John Legg with his beloved cows. He has passion for the Ayrshire breed Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
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John Legg's regenerative farming journey has been a big learning curve but the dairy farmer says the gains have been steady.
Country Life first visited his 180-hectare property near Lake Ellesmere five years ago and returned this month to find out how things have been going.
Recent tests results have shown a big improvement in the soil's potassium levels.
"With a lower stocking density and multiple shifts, it's shifted that potassium to a level where we don't have to apply it anymore," he said.
John said he's still applying synthetic fertilisers, but less frequently and in much lower quantities than before. He has some words of advice for other farmers.
"You want to be less reliant on it. Make sure that you've got species like your red clovers and white clover and that, that's fixing that nitrogen for you."
A solar-powered Halter collar sits loosely around a cows neck Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Milk production at the Legg family farm is on the rise. This season, John's trying to hit 5,000 litres per day. For his 197 Ayrshire cows that equates to about 24 litres per cow per day.
Thanks to a balanced diet and high body condition scores, empty rates in cows are improving and somatic cell counts, the concentration of white blood cells present in the milk, are sitting at 60.
A high count indicates a high level of mastitis in the herd.
"You want to keep it under around 150. That's the standard. You get graded on your milk so if you can get it under 150 you get paid a higher premium. This is through Fonterra."
The first cut of baleage at Lakeside Ayrshires Farm, that was purchased in 1923 by John's great great-grandfather and has remained in the family ever since Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
John says the regenerative system he's embracing aligns well with Farm Environment Plans, audited by Environment Canterbury.
The audits show that good management practices are being achieved. Farmers who achieve an A or B grade benefit by having more time before their next audit is due.
"In our last audit we got an A. So with an A, I think it's three years before you need to get audited again."
Achieving a high grade can mean less paperwork, fewer costs, less stress and more time to focus on best practice farming.
"It's a bit of pressure off, you know, like mentally making sure you've got all your boxes ticked and that."
Native plants that John planted along the creek that borders his farm are thriving. On the other side of the waterway, native seedlings have replaced gorse and weeds Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
As well as changing his farming system, John's also been planting natives across the farm.
The main beneficiary is Birdlings Brook, a waterway that flows past his paddocks towards Harts Creek.
He said the natives are thriving and have formed a travel corridor for birds and insects. He saw a kererū near the creek for the first time recently.
"That's been planted right down to the end of the Blind Road. The Ellesmere Sustainable Ag Group did quite a bit of work and all the other side's all been planted up too and yeah, it's looking real good!" he said proudly.
Photo: Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
Learn more:
- Find out more about regenerative agriculture here.