Agdesign script for December
Something invisible has totally transformed farming for Mike and Liz McCreary in the Wairarapa. Kiwitech Technograzing™ systems have been introduced that recalibrate the 540ha they farm alongside Mike’s parents Rob and Heather McCreary. The McCreary farm is now producing consistently higher stock weights with fewer staff and reduced winter feed.
It’s all thanks to the skills of Tom Chisholm of Agdesign and their all- important grazing plans, represented on green pasture by large rolls of 16ml high tensile wire and thousands of metres of polywire.
Instead of the pre-existing farm layout of approximately 30 rigid paddocks, Agdesign have recalibrated the McCreary farm into 26 smaller farms where pasture growth, stock numbers and the resulting stock weights are constantly monitored, measured and intensely managed.
The proof of the pudding is always in the eating and Mike says the weight of each animal, both beef and lamb can be projected thanks to simple grazing plans. The result is a more measurable, predictable farming outcome with credible forecasts for the next six months or so.
Only the weather can throw the McCreary’s a curve-ball and Agdesign’s unique, high-tech farming system can manage that too. In times of slow pasture growth the number of stock units can be assessed and reduced so the remaining stock produces consistent weight gains.
“Our old farming methods were comparatively so inefficient,” explains Mike. “Some days the sheep and cattle were short of feed while other days we had too much grass.” Introducing Technograzing has taken the guess-work out of stock management and what the McCreary’s can measure they can manage much more efficiently. Pasture growth and recovery is closely monitored. Careful management of stock units per cell mean sharp hooves aren’t destroying the pasture and the GPS calibrated cells don’t get overly fertilised or over-grazed before moving stock on to the next ‘farm.’
Agdesign used GPS to remap the farm, calibrating it into a 48 cell system creating 26 identical farms within the farm boundaries. The paddocks are divided into cells or strips using the high tensile wire for perimeter fencing and polywire for internal margins. Farm bikes and fertiliser trucks can drive right over the fencing for quick access and a reel mechanism on the front of the farm bike can roll up the polywire effortlessly. The new integrated systems have boosted stock weights and better enabled the McCreary’s to know when to buy and when to sell stock. It’s a more predictable model that also works extremely well for Silver Fern Farms.
“What’s also amazing is how quickly the stock has adjusted to the new method,” Mike points out. “They’ll cross the flattened polywire into a new cell without hesitation.”
Rob McCreary had previously been working the farm on a more traditional format and Mike says his father has been amazed at the transformation using Agdesign’s GPS technology.
“It’s more intensive farming but our ability to back-fence efficiently and spread the nutrients over the whole farm is a credit to Tom and his farm design. Our nutrient footprint on the land is quite light with this new system.”
Higher stock numbers and more consistent increased stock weights have made the entire process a pleasure to witness.
Mike is impressed with the way Tom Chisholm has remained interested and involved in the redevelopment of the McCreary farm. He says Tom is still constantly thinking and tweaking the system for better returns.
“Being a farmer himself he anticipates our queries and either has previously experienced the problem himself, knows of the problem or quickly gets what we’re on about.”
The McCreary farm improvements have extended way beyond better yields, explains Mike.
“I give the Agdesign system a big tick for simple efficient use of staff, another big tick for pasture and management and I give it two big ticks for its environmental benefits,” adds Mike.