages the family’s two dairy
farms on Omanawa Road. He is assisted by two fulltime staff
with casuals, including university students, when required. The
farms are now leased from the family trust.
Gordon has continued and improved on the strategies his
father employed to help restore the lower farm.
Grazing cows overnight in smaller paddocks on the clay areas
and cropping the land have been among the methods used to
help improve fertility. “Turnips don’t grow as well here as they
do on the other farm but growing a crop not only gives us more
feed for the cows, it also enables us to re-sow the pasture and
hopefully reduce the kikuyu,” says Gordon.
Kikuyu has spread through the farm and because it dies in
winter, doesn’t provide sufficient year round feed. “We have to
re-sow the pasture each year. Flat to rolling areas of the farm
are direct drilled. Seed and fertiliser are mixed and applied to
the steep hillsides by helicopter.”
The herd is mainly jersey or a jersey cross because lighter
animals are better suited to the farm’s contour which ranges
from rolling to steep. The younger herd of 180 two and three
years old cows is grazed on what the family calls the lower farm,
while the older 260 cows graze the top farm, just up the road.
Today the lower farm bears little resemblance to the photos
taken shortly after the collapse when it looked as if thick creamwhite
porridge had flowed through it. It is well fenced and in
January had a good crop of turnips on the lower flats. Riparian
and steep sidlings planted in natives are attracting bird life.
Dennis says the farm is full of springs and it was to help protect
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
the land and water courses, that areas were retired and planted
in native bush. The Ivy Stream which runs through the farm has
been fenced and with the assistance of Bay of Plenty Regional
Council, planted in native trees and flaxes.
Although the two farms are just minutes away by vehicle, they are
too far apart to use the same dairy so each has its own milking
and effluent systems.
Gordon has improved the effluent systems of the properties by
installing WaterForce Eco Pumps in both effluent ponds. These
positive displacement pumps enable effluent to be delivered
at a consistent rate to even the highest points of the irrigation
system. On the lower farm, 19 ha are irrigated and 24 ha on the
top farm.
On the top farm Gordon has installed a very large silo for grain,
which is ground and mixed with minerals and trace elements
before being delivered to the cows in feeding troughs while they
are being milked in the herring bone shed.
“Feeding the cows in the shed is better than in the paddock as
there is less waste.”
Dennis and Judith are delighted Gordon has returned to take over
most of the management of both farms. “He’s come back at just
the right time as I was beginning to wonder how much longer I
could continue,” says Dennis, who is open to Gordon’s new ideas.
“He’s had the education and experience required of a modern
farmer and is far better at record keeping than I ever was.”
Judith says father and son work well together, constantly
discussing ideas, making the most of Dennis’ years of farming
experience and Gordon’s modern education. They share the same
fundamental aims of farming in a manner which is financially and
environmentally sustainable.
to having fewer cows, increased production per cow being achieved through improved feed, pasture, grazing
management and attention to stock health.
herd records coupled with good use of available technology.
and extremely effective water cooling system.
healthy native bush, clean streams and extensive riparian protection and enhancement.

Ian and Georgina Lawrence
Braewood Holdings Limited and Snowhill Trust
BALLANCE AGRI-NUTRIENTS: NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT AWARD
Farming four species of livestock spreads the
income streams and helps maximise pasture use
on Ian and Georgina Lawrence’s Nukuhou farm.
The couple graze 360 dairy heifers, 50 Jersey service bulls, 90
two-year-old steers, 180 breeding ewes and 140 replacements as
well as 180 hinds, 140 yearlings plus four stags on 310 ha of land
near Taneatua.
“It’s an intensive grazing system with minimal supplements,” says
Ian. “Georgina suggested we should buy some deer in 1984 so
we bought 12 hinds and four stags. They were pretty expensive
back then.”
That diversification required fencing 60 acres for deer and
building a deer shed. Subsequently, the couple bought a
neighbouring deer farm. The farm’s South Suffolk and Poll Dorset
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
stud sheep are in demand thanks to Ian’s careful breeding and
selection programme. “I look for animals with good feet which
can move freely on the hills. We use a DNA foot score to select
potential sires which produce the animals we seek. I also look
for length, growth rates and muscle.”
Ian manages the property with little outside help and enjoys
working with the very diverse range of livestock. The farm is a
mix of low, flood prone land and rolling to steep country.
The climate, and relatively high rainfall is conducive to good grass
growth but preventing erosion on the steeper paddocks and
pugging on the lowland requires a carefully managed grazing/
rotation programme.
To achieve the sustainability of pasture and high stocking rate
he wanted, Ian has progressively re-fenced the entire farm into
an average paddock size of 0.8 ha (around 2 acres). “In effect
it’s a break feeding system that requires stock to be moved
regularly.”
Because of its steep contour, the majority of the farm’s
fertiliser is applied by air. Rock phosphate and lime are the main
ingredients.
Two waterways on the farm, the Matahapa Stream and Nukuhou
North River, have been fenced out under Bay of Plenty Regional
Council land and water programmes requiring not only realignment
of fencing, but also the provision of alternative water
supplies for paddocks.
The streams, however, don’t cooperate with the plans of man.
Up to 100 acres of river flats can flood as often as three times
a year. Two 10 acre areas of native bush have also been retired
from grazing. Ian likes the bush but lays no claims to being `a
greenie’.
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Strong understanding of soil type and its ability to handle weather variability.
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Good understanding of nutrient use – applying N strategically as required, with nutrient budget prepared by a consultant.
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Utilising contour fencing to minimise impact of stocking on soil type and terrain.
Strong pastures and management of them evident during judging visit.

Landcorp Rotomahana
Landcorp Farming Limited
BEEF + LAMB NEW ZEALAND LIVESTOCK AWARD
A body of water which lies outside its boundary
dictates many of the farming practices of
Rotomahana Station near Rotorua.
Lake Okaro is the smallest of the Rotorua lakes under public
management and while it’s popular for its quiet rural setting
and water-skiing, it has had a significant algae problem caused
by nitrogen and phosphorus levels which have increased over
several decades.
Some is due to run-off from surrounding farms, but the
nutrient-rich deposits laid down in the catchment by the 1886
Tarawera eruption also have an on-going effect on the lake’s
water quality.
Matt Lane, manager of the Landcorp owned Rotomahana
Station, is acutely aware of the sensitive environmental issues
surrounding the lake.
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
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Animals present in well fed, healthy condition consistent with relatively low stocking rates.
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Modest rate of 9% empty cows compares favourably with industry standard.
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On farm production meets the high standards and outputs required by the corporate owners.
Still be able to run comparatively light stocking rates and low intensity grazing policies.
“Minimising the diffuse loss of nutrients from the catchment’s
farming activities is the goal of the Okaro Community Lake
Restoration Group of which Landcorp is a member. Landcorp
is also the largest landowner and farmer in the catchment and
plays a key part in assuring that the nutrient use is as efficient as
possible and nutrient losses (both N and P) are minimised.
Rotomahana is 556ha (497 effective) and the land is gentle
rolling to medium steep and its main focus is the 2000 ewes,
1500 mixed age sheep and 500 two tooth ewes which graze
there. However, it also provides useful grazing for its sister Deep
Creek property which at 455 ha (410 effective) is virtually flat
and specialises in breeding Angus cattle.
Landcorp takes environmental stewardship very seriously and
has fenced out, dammed and installed a storm water control
‘riser’ on the main waterway feeding the lake with potential to
detain 12,000 square meters of water to moderate peak run-off
and reduce nutrient losses to the lake.
No heavy animals are grazed and the farm is predominantly
stocked year round with sheep. In spring and summer, cows
with calves at foot are also grazed but only male cattle are
wintered there.
Fertiliser applications have been modified in an effort to reduce
nutrient loss into the water way. “We don’t use urea, and have
begun applying serpentine as it is less soluble. We don’t break
feed stock and minimise crop cultivation.”
Eight formal protection areas have been formed including 18.1ha
of stream and wetlands, 2.8 km of perennial stream channel
as well as 0.6km around an ephemeral channel. This work has
included protecting three sink holes formed during the 1886
eruption.

Ben and Heidi Rosewarne
Blueberry Corner
HILL LABORATORIES HARVEST AWARD
PGG WRIGHTSON LAND AND LIFE AWARD
The health and welfare of staff, family, customers
and plants was the motivation for Ben and Heidi
Rosewarne of Blueberry Corner, Whakatane to
change management practices three years ago.
“Blueberries have a life span longer than us, therefore they
require the best health possible to enable them to live and
produce for more than 80 years,” says Ben.
“We now grow biologically and believe we have an obligation
to provide a food product as close as possible to what nature
intended. Blueberries have a reputation as a health super
food.”
Ben and Heidi say they have seen great results from the
change to biological practices. “We haven’t had to use as many
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
insecticides on our blueberries, have had fewer plant losses and
have seen improvements in the tonnage and quality of fruit.
Ben attended an Integrity Soils seminar about biological
farming and began his own exhaustive and on-going research
into alternative methods of ensuring the health of the berries.
Ben brings in a concoction of untreated waste materials from
local mills, mixing and turning them with a front-end loader to
create mulch which is thickly applied by a specially adapted
spreader to the rows of canes creating a food source for the
plants, worms and other soil life.
The grass sward between rows is mown but weeds sprays aren’t
generally required. Blueberries have relatively few pests and
sprays are applied only when absolutely essential.
Soil and leaf tests are used to determine what nutrients the
plants need and organic fertilisers are applied to the leaves
rather than the soil.
When the couple bought their first blueberry orchard in Te
Rahu Road 10 years ago they knew absolutely nothing about
orcharding and in fact had no intention entering the industry. A
dry stock farm was what they wanted but they were persuaded
to look at the blueberry orchard.
Ten years on they have no regrets about venturing into an
enterprise vastly different from anything they’d ever done and
what’s more, their business has continued to grow. Today they
are also the owners of the well-known Blueberry Corner retail
shop and orchard just north of Whakatane.
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Their business has grown in size and strength as additional properties have been purchased to meet Ben and Heidi’s vision for the future.
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Ben and Heidi’s sponsorship is primarily at a local community level.
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Ben and Heidi provide “fruit sponsorship” and were involved with another local school in a 5+ a day fruit and vege campaign.
Ben and Heidi recognise their staff as being the true axis of their business.

Karl and Maggy Buhler
Pukemarama
DONAGHY’S FARM STEWARDSHIP AWARD
Maggy and Karl Buhler farm on three land levels
in Rotoehu Road near Te Puke.
The farm they bought in 1994 has a flat valley floor, steep sidlings
and a rolling plateau. Thanks to their careful management, it is
excellent dairy country.
There were no native plantings on the farm when the couple,
who are keen conservationists, bought the land. A hillside too
steep for grazing and at risk from erosion was the first to be
planted in natives. From 2000 an aggressive programme of
planting, has been undertaken in conjunction with a Bay of
Plenty Regional Council Environmental Programme. Around 2km
of stream bank has been fenced and planted in natives with two
wetlands also densely planted.
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
Karl has adopted a policy of planting manuka along the fence
line. “Manuka is easily pruned to protect the fence whereas
some other species don’t take so kindly to pruning.”
Stands of kahikatea have been planted in the wetlands because
it’s an environment the lowland trees prefer and Maggy and
Karl like the way they look. Consideration has been given to
food trees for native birds such as pigeon, tui and bellbird, all of
which appear to be increasing in numbers.
While council assisted with the planning, fencing and supplied
plants for the riparian work, Karl and Maggy did all the planting.
Weed control is an on-going task. “Blackberry was a real problem
but last year I pulled it out as our soils are light. That worked
well with few signs of it coming back. When it comes to weeds,
you just have to be persistent and not give up,” says Karl.
Farming sustainability at Pukemarama means paying close
attention to pasture management, “The soils are mainly light
pumice derived sandy loam. The valley floor needs careful
winter management as do the steep sidlings. The plateau is
robust, free draining and good in winter and early spring.”
Cow shed effluent is spread by a travelling irrigator from two
ponds and other fertiliser is spread by air or ground. Karl is
pleased with the results of slow release fertiliser he has used in
recent seasons. Nitrogen use is restricted.
The aim is to keep systems simple and the 270 jersey-cross cows
in good health with minimal use of interventions. It’s largely a
grass based system with supplements of hay and silage made on
the farm complimented with palm kernel when necessary.
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Healthy stock run on an all-grass system with low inputs and minimal intervention.
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Riparian and wetland enhancement have turned this property into a showcase for biodiversity on dairy farms.
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Cutover steep siding vegetated in natives with walkway installed and future expansions planned.
Proactive in seeking assistance and developing knowledge on ecological enhancement.

Walter and Mary van Rossum
Exlo Jersey
BAY OF PLENTY REGIONAL COUNCIL ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD 1
Walter and Mary Van
Rossum’s Whakatane dairy
farm is so low-lying, all the
stock is moved to a run-off
in winter to protect the
pasture.
However, that’s a better prospect
than Walter’s father Albert faced
when he bought the 56.7 ha farm 53
years ago. “Back then around two
thirds of the paddocks were tidal,”
says Walter.
Eventually the installation of two
large pumps and the formation of
stop banks overcame the twice daily
Jeremy and Sharon Cotter
Te Kominga
problem with tides for the Van Rossum’s and other farmers in
the area of McLean Road, near Whakatane.
Today Mary and Walter move their 240 milking cows off at the
end of May and bring them back in mid-July. All young stock are
raised off the property as well. In autumn and spring a feed pad
plus a stand-off pad is used to protect the pasture. Their herd’s
production ranges from 92,000 to 97,800kgs milk solids.
The Orini Wildlife Management Reserve backs onto the farm
and the couple maintain the two duck ponds Albert created.
There are surface drains in all paddocks. The paddocks have a
soil structure of Tarawera ash, pumice loam and pumice marine
clay.
Despite its tendency to be very wet in winter, the farm can
dry out in summer. A new lined effluent pond and effluent
irrigation system with low application pods has been installed
enabling pastures to be irrigated in summer.
BAY OF PLENTY REGIONAL COUNCIL ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD 2
Jeremy Cotter is the third
generation of his family to
farm Te Kominga Farm near
Te Puke.
His grandfather, Vernon Frost broke
in 728 ha from bush and Jeremy’s
mother Barbara, with husband
Darrell Cotter, took over the land,
continuing to farm it as a sheep
and beef, and for a while, deer
property.
Today, Jeremy and wife Sharon lease
the land and together with their
sons have special places for picnics,
motorbike rides, camping or bush
`adventures’ climbing down the
steep gorge to the Mangorewa River.
Darrell Cotter planted many exotic trees around the family
home, sheep yards and pasture for aesthetics, shade for animals
and food for birds and people - something which Jeremy has
progressed to other areas of the farm.
In the 1990s, Jeremy fenced out significant areas of native bush,
digging holes by hand and carrying in fencing materials because
the land was too steep to get a tractor and rammer there.
Fencing was undertaken in conjunction with the Bay of Plenty
Regional Council. Recently, most of the specimen and shelter
trees that have subsequently been planted have been paid for
by Jeremy and Sharon.
Cages have been built around the trees, with outriggers formed
by redundant water pipes, holding electric wires. One young
pohutukawa, so protected, was in full flower in early January,
providing food for tui and bellbirds, but not for possums.

Jeff and Shirley Roderick
Kytui Orchards
ZESPRI KIWIFRUIT ORCHARD AWARD
FIELD DAY
Concern for the health
of their children Philippa,
Nicola and Becky was among
the reasons Shirley and Jeff
Roderick decided to grow
kiwifruit organically.
“We have been BioGrow certified for the last 20 years and
as befits our organic status, we have a good sward of mixed
grasses and legumes under the kiwifruit canopy. This encourages
beneficial insects, can have a positive influence on pollination,
reduces soil compaction and reduces the use of diesel for
mowing,” says Jeff.
Kytui produced the first organic crop packed by Trevelyan’s, the
post-harvest company which continues to handle its fruit. “At
the end of a day’s picking we would go to the pack house to
clean down equipment ready to pack our organic fruit,” says
Shirley.
The couple planted fruit, native and exotic trees around their
home and encouraged the re-generation of native plants in
gullies and on banks. They also planted totara, rimu and kowhai,
although honey suckle creeper is a major problem in the steeper
gullies.
The field day will be held at the 2013 Supreme Winners property.
Name: Dennis, Judith and Gordon McFetridge
When: Tuesday 26th March 2013
Time: 9.45am to 2.00pm (with lunch provided)
Where: 788 Omanawa Road, RD1 Tauranga 3171
For details, contact: Kirsten Winter
Bay of Plenty Regional Coordinator
Phone: 07 573 5238
Email: bop@bfea.org.nz
The Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment Awards process is managed by the Farm Environment Award Trust (BOP Region).
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT: www.bfea.org.nz
With average production of 8,000 trays/ha of Hayward, the
orchard performs above the industry average of 6,180 trays/ha.
“We have historically produced over 10,000 trays/ha of Hort16A
variety (prior to Psa’s arrival in 2010) with our taste and dry
matter scores also well above industry average.”
The arrival of the vine disease Psa-V also failed to shake the
Roderick’s resolve. “We did hope that being organic might have
given us some protection from the disease but it didn’t. All
our Hort16A vines are now gone. We didn’t think conventional
growers had anything they could use that was much better than
what we could,” says Jeff who says he wouldn’t use the antibiotic
KeyStrepto even if he was growing kiwifruit conventionally.
Always early adopters, the Rodericks had been growing new
varieties even before Psa and have promising looking crops of
G14 (green) and G3 and G9 (gold) coming on now. Jeff says all
the new varieties have been affected by Psa but G14 and G3 in
particular appear to be growing through it. The mature Hayward
crop is also looking good and in mid-January was under-going a
round of fruit thinning.
“Our short term plans are now based on successfully overcoming
Psa,” says Jeff.
Ballance Farm Environment Awards National Sponsors Regional Partners