Stronger Sheds, Elevated Farms: Darryl Tinetti

When Darryl Tinetti was tasked with upgrading three Waikato dairy farms owned by Waitoa Farms Limited, he relied on the farms’ strong relationship with Goldpine to drive the process. This partnership led to the efficient construction of three Goldpine Strongbuilt sheds; a 6-Bay, 5-Bay, and a 3-Bay implement shed — helping to elevate the farms to a “premium level.”

The formation of Waitoa Farms Limited in early 2021 saw the need for development across the properties, two of which span around 120 hectares in the Waikato and each milk 300 to 320 cows. After 25 years in maintenance and management in the mining industry, Darryl jumped on board in July 2021 to manage and oversee the development of the farms.

When work started, two of the three farms [allocated supply numbers T61 and T81] were under supply for Tatua Dairy Company, and the other, known as Tullie Belton Farm at the time- was under supply for another dairy company. “Our goal was to bring all three to Tatua supply. To do that required upgrading the Tullie Belton Farm, which required a lot of work as our facilities were very old, and we had to remodel a whole lot to come under a Tatua supply with new infrastructure.”

With a dairy herd of 1,380 split across the three farms, the need for new sheds was clear. “The original shed at Tullie Belton was a very old, very dilapidated barn-style shed which was not fit for purpose, which they had no proper calf-rearing facilities. There was also a requirement for the removal of the old implement shed, replacing it with a new 3-bay implement shed supplied by Goldpine in a new location,” Darryl said.

For the 120-hectare farm at Tullie Belton, they installed a new 6-bay shed. Goldpine suggested making modifications to protect the shed from the weather, as it was westerly facing. “They came to us ahead of time, while in the building phase and mentioned we might need weather protection. We agreed, and ply was put across the front gates,” Darryl explained.

For the second Waitoa-based farm–T61, the team went for a 5-bay shed. Both sheds were fitted with a custom-installed internal racing along the back, lined with ply, and a roller door load-out facility so everything was covered under one roof. The slightly smaller 5-bay shed was implemented at T61 as the farm already had better calving facilities than Tullie Belton and a half-round barn shed, so a larger 6-bay shed was not needed. They also added strips of clearlight through all sheds to improve visibility, Darryl explained.

Darryl utilised the farm’s regular contractors, including Don Chapman from Chapman Builders, to prepare the site, and to help assemble and install the sheds. Once installed, electricians hooked up the power and the job was done. “That combined effort, of our own contractors and Goldpine’s team, made it quite smooth running,” Darryl said. “They were local as well. I think supporting local businesses makes a big difference.”

The purchase and installation of the three sheds was the product of a strong existing relationship between the farms and Goldpine, and trust in the quality of the product.

“We decided to use Goldpine because of the relationship we had. We use them for re-fencing, through the development of enlarging paddocks and quite a lot of work on the farms, so we already had that relationship with them on a supply basis,” Darryl said.

The sharemilker and other farm staff have received the sheds positively. “They’ve been great. Our sharemilker runs the three farms on an operational basis and he’s very pleased with the layout, the design, how they’ve held together, the integrity of them–they’ve just been very good,” Darryl said.

Overall, Darryl said the sheds had greatly benefitted the farms, streamlining their farming operations and day-to-day work.

“The shed is so much more user-friendly, it’s well-equipped and it’s given the sharemilker and his workers a much easier operation to handle. I think they’re a great product. They’re well designed, very strong and should definitely last the climate and the weather and all that. Goldpine have been great to deal with too.”