CLAAS delivers for Grassmere Dairy
Fifth-generation family farm Grassmere Dairy is embracing innovation and efficiency with a fleet of CLAAS machinery, including ARION tractors, a silage wagon and DISCO mower. Based in the Manawatū, the 1,600-cow dairy operation values CLAAS for its reliability, ease of use and strong after-sales support. With a focus on lean farming, smart technology and sustainable growth, Grassmere Dairy is using advanced CLAAS equipment to help shape the future of modern New Zealand farming.
As a fifth-generation family farm established in 1890, Grassmere Dairy has seen a lot of change. Originally a draught horse breeding farm they are now an innovative, high-tech, industry-leading dairy and beef farming business.
Whether it’s the CLAAS ARION 410 or ARION 620C, CLAAS tractors are the perfect fit for every job on the farm. “We have recently grown our business. A key part of logistics on our new property was purchasing machinery. I didn’t have a great deal of time, but together with the CLAAS team we put together the research; they shared the pros and cons for each model and provided me with options for my business, and ultimately a package that would work for us.
The sale process was really good. The team helped me work through it in a really genuine way”, says Mat. Mat Hocken of Grassmere Dairy, milks 1600 cows over two properties totalling 675ha, nestled alongside the serene Oroua River in the Manawatū. As a fifth-generation family farm, established in 1890 with over 130 years of rich history, they’ve transformed from a draught horse breeding farm to an innovative, high-tech, industry-leading dairy and beef farming business. In 2013, Mat, wife Jana, and their young family returned from overseas to work alongside his father, Ross Hocken, in the business.
When looking for both replacement and new feed-out tractors for their operation, he contacted the Central CLAAS Harvest Centre. This led to the purchase of three CLAAS tractors, a silage wagon, and a CLAAS DISCO mower within a twelve-month period. “The single biggest factor for me would be trusting in the sales process to deliver what we were looking for. Having doubled our operation, time was at a premium, and I didn’t want to chase people for information. You want clear communication, and you want to know what you’re ordering is going to do the job”, Mat says.
Used on farm for general jobs, CLAAS tractors have good hydraulics and gearing; they fit the system and are easy for new team members to learn. The tractors are versatile machines for transport, cultivation, feeding out, and for reliable everyday use around the farm. The ARION 410 has a smaller turning circle for more agile manoeuvring, whilst the ARION 620C has state-of-the-art 6.8L six-cylinder engines with turbocharger for those jobs that require a little more grunt and pulling power.
The operating concept in the cab is ergonomic and simple. With the CMOTION multifunction lever, CLAAS tractors offer the driver the easiest handling imaginable. This ergonomic lever is perfect for long working days. All buttons on the CMOTION can be intuitively operated with one hand. The buttons are positioned within optimum reach of the thumb, index finger and middle finger, ensuring maximum efficiency when accessing the various functions. With the intuitive control concept in the ARION 400 or the convenient CMATIC continuously variable transmission in the ARION 620C the tractor is optimally set up.
Mat says, “the CLAAS tractors are well designed and simple to use, with a good balance of power to weight – all at a great price. There wasn’t a comparable tractor for the money on the market, that allows my team just to get in and work. Because the setup is similar between the two models, our team can jump in and out of each one without having to set up all over again”, he says. The machines, whilst new, are backed by after-sales service and parts support at the local CLAAS Harvest Centre.
“Our relationship with the team is relatively new, but our interactions so far have been good. When something has gone wrong, the team have been on hand to provide us with the assistance we need. I feel sure that we have the right partner for the long term, and I was confident that we would get something that worked well for us. We really value people that are honest and continually looking to improve alongside us as they give all-around support”, he says. Mat Hocken is involved in the Rural Innovation Lab and Grassmere Dairy is a pilot SmartFarm. They strive to be a leader in innovation and technological advancement on farm. This means they are privileged to be the first to test cutting-edge Ag technology that will improve farming practices.
Jana’s background is in Industrial Engineering and Lean Consulting and she has spent almost 20 years helping companies globally implement lean. Upon returning to Mat’s family dairy farm Jana realised that these lean principles were needed in farming. Over the last few years, she has founded The LeanFarm Project to help create awareness of lean in farming and her successful LeanFarm training workshops have been delivered to over 850 farmers (sheep and beef, dairy, goat, horticulture, arable, deer, cropping) across NZ, Australia and Europe. Jana has also engaged with thousands of farmers around the world, speaking at numerous agricultural events. In 2019 she published her book ‘The Lean Dairy Farm’ – a highly practical and relevant step-by-step guide that
every farmer globally can use to apply lean principles on farm. “Our vision is to become New Zealand’s most innovative, digitalised, sustainable, admired and enjoyable farming businesses. We intend on taking advantage of our CLAAS technology to help us become more productive on farm”, Mat says.
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