WHAT WE DO

High Value Agriculture

Agriculture is the lifeblood of the New Zealand economy. With our climate, soils, ‘can-do’ approach and international reputation for green products, with regulatory integrity, we can lead the world. New Zealand could be growing the highest value agricultural produce with environmental credentials. The Prime Minister has identified high quality food that meets environmental standards as the future for New Zealand agriculture – and we agree. New Zealand farming needs to be more than cost efficient industrial farming that competes solely on price. We must respond to consumer demand for quality.

Catch the Green Wave Early

Sustainably produced food is the premium produce wave. Premium-paying consumers want traceability, environment friendly production and measurable quality that they understand and trust. Abron provides full spectrum service and products to get you on this wave. Those who are early adopters of new approaches, crops and technologies are inevitably those who benefit most. Innovative, profit-oriented agricultural companies are positioning themselves in the sustainability space.

Savvy growers in New Zealand and around the world are using this approach to:

Reduce inputs
Increase production
Improve animal health
Sequester carbon, and
Grow nutrient dense, high value food for a premium

In the oncoming era of water, petrochemical and food shortages with fears of climate change, you want to be creating a product with environmental credentials and quality metrics. Abron partners with you to do just that.

The Abron Advantage

Abron is a privately owned, full spectrum agricultural services firm founded by Russell and Jacqui Snodgrass. It has a staff of 24 and provides advice and products to 500 farmers growing premium produce across the New Zealand pastoral, horticultural and cropping sectors. In Australia, 30,000 hectares of dairy are using Abron products and advice in conjunction with the Dairy Business Centre in Victoria. Our highly qualified staff and associates are professional agriculturalists who have been trained in biological farming science. Their expertise is second to none.

What we do for you

Work from the soil up to shift your farming operation to sustainable quality and profit
Monitor KPIs for all soil, farm and environment metrics
Fertiliser and biological management recommendations for all agricultural crops
Total solutions for the future including marketing of nutrient dense produce and soil carbon credit programs

Our Ideas and Inspiration
The Approach….. International Uptake

Agriculture in this manner has been around for as long as mankind has farmed. The recent experiment with narrow spectrum fertiliser applications is a post-World War II phenomenon. In North America, farming from the soil up has been resurgent for the past 30 years, with large farming operations profiting from microbe-based sustainable practices.

Many of these very successful farmers have used Dr. Arden Andersen, USA, as a consultant. Abron maintains a close consulting relationship with international consultants Tainio Technologies, Graeme Sait of Nutri-Tech Solutions, Applied Ecology Services and Dr. Andersen. Abron is the exclusive sponsor of his courses in New Zealand.

Various agencies within the USA government have conducted trials or received consultations from these specialists. Including:

US Soil Tilth Laboratories
US Forest Service
USDA

Australian agriculture has been extensively employing biological farming techniques for the last 15 years. Courses in sustainable methods such as those taught by Graeme Sait and Dr Andersen receive funding from the Australian government’s “Farm Ready” farmer education program.

Less Fert: Smarter

Abron’s sustainability programme is grounded in agronomy, plant physiology and microbiology. With a better knowledge of the soil, we harness the power of soil microbes to increase photosynthesis and plant production. It entails the smart use of carefully selected amounts of fertilisers, integrating complex carbon amendments and biostimulants to boost plant efficiency. The results are humus-rich soils that hold more water, and healthy grasses, plants and animals that don’t require high input chemical protection for high yield. This approach ticks all the environmental boxes while growing more of what the consumer wants with fewer inputs. This is all about working with your soil to make it more balanced and effective in delivering to its potential. The Abron Farm Nutrition Plan helps you to revitalise your soil with minerals and microbes and reduce reliance on petro chemicals.

Measuring the Upsides:

An Abron Farm Nutrition Plan is a clear strategy for reducing fertiliser use and increasing the soil’s humus content. It’s about measuring the performance of the soil and the farm overall in achieving excellent, sustainable crop and animal health outcomes with enduring profitability. The Plan comprises four components:

Soil Corrective
Soil Conditioning
Plant Nutrition
Biodiversity

A five year Farm Nutrition Plan to supply integrated biology-friendly fertiliser is established, geared to your farming situation. It is based on your soil and farming type, production goals, budget and existing challenges. It incorporates key performance indicators and a schedule for Abron monitoring such things as:

Dry matter production
Compaction and soil structural changes
Root depth and quality
Worm count
Thatch and soil carbon levels
Pasture quality through Brix and sap pH
Clover percentage, pasture health and species diversity
Weeds, insects and pests
Leachate

Common results on an Abron Farm Nutrition Plan include:

Increased dry matter harvested
Increased energy in feed
Decreased somatic cell counts
Increased milk solids production
Decreased nitrogen and water use
Increased earthworms and beneficial microbes
Soil carbon sequestration

The focus shifts from simple volume measurements to quality metrics.... it’s just common sense.

Results:
Around 85,000ha of New Zealand producers are utilising Abron’s Farm Nutrition Plan approach. Several examples from our dairy clients include:

Cloverdale Holdings Dairy, Ashburton Intelact Consultant Nicky Watt - 40% reduction in N use and in animal health costs in the first year
Jeff and Janice Williams, Manawatu Ballance Environmental Award winners 2007 – 50% reduction in N use, 25% reduction in supplemental feed but MS production steady with both protein and fat content up 25%
Plantation Road Dairies, Central Hawkes Bay Kevin Davidson HB/Manawatu Dairy Farm Manager of 2007 - 2 T per ha increase in DM, reversed 3 year decline in MS, now producing more on 75% less N with 3 to 4 times more grass Brix

These sustainable improvements are achieved by working with soil microbiology to grow high Brix grass. Most grass Brix is 3–5% total dissolved solids. Abron grass Brix usually doubles in the first year, providing twice the nutritional value to your grazing animals. Your animals eat better so they perform better.

Growing nutrient dense, high Brix pasture and crops that improve soil fertility is challenging. It can be a steep learning curve and requires specialist support. Abron has the greatest experience and best depth of expertise in this arena.

Our team includes professional PhD agronomists, a vet, and product innovators along with, pasture, animal health and nutrition specialists who have had extensive training in the approaches that optimise profitable production. We provide hands-on consulting, education and the full spectrum of cutting edge products to power your enterprise into high Brix production with sustainability.

"Our focus is results for you. We team up with your team to create a winning solution."