Advocate • Connect September/October 2019 51
Farming and horticulture
“We have negligible animal health issues, but still have cows
that get milk fever [a metabolic disorder caused by insufficient
calcium]. We use Cal/Mag [a calcium and magnesium blend made
in homeopathic form] as a homeopathic nasal spray which is easy to
administer. It’s the only remedy we use,” Mark said.
Mating and calf rearing
Mark uses artificial insemination (AI) to mate his herd and tail ends
(follows up) with their own bulls from their bull beef unit to mate
the later cycling cows and those that don’t get in-calf from the AI.
Angus bulls are used over their heifers. The two calving periods
mean the calves don’t all come in one spring rush.
Fifty five to sixty replacement heifer calves are kept from each
calving period. All of the bull calves are raised until weaning at 100
kg (live weight) and then sent to the Flipps’ bull farm. Any heifer
calves not needed as replacements go to the saleyards at 10 days
old (instead of four days old) to ensure the calves are stronger, look
better and, as Mark says, “have a bit of spring in their step”.
“We use colostrum to feed our heifer replacements and 150 bull
calves. When the colostrum runs out we use whole milk from the
vat. We didn’t use any extra calf-rearing products or supplements
when we farmed conventionally so it’s no different now; we just use
milk and hay,” Mark said.
“We did feed some meal for a while because that’s what the
service industries said should be done. Sure, the calves would eat it
all; but I didn’t really think they were any better off compared to the
milk and hay.”
Soil, pasture and weeds
The farm’s soil comprises mostly Himatangi light sand and Pukepuke
brown loamy sand. No form of irrigation is used on the farm.
“If you can get your soil right it better survives the summer dry
period. We have a grazing rotation of (a minimum) 35 days and
try to keep the pasture at around 33 centimetres high. When it gets
really dry it hits every farmer, but I think we can sustain things a
little longer,” Mark said.
“There are some drier parts on the farm, but there are other
areas that are so wet in winter they’d only be good for a rice field;
you’d never drive a tractor through them.”
Ryegrass does grow in some places on the farm and Mark has
noticed an increase in clover. However at this stage he relies on the
pasture species that naturally grow on the farm. He feels that if you
have a well-balanced soil then even the weeds that grow will be
more palatable to stock.
Scotch and Californian thistles are problematical weeds on the
farm. The Scotch thistles are easily removed and killed by manual
grubbing and the Californian thistles are mechanically mowed.
“We scrub-cut the gorse and recut any regrowth. Like
conventional weed spraying, hand control must be undertaken
yearly. When I drive trucks on other farms I notice that even though
they’re allowed to weed spray it certainly doesn’t mean that there are
no weeds on the farms,” Mark says.Smashing stereotypes
Mark knows that there is still a stereotypical view that as an organic
farmer he should be wearing a flax apron and sandals when milking.
He wants visitors to his tidy, well-maintained farm to say: “So this is
an organic farm?”
“Any good farmer, regardless of the system they now use, will
make a good organic system work too. They’re capable people and
can easily manage the change,” Mark said.
“If you want to change to organics, approach the company you
supply milk to and one of the certifying authorities to help guide
you through the process.”Ross Nolly is a freelance photographer and writer based in
Stratford, Taranaki.Flipp Farms at a glance
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Above: Weaned bull calves feeding on hay. The calves will be sent to the Flipps' bull unit to be grown on.