Nick Stolzenberg - Waikato

Averaging 500 kg/MS per cow, Nick had always taken pride in producing top-quality milk. Which is why when a coliform alert surfaced in late 2023, Nick sprang into action and inspected the shed.

“I was very concerned. I went through the entire shed twice and bomb washed it. I just couldn’t find anything. I know my shed inside and out and I couldn’t figure it out, so I needed someone to come and have a look.”

As the alerts persisted throughout the week, Nick's attempts to contact his previous chemical representative were met with frustration - four unsuccessful attempts left him feeling desperate. Fortunately, a chance encounter with his local FIL Area Manager Kayla McDonnell provided a turning point.

Recalling a previous visit where Kayla had dropped off a product sample, Nick decided to reach out.

"She turned up three and a half hours later and put her camera through the milk line. We found nothing there, so we went through the entire shed again and still found nothing," Nick shared.

Determined to find the problem, Kayla promised to return the next day after milk collection to take a closer look at their two vats.

“When Kayla turned up with the spanners, I was questioning what she was doing before realising that the vats taps could come off. We only got these vats last year because we couldn’t fit our milk in, and our old vats didn’t have a reduced outlet on them. I had never checked them as I didn’t know the taps could be undone and taken off.”

On the first vat, they found a bit of milk behind seal around the outlet tap, which would have been contributing to the problem. Sure enough, on the second vat they discovered the cause of their problem: a buildup of old, smelly milk behind the seal of the outlet tap.

Nick says they were so excited about finally finding the issue but, unfortunately, they graded on the previous pick up and found out 24 hours after the issue was resolved.

Talking about the service he received, Nick goes on to say, "In our time of need, Kayla was here. She went above and beyond for us. She even came back with chocolates and goodies for the team to show support."

Turning the experience into a positive learning curve, Nick incorporates the vat outlet tap in their usual checks. And impressed with the support, Nick decided to switch to FIL and has already noticed positive changes, particularly in teat condition.

He also successfully returned to being grade-free and is sitting at 96% Milk Quality Excellence.

Reflecting on the value of FIL, Nick emphasized the exceptional service provided by Kayla. "To have someone here so fast after a phone call - the service is above and beyond. I can't stress that enough, if you can get service like that, it means the world."