2022 Arable Farmer of the Year David (Dave) Birkett is a pioneer in New Zealand regenerative arable systems.

Rising input costs and the power of soil-building cover crops steered Dave’s transition. Through acquiring and understanding knowledge, he’s gained the confidence to try new things, and emphasises that it’s okay to take ‘a step back’ in order to move forward.

Dave reckons you can’t beat standing in the crop, observing and monitoring. He discusses his experience in shifting away from calendar-based sprays and instead using them opportunistically. Listen out for what he has to say about timing and techniques for cover crop management too. And Dave is clear that there’s no such thing as cheap food!

“Right at the start a lot of it came down to the actual financials. I understood that if you can get your soil right then that’s what’s going to allow you to reduce your inputs and allow you to be a more financially robust and resilient system.”

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