Getting a break this season
Getting a break with family over summer can
make a huge difference to the physical and mental
health of sharemilkers and contract milkers.
With a labour market that has never been tighter or more expensive, and farmers working more hours to get more work done (hello compliance paperwork and doing AI all the way through until Christmas!) the guys and girls in the shed that I’ve been talking are really feeling it.
Finding a reliable relief milker has long been a problem (my dad was a relief milker for nearly 20 years in the 90s and 00s and was often booked out well in advance for all weekends and holidays) and can be especially difficult to find for contract milkers and sharemilkers who may be newer to an area.
As a team (farm owner and sharefarmer), here are some options to consider to help find an alternative way to take a break and that might have other benefits to the farm system longer term:
Consider a part time staff member – if you as a sharefarmer cant find a reliable relief milker, is there an opportunity for you to bring on a drive in/drive out employee that works fixed hours per week and you find some hours off farm doing something a bit different? Farm owners, if your sharefarmer wants to bring on an employee that gives them time out of the shed and some time off farm, seriously consider it. Having an employee who is comfortable and confident with the farm is going to lead to fewer mistakes, and an added benefit of a sharefarmer who feels more valued than just for their ability to put cups on cows.
Flexible milking – 3-in-2 milking research from DairyNZ has shown that when done for part of the season it had little impact on over all milk income (up to 5% decrease). The same reasearch also demonstrated benefits in increasing body condition in late lactation and reduced the number of total milkings, giving those in the shed a break – our ultimate goal.
Going once-a-day from “Christmas” - going once-a-day early not only takes away that need to be on farm in the afternoon, it can reduce costs and feed demand, and manages cow body condition. Once-a-day milking isn’t for everyone and can have a reduction on milk income but this can be gained back in a dry season by extending the lactation. DairyNZ has a decision tool for going once-a-day on their website if this is something you are considering giving a go.
Farm owner is the relief milker for the first season – some sharefarming agreements have a section in the items where the farm owner can enter their service rate and negotiate the farm owner being the relief milk. The first season on a new farm can be tough especially if the sharefarmer is new to a community. Having certainty around the sharefarmer having time off and not having to worry about a relief milker making mistakes can have benefits for everyone. But do note it is important that rates are fair and as a farm owner, you are invoicing for this time. Not managing this appropriately can lead to resentment and frustration.
As always, not all options are going to work for all ethos’s and all farm systems – every farm is as unique as the people working on them. If you have any questions or your looking for advice on how to support your sharefarmer get a break this summer or where to start in discussing some options with your farm owner, get in touch - louise@thesharefarmingconsultants.com or 0211335607.
