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1. An introduction to the
Spitfire Concept
of
Farm Dairy Effluent Management
3. Future proofing For too long farmers have been focusing on staying ahead of the Resource Management Act.
Whereas if you just “keep effluent in the root zone” then you will never have to worry about environmental matters and you will be making the best use of a resource that your farm really needs.
This is a new philosophy worth investing in.
Keep the effluent on your own property, and apply it in appropriate amounts at the right time, to get all the benefits and none of the worries.
This greatly diminishes the risk of failing your environmental obligations.
The farm gets the full use of the water effect when it’s dry and when the pasture needs it.
Your property retains the all nutrient and soil conditioner- which simply promotes grass growth.
Staff use the system in the dry (less stressful) time of the year. They are not rushed, errors are less likely, and they are more comfortable with a job which just has to be done on every farm, anyway.
4. How we do it….
5. Farm Infrastructure
6. A realistic picture of farm infrastructure costs Based on a 1000 cow farm, 300 ha, stocking rate 3.3 cows/ha, land at $25000 /ha
Races, crossings, fences and gates: ($ 300 / cow)
Milking shed and yards, feed pads: ($1 300 / cow)
Water supply, pumps, reticulation, troughs,
hard stands, electricity. ($ 170/ cow)
Effluent management – ponds, pumps, irrigators,
reticulation, hydrants. ($ 275/ cow)
Buildings: Accommodation, implement sheds,
barns, calf rearing buildings,
supplementary feed storage ($ 220/ cow)
And finally, Plant such as
tractors, mowers, sprayers, vehicles. ($ 220/cow)
Percentage of farm value
($7 500 000)
$ 300 000 = 4%
$1 300 000 = 17%
$ 170 000 = 2.3%
$ 275 000 = 3.7%
$ 220 000 = 3.0%
$ 220 000 = 3%
7. A Spitfire system ensures there are no added tasks and additional costs: -
You just wash the yard down and move the irrigator when the pasture needs irrigation.
Operating costs are incurred by tasks.
Many effluent systems require more than just washing down the yard and irrigating:
For example:
Regular pond de-sludging. ($5 000 per year, every year)
Solids spreading operations. ($2 500 per year every year)
Blocked irrigator nozzles. (Trips to the back of the farm to unblock those nozzles)
Excessive set-up time for the irrigating system.
Slurry tanker spreading. (Time cost and pasture damage)
Supplementary pond mixing tasks by tractor or regular visits to relocate the floating mixer.
Contaminated pasture - which defers grass growth or palatability. (reduced production)
Refurbishing punctured liners. (Damaged by machinery cleaning solids from ponds)
With a Spitfire system you just wash the yard down and move the irrigator.
Operating costs
8. Effective water and nutrient use Part of the effluent “problem” is the excessive use of wash-water.
Spitfire’s integral system can include a “green” water recycling feature for yard washing.
This can reduce the effluent volume by about a third. Less time is spent setting up irrigators. Cost is minimised.
You don’t need to recycle water if it has benefits in summer, but if you live in a wet region, or need a lot of wash water, then this could be a most useful feature.
Our new rotary irrigator is the only machine available to measure the effluent on to the pasture. It is governed and therefore adjusts its speed for each hydrant, and it applies an even pattern across the 50 metre wetted width.
You shift it less and always know how much effluent is being applied. (With all the other machines you have to guess the application amount, which will change at almost every hydrant.)
With stricter requirements for nutrient budgeting, this machine allows better control over water and nutrient application.
9. Morale and motivation Nothing demotivates staff more than heavy, repetitive work in exposed weather conditions. ?
With the Spitfire Concept, staff only wash down yards and then irrigate when conditions are actually rather pleasant. ??
There is no double handling, no pasture contamination, and no hauling hoses in puggy, cold conditions. There are no tricky daily set-ups in the wet, and no pressure when glitches occur. ???
Staff will also be happier knowing that they are doing the “right thing” for today’s world . ??
And, since our design will meet the new codes and standards, you can sleep easier as well. ????
10. In summary: We have achieved
Trouble free storage and mixing of effluent in storage ponds.
Irrigation of liquids and solids simultaneously.
Controlled irrigation of water and nutrient to the root zone at appropriate times of the year.
Simplified operations for staff around the farm.
Easy management and recording of nutrient application for nutrient budgets and audits.
Reduced annual costs.
Compliance with environmental standards.
To achieve this you need:
An effective sand trap,
our big, totally mixed pond,
our progressive cavity pump
and our irrigator.
Spitfire provides sound infrastructure
- that adds value and reduces costs.
11. Happy clients…
12. List of references:
The following Spitfire systems are complete or are being completed:
Keith and Kim Riley, 206 Broomfield Rd, Woodville
Arnold and Lois Reeve, Paerata Ridge Rd, Opotiki
Warwick and Alex King, The Glen Rd, Nelson
Falconer Farms, Ota Creek Rd, Edendale
Daniel and Penny Burgess, Hayman’s Rd, Waimate
Don and Leonie Compton, Woodlands Rd, Woodville
Chris and Liz Trower, Mahanga Rd, Mahia Peninsula
Dave and Joe Holland, Greta Rd, Cheviot
13. The simplest system irrigates liquids and solids together
14. Two pond styles: Earthen embankment or Totally-above-the-Ground
