Margie and Kerry Hepburn
Seasoned dairy farmers Margie and Kerry Hepburn are eager to give back to an industry that they have thrived in.
The Taranaki couple are not shy about sharing information and have set their business up as an individual benchmark farm on DairyBase.
This allows other farmers to compare their business directly with the Hepburns’ rather than an average, worked out from a group of at least 20 farms. In turn Margie and Kerry are also able to see how their information stacks up.
The business is a good one to pay close attention to because the operating profit of the Eltham farm is consistently in the top 20 per cent of Taranaki farms on DairyBase.
DairyBase reports allow Margie and Kerry to compare costs both over time and against other farms. Marge says that the information from DairyBase helps to confirm decisions around areas such as; animal health costs, stock expenses, wages, breeding, and herd improvement.
“It is interesting to see whether you are up or down compared to the benchmark. I do look at that. It’s nice to see where you sit against similar farms,” says Margie.
The couple have worked hard to get where they are today. Kerry was a sheep and beef farmer and Margie a nurse before they turned their hand to dairy farming by taking up a role on Margie’s parents’ farm.
They stepped up to 50:50 sharemilking before buying a block of land 10 years ago with the help of family. Since then they have expanded by buying a neighbouring block and today they milk 330 Friesians on a mid-altitude 114 ha property.
The farm consists of 26 per cent flat land, 56 per cent rolling hills and 18 per cent steep country all of which is milked on.
Not all farms are created equal and Marge is glad that DairyBase takes this into account by including information on topography such as the distance from the farm dairy to the furthest paddock.
“Our terrain is quite rolly and our cows walk quite big distances down a big hill every day. For us that makes a big difference when we try to compare ourselves to other farms,” she says.
The Hepburns have been eager learners over the years.
“Kerry went to discussion groups with my dad and learnt through consulting officers, now he hosts a discussion group in our area, so it is giving back really by teaching others,” says Margie.
The DairyBase data has proved to be an effective communication tool in farm discussion groups and field days.
DairyNZ consulting officer Steve Canton says he used the Hepburns’ financial detail sheet to highlight the importance of cost control at a Capture the Cash field day.
“Using the Hepburns’ information makes for a more effective demonstration than just using data based on an average,” says Steve.