As the weeks progress and we gradually dry off more cows to reduce the demand on grass, the workload tends to decrease considerably, providing an excellent opportunity for everyone to take some time away from the farm.

I was fortunate enough to sneak home to NI for a couple of weeks in the middle of March – it was a quick trip considering the 30 hours of flying one way.

Other members of the team are off to visit family across New Zealand (NZ), while those who were only here for the season are heading home after their NZ experience.

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So, it is a time of year that often involves many goodbyes, particularly from the Irish who come out for a year – in our case, Andrew went home to Wexford last week.

Planning

We are now planning for staffing for the new season which will kick off with calving at the end of July.

I have a core team consisting of myself, a Kiwi, and an English lad, with another Kiwi joining us this week.

Thankfully, these guys have been with me for nearly three years now and we stuck together when we moved farms over that time.

Typically, that extra help is often a friend of a friend or a random email from someone in Ireland

It’s likely a case of ‘better the devil you know’.

Given that we have a “good” number of cows, I have tried to keep this core farm team together year-round and then add in an extra labour unit for busy periods.

Typically, that extra help is often a friend of a friend or a random email from someone in Ireland – emails are always welcome from anyone wanting to experience a bit of hardship.

As next season and winter approach, we have received the last of our straw, which will be stored in calf sheds until we feed it out.

Development

While things are quiet, I’ll try to get any machinery an annual service before we get busy again feeding during the winter months.

We still have development work ongoing on the farm but most of this is in its final stages, primarily involving a lot of fencing. This being my first season contract milking, it has been a significant learning curve in operating my own business alongside the farm.

Overall, production has gone well due to an excellent grass-growing season across NZ

As all the machinery and labour are my cost, getting to grips with VAT and payroll systems has involved many long evenings trying to make the numbers add up, along with the occasional morning phone call regarding some admin task that hasn’t been done.

Overall, production has gone well due to an excellent grass-growing season across NZ.

Most regions in the country have seen an increase in production, along with a strong payout for farmers. All eyes are now firmly on forecasts for next season. With the number of uncertainties globally, the costs of production could be anyone’s guess.