Southland RCNZ member Daryl Johnstone is equally committed to providing agricultural services to local farmers as he is to supporting the wider rural contracting community nationwide
When it comes to farming and contracting, Southland RCNZ member Daryl Johnstone is equally committed to providing agricultural services to local farmers as he is to supporting the wider rural contracting community nationwide.
As an experienced rural contractor as well as an RCNZ board member, he’s ideally poised to deliver constructive input and share ideas around supporting fellow contractors and navigating the demands of workplace operations. RCNZ represents rural contractors who provide services to farmers, councils and rural communities from Kaitaia to Southland.
The association acts as a voice for its members and for rural communities, as well as offering training, monitoring chemical spray requirements, helping gain approval to import skilled machinery operators, and having input into the rules of transportation of farm machinery.
Daryl says that as well as an opportunity to give back to an industry he has been part of for many years, another focus for him is recruiting and training more young people in the industry.
“It’s really important to get them in,” he says, “and then to ensure they are supported on their journey.”
WORK HISTORY
Such in-depth involvement in agricultural contracting is something of a full-circle moment for Daryl. Having grown up on a family farm at Tokanui, on the edge of the Catlins in Southland, his father Ernie ran a rural contracting business and was also a keen RCNZ member.
From an early age, Daryl helped his father in the business and can’t remember a time when he wasn’t driving a tractor. Although retired, Ernie still helps Daryl out, sharing his valuable knowledge and moving staff or resources when needed.
Having explored other avenues throughout his career path, Daryl has held senior roles in major corporates, accumulating skillsets which now come in handy at RCNZ. An interest in computers and technology saw him work for a computer company in Invercargill after leaving school, working his way up to become a senior network engineer.
In 2008, the Invercargill-based HW Richardson Group recruited him as chief information officer for the group, which now employs 2700 staff in 48 different businesses across Australasia, including Allied Petroleum and Allied Concrete. Daryl stayed for 7+ years, but rural contracting was in his blood, and in 2015 he and his wife Nicola reinvigorated Johnstone Contracting Ltd after it had sat idle for several years.
Today the business has approximately five casual staff and a core focus on cultivation, baleage production, seeding and fencing. And with the wisdom of decades of experience, Daryl shares that the art of contracting is all about balancing demands.
“Every season is different. It’s about being able to go with mother nature and make the most of it when the opportunities are there,” he says. “It’s about balancing client needs, staff, equipment and being able to get the job done when the weather’s right.”
The company has a team of approximately five casual staff and invests in modern equipment and technology to ensure it can respond quickly when conditions are right. This agility is crucial to its continued success in an industry where timing is everything, says Daryl.
“There is a lot of organisation and scheduling, communication with staff and clients. This is where history and experience matter to continue to do a quality, safe job, especially when demand is high.
“Technology advancements in farming and contracting services have evolved very quickly over the years,” says Daryl.
“We must lead in this area so we can be efficient and provide the best quality service to our customers to achieve the desired outcomes. We operate modern reliable gear so we can consistently deliver to client expectations and, most importantly, continue to do this year on year.”
Embracing technological advancement has been key to the company’s longevity. It utilises modern equipment including two McHale Fusion integrated baler-wrappers with film-on-film technology, providing higher-quality baleage with better oxygen exclusion.
The Fusion 4 Plus is unique in that it has been specifically designed as a high-output machine, bringing cutting-edge baling and wrapping technology. This baler doesn’t require net to be applied to the bales—only plastic—making it much easier to feed out bales. Net can be applied if required.
ADVANTAGES WITH FILM-ON-FILM
The plastic added to the barrel of the bale keeps the bale together as it passes from the baler to the wrapper. This also forms part of the wrapping process and adds value by placing more plastic on the largest surface of the bale. When plastic is applied to the barrel of the bale it can be stretched to approximately 20%. The stretch ratio is higher than what can be achieved with net wrap or twine and, as a result, the material is kept tighter, which ultimately results in better bale shape.
“As the plastic is being stretched as it is applied to the barrel of the bale, it expels more air than net wrap would, resulting in better silage quality,” says Daryl.
As plastic is used to bind both the bale in the bale chamber and to wrap the bale, on feed-out the farmer will be left with just one form of waste. This reduces the time needed to feed the bale and avoids the unpleasant and time-consuming job of separating the twine or net wrap from the plastic before the plastic is recycled.
“Rural contracting is a constant drive to keep up with new innovations and also find ways to increase efficiency without sacrificing quality,” he says.
“Being part of a local community is very important to everyone in Johnstone Contracting and we support many local organisations with sponsorship to be able to give back to our clients for their loyal support of our business.”