Looking ahead Ross Robinson could see discharge consents are on their way out, and sooner or later he’d be applying effluent to land – so he decided to jump in and get his farm sorted early.
Situated in Paparoa, Northland, Ross’ dairy farm runs over rolling land and is prone to high rainfall. Effluent drains from the cow shed into two large effluent ponds which are down in a valley. He also has several freshwater ponds around the farm.
Ross had been toying with different ideas for how to manage the effluent for a few years. He wanted to do it once and do it right, and with his current discharge consent still valid for a number of years he had time to evaluate different options.
Ross liked that the RainWave drag hose system could pump high volumes in one go, but also saw an opportunity to be able to use the system with his freshwater ponds for drought relief when needed.
Mike had visited the farm a number of times over the years, and with the effluent ponds situated down in the valley, recommended a more powerful Bauer Magnum SX1000 PTO pump for a consistent uphill flow and use on multiple ponds. Ross also decided on a TurboStir 6000 PTO stirrer to get the nutrients well mixed before spreading.
The new system has been a big change for Ross, but now it’s in, he’s confident in his decision.