About

Grant’s view

Grant and Nikki Kearins have a 230 ha dairy farm at Kairanga, on the outskirts of Palmerston North on flat, heavy to medium country.

Grant said he’d been looking around for some power harrows and thought FALC had a lot of good features. That initial impression has been confirmed by their performance. “It goes really well. The big diameter packer roller just keeps working through.”The 5 metre power harrows are currently used across around 50 hectares of the farm. “I had the horse power, so I decided to go for it. It certainly covers the ground.” “It seems well built and reliable.  All around, a nice, reliable machine.”

- Power Harrow

Brendon's view

Brendon Hargest farms 360ha on a family partnership sheep and beef property near Gore which varies from rolling to some steeper terrain. Brendon says the rocky terrain is very hard on gear but the discs have Brendon’s endorsement. “They’re really, really good. We’re pleased with how they’re going – they’re robust and simple to use. They were pretty competitively priced too. “They dig in well and leave a nice, level finish. We’re getting a good depth out of them.”

- APL Offset Discs

Colin's view

Colin Molloy runs a 420-sow piggery, along with 130 hectares of cropping and livestock, in Sheffield, Canterbury with two large effluent ponds.
Although it was the advanced hydraulics that first drew Colin to his Veenhuis Profiline 16600 litre Slurry Tanker, he is also acutely aware of the need to successfully manage environmental issues and soil fertility. The tanker enables him to recycle the nutrient-dense manure and reduce odour in one go.
His tanker injects the effluent back into the soil providing a great start for barley, wheat, and pasture and removing the nuisance normally associated with conventional “broadcast” systems.

- Veenhuis Slurry Tankers

Doug’s view.

Caldwell Contracting have been leaders in their field for over 20 years, covering all aspects of agriculture from silage to wood chipping to cultivation and effluent management and spreading. You can learn more at www.caldwellcontracting.co.nz Doug Caldwell says the substantial family business, which operates out of Edendale, Southland, is constantly looking for innovations in effluent management and understand the needs of the dairy farmers they work with. “The Storth Mega Mix has been good. It’s safer and faster than others. And it’s definitely better than conventional stirrers. “We use it for mixing all ponds and also loading our transport tankers.”

- Storth Mega Mix

Eddie’s view.

Eddie Rabbitt is the manager of Rabco Ag – a large-scale contracting business based in Western Southland. Eddie reckons the Mega Mix provides a better result in terms of getting solids out of the pond, and with the canon breaking up the surface. The company uses the Mega Mix wherever they are called to a slurry job. “It works a treat.” He’s also putting in a good word for the FarmChief parts and technical support team. “It’s a good service and they get things done on time.” To see more details on Rabco, visit www.rabbitt.co.nz

- Storth Mega Mix

Tony’s View.

Fisken Contracting, based in Gore, can tackle fairly much any job there is. From lane maintenance to cartage, baling to logging. Tony Fisken backs umbilical slurry systems because of their efficiency and the fact that they’ll work at high volumes and in conditions where slurry tankers simply can’t. “There’s little or no compaction of laneways or paddocks and it’s a very effective way of moving large amounts of nutrient.” Tony says the system is especially good on softer soils, (and on the shoulder seasons) where tankers could get stuck, as there are only the hoses to be placed down and reeled in. His business works with umbilical on distances up to, and even exceeding 2kms, which, Tony says, accommodates most properties. Some farmers find it so effective they choose not to use their own systems at all. “They just give us a call.”

- Storth Umbilical

Stuart's view

Stuart Briant is a third generation commercial grower, working flat to rolling country in Gisborne. His crops include seed maize, squash, sweet corn, and maize. He says he was convinced it was worth buying when he first saw the implement being demonstrated. Stuart says he especially appreciates the way it helps protect the soil structure, and promotes healthy growth and increased production. “We like the job it’s doing.”

- Tine Plow

Barry’s view

Barry Lawry farms 200 cows on 78 hectares in Te Awamutu on heavy, rolling country. In addition, he contracts and sub-contracts using his Harry West 3000 Dual Spreader. Barry credits the spreader with giving him an additional avenue into contracting. His original Harry West Spreader saw out about 20 years hard work. And he’s now bought a second. Which, as he says “must say something about them.” Barry collects mostly from weeping walls, herd homes, and separators, then spreads the nutrients back on the paddocks where they belong.

- West Dual Muck Spreader

Andy’s view

Wheatstone Farms Ltd is a well-established 500Ha cropping and store stock property based 10 minutes from Tinwald. Andy has chosen to buy his last three augers from FarmChief including, most recently, a 1370 Backsaver: “I wouldn’t have done it if they were no good!” “The brand is awesome and the back-up is brilliant. They even brought us out a part when we broke down on a public holiday.” Andy says the beauty of the Backsaver is that you can just pull up beside it, making unloading easy and improving safety: vital at busy times and at night.

- Backsaver Grain Auger