ON FARM in Tasmania, Australia with John Duindam

Описание: The future looks good for John Duindam and his family, who run 180 Fleckvieh cows on a 160-hectare spread in Deloraine, Tasmania.

What do a slurry tanker and robotics have in common?
You can’t stand still in farming, you are always looking for ways to improve, looking to the future, it’s just the way it is. John Duindam runs 180 cows on 160 hectares of mostly flat land with his wife and sons.

Looking to the future
At the moment, he is transitioning to robotic farming. It’s a high-tech solution but he is combining that with a tried and tested method that has been generating results for generations of farmers. Using effluent to grow heaps of grass; simple and effective, it is feeding his whole farm with nutrients. Both things are improving efficiency, so his cows and sons reap the benefits.

Improving efficiency
To make more efficient use of his effluent, he has turned to a 10,000 Ltr slurry tanker and a PTO stirrer for his pond. He is producing all the grass, silage and hay he needs, reducing vet bills, improving soil health and managing the whole system from the cab of his tractor. It is a piece of cake to operate, just two control valves. He comes home clean and relaxed, which gets a big thumbs up from his missus.

A headache he didn’t need
Before they purchased a slurry tanker, John had a little traveller, which was a never-ending source of problems. Every day, something was going wrong or had to get fixed - it was more trouble than it was worth. In the end, enough was enough; he gave it away, got rid of a headache and bought a dream replacement.

Better soil health
John produces all the feed he needs and has no need for extra fertiliser. The area has suffered from a green drought, but with the slurry tanker , he has been able to reach every nook and cranny of the farm. Soil health has vastly improved. He had it tested by his local agronomist, who couldn’t believe the results. During the drought, his green land stayed green, and when the rain did finally arrive, the grass shot away.

“I normally cut 400 bales of silage, and this year I did just over 800 – that proves it.”

Money well spent
Before he got his tanker, John was using contractors to empty his effluent pond. Good fellas but it cost $8,000 every time they turned up and the effluent never ended up where he wanted it. His pond needed to be emptied three times a year, which cost him $24,000. Investing in the slurry tanker he saved him that money straight away. So in John’s way of thinking, in three years it will almost pay for itself. Add to that the increased silage he has been able to produce and the fact that he does not need to buy fertiliser, it makes sense anyway you look at it. More grass, more milk, less headaches.

The way to go
John’s advice – if you’re considering getting a tanker, go and talk to someone who’s using one. Most farmers will give you the straight truth. If there was anything wrong with it, he’d be the first to tell you, but in his opinion, it is the way to go. Find out how you can increase efficiency on your farm

https://www.nevadagroup.co.nz/