Published by Inside Dairy, February 2021
Changing how they farm has already enabled the Willsden Farm team to reduce their farming footprint while maintaining profit.
Te Pirita Enterprises is a contracting group of which Camden Group owns a portion. Their headquarters is situated on the northern end of Willsden Farm.
Services include:
Two machines available when time is critical. Suitable for establishing all crops into all conditions. Provides hydraulic down pressure for consistent seed placement. Fertiliser and insecticide options with small seeds. Slug bait spreading.
Bio drill utilised for broadcasting of small seeds or planting two crops at once. Cultivation elements for reducing the number of passes pre-drilling. Fertiliser option available.
Two 12 row Tempo planters available for fodder beet, maize and all other precision planted crops with section control. Fertiliser option available.
We have the ability to supply straw delivered on-farm. Quality product. Competitive pricing.
Utilised for intensive mixing and breadking down of clods after winter grazing, re-grassing and cereal stubble incorporation. A great all-round machine suitable for all soil types.
Suitable for chopping, mixing and incorporating of crop residue. Utilised for breaking down of clods and turf and provides a high daily output.
8m cultivator used for finishing. Can be used with Vaderstad cambridge roller.
Versatile cultivator with four elements that can be fine-tuned to adapt to a variety of conditions. Consisting of two rows of discs, staggered subsoiler legs providing full-width lift and pan shatter, two more rows of discs and roller. Up to 400mm working depth.
The independent four-track design delivers maximum traction with minimum soil compaction. 500hp to guarantee cultivators can be pulled at correct depth.
Versatile plough for high output performance.
8m wide for high daily output while also leaving a level and consolidated finish ready to drill or plant on. For use after the plough or Topdown. Folding fully adjustable leveller towing a Vaderstad cambridge roller with levelling boards.
Sharlands Road, Te Pirita
027 922 3843
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
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
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:
Grange Road, Burnham
2010
Dry stock grazing
388ha
CPWL supply water
3 staff
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
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
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
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.
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.
