Singletree Dairies Farm Description
Singletree Dairies was purchased in March 2006 to be converted from an intensive cropping property for the 06/07 season into a fully irrigated dairy farm.
Area
- 460 ha Total Area
- 420 ha Effective Area
Stock Numbers and Production
Season Peak Cow Numbers Target kgMS
09/10 1515 720,000
Location and Services
- Fairfield Road, RD 7, Ashburton
- Local primary school is 4km away at Fairton
- Secondary Schooling - Ashburton College which is 15km away - on the local bus run
- Local service centre is at Ashburton, 10km away
Housing
- 3 x 3 bedroom homes
- 2 x 2 bedroom homes
- 1 x 5 bedroom homestead
- 1 x 3 bedroom home rented for Farm Manager
Staff
- 9 full time dedicated staff who bring a variety of skills and experience
- Casual relief milkers and calf rearers
Facilities
- 80 Bail Rotary Dairy, auto teat spray
- Separate vet race, for AI and lame cows
- 12 bay implement shed for calf rearing with ring milk/water lines
- 3 bay implement shed
Soil Test Results
Deep Lismore silt loam
Date pH P K S Ca Mg Na
Average Dec 08 6.3 37 19 13 11 23 9
The Purpose
The purpose of Singletree Dairies Ltd is to provide a sustainable dividend stream and a competitive total return on investment to shareholders.
Vision Statement
To create a culture of excellence, by building a repeatable farming operation that is highly profitable and sustainable through best business and operational practices.
Our Management Philosophy
- To be an excellent tenant of the land.
- To manage proactively and ensure that we are totally in control of our destiny.
- To employ cutting edge management techniques but believe the best way is normally the "boring way".
- To run a simple, repeatable and enjoyable system.
- We achieve a balance between pasture utilisation, quality and animal performance.
- Our people are hugely important to the business and although we demand high levels of performance we are fair.
Our Employer Philosophy
- To create a work environment that is a better experience, whilst providing opportunities for training and growth and the ability to apply these to the current environment.
- Removing limitation to increase productivity and the potential to grow the business.
- Provide employees the responsibility to manage themselves and deliver outcomes.
- Reward exceptional performance and take an interest in our employee's goals (professionally and personally) and assisting where we can in the achievement of these.
- Nothing is impossible, follow our dreams, and make the small decisions with your head and the big ones with your heart. Take responsibility for our happiness, as it's too valuable to surrender to someone else.
- Step up to being an inspirational player, focusing on being the best that we can, whilst understanding ourselves. Seek inspiration from those around us. Think more of people than they do of themselves. (Kevin Roberts)
Farm Goals for 2009/2010
Health and Safety
Operate a responsibile and safety conscious workplace
- Recorded and investigated weekly
- The hazard register is current
- No serious harm injuries occur
Feed Management
Quality feed in a quantity sufficient for high level animal performance
- Utilisation of all feed is 85%
- Post grazing residuals of 1500 kgDM/ha
- Pre grazing covers under 3000 kgDM/ha
Animal Husbandry
Animals are asked to conform to a system, the least we can do is provide first class care
- Peak milk 1520 cows from 438 ha, S.R 3.47
- Produce 470 kgMS/cow from 300 day lactation
- In calf rate of 90% from 12 weeks of mating (10% empty) with 75% calved in the first 6 weeks
- Never compromise the five freedoms
- Milk Quality is always first class, achieve Grade Free status
- Bulk Somatic Cell Count is kept below 175,000
- Minimise deaths to under 2%
Asset Management
This farm is our home as well as our shop front window, let's treat is as such
- Farm is always clean, tidy and organised
- Effluent is always spread within our consent guidelines
- Fix it Friday occurs every Friday
- All pre operating checks are carried out
Staff Management
Think more of people than they do of themselves
- Provide an environment for growth and development
- Work less than 2300 hrs per year per FTE
- Continue to achieve a turnover of less than 20%
Financial Management
Sustainable dividend stream, debt reduction and the ability to improve the farm asset through strategic capital development
- Cost of Production of $3.45/kgMS
