Agricultural contracting company offers full range of services
HAVING gradually grown, Dunedin’s Total Harvesting now offers a full range of agricultural contracting services to local farmers.
Buying out various other local contractors has seen them continually expand over the years, a pattern that continues having recently acquired part of Cook’s Transport.
Total Harvesting owners Craig and Rebecca Mitchell have been involved in farming since they were 17, when they began sharemilking. Having done that for around 15 years, they moved into contracting, acquiring more equipment and offering more services over the last decade and a half.
In a nice piece of symmetry the farmer they first worked for when they were in their teens, Philip Wilson, continues to support the Mitchell’s in their progression, with Total Harvesting’s first chopping job of the season on one of his properties. That is just one of the many services that the company offers.
‘‘Anything to do with the paddock, we can do it,’’ Craig says. ‘‘We can spray it, plow it, work it all up, and sow it all out. Then after it’s grown, we can bale or chop it, cart it, stack it, or put in a pit, and even cut the hedges.’’
Their broad range of services sees Total Harvesting working throughout a large area, including Middlemarch, Hindon, Macraes, Hyde, and all around the Taieri. They will travel to pretty much anywhere they’re required.
The recent takeover of Cook Transport’s bulk cartage and fertiliser run from Hyde through to the Taieri has seen the company further cement it’s already substantial local presence.
With a current team numbering over 20, Total Harvesting are looking forward to a very busy period over the next few months.
‘‘We’ve got a good crew behind us, and everything is set up and ready to go,’’ Craig says. ‘‘And now we’ve got Kenny and Mark running a side each.’’
With a lot of experience in the industry, Kenny Jackson and Mark Wingham are respectively looking after Ag and Transport.
On Kenny’s side is groundwork, boom/gun spraying, baleage, hay baling, silage making, pond cleaning and excavation, while Mark oversees fertiliser spreading, bulk cartage, and general cartage.
Also in the team are the Mitchells’ sons, Bailey and Tyler. Bailey is a qualified mechanic who has returned to the business having finished his apprenticeship, while Tyler is running the spraying and mowing operations.
Given their relatively humble beginnings, it’s been an impressive journey to get to the point that Total Harvesting is now.
‘‘We have bought out various contractors over the years, and now we’re running three selfpropelled choppers, three balers, 10 truck and trailer units, diggers, and more,’’ Rebecca says.
During the Taieri floods several years ago, Total Harvesting bought water pumps, and then added an umbilical system so they could clean out ponds. Recently they’ve added the spray trucks, fertiliser trucks, and three truckandtrailer units to the long list of equipment.
To allow clients to accurately track their jobs, the company has had their own app developed. The system means that jobs can be booked, and then their progress monitored.
For all your agricultural contracting requirements, give Total Harvesting a call today.
A TOTAL HARVESTING: 185 Centre Rd, Momona. Call (03) 4861186, email office@totalharvesting.co.nz
Call Kenny for groundwork, spraying, baleage, hay baling, silage making, pond cleaning, excavation 02744 953 081, email ag@totalharvesting.co.nz
Call Mark for fertiliser spreading, bulk and general cartage 0274 953 083, email transport@totalharvesting.co.nz