New Business

[Walkleys]

Hi to all, I live in New Zealand and I am about to start an engineering business focused on the rural sector, predominatly dairy. I have joined this forum in the hope to speak with like minded people on future engineering problems. Any advice on starting out would be gladly read. I am a qualified maintenance engineer and I was bought up in a rural environment, so, I am trying to combine both worlds.

 

[gepman]

I don't know much about your part of the world (although I was very impressed by the work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy). Where I am at in California we have a lot of large dairies (2,000 to 6,000 milkers). I am part of a program which analyzes energy efficiency in agriculture, including diaries. The biggest issues from my perspective are:

1) Poorly designed milk refrigeration systems.
2) Wastewater treatment (lined holding ponds).
3) Greenhouse gas emissions (from wastewater treatment and from cows).

If you are able to actually engineer milking systems including the vacuum system, milk cooling systems (here it is almost all "instant" cooling as opposed to "batch" cooling), and understand how to handle the manure waste (anaerobic digestors), you would do well here. I don't know what the issues are there. I would assume it is very similar to dairies in Vermont which tend to be 200 - 300 milkers.

Good Luck

 

[Walkleys]

To be honest gepman, in our part of the world we are only just venturing into the green house gas issues and wastewater solutions. Our farms are quite a mix, in my area we have farms as small as 130 cows, 100% manual systems, right up to 5000 cow semi automated systems. NZ has reciently signed up the the Kyoto(spelling) protocol. This has required a huge rethink from the farmers in their attitude towards polution from dairy. Currently Fonterra, the NZ dairy company, is researching solutions to the above issues and have implemented some. I am not really conversant with most of it as my exposure has been from the grass roots, talking to the cockies, and often one sided.
My experience is maintenence, fabrication and hands on. My research has indicated that there is a huge demand for a moble welding service and a local solution to pump and machinery failure. That is the demand that I am intending to meet. I am building a small workshop right in the middle of my intended clientel base and I am fitting out a fourwheel drive vehical with the nessesary tools and equipment.

 

[ElysianFields]

Walkleys,

I own a thirty year old Farm-scapes Design and Systems Install Service including High Tensile fences, R&D and Retail (Post Drivers and Keyline Plows) Sales business in New York State, U.S.A., (

http://www.ahtuttle.com)

serving mostly pasture clients including Dairy and Beef farms.

I should think there is and will continue to be much demand for a service(s) such as yours. There seems to be a subtle resurgence of pasture based systems, wants and needs; this follows my own research that would predict total assimilation of grass based (near organics) and pastures as a (the) future conventional production model as a result of total costs including energy, environmental considerations, and client demand, etc..

For design inputs and considerations, I like utilizing TRIZ problem solving techniques, Keyline Broad-acre Landscapes and Irrigation Designs (useing Yeomans Brand Keyline Plows), and mobile utility devices for infield milking and slaughter sub-systems. All should need future system support services.