Cows and tractors

Raised on a dairy farm near Inangahua, Hannah Payne’s childhood was the ebb and flow of farm life. Early mornings and long days were not just routines but opportunities to learn.

These formative years laid the foundation for a passion for farming. Today she navigates the challenges and joys of modern dairy farming on a 500-herd dairy farm near Reefton that hosts a large composting barn.

“The barn is around three years old, there are only a few on the West Coast.  The idea is that there is a soft floor for the cows and calves which will be taken out and used as a nutrient-rich fertiliser on the paddocks,” 20-year-old Hannah explains.

The composting barn has open sides which allows for air movement.

“Calving is slowing down now, thankfully, and many happy replacements are running about.”

Hannah says that she loves her job and farm life yet admits that some mornings when the 4am alarm rings, she finds herself yearning to stay snug under the covers—something many of us can relate to.

However, cow number 97, affectionately known as ‘Aggie’ soon makes the early morning rise worth it.

“Number 97 is so friendly she is by far my favourite,” Hannah adds with a smile.

A previous journey across the Tasman Sea to Australia broadened Hannah’s farming perspective.

“I worked for a bit in a Queensland abattoir packing beef into boxes. As a farmer, you put the cows on the truck and you don’t see what happens after that or how it’s processed so it was really interesting. They used every part of the animal including the stomach lining,” Hannah says.

“After that, my sister and I ended up working on a 300 head dairy farm in New South Wales. We did that for a year traveling around Aussie in between work before coming home.”

Since being back home and taking on the Reefton dairy role, Hannah has found a new love – driving the tractor which she is keen to do more of and even suggested she might explore contracting in the future.

Community and family are important to Hannah, and she feels lucky that her farm is only a short 20-minute drive from family and friends, which she knows is uncommon compared to other farms. She also enjoys getting off farm to meet up with the West Coast Young Farmers group  she joined around a year ago.

“I didn’t know anyone in the group when I joined, they were all new faces,” Hannah says.

“With calving, I haven’t been lately, so it will be good to meet up again soon.”

Hannah is currently taking a moment to unwind while waiting for the last few girls to calve. She is looking forward to fresh spring growth and as for what lies ahead the future remains full of possibilities, but Hannah is quite certain it will include cows and tractors.