Adrian and Pauline Ball, of Tirau, in the Waikato region, have embarked on sustainable practices to improve their property and help with future endeavours.
A conscious decision to move to sustainable farming practices has enriched and challenged dairy farmers, Adrian and Pauline Ball, at Tirau at Denley Farms in the Waikato region on New Zealand’s North Island.
Adrian Ball said the family property was converted to dairy in 1995 and they have developed it to encompass production as well focus on sustainability.
“In 2003, we were a pretty intensive dairy farm,” he said. “We won a national farm business award for dairy and were very production-focused.”
“We've slowly adapted to putting more of a sustainability lens on what we're doing, measuring things a little bit differently. Having a full balanced circle of what's important to us, measuring things that aren't always financial.
“I think we're no different to a lot of farmers. We want to see the land improve; we want to see it in a better state than when we inherited it."
He said they were focused on working in an environment where biodiversity is flourishing, animal welfare is great and there is clean water.
“Most of the biodiversity we talk about is through retiring land and planting it. Developing native areas where birdlife can thrive and creating catchment areas that protect our waterways.”
They were also planting diverse pastures and developing carbon intense soils.
Mr Ball said they have progressed from environmental sustainability, ensuring fresh water and making sure they weren’t losing nutrients, to now measuring the carbon intensity of product.
“Precision agriculture is taking a stand and producing more with less resource. We're certainly evolving with science here and making some really good observations along the way.”
“We certainly believe in fully feeding cows. A lot of our focus is around being able to manage pasture better nutritionally.”
A key step early on was to understand the soils by testing each of the sixty paddocks and building data to use fertiliser much more accurately.
They are also focused on animal genetics and looking at carbon intensity per kilogram of product produced.
“If we can produce, with better genetics, the same amount of meat quicker and market it with a lower footprint, it's hugely beneficial to our value proposition,” Mr Ball said. “That sort of gain will certainly add value to the business with a lot of data over time."
The enterprise is focused on reducing its carbon footprint and has integrated a beef operation as an add-on to the dairy side.
A conscious decision to move to sustainable farming practices has enriched and challenged dairy farmers, Adrian and Pauline Ball, at Tirau at Denley Farms in the Waikato region on New Zealand’s North Island.
Adrian Ball said the family property was converted to dairy in 1995 and they have developed it to encompass production as well focus on sustainability.
“In 2003, we were a pretty intensive dairy farm,” he said. “We won a national farm business award for dairy and were very production-focused.”
“We've slowly adapted to putting more of a sustainability lens on what we're doing, measuring things a little bit differently. Having a full balanced circle of what's important to us, measuring things that aren't always financial.
“I think we're no different to a lot of farmers. We want to see the land improve; we want to see it in a better state than when we inherited it."
He said they were focused on working in an environment where biodiversity is flourishing, animal welfare is great and there is clean water.
“Most of the biodiversity we talk about is through retiring land and planting it. Developing native areas where birdlife can thrive and creating catchment areas that protect our waterways.”
They were also planting diverse pastures and developing carbon intense soils.
Mr Ball said they have progressed from environmental sustainability, ensuring fresh water and making sure they weren’t losing nutrients, to now measuring the carbon intensity of product.
“Precision agriculture is taking a stand and producing more with less resource. We're certainly evolving with science here and making some really good observations along the way.”
“We certainly believe in fully feeding cows. A lot of our focus is around being able to manage pasture better nutritionally.”
A key step early on was to understand the soils by testing each of the sixty paddocks and building data to use fertiliser much more accurately.
They are also focused on animal genetics and looking at carbon intensity per kilogram of product produced.
“If we can produce, with better genetics, the same amount of meat quicker and market it with a lower footprint, it's hugely beneficial to our value proposition,” Mr Ball said. “That sort of gain will certainly add value to the business with a lot of data over time."
The enterprise is focused on reducing its carbon footprint and has integrated a beef operation as an add-on to the dairy side.
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