TATC - Farming Operations

Farming Operations

Taratahi Dairy Unit

The Dairy Unit is situated on our main campus at Cornwall Road, Masterton.

The Dairy Unit milks 615 spring calving cows through a 32 aside herringbone shed. The unit also rears 160 replacement heifers, and a further 80 bull calves through to weaning in a modern calf rearing operation.

Students learn a full range of dairy management skills covering, calf rearing, stock handling, pasture management, care of young stock and irrigation.

Dairy Unit Report.

Mangarata, Bideford

Mangarata is a 518 hectare breeding and finishing farm situated eight minutes north east of Masterton. Comprising a mix of rolling to medium hill country and generous flat land, the mix of topography allows for a broad range of on-farm learner experiences.
Mangarata runs 4800 stock units and has a mature breeding system in place, whereby we will be breeding our own replacement ewes. In 2009 when the farm was purchased, due to the larger proportion of older ewes, they were all mated to a terminal sire. Scanning resulted in 172% expected lambing. Since weaning in November over 3700 lambs have been sold to the works at an average of 17.5kg carcass weight and a further 1650 lambs sold store.

Now heading into our second year at Mangarata , the ewe flock that we built up through purchasing has been replaced by a younger ewe flock sourced from our genetics. The policy has changed to a maternal system where replacements will be reared, surplus lambs finished and hoggets will be mated. This will give students an even more fantastic opportunity to be involved in this farming operation.

Glenside, Gladstone

Glenside is around 1200 ha and winters 9,400 stock units. Glenside is located in Gladstone, just 20 km south east of Masterton and 15 minutes from the main campus.

The property is classified as intensive medium hill country and is in a summer dry environment. It has a variety of roles to play for Taratahi. Glensides policies have also transitioned over the last 24 months from supporting the Taratahi dairy farm, providing grazing for replacement heifers and cows (over winter), to a more robust sheep and beef focused policy where ewe numbers have been increased, the change to a maternal breeding system with hoggets mated, and focusing on finishing in excess of 100 R1 stags in the deer block.

Glenside currently carries approximately 4800 ewes and 2 tooths, 950 hoggets, 350 MA cows and R2 heifers and 350 Breeding hinds and associated replacement young stock. Summer cropping is a key component with over 7400 lambs finished to the works since 30th November to 1 May 2010 at 16.4kg carcass weight average and a further 700 sold store. In addition to this, steers and R1 stags are finished or traded as feed supply permits.

Riverslea, Rangitumau

Taratahi have taken on the role of Contract Milker at Riverslea, a 175 dairy farm, situated 10 minutes north of Masterton. The property has a 50 bale rotary cowshed with automatic cup removers, automatic teat spraying, protract animal identification system, walk over weighing, Total Mixed Ration (TMR) feeding system with 500 cow feed pad, Supreme mixer wagon and in-shed feeding of barley. The farm has a 250kg milk solid per day winter milk quota over May-July. This is made up of 70-80 winter milkers (autumn calvers) and milking late calving spring cows. Approximately 500 cows are expected to calve in spring.

Dairy Unit Report.

Akitio Station, Northern Wairarapa

Each week three or four Taratahi students and a tutor head out to Akitio Station in northern Wairarapa to live for the week and take part in that week's farming activities. Akition Station is 3,600 hectares with an effective farming area of 1380 hectares and a large area of forestry. Akitio Station is a pictureque property with 12 km of coastline. They currently run around 6500 ewes, 2000 trade lambs and 650 trade cattle.

Backvale, Stratford

Taratahi has secured the management of a 600 hectare dry stock property approximately 25 minutes east of Stratford at Tututawa. The Backvale farm is owned by Backvale Rural, a sub company of Backvale. The current owners have other commercial interests including a dairy farm. The property comprises of two blocks situated approximately 2km apart on the end of a gravel road.

There is a mix in topography with highly fertile flats, easy rolling hills to steep hills. The farm is used to graze replacement heifers, dry cows over winter, finish heifers and steers as well as running approximately 1700 ewes. Lambs are finished and traded as required. The farm is extensively developed with pine plantations and fencing of gullies. Backvale will give our Taranaki students further exposure and experience training on this property.