West Otago farmer Allan Richardson has an exciting vision for the future of livestock farming in New Zealand. He would like to see as many farmers as possible producing organically, or at least incorporating as many organic systems as possible into their farming operations. Andrea Kydd-Law asked him why – and how.
Allan believes that New Zealand farmers will essentially have to make a choice between two paths. They can either move to large scale or factory type farming, based on high production with high inputs. This will require them to continually lift production while accepting commodity prices. Or they can look to maintaining small to large scale farms, producing products with differentiated qualities that can add value, such as those associated with organic certification.
For farmers beginning to struggle with lower prices for stock, higher input costs and competition from intensive overseas operations, organic farming makes sense for New Zealand farmers. Not only does it add value to the end product itself, input costs for production can be lowered and the overall health of the farm improved. There is also a burgeoning local and international market for organic meat products.
And if anyone has the farming and business credentials, along with the sheer passion to help turn this vision into a reality, it’s Allan Richardson.
Along with wife Sonia, Allan farms 1310 hectares of rolling hill country in West Otago. Originally developed from gorse and scrub by Allan’s father Collin, 500 hectares of their Avalon Farm is AgriQuality certified for organic sheep and beef production, and the Richardson’s are steadily moving towards organic certification for the entire farm. At this stage, the 810 hectare balance incorporates most of the farming system used under organic certification.
Allan became interested in organic production in 1997 while on a Kellogg’s leadership course. A few of the speakers mentioned the potential of organics and, keen to know more and believing it could make sense from a business perspective, Allan completed his course project on organic sheep farming.
In 1998, the Richardson’s trialed 35 hectares of their property in organic production and 125 hectares became certified in 2001 (now 500 hectares). Most of their product is marketed through PPCS, but they also sell some of their product under their Avalon Organics brand through their website and the Otago Farmers Market. They also sell directly to a number of top-end hotels. The branding of their product plays an important role in their business and there is a strong emphasis on creating an affordable, quality product that is associated with the Avalon brand.
For the Richardson’s, the lack of available information on organic sheep and beef farming on a large scale made the process more of a challenge than it might otherwise have been.
Fortunately Allan had started breeding his sheep for worm resistance several years earlier, before it had become common and before he had ever considered organic farming. Resistance to parasites is a big deal for organic livestock farmers. Although drench resistance has been a growing problem for conventional farmers for some time, Allan believes the farming industry has only recently started to seriously address this issue and look to genetics as a solution.
Avalon’s worm resistance programme has now been running for 19 years and it has provided big payoffs for the farm. Not only has it eased the conversion to organics by producing multi-disease resistant sheep, it has become a business in its own right under the Avalon Genetics trademark.
The Richardson’s have developed an ‘Ultimate’ sheep programme, breeding for key traits such as no belly or crutch wool, short tails, multi-disease resistance and longevity. The aim is to breed a super-low input sheep which cuts out all the hard work of sheep farming.
Recognition for what they are doing is evident with more and more organic farmers purchasing Avalon rams, as well as those considering the move to organics or with an interest in specialized breeds. Their ram, Bonnieview 55/01 was ranked fifth in New Zealand for meat and growth for maternal breeds.
Farm facts – Avalon Farm
The Richardson’s 1310 hectare sheep and beef farm is located near Heriot, West Otago.
Organic Farming:
– Farming organically since 1998
– 500 hectares certified organic by AgriQuality
– 470 hectares effective
– 5400 stock units at 11.5su/ha effective
– Sheep and Beef production – 3900 ewes, 850 ewe hoggets, 310 ram hoggets, 30 rams, 45 rising two year old steers and 50 one year olds.
– Stock under a maximum one life time drench policy.
Overall, Allan believes that “in order to successfully farm livestock organically, you’ve got to be a good stockman and have stock that are bred for resistance and low input. If your stock are healthy they can comfortably live with a small pest challenge”.
In terms of their overall farming practices, the Richardson’s have developed a system that incorporates holistic management based on economic, ecological and social outcomes; grazing management based on year round rotational grazing; multi disease resistant genetics; and the use of Probitas soil conditioner.
Probitas, developed by Ewan Campbell of Waihi, is a lime base soil conditioner that has been used on the Richardson’s farm for the past three years. The results of the soil and herbage tests that have been conducted before and since the introduction of Probitas have shown impressive results. Initially introduced to only 125 hectares, Probitas is now being used across the entire farm. Allan says that Probitas unlocks the nutrients from the soil and lets nature do the work, and he believes that it has the potential to “revolutionise the fertilizer industry”.
Allan says that overall New Zealand soils tend to have an excess of some nutrients and a deficiency in others. At this stage the Richardson’s add a few trace elements to complement the use of Probitas and balance things out, however Allan anticipates that this will not be required in the long term and that they will most likely only need to use Probitas every 2 to 4 years for maintenance purposes.
And bottom line according to Allan is “keeping the soil and plants healthy will give you healthy animals”. He also believes that with the right systems in place, this can be achieved anywhere in New Zealand under an array of different conditions.
The biggest challenge facing organic livestock farmers from Allan’s perspective is the need to be proactive rather that reactive – it’s about anticipating problems before they arise.
Allan likes to see any challenges he faces as opportunities and points out that during the good times people tend to be less innovative. He also notes that the things he thought were going to be the bigger challenges, such as gorse and lice control, turned out to be more manageable that he expected. The use of lime and Probitas has had a significant impact on limiting gorse growth. He has also discovered that there is a direct correlation between worm and lice resistance that has big implications for the whole industry.
Getting Started
The biggest weakness facing the organic livestock farming according to Allan is that “there is no one organization which is really focused on helping people convert and that has the hands-on experience to do this”.
For farmers wanting to start out, Allan recommends that they contact a commercially focused organic farmer in their own area as a starting point, as well as the certifying organizations such as BioGro, OrganicFarmNZ, and AgriQuality for information on their organic standards.
Allan currently offers some of his Avalon Genetics’ clients advice about going down the low input track with a view to going organic and also fields calls from people considering conversion. He believes that “the greatest potential is for giving advice to conventional farmers on how to maintain performance but reduce their cost structure. From that position many farmers will discover that going organic is not that hard to achieve”.
Allan also suggests that farmers who want to reduce the risks associated with conversion or who are not entirely confident with the processes consider converting part of the farm to organics initially to get comfortable with what is required and then finish the conversion process later on. He says that there have been instances where farmers have blamed their failure to make the conversion on organic methods, but believes that this is most likely because they have not taken the time to fully understand the processes involved or adequately prepare themselves for the conversion.
In hindsight, Allan says that it would have been preferable for them to convert the entire farm to organics in one go.
Productivity Comparison
One of the most exciting aspects of the Richardson’s operation from a commercial point of view is the level of productivity being achieved on the farm, a big issue for any conventional farmer considering a conversion. From the outset they had aimed to achieve 90 – 95 percent of what was being achieved conventionally. They are now at 90 percent and well within reach of their 95 percent target. The number of stock units per hectare on the organic portion of their farm is 11.5, the same as for the conventional portion. Their long term average organic unit lambing rate is 119 percent, only 6 percent below their 125 percent average conventional lambing rate (their organic unit lambing rate has been as high as 131 percent). When considered in conjunction with lower input costs and higher premiums, it makes organic livestock farming a worthwhile business proposition.
“There was a perception that the organic farm was the ‘worst farm in the district’, but that perception is starting to change and there are organic producers of all types around the country running really successful commercial operations”.
Allan says that in order to meet growing demand, at least “1000 New Zealand farms need to start making the conversion to organics now, with another 1000 coming on board when the others attain certification”. He believes that there has been a misconception that if too many farmers were to convert to organics now the market would be saturated. From Allan’s perspective and with a sound understanding of the organic meat market, he says this isn’t the case and this message needs to get out to farmers.
The signs are promising. The Richardson’s have fielded more enquiries about their operation in the past year than they have done in the eight years since they made the conversion.
In the meantime, they will continue working hard to develop and evolve their farming systems, genetics, marketing and the Avalon brand to meet the challenges and opportunities organic farming presents.
For consumers, Avalon Organics has recently created two organic ready-made meals which are available to customers through the website and they intend to continue exploring other opportunities to add value to their product.
Their other big focus now is expanding into overseas markets under their own Avalon brand, a step Allan believes will be made easier by the experience and expertise they have gained from dealing with the local market – “if you can’t succeed at a local level, then you can’t expect to succeed at an international level”.
Organic Conversion Service
To help address the shortage of good information and support for livestock farmers converting to organics, and to help achieve their vision for New Zealand farming, the Richardson’s have developed Avalon Farming Systems.
This is designed to take conventional farmers right through the process, from conversion planning, including pasture and stock management, animal health, choosing the right genetics and advising on marketing options once they are organic. They also hope to have an ongoing management support programme. Allan and Sonia plan to have Avalon Farming Systems available to clients within the next year.
Allan says that he believes “top conventional farmers have the skills to make the successful transition to organic farming” and he adds that what the Farming Systems will be offering “is not a rescue package for farmers who are struggling on their farms with below average performance”.
Allan presented a paper comparing conventional and organic systems to the New Zealand Grasslands Association national conference – an opportunity for the Richardson’s to provide the facts and figures supporting their organic operation to a wider audience.
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Avalon Farm operates under three distinct brands reflecting the different aspects of their business operation:
Naturally Clean: Soap Nut Tree
/in Gardening, Magazine ArticlesAlways on the look out for healthier options, Pam Blowers is eager to inform us about this naturally occurring cleaner
I love it when something new, exciting and natural comes onto the market, especially when it can also be produced here. For the last year or so I have been reading about soap nuts, and itching for some enterprising person to bring them into New Zealand.
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Pointless field trials cost us millions
/in Magazine Articles, RegularsElvira Dommisse, PhD compiled a submission to ERMA on Application GMF06002 for the Soil & Health Association and PSGR (Physicians and Scientists for Global Responsibility). The submission asked ERMA to decline the application to field-trial genetically engineered Alliums: onions, shallots, spring onions, leeks and garlic.
— — —
Onions are our fourth biggest horticultural export crop. Why fund this trial when two decades of research have failed to produce a good GE onion cultivar?
Why field-test GE onions that have already cost the NZ tax payer millions, when the results will be rejected worldwide, including by our two key export markets, Europe and Japan?
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Sweet Poison: What’s not to like about aspartame
/in Health and Food, Magazine Articles‘Aspartame is the most controversial and complained-about additive in history.’
Alison White of the Safe Food Campaign.
The Safe Food Campaign believes that the widespread exposure to the artificial sweetener aspartame (951) – an addictive, carcinogenic neurotoxin – is causing a public health epidemic rivalling that of tobacco.
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in more than 6000 products worldwide. It is found particularly in sugarfree and diet products, chewing gum, and sports drinks. Brand-names include Equal and Nutrasweet. It might be labelled 951 or as containing phenylalanine.
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The artichoke that isn’t – Jerusalem artichokes in the home garden & recipes
/in Health and Food, Magazine ArticlesThe Jerusalem artichoke is a brown-coloured, knobbly, white-fleshed tuber root vegetable from the daisy (Compositae) family. It is not related to Globe Artichoke.
In the USA it is known more commonly as Sunchoke, and in Italy as Girasola artiocco, the sunflower artichoke (girasola means to turn the sun).
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To compost or not to compost
/in Gardening, Magazine ArticlesSome people really love their compost heaps, but are we following good organic practices when we make compost for our gardens? Two experts take differing views.
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Let’s keep those tried and true remedies
/in Health and Food, Magazine ArticlesPhilippa Jamieson checks out a herbal medicine business that is under threat from the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill.
The premises of ARTEMIS Herbal Medicine are just as warm and sunny as the beautiful Dunedin day outside. Sandra Clair shows me into her office, and offers me a cup of one of her herbal teas: ‘Tummy Tea’, to help me digest my lunch.
Sandra is a Swiss herbalist who moved to New Zealand in 1995. Her training was a three-year apprenticeship with a Catholic nun who was a herbalist and midwife, whose traditions go back to the twelfth century and the knowledge of Hildegard of Bingen. Sandra also has a Masters in ethnomedicine (University of Berne) and is in her last year of a post-graduate degree in health science (University of New England, Australia).
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Endosulphan at the top of ERMA’s Reassessment List
/in Magazine Articles, RegularsNote: This article differs from the one printed in the magazine and includes additional information. Trade names of the reassessment list chemicals can be found at the end of this unabridged article.
The persistent insecticide Endosulphan, has been accepted as a chemical for reassessment by ERMA (Environmental Risk Management Authority).
Following submissions, ERMA has selected four substances to consider for reassessment in 2006-07, and another 16 to consider within five years. Soil & Health, Pesticide Action Network, and Safe Food Campaign identified Endosulphan as the first preference, which was expressed in submissions.
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Tea tree in NZ – Growing the good oil
/in Farming and Horticulture, Magazine ArticlesTucked away in idyllic Karamea is New Zealand’s only certified organic producer of Australian tea tree oil. Philippa Jamieson visits on a rainy West Coast day.
It’s not a place you simply pass through. Karamea is off the beaten track an hour and a half’s drive north of Westport, with a warm climate and plentiful rain that supports lush grass for dairy cows, and subtropicals like tamarillos and feijoas.
The drizzle turned into steady rain as I walked to Otumahana, Margaret and Hamish Macbeth’s property just
south of the township, near where I was staying. It’s a 3.2 hectare narrow strip of flat land between the Otumahana Estuary and the road. On the east side of the road is a small market garden and a planting of tamarillos, and immediately beyond them the hill rises steeply, with canopies of rata and the umbrellas of tree ferns standing out amongst the thick bush.
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Moves to send complementary health control offshore
/in Magazine Articles, RegularsLate one night in December the Government finally tabled legislation intended to make a reality of its proposal to base control of New Zealand complementary health in Australia, under a trans-Tasman Therapeutic Products Agency (ANZTPA).
The move had been blocked for three years by widespread opposition on this side of the Tasman. There are two main concerns.
Alternative health groups say it would hand control of the New Zealand complementary health sector to an off-shore body, set up under Australian law, based in Canberra, and dominated by Australians. It has been suggested that under the current proposal all but seven percent of the agency’s staff would be Australian.
The other point of contention is that the new regime would regulate low risk, traditional remedies and dietary supplements as if they were drugs – effectively delivering the entire sector over to the pharmaceutical industry, who can afford the high cost clinical trials and licensing requirements.
This is despite the absence of any demonstrated risk to consumers health (See “What’s the risk?” below) Opponents say compliance costs under the regime in place in Australia have rocketed at 15 percent or more per year (28 percent last year by some accounts), and small companies are being driven out of business.
The trans-Tasman move has been in limbo as the Government’s plans failed to win support from any of the other political parties in Parliament.
The bill was finally introduced only after tinkering to enable NZ First to backtrack on Winston Peters’ categorical assertion that his MPs had stopped the move. (Little over a month earlier Peters had told National Radio, “For those people that believe in natural medicines, they have stopped the therapeutic bill that would have included all natural medicines being run by a trans Tasman agency. That’s stopped.”)
However, as we prepare for printing, it appears NZ First has changed sides, and the 494 page Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill is set to have its first reading in Parliament, with groups on both sides of the debate expecting it to pass to the next stage.
United Future leader Peter Dunne has also backed the compromise deal. National, Act, the Maori and Green parties all remain opposed.
The key changes to the original proposal appear to be a five year transition phase during which the taxpayer will subsidise steep annual charges for licensing health products under the new regime.
Natural health products will initially be exempt it seems, but will be able to be brought under the legislation later without further scrutiny by Parliament.
The NZ Health Trust, lobby group for small complementary health providers says tabling of the bill came without prior warning to other parties in Parliament. “We can only take from that that the Government knows full well how strong the public opposition to this plan is and are hoping to get it through at a time when everyone is already busy and before too many people really notice what is happening.
NZHT says it’s important to remember what this fight is about. “It’s about ensuring NZ has a system of health laws that focus on the best interest of consumers, not the protection of off-shore corporate interests.
NZ Health Trust research earlier this year showed 62 percent of New Zealanders used natural health products. “This is not about the industry not wanting regulation, we have always supported a sensible NZ based system of regulation specific to natural products,” the Trust says. “This is not about enhancing consumer safety – there is no evidence that this system in Australia has made the public any safer, in fact quite the reverse.”
NZHT is calling on people to phone NZ First MPs and explain “how strongly you feel about this issue and asking them not to support ANZTPA under any terms that include natural products.”
“We cannot stand back and do nothing while the Government looks to impose schemes on us so clearly detrimental to NZ that Select Committees have twice rejected it.”
How widespread is the opposition?
Response to earlier requests to email MPs over the proposed trans-Tasman controls was so strong that within a few hours Parliament’s server had crashed. Some MPs complained about the number of emails they were getting, but the NZ Health Trust that called for the email campaign says “whether they like it or not, that is the voice of democracy in action and if the people who they represent want to tell them how strongly they feel about stopping ANZTPA then they should have every right to do so.”
The Trust’s David Sloan says that over the last few weeks of November the activity behind the scenes on this issue was frantic “but as usual the Government and Medsafe were only consulting with their supporters.”
Meetings are reported to have included representatives from large companies like Healtheries, Nutralife and Alaron, but excluded the NZ Health Trust or any of the companies that have been strong in opposing the joint agency.
“The package will be presented as if natural health products are not included, trying to look as if she [lead Minister, Annette King] has given the opponents of this scheme what they wanted. That is not true,” says Sloan.
“The scheme is still pharmaceutically based and in our view, pharmaceutically biased, and there is no increase in consumer safety as a result. If a scheme doesn’t make the public any safer then what justification can there be for it?
It appears that by the time ONZ hits the streets, the Bill will have been referred to a Select Committee for consideration. Which Committee is as yet unknown but the NZ Health Trust says, “in another act of manipulation… Government has decided that this is no longer a health matter … and will instead send it to a select committee on which they control a majority of the members, to ensure they finally get a select committee obedient enough to give the Government the report it wants.”
“Like everything else in relation to this matter, the decisions and timeframes are all being designed to suit the Government and kept behind closed doors until the last possible moment to avoid public scrutiny of their indefendable actions (sic).”
What’s the risk?
Ron Law is an independent risk and policy analyst and former clinical biochemistry lecturer, who was a Health Ministry appointee to a government working group on strategies for reducing medical error in New Zealand’s healthcare system. He is also a former executive director of the New Zealand Nutritional Foods Association.
Ron offers the following overview of risks related to natural health products, published on the website:www.laleva.cc/petizione/english/ronlaw_eng.html
* Over 26,000 times more people die from preventable medical misadventure and regulated, properly prescribed and properly used drugs than from dietary supplements.
* Regulated, prescribed and properly used drugs are the fourth most common cause of death. Forty six people die every day from aspirin alone in the USA.
* Avoidable medical misadventure is the sixth most common cause of death. In Australia, 9,000 people die every year from avoidable medical misadventure, and 50,000 people are maimed.
* In the US. food poisoning and adverse reactions cause 5,000–9,000 deaths per year. Dietary supplements average fewer than five.
* There have been no deaths known to be caused by dietary supplements in NZ.
* Dietary supplements are consumed by over 50 percent of the population in both the USA and New Zealand (Source, NIH/MOH).
* You are more likely to die from a bee sting, sports injury, lightning, animal bite, horse riding, or radon gas exposure than from taking a health supplement.
The Government view
Minister Annette King’s press release on the ANZTPA Bill’s introduction claims “a significant step towards better protecting the health and safety of consumers”.
In relation to natural health products it says “the joint scheme will require all therapeutic products to undergo pre-market safety approval and licensing and post market surveillance and monitoring.”
Among reasons identified for the move are “minimal regulation of medical devices and complementary medicines in New Zealand, which is out of step with international best practice and this has led to therapeutic products being excluded from the trans-Tasman trade agreement.”
The Agency would be charged with “regulating the pre and post-market safety and quality of therapeutic products, including complementary medicines such as herbal and traditional medicines, homoeopathic medicines and aromatherapy products, vitamins, minerals and dietary and nutritional supplements.”
Sheep, beef and organics – the path to success
/in Farming and Horticulture, Magazine ArticlesWest Otago farmer Allan Richardson has an exciting vision for the future of livestock farming in New Zealand. He would like to see as many farmers as possible producing organically, or at least incorporating as many organic systems as possible into their farming operations. Andrea Kydd-Law asked him why – and how.
Allan believes that New Zealand farmers will essentially have to make a choice between two paths. They can either move to large scale or factory type farming, based on high production with high inputs. This will require them to continually lift production while accepting commodity prices. Or they can look to maintaining small to large scale farms, producing products with differentiated qualities that can add value, such as those associated with organic certification.
For farmers beginning to struggle with lower prices for stock, higher input costs and competition from intensive overseas operations, organic farming makes sense for New Zealand farmers. Not only does it add value to the end product itself, input costs for production can be lowered and the overall health of the farm improved. There is also a burgeoning local and international market for organic meat products.
And if anyone has the farming and business credentials, along with the sheer passion to help turn this vision into a reality, it’s Allan Richardson.
Along with wife Sonia, Allan farms 1310 hectares of rolling hill country in West Otago. Originally developed from gorse and scrub by Allan’s father Collin, 500 hectares of their Avalon Farm is AgriQuality certified for organic sheep and beef production, and the Richardson’s are steadily moving towards organic certification for the entire farm. At this stage, the 810 hectare balance incorporates most of the farming system used under organic certification.
Allan became interested in organic production in 1997 while on a Kellogg’s leadership course. A few of the speakers mentioned the potential of organics and, keen to know more and believing it could make sense from a business perspective, Allan completed his course project on organic sheep farming.
In 1998, the Richardson’s trialed 35 hectares of their property in organic production and 125 hectares became certified in 2001 (now 500 hectares). Most of their product is marketed through PPCS, but they also sell some of their product under their Avalon Organics brand through their website and the Otago Farmers Market. They also sell directly to a number of top-end hotels. The branding of their product plays an important role in their business and there is a strong emphasis on creating an affordable, quality product that is associated with the Avalon brand.
For the Richardson’s, the lack of available information on organic sheep and beef farming on a large scale made the process more of a challenge than it might otherwise have been.
Fortunately Allan had started breeding his sheep for worm resistance several years earlier, before it had become common and before he had ever considered organic farming. Resistance to parasites is a big deal for organic livestock farmers. Although drench resistance has been a growing problem for conventional farmers for some time, Allan believes the farming industry has only recently started to seriously address this issue and look to genetics as a solution.
Avalon’s worm resistance programme has now been running for 19 years and it has provided big payoffs for the farm. Not only has it eased the conversion to organics by producing multi-disease resistant sheep, it has become a business in its own right under the Avalon Genetics trademark.
The Richardson’s have developed an ‘Ultimate’ sheep programme, breeding for key traits such as no belly or crutch wool, short tails, multi-disease resistance and longevity. The aim is to breed a super-low input sheep which cuts out all the hard work of sheep farming.
Recognition for what they are doing is evident with more and more organic farmers purchasing Avalon rams, as well as those considering the move to organics or with an interest in specialized breeds. Their ram, Bonnieview 55/01 was ranked fifth in New Zealand for meat and growth for maternal breeds.
Farm facts – Avalon Farm
The Richardson’s 1310 hectare sheep and beef farm is located near Heriot, West Otago.
Organic Farming:
– Farming organically since 1998
– 500 hectares certified organic by AgriQuality
– 470 hectares effective
– 5400 stock units at 11.5su/ha effective
– Sheep and Beef production – 3900 ewes, 850 ewe hoggets, 310 ram hoggets, 30 rams, 45 rising two year old steers and 50 one year olds.
– Stock under a maximum one life time drench policy.
Overall, Allan believes that “in order to successfully farm livestock organically, you’ve got to be a good stockman and have stock that are bred for resistance and low input. If your stock are healthy they can comfortably live with a small pest challenge”.
In terms of their overall farming practices, the Richardson’s have developed a system that incorporates holistic management based on economic, ecological and social outcomes; grazing management based on year round rotational grazing; multi disease resistant genetics; and the use of Probitas soil conditioner.
Probitas, developed by Ewan Campbell of Waihi, is a lime base soil conditioner that has been used on the Richardson’s farm for the past three years. The results of the soil and herbage tests that have been conducted before and since the introduction of Probitas have shown impressive results. Initially introduced to only 125 hectares, Probitas is now being used across the entire farm. Allan says that Probitas unlocks the nutrients from the soil and lets nature do the work, and he believes that it has the potential to “revolutionise the fertilizer industry”.
Allan says that overall New Zealand soils tend to have an excess of some nutrients and a deficiency in others. At this stage the Richardson’s add a few trace elements to complement the use of Probitas and balance things out, however Allan anticipates that this will not be required in the long term and that they will most likely only need to use Probitas every 2 to 4 years for maintenance purposes.
And bottom line according to Allan is “keeping the soil and plants healthy will give you healthy animals”. He also believes that with the right systems in place, this can be achieved anywhere in New Zealand under an array of different conditions.
The biggest challenge facing organic livestock farmers from Allan’s perspective is the need to be proactive rather that reactive – it’s about anticipating problems before they arise.
Allan likes to see any challenges he faces as opportunities and points out that during the good times people tend to be less innovative. He also notes that the things he thought were going to be the bigger challenges, such as gorse and lice control, turned out to be more manageable that he expected. The use of lime and Probitas has had a significant impact on limiting gorse growth. He has also discovered that there is a direct correlation between worm and lice resistance that has big implications for the whole industry.
Getting Started
The biggest weakness facing the organic livestock farming according to Allan is that “there is no one organization which is really focused on helping people convert and that has the hands-on experience to do this”.
For farmers wanting to start out, Allan recommends that they contact a commercially focused organic farmer in their own area as a starting point, as well as the certifying organizations such as BioGro, OrganicFarmNZ, and AgriQuality for information on their organic standards.
Allan currently offers some of his Avalon Genetics’ clients advice about going down the low input track with a view to going organic and also fields calls from people considering conversion. He believes that “the greatest potential is for giving advice to conventional farmers on how to maintain performance but reduce their cost structure. From that position many farmers will discover that going organic is not that hard to achieve”.
Allan also suggests that farmers who want to reduce the risks associated with conversion or who are not entirely confident with the processes consider converting part of the farm to organics initially to get comfortable with what is required and then finish the conversion process later on. He says that there have been instances where farmers have blamed their failure to make the conversion on organic methods, but believes that this is most likely because they have not taken the time to fully understand the processes involved or adequately prepare themselves for the conversion.
In hindsight, Allan says that it would have been preferable for them to convert the entire farm to organics in one go.
Productivity Comparison
One of the most exciting aspects of the Richardson’s operation from a commercial point of view is the level of productivity being achieved on the farm, a big issue for any conventional farmer considering a conversion. From the outset they had aimed to achieve 90 – 95 percent of what was being achieved conventionally. They are now at 90 percent and well within reach of their 95 percent target. The number of stock units per hectare on the organic portion of their farm is 11.5, the same as for the conventional portion. Their long term average organic unit lambing rate is 119 percent, only 6 percent below their 125 percent average conventional lambing rate (their organic unit lambing rate has been as high as 131 percent). When considered in conjunction with lower input costs and higher premiums, it makes organic livestock farming a worthwhile business proposition.
“There was a perception that the organic farm was the ‘worst farm in the district’, but that perception is starting to change and there are organic producers of all types around the country running really successful commercial operations”.
Allan says that in order to meet growing demand, at least “1000 New Zealand farms need to start making the conversion to organics now, with another 1000 coming on board when the others attain certification”. He believes that there has been a misconception that if too many farmers were to convert to organics now the market would be saturated. From Allan’s perspective and with a sound understanding of the organic meat market, he says this isn’t the case and this message needs to get out to farmers.
The signs are promising. The Richardson’s have fielded more enquiries about their operation in the past year than they have done in the eight years since they made the conversion.
In the meantime, they will continue working hard to develop and evolve their farming systems, genetics, marketing and the Avalon brand to meet the challenges and opportunities organic farming presents.
For consumers, Avalon Organics has recently created two organic ready-made meals which are available to customers through the website and they intend to continue exploring other opportunities to add value to their product.
Their other big focus now is expanding into overseas markets under their own Avalon brand, a step Allan believes will be made easier by the experience and expertise they have gained from dealing with the local market – “if you can’t succeed at a local level, then you can’t expect to succeed at an international level”.
Organic Conversion Service
To help address the shortage of good information and support for livestock farmers converting to organics, and to help achieve their vision for New Zealand farming, the Richardson’s have developed Avalon Farming Systems.
This is designed to take conventional farmers right through the process, from conversion planning, including pasture and stock management, animal health, choosing the right genetics and advising on marketing options once they are organic. They also hope to have an ongoing management support programme. Allan and Sonia plan to have Avalon Farming Systems available to clients within the next year.
Allan says that he believes “top conventional farmers have the skills to make the successful transition to organic farming” and he adds that what the Farming Systems will be offering “is not a rescue package for farmers who are struggling on their farms with below average performance”.
Allan presented a paper comparing conventional and organic systems to the New Zealand Grasslands Association national conference – an opportunity for the Richardson’s to provide the facts and figures supporting their organic operation to a wider audience.
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Avalon Farm operates under three distinct brands reflecting the different aspects of their business operation:
Proudly published by the Soil & Health Association NZ
Proudly published by the Soil and Health Association NZ