Farmer to farmer: Nutrient & efficiency tips for your dairy farm

Getting the most out of a constrained fertiliser investment is top of mind for many. Ballance is here to help with strategic advice on ways to manage your reduced spend.

Farmers and growers throughout New Zealand are doing some incredible things to optimise their natural resources and protect them for generations to come.

Recently, we've been meeting dairy farmers from across the country who have had some real success driving clover performance in their pastures through good fertiliser and grazing management. You can explore some of these insightful conversations through the links below.

Ben Jaunay

Ben Jaunay is the Ngāi Tahu Dairy Operations Manager. He oversees 9000 cows across 9 dairy farms on 2,700 hectares. He shares how they use a legume first approach to get the most out of their natural farm system.

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Colin Armer

Colin Armer runs system 1-2 dairy farms in the Taupō-Tihoi region, with no purchased feed. He has been dairy farming with his wife Dale in the area, for close to 30 years. He shares some of the grazing and pasture management strategies that he uses on farm.

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Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson and his wife Ruth 50:50 sharemilk 330 cows on 135 hectares in Flaxwood South, Southland. He chats to Ballance Nutrient Specialist, Jess Mackay about the changes that he’s made on farm.

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Steve Atkinson

Matamata dairy farmer Steve Atkinson shares how he is using a targeted approach to do more with less.

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Chris and Jamie Paterson
Chris and Jamie Paterson run 275 dairy cows on 110 hectares in Rotorua. They chat to Ballance Environmental Management Specialist Ian Power about how a detainment bund has improved water quality on their farm near Lake Rotorua.

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Johan van Ras

Johan van Ras runs 215 dairy cows on a family farm in the Waikato. He chats to Ballance Innovation Project Manager Christina Finlayson about how better resource utilisation has made a difference on his farm.

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Kevin Hall
Kevin Hall is a dairy farmer in Seaward Downs, Southland. He chats to Ballance Science Extension Officer Jim Risk about how catch cropping has improved nitrogen efficiency on his Waimahaka runoff farm.

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