Farmer's longstanding ties to PGG Wrightson Wyndham store
Fourth-generation farmers, Richard Blackmore and his brothers Hamish and Peter, manage Birch-Holme Holding’s three dairy units totalling 1,900 dairy cows. Located at Seaward Downs in Southland, the family have been customers of the PGG Wrightson Wyndham store dating back to his grandparents.
Richard himself has worked with PGG Wrightson Technical Field Representative Allister Gauldie for the past 20 years and has enjoyed the relationship as he shares. “Anything we need, Allister will sort it. He always goes the extra mile, researching products, their prices and availability. We receive an outstanding service from him; he’s a good man.”
Richard also speaks highly of the Wyndham store team led by Corrina Medley. “We know the store team well. They’ll do anything for us. The team are down to earth and approachable.”
Identifying an opportunity to expand, Richard says the operation moved from sheep and beef to dairy 12 years ago and the move proved successful. As well as milking, the Blackmores rear their own calves and yearlings along with raising and fattening 450 beef cattle. Land is leased for planting in tulips as part of their re-grassing programme; once the tulip growing season is over it is re-sown into grass.
With the dairy farms three-quarters self-contained, the operation’s cropping programme is a vital component of the operation’s success as Richard explains. “Allister helps us with the cropping side of our business. We have challenges with wild turnips for instance, so Allister recommended we plant herbicide-tolerant crops which has been a breakthrough. In paddocks where we once yielded 8 to 10 tonne of crops, we now grow 20 to 24 tonne of swedes and kale using the Cleancrop™ system.”
“We don’t need to know everything about the products we want to use within our cropping programme,” says Richard, “as the team at PGG Wrightson understand what product to apply and when. We trust Allister; he always recommends the best product for us.”
“There’s also plenty of expertise to call upon. When we had issues with porina grass grub, Allister sought the advice of PGG Wrightson’s agronomists. This level of knowledge, and how easily it can be called upon, really stands out to me,” says Richard.
Having farmed this land for decades, Richard says the family feel it is important to look after it for future generations. Each of the brothers will continue farming, consolidating on the gains they have made over the past 10 years. “Hopefully the next generation can take over and keep the farms in the family,” says Richard.
