Longrow Dairies was the first of the dairy farms that BEL Group became involved with in the Hawkes Bay. Longrow Dairies has been dairy farmed since 1994 when it was initially converted from a sheep and cattle farm.

This 813ha property, of which approximately 680ha is effective grazing area, is made up of three individual dairy farms known as Kowhai Terrace, Cloverlea and Parkhill. Each property milks through 44 aside herring bone dairies and they range in size from Kowhai Terrace milking 650 cows to Cloverlea milking 850 cows.

Longrow Dairies is located on Paget Road, Takapau, 36km west of Waipukurau in close proximity to the western ranges. The area is predominantly pastoral and sheep & beef farming with rural primary schools in the area and secondary schooling in Waipukurau.

On the 1st June 2012, Longrow Dairies took ownership a 340ha property milking 1050 cows, now known as Reigate.  

KOWHAI TERRACE  CLOVERLEA  PARKHILL  REIGATE  

KOWHAI TERRACE

Kowhai Terrace currently milks off a total of 180ha.

PEOPLE

Kowhai Terrace has a Farm Manager, Managers Assistant and one Herd Managers Assistant with some casual staff helping with workloads at the busier times throughout the year.

COW NUMBERS

Kowhai Terrace has previously been winter milking farm but in 2011 Kowhai Terrace became a fully spring calving farm.

Kowhai Terrace today peak milks 630 cows, all spring calving late July.

The Kowhai Terrace herd is predominantly Friesian with some cross-bred influences.

DAIRY

44 Aside herring bone, Westfalia plant.
Calf and implement sheds are alongside the dairy.

FARM SYSTEM

Kowhai Terrace runs a pasture based grazing system.  Approximately 500 kgDM/spring calving cow is purchased as pasture and maize silage .  Around 7% of the farm is planted in turnips for  feeding in January/February.

Nitrogen fertiliser is used to support pasture production through July - September and then again in November/December to help achieve good pasture covers and adopt longer grazing rotations going into the summer.  Nitrogen is also used with the Autumn rains in April and May to recover pasture cover going into the winter period.  Kowhai Terrace is susceptible to long summer/autumn dry periods so early summer management is critical to achieving milk production targets from January to March.

Calves are grazed off the property from January.  These animals return as Rising 2 year heifers ready to calve in June. 

Some dry cows are grazed off from after drying off in May until calving, leaving approximately 1 cow/ha at Kowhai Terrace over the winter months.

PRODUCTION - KG MILKSOLIDS

2012/13   218,676 (850 cows)
2013/14   239,802 (850 cows)
2014/15   152,725 (forecast)
2015/16   169,810 (budget)

FERTILISER

An annual nutrient budget is completed each year to determine the fertility requirements of the farm.  A usual annual dressing is 290kg/ha of of NPKS mix in the spring and 210 kg/ha of NPK mix in the autumn
Effluent is able to be spread via  a travelling irrigator across 25% of the farm area.
Olsen P from 2014 fertiliser tests averaged 26.5, pH was 6.4.

WATER

Stock water is reticulated through a trough system by a submersible pump on a pressure system to two 22,500 litre tanks at the farm dairy.

Domestic water is sourced from a well approximately 43m deep.  Water is pumped to a 22,500 litre tank and then is reticulated to the houses on the property. 

HOUSING

A 3 bedroom managers house, 3 bedroom cottage, small self contained one bedroom Whare and shared accommodation in the Longrow Quarters. 

 CLIMATE AND SOILS

MetService data has rainfall usually between 1200 - 1300mm per annum.  The property is susceptible to long periods without rain between January and May.
Altitude is approximately 320m above sea level.
Soils are predominantly a Sandy Loam and a Silt Loam.

CLOVERLEA

Cloverlea milks off a total of 280ha.

PEOPLE

Cloverlea has a Farm Manager, Managers Assistant and two Herd Managers Assistants with some casual staff helping with workloads at the busier times throughout the year.

COW NUMBERS

Cloverlea peak milks 850 cows, all spring calving late July.
The herd is predominantly Friesian with some cross-bred influences.

DAIRY

44 Aside herring bone, Westfalia plant.
Calf and implement sheds are alongside the dairy.

FARM SYSTEM

Cloverlea runs a pasture based grazing system.  Approximately 500 kgDM/cow is purchased as pasture and maize silage.  Around 6% of the farm is planted in turnips for  feeding in January/February.  Pasture silage and maize is fed according to the priorities of winter period, 3 weeks following rain after the summer dry, extending lactation length in the autumn and lastly milking cows through the summer.

Nitrogen fertiliser is used to support pasture production through July - September and then again in November/December to ensure strong covers and longer grazing rotations going into the summer.  Nitrogen is also used with the Autumn rains in April and May to recover pasture cover going into the winter period.

Calves are grazed off the property from January, these animals return as Rising 2 year heifers ready to calve. 

Dry cows are grazed off from after drying off in May until calving, leaving approximately 1 cow/ha to be wintered at home over the winter months.

PRODUCTION - KG MILKSOLIDS
2012/13   220,493
2013/14   230,062
2014/15   234,919 (forecast)
2015/16   265,882 (budget)

CLIMATE AND SOILS

MetService data has rainfall usually around 1700mm per annum well distributed throughout the year.
This property is slower to come away in the spring due to its altitude but enjoys good summer and autumn climatic conditions.
Altitude is approximately 400m above sea level.
Soils are predominantly a Sandy Loam and a Silt Loam

An annual nutrient budget is completed each year to determine the fertility requirements of the farm.  A usual annual dressing is 290kg/ha of of NPKS mix in the spring and 210 kg/ha of NPK mix in the autumn
Effluent is able to be spread via a travelling irrigator across 25% of the farm area.
Olsen P from 2014 fertiliser tests averaged 23, pH was 5.9.

WATER

Stock water is reticulated through a trough system by a submersible pump on a pressure system to two 22,500 litre tanks at the farm dairy.

Domestic Water is sourced from a 100mm well approximately 43m deep.  Water is pumped to a 22,500 litre tank and then is reticulated to the houses on the property.

HOUSING

A 3 bedroom + office managers house, 3 bedroom cottage and shared accommodation in the Longrow Quarters.

A new 4 bedroom house is under construction and expected to be completed in June 2015.

FERTILISER

An annual nutrient budget is completed each year to determine the fertility requirements of the farm. There is two annual dressings in Spring and Autumn of PKS at a rates of 290 and 210kg/ha respectively. Maintanence PKS with 40P, 50K and 40S.
Effluent is spread across 20-25% of the farm.

PARKHILL

Parkhill milks off a total of 220ha.

PEOPLE

Parkhill has a Farm Manager, Herd Manager and two Herd Managers Assistants with some casual staff helping with workloads at the busier times throughout the year.

COW NUMBERS

Parkhill peak milks up to 750 cows, all spring calving late July.
Herd is predominantly Friesian with some cross-bred influences.

DAIRY

44 Aside herring bone, Westfalia plant.
Calf and implement sheds are alongside the dairy.

FARM SYSTEM

Parkhill runs a pasture based grazing system.  Approximately 500 kgDM/cow is purchased as pasture and maize silage.  Around 7% of the farm is planted in turnips for  feeding in January/February.  Pasture silage and maize is feed according to the priorities of winter period, 3 weeks following rain after the summer dry, extending lactation length in the autumn and lastly milking cows through the summer.

Nitrogen fertiliser is used to support pasture production through July - September and then again in November/December to ensure strong covers and longer grazing rotations going into the summer.  Nitrogen is also used with the Autumn rains in April and May to recover pasture cover going into the winter period.

Calves are grazed off the property from January, these animals return as Rising 2 year heifers ready to calve. 

Some dry cows are grazed off the milking area from after drying off in May until calving, leaving approximately 1 cow/ha to be wintered at home over the winter months.

PRODUCTION - KG MILKSOLIDS

2012/13   238,415
2013/14   275,200
2014/15   223,473 (forecast)
2015/16   239,044 (budget)

CLIMATE AND SOILS

Rainfall is usually around 1550mm per annum and is relatively well distributed throughout the year.
This property has good early spring potential and moderate summer and autumn climatic conditions.
Altitude is approximately 375m above sea level.
Soils are predominantly a Sandy Loam and a Silt Loam

FERTILISER

An annual nutrient budget is completed each year to determine the fertility requirements of the farm.  A usual annual dressing is 290kg/ha of of NPKS mix in the spring and 210 kg/ha of NPK mix in the autumn
Effluent is able to be spread via a travelling irrigator across 25% of the farm area.
Olsen P from 2014 fertiliser tests averaged 24, pH was 6.4.

WATER

Stock water is reticulated through a trough system by a submersible pump on a pressure system to two 22,500 litre tanks at the farm dairy.

Domestic Water is sourced from a well approximately 43m deep.  Water is pumped to a 22,500 litre tank and then is reticulated to the houses on the property.

HOUSING

A 4 bedroom managers house, 3 bedroom cottage and shared accommodation in the Longrow Quarters.

A new 3 bedroom home is currently under construction and expected to be completed in June 2015.

REIGATE

Reigate currently milks off a total of 340ha, milking 1050 cows through a 60 bale rotary and was purchased on the 1st June 2012. 

PEOPLE

Reigate is staffed with a Farm Manager, Managers Assistant, two Herd Managers and one Herd Managers Assistant with some casual staff helping with workloads reflectant of seasonal demands throughout the year.

COW NUMBERS

Reigate currently milks 1050 spring calved cows.  The herd is predominantely Friesian with some cross-bred influences.

DAIRY

60 bale rotary

PRODUCTION

2012/13   279,637
2013/14   302,972
2014/15   336,702 (forecast)
2015/16   350,685 (budget)

FARM SYSTEM

Reigate is primarily a  pasture based grazing system with 10% (200kg/cow) of PKE fed. Approximately 500kg/DM/cow is purchased as pasture and maize silage. Around 7% of the farm is planted for turnips for grazing.
Nitrogen fertiliser is used at a rate of 180kgN/ha in July - September and again in November/December to support pasture production and ensure strong cover therefore longer grazing rotations going into summer. It is also applied in Autumn to promote extra cover going into winter.
Half the cows are grazed off-farm during the dry period through June/July.  

CLIMATE AND SOILS

Annual rainfall is usually around 2000mm distributed throughout the year.
The altitude is approximately 1500-1700 ft above sea level.
The predominant soils are Ash, Matamau Sandy Loam and Takapau Silt Loam.

FERTILISER

An annual nutrient budget is completed each year to determine the fertility requirements of the farm. There is two annual dressings in Spring and Autumn of PKS at a rates of 290 and 210kg/ha respectively. Maintanence PKS with 40P, 50K and 40S.
Effluent is spread across 20-25% of the farm.
Olsen P from 2014 fertiliser tes averaged 29.9, pH average was 7. 

WATER

WATER

Water for stock is reticulated through a trough system by a submersible pump on a pressure system from three 20,000 litre tanks on farm.

Water is sourced from streams on property. Houses source of water is from the 20,000 litre on farm tanks.

HOUSING

A new 4 bedroom managers house was built in 2013 and another 3 bedroom home is currently under constructiob and due to be completed in June 2015.

There is a 2 bedroom cottage with 2 outside bedrooms and a small 2 bedroom cottage on the farm. Additional houses are rented on neighbouring properties.

HOUSING

A four bedroom managers house is currently being constructed, with the managers house being rented from a neighbouring farm.  The Farm is complete with a four bedroom Managers Assistants house and a two bedroom Herd Managers Assistants house.  A further Herd Managers house is rented on a neighbouring property.