Shamrocks and Silage: The story of Irish Contractor Patrick Nagle
Patrick Nagle moved to New Zealand in 2011 from Ireland and went straight to his happy place – driving contracting machinery. Fast forward to 2019 where he and business partners Mark & Nicky Robinson set up Nagle Contracting in Methven, Canterbury. He has now been operating for six years and continues to expand the business. They currently have 25 staff in the height of the season and keep around ten full time staff through the winter months.
John Deere tractors, Claas 4 rotor rake and Krone 4 rotor rake
Part of this expansion has included a new yard, and an ongoing commitment to improved forage harvest technology. Patrick runs two Claas 960 choppers, three round balers and three square balers, two loader wagons, two JCB 435 stack loaders plus several mower combinations including flat mowers, conditioner mowers and grouper mowers for flexibility. Patrick has also purchased this season a Krone Big M to increase mowing demands and efficiency. When asked what he likes about it Patrick says “It drops tonnes quick and we can cover more ground. Efficiency is everything.”
They also like to keep up with the newest technology and innovation – for example both the 960 Claas Forage Harvesters have NIR Quantimeter readers to give them live data on the crops DM, tonnage right down to how much inoculant has been applied
Nagle Contracting and Nutritech started working together in 2019 when Patrick saw the need to align with a company who had the same goals when it came to silage quality. Patrick and Nutritech’s South Island Forage Business Development Manager, Catherine Sharpin both had a passion for silage and a vested interest in top quality silage and baleage outcomes for the farmers.
Patrick and Adam alongside the Nutritech team doing stack assessments
Working together, having those silage conversations on farm, as well as forage-focused field days has helped grow Nagle Contracting’s business while improving silage quality for farmers throughout the Canterbury region. “I’ve noticed more farmers asking about inoculant and becoming less accepting of spoilage and wastage after these fieldays” says Patrick. “We try to do one each year because they are really good” he adds.
Over the years Patrick has seen Nutritech bring the newest technology in silage inoculants to the market through Lallemand. He appreciates working with a company that continues to research and develop new products in this space.
“It’s a no brainer” says Patrick. “If I apply MAGNIVA® inoculant I’m giving the farmer 4tDM extra on every 100tDM I harvest. That’s a win for the farmer, and happy farmers are a win for me” he says.
‘Quality on time, every time’ is Nagle Contracting’s motto. Patrick and Adam Burgyone, his Scottish Ops Manager, pride themselves on ensuring a quality outcome on every job. From mowing and raking through to compaction and sealing, quality is always the goal. It’s standard practice for them to be regularly checking time of harvest with crops as well as target dry matter. You’ll often find both Patrick and Adam driving from Methven up to Oxford daily to make sure everything is running smoothly and farmers are happy with the crops coming in for baleage, silage and straw.
Occasionally weather plays a part in making this challenging. “This is where the MAGNIVA range is like insurance – it protects your silage and increases your chances of a good silage outcome, even in difficult ensiling conditions” says Catherine. She adds “At the end of the day if you are relying on wild bacteria to do the job you are taking a big risk. Using a MAGNIVA inoculant helps reduce this risk”.
You don’t need to go far to find happy customers of Nagle Contracting. Take for example Darroch’s Grazing. They have seen first-hand the result you get when you combine a quality contracting job with the latest inoculant technology – you get silage that looks better, smells better and converts into animal performance. You can read more about that story here: Keeping Livestock Healthy
As farming continues to face challenges from climate variability and rising input costs, partnerships like this one are more important than ever for Nagle Contracting. Together with Nutritech they are exploring new technologies, data-driven insights, and sustainable practices to stay ahead of the curve and support the future of New Zealand agriculture.
Want to improve your silage results?
Reach out to Nagle Contracting or Nutritech to learn how their combined expertise can support your farm’s success.
Contact & Ordering:
Call 0800 REMEDY (736 339)
www.nutritech.co.nz
Available now through your Nutritech Area Manager (Contact | Nutritech) or preferred rural retailer.
Call Patrick Nagle 0272972726
Most of the 2025/2026 Nagle Contracting crew