Farm Details: Cricklewood Station

Contacts

Farm Owner

Cricklewood Station Limited
Hayden Parker
RD7K
Duntroon 9494

0274 221 628

Important note: the following is a proposed concept for dairy conversion in the form of an addendum and update to this Schedule 7 Farm Environment Plan from 2021.

Physical address and legal description:
Grants Rd, Otiake

Description:

Dairy Supply Number TBC

Total dairy area: 175ha

Effective Area: 173.4ha

Dairy Irrigation Area: 173ha

Pivot: 131ha

K-line: 42ha (subject to Fixed Grid upgrade)

Effluent: 139haha total discharge area to avoid lower ends of critical source areas.

Run Off Irrigation Area: 

Pivot: 181.4

K Line: approx 256ha

Borderdyke: 41.7ha

Consents:

CRC000347.1 - Water Permit (s14), exp. September 22, 2034

CRC213856 - Discharge Permit (s15), exp. November 14, 2039

CRC141439 - Discharge Permit (s15), exp. February 1, 2035

CRC180571 - Water Permit (s14), exp. February 1, 2035

CRC252787 - Discharge Permit (s15), exp. March 11, 2040

CRC213830 - Land Use Consent (s13), exp. November 14, 2039

CRC253786 - Deemed PA (s9), exp. 

Irrigation Management

Irrigation Water Optimisation

Hayden is undertaking irrigation training with Thelning Systems. On farm training is recorded for each staff member on a template. A library of training resources is available.

• K-Lines are being phased out to reduce application depth and environmental risk while maximising efficiency of water use. The majority of irrigators are now low rate pivots but there are still some K-lines which are shifted twice a day on a seven day return. These are on the flats and entire lines or individual pods with their own taps are proactively turned off where there is risk of run off or ponding.
  Operations manual for K-Line as well as the installation video are used for training.

Operating Procedures

1. Check forecast.

2. Measure soil moisture for irrigation trigger. Trigger at 30% indicated on the HS2. Soil moisture should go no lower than 25% and no higher than 33%. Saturation is 46%.

3. Check soil temperature when considering irrigation in August and in May.

4. If above conditions allow then start irrigator.

5. Record irrigation in the WhatsApp group.

6. Check for leaks or other failures.

Incident Report Procedure

1. Irrigation is monitored between 5am and 5pm daily during the course of the day. CSA's are monitored for run off in passing. There are two key points to check for run off on the CSA and Waterway Map.

2. When a leak, run off or ponding is discovered shut water off to leaking line.

3. Notify management and source resources needed such as parts, digger etc.

4. Repair, pressure test and continue to monitor before backfilling.

5. Record in Whats App group with a photograph.

Maintenance

Preseason checks are guided by a checklist.

Light maintenance is carried out by staff and recorded. A historic maintenance summary is available, and maintenance is recorded in WhatsApp.

Heavier maintenance is undertaken by engineer Johnny Grumball (027 488 2099).

Bucket Tests are carried out to assess performance of each pivot and Fixed Grid.

End of season checks include draining lines, detaching K-Lines from hydrants and moving to fence lines, and parking pivots in wind safe spots. 

Water Use (Non-Irrigation Water)

• Water use efficiency is to be assessed in Effluent management as part of the Dairy Effluent Storage Calculator.

• All stock water is reticulated, and troughs are maintained. 

• Flow meters and pressure guages are monitored to indicate leakage in the stock water system.

• All water is metered (including stock water).

• Secondary cooler water is recirculated through a closed loop chilled water system.

• Water is recycled as much as possible. Primary cooling water becomes wash water and then becomes green wash which washes the yard, and then is irrigated on pasture.

Soils and Nutrients

• Soils are managed to minimise the amount of nutrient that escapes the farm and becomes a pollutant, and to maximise the nutrient that stays within the root zone of the plants as a resource. Infiltration rate is optimised to minimise runoff.

• Critical Source Areas are managed by only grazing when dry, using a 5m buffer if wet, and monitoring for run off.

• The aim is to maintain good soil structure by using the relevant cultivation practices for the given situation, including stone picking, and minimise the period of soil exposure to wind and rain erosion.

• Minimum tillage cultivation is used where soil conditions allow, and if full cultivation is necessary slopes are worked across. Steep areas are avoided where possible and weather forecasts are considered when deciding on cultivation timing. Care is taken not to work soil into fine aggregate sizes and a 5m buffer is maintained to waterways. There is minimal delay between cultivation and sowing to minimise the time that soil is exposed.

• Run-out grass is cropped then renewed, except steeper paddocks which are renewed directly without cropping.

• Imported oriented to more hay than baleage.

• Feeding out is in trailers to achieve minimal wastage.

• Stock holding areas are positioned on dry rises away from CSA's.

  • P applications don't exceed 100kg P/ha and not spread in Jun or July. Waterways are avoided and run off points are monitored.

• Waterways are protected by fencing, vegetative strips, and detention dams.

• Pugging prevention is achieved by giving larger breaks in wet conditions and cows are allowed to leave longer residuals. Young grass is grazed only briefly and in dry conditions only to minimise damage to the softer soil.

• An understanding of nutrient loss is gained from  Overseer which has informed the prioritisation of fixed grid installation to replace K-line.

• Nutrient decisions are informed by agronomist recommendations and soil tests.

Nitrate

• Annual 190 N limit complied with using heat maps.

• All fertiliser including urea is spread by Rural Transport with proof of placement.

• Stock camps and trailer patches are avoided when spreading fertiliser.

• Applications are typically 60-120kg per hectare of product.

• Fertiliser is not spread on hot or windy days, or when rain is forecast. No fertiliser is spread during June or July except chicken manure, nor on compacted or saturated soils.

• Fertiliser not stored on farm - contractors bring it in as needed.

• All new irrigation is low rate with higher rate systems being progressively replaced.

• Stocking rate is maximum 4.1 cows per platform hectare.

• Crop rotations: run-out grass is cropped and put into a catch crop like oats as soon as practicable, then back into new grass to reduce N loss and maintain cover.

Phosphate

• Minimum tillage methods are used where possible but compacted soils are renovated. Cultivation is across slopes where it is safe to do so. Regrassing is by direct drilling.

• Detention dams work to reduce P loss down the CSA's. 

• Olsen P is managed at optimum levels through soil testing.

• Weather forecasts are checked before cultivating.

• DAP generally applied at 100kg per hectare which is 20kg per hectare of P.

Effluent

Effluent Discharge Area: 131ha.

The system features gravity feed from the shed through a solids settling pond to the storage pond. 

From the pond the effluent can be screened and filtered to inject into the pivots, or alternatively it can run simultaneously through two pods. When conditions do not allow application to pasture discharge is deferred.

Effluent is also used to operate the yard wash.

Safety features include pump control and fault notification via SMS with timer automation. The pump controller also automatically shuts off the pump if loss of pressure or flow occurs.

The pivots have backflow preventers.

The dairy shed makes use of recycled cooler water for wash down to minimise effluent quantity, and has a closed loop chilled water cooling system. Nozzles in the shed are operated at the lowest pressure and flow  at which they can be effective

No effluent is to be discharged within:

• 20m upwind of the farm boundary to prevent effluent crossing the boundary.

• 50m of any surface watercourse.

• 50m of any subsurface drainage.

• 100m of any water abstraction point (should any be established).

• 200m of place of dwelling or assembly not on the property - note effluent exclusion area.

Winter Grazing

Critical Source Areas are areas that collect surface water and can transport nutrients to waterways or groundwater. Critical Source Areas (CSA's) are marked on the Winter Grazing Plans for each paddock.

• Winter grazing does not occur in CSA's in wet conditions from 1 May to 30 September each year - these areas are left in grass, and upper reaches grazed while dry or lifted rather than grazed.

• A CSA is dry enough to graze when no pugging results.

• Stock are excluded from CSA's with a buffer of 5m, or up to 20m if steep. These buffers may be in a grass paddock lower down the CSA and may be supplemented by a temporary bale detention dam.

• Bales are placed on higher areas of crop paddocks away from CSA's in areas where tractors can safely access.

• Slopes are grazed top to bottom toward CSA's and waterways if possible.

• Winter grazing does not occur within 5m of any waterway, or 100m of a water abstraction point. Any crop in these areas is lifted.

• Backfences are used to protect previously grazed areas and they are replanted as early as practicable. 

• Crops are sown along the contour where safe to do so.

• Other CSA Management:

  • New irrigation is designed to avoid CSA's as much as practical.

  • Farm tracks are cambered and maintained annually.

  • Water tables have cut-outs to spill water onto paddocks where possible.

  • Rock armouring and piping is used where necessary to prevent scouring.

  • Gateways and troughs are maintained with gravel.

  • Drainage is installed as needed, and planting continues.

Wet Weather Planning and Animal Welfare

• During wet weather when the paddock is becoming pugged beyond ankle height stock are run off to a sacrifice paddock with a large break to minimise damage and this is typically next years crop paddock.

• Pugged paddocks are renovated with full cultivation back to grass including ripping if necessary.

• Stock are given extra feed in wet, snowy or cold conditions.

• Bale positions are moved daily to leave straw beds for stock to lie on.

• Cows are scanned and drafted into early, mid and late calvers so springers can be moved onto grass paddocks ahead of calving.

• Stock are consciously monitored daily for animal health issues such as acidosis, lameness, mastitis, condition loss, slowness, bagging up or calving. These animals are monitored, treated and separated as required.

• Transition typically begins with 30 minutes on the first week from first cow on to last cow off and increases in 15 minute increments.

• Mob sizes are restricted to 300 maximum during winter to limit competition and to limit pressure on paddocks, cows and staff in difficult conditions. Milking mobs grazing on/off can be 400.

• A feed budget is used based on square metres and crop residual is monitored.

Waterway and CSA Management 

2026 Audit Documents