The Satherleys’ decision to go farming came about in 2009, while feeling the effects of the global financial crisis and stuck in Auckland traffic.
Andrew’s hours as an engineering geologist were being cut, and Nicola’s work as a graphic designer at an advertising agency was also drying up.
Although Andrew had grown up on a small block in Galatea, and Nicola in a dairy farming family, the couple didn’t see their future in the dairy industry.
“If we were told we would be going dairy farming, we would never have believed it. But we wanted a plan in place for our future which included having a family, while being able to build equity,” Andrew says.
Since going sharemilking, the couple have only experienced a downward trend in payout. But their experience in running a low-cost, pasture-based system has gained them third in this year’s Waikato Share Farmer of the Year competition in the Dairy Industry Awards.
The couple were familiar with the competition and its benefits from Andrew’s previous attempt at the Dairy Trainee title in his first season farming, and reaping the benefits from placing third in the Farm Manager section in 2012. The Satherleys found their ideal 50:50 partnership with Jim and Raewyn Cotman, on their 90ha property.
“We saw the opportunity in this system and really felt we were a great match with Jim and Raewyn,” Andrew says.
They believe the two parties have similar goals and focus on a low-cost, pasture-based system. Their shared love of a “good spreadsheet” has also helped the relationship blossom.
The farm operates as a system 2, budgeting on buying in 80 tonnes of palm kernel, although this season they only used 70t. The nearby 21ha runoff grows 50t of grass silage, harvested and put into a stack on the home farm and fed out from February onwards.
“Our setback in our career has really just been timing. We bought our cows in the year of the $8.40 payout, on a high and you know the rest, we have experienced low payouts since,” Andrew says.
Overcoming this reality has been hard for the couple, but they are thankful they found business partners who also believe in the benefits of a pasture-based system.
“One of our mentors always said you can never change what you paid for your cows, and we really understand that statement now.”
Because of the payout, the couple won’t be ready to take the next step for a few more years. But when they do make the move, they are aiming to progress to a 500-cow sharemilking job in 2018 or 2019.
Achieving the goal of increasing cow numbers will come from focusing on costs and paying off some debt, the couple say.
“We talk to our mentors and we talk to the older generation who have been there before and do what we do well every day – get milk in the vat as cheaply as possible,” Andrew says.
The science comes in Andrew’s well-practised skills in pasture management, which have kept this season’s farm working expenses down to about $1.35/kg milksolids (MS).
The couple say once they are in the market for a new sharemilking job, they will use all their networks and start the hunt. But at the moment they are focused on their current job.
The art comes in keeping a positive outlook for the rest of the season, which they believe grows from their community involvement. Together, the couple and a group of sharemilkers from the area have started a discussion group which has been on-going for the past year.
“We have turns going to each other’s houses and sharing a meal – it’s really a support group.”
Nicola has just become president at the Te Kauwhata Play Centre which runs activities three days a week for a group of children and their parents.
“We also built a bike track for the kids,” she says.
She’s also using her skills in graphic design, working on a large project connecting passionate cooks from across New Zealand.
Farming mums and photographers are joining forces to help create a charity cookbook for the Farming Mums NZ Facebook group.
“Proceeds go to Rural Support and Westpac choppers, and we also just got funding from WorkSafe,” Nicola says.
When Andrew finds the time to get off-farm, he enjoys duckshooting and playing tennis.
“We have let our hobbies slip a little this year so a lot of our time off together is spent in our ever-growing vegie garden with our two children.”
Andrew has completed Primary ITO Level 4 and the couple attend workshops and discussion groups together as often as they can. Being involved with the Dairy Industry Awards has taken up a lot of time this season, but Nicola says it has helped them to stay focused on the positives, along with getting out in the community.
“Looking forward, the herd was purchased when we arrived on this farm and will remain here when we leave. We see this as buying into a business, and we are growing this business from 80,000kg MS to 90,000kg MS.”
They are targeting to hit greater than 65% of production before December 31.
To achieve this, the planned start of calving has been moved forward a week to July 3 and they are trying to condense the calving spread, optimise use of the runoff and make pasture management a key focus.
The couple picked up two merit awards at the Waikato Dairy Industry Awards – the Westpac Business Performance award and the LIC Farm Recording and Productivity award.
“We have financial clarity and know where we are now and where we are going, using benchmarking such as Dairybase and other tools. The judges were pleased to see we have budgets and plans in place for the next 10 years, and said they showed a high degree of skill across all areas.”
The current payout hasn’t scared them away from the dairy industry and the Satherleys are still focused on achieving their goals, saying they have plans in place to continue their success and growth in years to come.
Cooking it up
The Farming Mums NZ (FMNZ) Facebook page has more than 6000 members and is growing every day. The idea for a cookbook came when rural women from all over New Zealand shared their recipes and cooking tips daily in the group.
Initially a group of six passionate cooks was formed and from there the idea blossomed and the group grew. They decided to bring other talents on board, including photographers, copy writers and editors.
They have even consulted butchers, cheese makers and bakers for expert advice.
Nicola is the graphic designer for this book and is piecing it all together.
“I get very excited every time a batch of photos get sent through,” she says.
All women involved in creating the cookbook are working for a cause. They aim to sell the book online, and WorkSafe and Farmlands have come on board to sponsor it.
All proceeds will be going to charity, and the Farming Mums would love to see it go to Rural Support and Westpac Rescue Helicopters.
The women say creating the cookbook has been a great networking mechanism. Lunch parties have been set up by the farming mums, and groups of women get together to create their own dishes, which are then photographed onfarm in a rural scene. They have made friends within their rural communities and it’s bringing farming mums together from all over NZ.
The book is now well under way, and they plan to have it ready for sale by Christmas. It will be sold through the FMNZ website and the Farming Mums NZ Facebook page.
