Limestone Downs Dairy

In addition to the sheep and beef operation at Limestone Downs, an ambitious conversion programme resulting in a 300ha dairy farm has been undertaken over the last decade. It is testament to the ambitions of the C. Alma Baker Trust and is helping to ensure the ongoing survival of the operation.

Paul Mahoney been working on Limestone Downs for nine years as General Manager. Before that, he held positions at Fonterra and Landcorp (now Pāmu). He explains Limestone Downs’ continuous adaptation as a modern, multi-platform operation is well demonstrated by the conversion to dairying.

Limestone Downs’ position on the Waikato coastline contains a significant area of coastal flats, situated about five kms from the main sheep and beef area of the property. Improved market conditions and a desire to create a stronger income stream for the operation, allowed the Trust to embark on the ambitious pasture improvement programme over 2012-2013, including the humping and hollowing of those flats for the first time in 50 years.

This became the basis of the dairy conversion in 2014 resulting in a 300ha milking platform and modern rotary dairy shed. Two permanent staff work alongside Paul, with the occasional casual worker as well as young famers from the UK who have come to Limestone Downs to experience farming in New Zealand. It is the result of a long-standing relationship Limestone Downs has with the UK.

The staffing arrangement allows Paul to run a ‘pretty good roster’, with six days on and two days off during Spring, and five and two after mating – ‘to give the team a well-earned break’, says Paul.

In addition to the pasture improvement, many truckloads of metal - sometimes up to 48 truck and trailer loads a day - were brought in to build the farm races and base of the milking shed.

As well, the entire flats area was reconfigured using the ‘humping and hollowing’ approach. This, explains Paul, is because the flats are situated at the base of a very large catchment area, which in big rain events can quickly flood. As a result, the farm can lose up to 100ha of grazing area.

The dairy infrastructure is supported by two diesel pump sheds and a solar powered pumping station, designed to move water off paddocks after those big rain events. Cows are moved up on to accessible hillside paddocks when necessary.

The conversion had some challenges. Paul says initially there was an issue with Theileria, a parasite causing the blood-born cattle disease theileriosis which is transmitted by ticks. While not a human health or food safety issue, theileriosis results in anaemia in cattle and a consequent drop in production. Work with vets and scientists from Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University has resulted in big improvements to animal health, with only one or two cases a year, which Paul says is ‘very pleasing’.

Paul says the dairy platform provides a number of benefits for Limestone Downs. It delivers the critical, reliable income to support the entire farming operation – and has meant a significant amount of debt incurred by the conversion has been able to be repaid over the last few years.

The sheep and beef operation also allows Paul to run a ‘closed loop’ system for livestock. The dairy farm has a strict ‘no bobby calves policy’, meaning Limestone Downs finishes every animal on the sheep and beef block. Paul adds running the dairy operation in conjunction with the sheep and beef unit means he has the ability to deploy staff and equipment across the two operations, making a more efficient approach for both systems.

The dairy farm has hosted a variety of farm trials, including work with Beef and Lamb, in conjunction with Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University. A dairy beef programme was begun around 2018 with the entire herd mated to a beef bull for a couple of seasons. The resulting calves were all reared on farm and finished on the sheep & beef unit. Paul says this research undertaken in the 1990s is one of the most efficient dairy production systems developed and still used by farmers 30 years on.

Paul says there were many lessons learned during this work around birthweights and the need for easy calving bulls. He says they have carried on with this policy and now use an Angus bull, with few birthing issues at calving. For Limestone Downs, there are economic benefits (of not having to go to market and buy calves in) and animal health benefits as well. ‘We know what we’re getting’, he says.

There has also been emphasis placed on pasture, with different species of grasses trialled, including fescue and Italian ryegrass. There is a mix of permanent and annual pastures, with all crops and sileage grown on farm, with occasional supplementary feed such as palm kernel and tapioca, to provide balance and additional nourishment when required. As Paul explains, ‘grass doesn’t grow very well under water’. Another trial about to be run by Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University will look at how kikuyu can best be incorporated into the pasture system across the entire operation.

Alongside the various stock operations, Limestone Downs also cares for approximately 400ha of fenced native bush on the sheep and beef block now protected for natural regeneration and conservation. As well, there are a number of pockets of bush protected on the hills surrounding the dairy farm. Paul says he has been amazed at how fast the blocks have regenerated, even within the past ten years.

Paul says he is optimistic about the outlook for Limestone Downs, due to the lift in productivity across the whole farming enterprise. Strong commodity prices have played a part also, allowing the farm to control its debt level and invest in the future. He says, ‘we have good people including farm consultants and vets, and good support from the trustees and directors’. And, he adds there will always be challenges, but ‘we all need to be challenged, in a way’.