The system was installed at the beginning of the season at Rowe Farms Ltd, Pongakawa, near Te Puke. So far the owners, Grant and Ngaire Rowe, are satisfied. “It is working well and I am amazed how quickly it can heat 600L,” Rowe says.
The Rowes, Fonterra suppliers, have farmed here for 25 years, on 140ha (eff.) flat land. The soil is peat over ash which “hangs on well over the summer”.
They have a 52ha run-off 6km from the farm that grazes young stock and is used for winter grazing for the herd. They recently bought the 120ha (eff.) farm next door, to run as a separate unit.
Both farms will be managed by the same lower-order sharemilker.
“At present I am helping with calf rearing, overseeing and filling in where necessary,” says Rowe.
The combined farms will milk 830 kiwi-cross cows mated to LIC bulls and tailed off with Hereford bulls. Rowe says the season has started well with great weather, plenty of grass and the cows calving quickly.
The home farm has not had grades but Rowe knew he needed to improve his water heating for the CIP system in his 40-aside herring bone shed.
