Pakotai farmers Greig and Rachel Alexander are farming innovators. Photo / Supplied
Pakotai farmers Greig and Rachel Alexander are farming innovators. Photo / Supplied
Pakotai farmers Greig and Rachel Alexander have come out on top in the 2015 Northland Balance Farm Environment Awards.
The Alexanders were judged Supreme Winners of the Balance Farm Environment Awards last week, where they were also presented with the Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award, LIC Dairy Farm Award, MasseyUniversity Innovation Award, and the WaterForce Integrated Management Award.
Their business, Waikopani Holdings Ltd, farms a total of 486ha on two farms (one dairy and the other beef) in the Mangakahia River Valley, about 50km northwest of Whangarei.
The couple have farmed the family dairy farm since the mid-1990s and have improved the property and built a sustainable business. Their innovation and willingness to think outside the box won praise from BFEA judges, who were particularly impressed by the land use decisions applied to the 126ha milking platform.
They said the Alexanders had carefully matched land uses to the capability of the various land types for sustainable production. Steeper areas have been retired from grazing and planted with a range of production forestry species, and extensive riparian and wetland areas have been re-established in the valley systems. Judges also commented on the careful attention to detail shown towards grazing, financial and nutrient management.
Last season the operation milked 350 cows, achieving production of 1452kgMS/ha in a drought-affected year. The herd has a very high genetic potential with a BW of 149, which puts it in the top 5 per cent nationally.
The high-input system makes good use of home-grown feed, with imported supplements used to fill feed gaps.
Other winners in the 2015 Northland Ballance Farm Environment Awards were:
Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Award: Laurie Copland and Copland Family Trust, Broadwood, Kaitaia. Hill Laboratories Harvest Award: Angela and Tony Payton, Whispering Pines, Kaitaia.
PGG Wrightson Land and Life Award, Donaghys Farm Stewardship Award, Northland Regional Council Water Quality Enhancement Award: Sandy and Ian Page, Tahere Farm, Pataua North, Whangarei.
