Demonstration farms

Lincoln University farms six properties. Five are commercial demonstration units totalling 3462 hectares.

They are farmed as full commercial units to maximise profit while demonstrating sound farm management techniques.

The farms are supervised by the Farm Advisory Service.

The Lincoln University dairy farm is a 185 hectare, 650 cow seasonal supply farm, located on the corner of Ellesmere Junction and Shands Road

The LUDF is currently the most prominent face of SIDDC.  It is owned by Lincoln University, but is branded as a South Island Dairying Development Centre (SIDDC) project (www.siddc.org.nz). This farm is pivotal in alerting the farming community to the SIDDC partnership.

The LUDF has emerged as a leading commercial farm, measured by return on assets, and by credible demonstration of best practice. Lincoln University has delegated all management and operation responsibilities for the LUDF to SIDDC.

The contribution LUDF makes as a powerful extension tool is significant, and some of the methodologies have application regionally and nationally.  Three obvious draw cards exist for SI dairy farmers:

1. The development and acceptance of a sustainable farming system emphasising high-yield, high-quality pasture as the fundamental basis of high productivity for NZ's pastoral dairy farms.
2. The environmental monitoring and mitigation work of the Centre for Soil and Environmental Quality, including the groundwater monitoring project, and the development of the nitrification inhibitor, eco-n, and its application.
3. The robust and transparent information from the farm, especially regarding production, productivity, and business performance, and the benchmarking and subsequent challenges that emerge for farmers.

The crop farm is 213 hectares. Crops include a range of cereals wheat, barley, whole-crop silage, processed crops (peas and beans), and small seeds (ryegrass and white clover).

The 56 hectare Kowhai Farm Heinz Wattie's Organic Farm at Lincoln University, is included in the 213 hectares. The mixed cropping farm has been converted from conventional cropping to full organic BIO-GRO certification.

Mt Grand is a 2130 hectare high country run located in Central Otago.

It runs super fine wool Merino sheep 3,300 ewes plus replacements.

Argyle is a 516 hectare property located in the Wairau Valley, Marlborough, 63 kilometres west of Blenheim and is currently leased out on a five-year contract.

Lincoln University and Heinz Watties developed Kowhai Farm as a demonstration farm to encourage more farmers to grow organically.

The 57 hectare Kowhai Farm is an important research site and teaching resource used by the wider Canterbury community.

Silverwood farm is 418 hectares of light land at Hororata, bought by the late Frank White in 1938 and farmed by him until 1985 when he established the farm as a charitable trust.  The purposes of the trust are to use the farm for education and research in sheep and cattle breeding and husbandry, and forestry.

The 355 hectare research farm, Ashley Dene, is a 355 hectare light land farm. Devoted to sheep research programmes, it is managed by the Department of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The arable farm, Mt Grand, Silverwood and Argyle are supervised by the University Director of Farms who can also provide consultancy services to fee paying clients.