Pasture renewal programme begins after 35 years. "My goal is to transform the farm over 10 years so I can farm with new pastures and flatter paddocks"

Date: 2009-02-26 | Category: Testimonials

Fifth-generation Taranaki farmer Graeme Harkness has embarked on a programme to replace the old pastures on his 160ha farm. “The youngest pastures were 35 years old and, according to my father, some were as old as 70 years,” he said.

Before beginning the programme in 2006, Harkness did his homework.

He read up the seed brochures on varieties, talked to farming friend James King of southern Manawatu, booked in with the local Hutton Contracting and consulted his seed supplier, Kevin Moratti of H and T Agronomics, comon the best plan of action for his property.

Running 340 Friesian and Friesian-cross cows on 120 effective ha, he decided to renew 10 percent of his farm annually by growing summer turnips and then replanting into perennial tetraploid ryegrass and white clovers. The first paddocks replaced were easy to choose, because they were the roughest, poorest and closest to the dairy.

Read the full story under Dairy - Swapping old pasture for new

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