Located in Matapu in South Taranaki, Trevor McCallum runs a farm that extends 80 hectares and milks around 160 cows on 64 hectares of the land. After downsizing from 260 cows and selling off some land, Trevor was looking for an effluent system that could be upgraded to meet new requirements and simplify operations.
With an all grass fed system, the farm operates across mostly flat land with some hills sloping towards the river that runs through the farm. When it was time to upgrade from a system that was in place from 1986, Trevor contacted Nevada to find the best system that could be implemented with little disruption to daily milking.
Before implementing a system from Nevada, Trevor was operating with oxidation ponds. The clay lined ponds would often fill up at the wrong time of the year, making it difficult and inconvenient to empty out. Trevor often utilised a contractor to empty the ponds, but with issues of lack of completion of the job and no ability to divert water when the ponds filled quickly during periods of high rainfall, he found it difficult to manage. With his new Bladder Tank system designed, supplied and installed by Nevada, he can now have full control over operations.
Trevor remarked that, “As the rules change, we’ve had to change with them. And we’ve changed to a system which we believe is the right one to use.”
He decided to go with a 300 cubic-metre Nevada Bladder Tank, a Double Sand-Trap in-line from the cow shed, a sump that is fitted with a Submersible Stirrer, and Submersible Vortex Pump with a float switch system. When the sump reaches a specified level, the submersible pump kicks in to pump the effluent to the bladder tank for storage. As the weather permits, the effluent can be transferred through the 1890 Progress Cavity Effluent Pump that sends the effluent out to the Spider Deluxe Travelling Irrigator.
While the system has only been in for a few weeks, it has been running seamlessly from day one. The effluent management system is conveniently automatic, even when it is raining. The process is as simple as flipping a switch for where the effluent is directed. The only thing Trevor has to worry about is shifting the irrigator.
When asked about his experience working with Nevada, Trevor commented "With the install it was really good, actually. They gave me a ring and told me they had everything ready to go and they really got onto the job and got it done. They communicated really well with me, and they just came and did the job.”
In Trevor’s words, “I’m quite happy, very happy.”
