Kohika Downs

South Canterbury

Alto Holdings Ltd was set up in 2009 as a joint venture with Tony and Anna Wakelin. 50/50 sharemilking began in West Eyreton, with 1,050 cows on 340ha.

After 10 years of sharemilking, 2019 saw Camden Dairy Farms and Tony and Anna Wakelin co-purchase a 501ha dryland dairy farm in South Canterbury, renaming the company to Kohika Downs Ltd.

The property is self-contained with adjacent land leased for dairy support.

Kohika achieved their target of 420,722kgMS in their first season of 2019/20, and exceeded their 2020/21 target by achieving 458,241kgMS in their second season.

Back Line Road, Otaio

Established 2009

1,050 cows

436kgMS per cow

501ha

Dryland

80 bail rotary shed

6 staff

Management Team

Tony & Anna Wakelin

Equity Managers
Kohika Downs

Portfolio

Highbury Farm

Te Pirita

Highbury Farm was originally a dryland sheep farm.

Camden Group purchased the property in 2015 to run as the winter/silage support land for Chiswick, Prairie and Willsden farms.

An extra 80ha is also leased from Willsden Farm as the winter/silage support land for Camden Farm.

It was connected to the CPWL irrigation scheme in 2015 and the property was reconfigured to a dairy platform – removing 8km of mature pine shelter belts, relocating the house, garage and hay shed, installing new access lanes, installing irrigation and stockwater system and increasing base fertility.

The property is irrigated by 4 centre pivots for 222ha and set sprinklers in corners covering 25ha.

Sharlands Road, Te Pirita

Purchased 2015

Winter grazing
Support land

254ha

CPWL supply water

Management Team

Paula Buechele

Farm Manager
Highbury Farm

Terry Kilday

General Manager
Camden Group

Travis Gordon

Business Manager
Camden Group

Portfolio

Aylesbury Grazing

Burnham

Aylesbury Grazing was converted from a forestry block to pasture in 2005 and was operated as an irrigated sheep and beef finishing farm by the Selwyn Plantation Board.

Camden Group purchased the property in September 2010 to use as dairy grazing for Camden Group dry stock.

It has been redeveloped to dairy farm level by upgrading irrigation, stock water, fertility levels, re-pasturing and fencing.

The property is irrigated using three centre pivots for 270ha, 4 single span towable pivots covering 65ha and set sprinklers for 40ha.

The farm carries:

1650 calves from 1 December to 31 April
1650 heifers from 1 May to 1 May
200 IC heifers in May
120 Jersey bull calves from 1 December through to heifer mating, then sent to grazing
120 R2-year bulls from October to December, then they are used across Camden Group dairy herds to tail after AI
180 carryover cows which are grazed and mated on-farm and sold to the Group farms if required.

Grange Road, Burnham

2010

Dry stock grazing

388ha

CPWL supply water

3 staff

Management Team

Simon Rabbidge

Farm Manager
Aylesbury Grazing

Tayla James

Associate Farm Manager
Aylesbury Grazing

Portfolio

Chiswick Farm

Te Pirita

When Chiswick Farm was purchased in 1999, it operated as the winter support land and silage farm for the Camden, Willsden and Prairie farms.

After connecting to the CPWL irrigation scheme in 2015, Chiswick was converted to dairy in 2016.

With the fifth season in 2020/21, production with 240ha effective is 406,943kg milk solids or 1,621kgMS per hectare.

Irrigation is delivered for 100ha by 515m centre pivot, 110ha by 3 rotorainers, 7ha using fixed sprinklers and 12ha is covered by the Prairie Farm pivot.

Sharlands Road, Te Pirita

Purchased 1999

930 cows

438kgMS per cow

251ha

CPWL supply water

60 bail rotary shed

6 staff

Management Team

Mike Spiers

Farm Manager
Chiswick Farm

Brooke Eckhardt

Assistant Manager
Chiswick Farm

Terry Kilday

General Manager
Camden Group

Travis Gordon

Business Manager
Camden Group

Portfolio

Prairie Farm

Te Pirita

Originally a traditional dryland sheep farm, Prairie Farm was purchased by Camden Group in November 2000.

Dairy conversion began straight away, with drilling of the first irrigation bore, removal of 5km of 8m pine hedges to allow for irrigation development. The whole farm was cultivated and re-sowed in new pasture in February 2001.

Milking began in August 2001 with 870 cows, and in 2005 expanded to 1,000 cows. Current production with 260ha effective is 438,198kg milk solids or 1,685kgMS per hectare.

Irrigation is via 115ha by three rotorainers, 135ha by a 774 centre pivot, 12ha by a 315 wiper pivot, and fixed k-lines in two corners.

Rakaia Terrace Road, Te Pirita

Established 2000

1,000 cows

448kgMS per cow

280ha

CPWL supply water

50 bail rotary shed

6 staff

Management Team

Alvin Caparos

Farm Manager
Prairie Farm

Terry Kilday

General Manager
Camden Group

Travis Gordon

Business Manager
Camden Group

Portfolio

Willsden Farm

Te Pirita

Willsden Farm was purchased in November 1997, and an extra 120ha of neighbouring land was purchased in November 2000 to add to the farm.

It had been operating as a traditional dryland sheep farm before dairy conversion began in November 1998 with the drilling of the first irrigation bore and removal of 8km of 8m pine hedges to allow for irrigation development.

Milking began in August 1999 with 650 cows, and in 2001 this expanded to 1,050 cows. Current production with 306ha effective is 499,180kg milk solids or 1,631kgMS per hectare.

125ha is irrigated by three rotorainers, 170ha by a 776m centre pivot, 80ha by a 620 wiper pivot, and 11ha by k-lines in two corners.

Currently 80ha of the 419ha property is leased to Highbury Farm as support land.

Ardlui Road, Te Pirita

Established 1997

1,050 cows

471kgMS per cow

419ha

CPWL supply water

50 bail rotary shed

6 staff

Management Team

Liam Alley

Farm Manager

Javier Rosso Alba

Assistant Farm Manager

Terry Kilday

General Manager
Camden Group

Travis Gordon

Business Manager
Camden Group

Portfolio

BNZ: Shift Happens – Where is your Agribusiness heading?

In the Media

2019: BNZ

Shift Happens: Where is your Agribusiness heading?

Published by BNZ, 2019

Brothers Leo & John Donkers established and operate the joint venture dairy farming business The Camden Group. They spoke to BNZ about how they approach all things financial, when it comes to the performance of their Canterbury based business.

Opportunities

Farmers Weekly: Many Small Changes add up

In the Media

February 2019: Farmers Weekly article on Willsden Farm

Many small changes add up

Published by Farmers Weekly 18 Feb 2019

A Canterbury farm is hitting its environmental goals ahead of schedule. Tony Benny reports.

Changing the regrassing programme along with tweaks to fertiliser and irrigation practices has allowed Canterbury family-corporate farmer the Camden Group to achieve the 30% reduction in nitrogen losses demanded by the Canterbury Regional Council, ECan, well before the 2022 deadline.

Opportunities

Camden Farm

Selwyn District

The 221ha Camden Farm was the first property purchased by the Group in February 1994, which had been operating as a traditional dry land beef farm.

Dairy conversion began as soon as the sale was completed. This involved upgrading the irrigation system, upgrading the stock water system, re-fencing and planting shelterbelts.

28ha is currently irrigated by three rotorainers, 108ha is irrigated by a 753m centre pivot, 60ha by a 600m centre pivot, and 18ha by sprinklers in the corners.

Milking began in August 1994 with 500 cows and was expanded to 700 cows by 1997. Current production with 214ha effective is 342,804kg milksolids or 1,602kgMS per hectare.

A new 54-bail rotary shed replaced the 40-a-side herringbone shed for the 2020-2021 season, which – when combined with other development – meant the stock numbers could be increased.

Rakaia Selwyn Road, Bankside

Established 1994

800 cows

438kgMS per cow

221ha

Groundwater irrigation

54-bail rotary shed

5 staff

Management Team

Oliver Hampson

Farm Manager
Camden Farm

Anta Chaudhary

Assistant Manager
Camden Farm

Terry Kilday

General Manager
Camden Group

Travis Gordon

Business Manager
Camden Group

Portfolio

Business Rural: Manager’s role completes full rotation

In the Media

2019: Business Rural

Manager’s role completes full rotation

Published by Business Rural, 2019

Becoming manager of Camden Group’s Willsden Farm was just a “hop across the fence” for Robin Hornblow. For Robin, who is nearing the end of his first season as manager of the Te Pirita unit, it was a matter of coming full circle.

“I used to work on this farm ten years ago when I was a student at Lincoln University. It felt a bit strange coming back as manager but it’s a good challenge and it has changed so much since I was here anyway,” he says.