Talking Dairy

What will the replacement of the Resource Management Act (RMA) mean for your farm, consents and future plans? David Cooper from the DairyNZ policy team talks with barrister Patrick Senior, who has worked with DairyNZ during the reform process. They discuss the new Natural Environment Act and Planning Act, what farmers need to be aware of during the transition from the RMA, and what it means for existing regulatory requirements, including consents. With important regulations and plans still to come, they outline what has been confirmed and what remains uncertain as you consider decisions for your farm.

Links to more info

DairyNZ information:

• RMA reform
• Waikato - Plan Change 1

Resource management reforms | Ministry for the Environment

Waikato Regional Council guidance on Healthy Rivers/Wai Ora Plan Change 1

Horizons Regional Council guidance on Plan Change 2

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What do high-performing farmers do differently, regardless of the farm production system they run?

DairyNZ farm systems specialists Mark Speight and Steve Veix share findings from the Farm Systems Review, which looked at successful farm businesses across different regions and production systems. They discuss the practical things these farmers have in common, including how they manage pasture and supplementary feed, keep on top of finances, make decisions, work with people and use technology. They also explain why strong performance is not about which production system farmers choose, but how clearly and consistently they run it.

Read more about what high-performing farms have in common in the summer edition of Inside Dairy, out on the 27th of October.

More information: Dairy Training’s Business by the Numbers course covers financial budgeting, cashflow forecasting and managing the numbers in an agribusiness.

Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Connect with DairyNZ

Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected 

How do you build a team that can assess pasture consistently, spot changing conditions and act early? Host Mark Williams talks with Mick O’Connor from Dairy Holdings about how to strengthen pasture decisions across your farm team with lessons learnt from his 20 years in dairy farming and overseeing 10 farms. They discuss teaching pasture assessment, how to build confidence and keep everyone aligned on the grazing plan. The conversation also covers round length, pre-grazing covers, residuals, leaf stage and monitoring the top of the feed wedge during peak growth. 

Link to more info:

Increasing feed that is grown and eaten on-farm is one of the most effective ways to improve profitability, strengthen farm resilience, and lower emissions intensity. Find out more at and access pasture management tools at: Homegrown feed | DairyNZ

Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Connect with DairyNZ

Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected 

What does a beef finisher need from the calves you breed? Annie O’Callaghan of Temataa Station and Jo Sheridan of Owl Farm bring together two sides of the dairy-beef supply chain. They discuss Owl Farm’s dairy-beef programme, Annie’s experience buying and finishing calves, and how genetics, colostrum, calf health and traceability influence value. They also cover finding the right buyer, agreeing on a fair price and building relationships before mating. Their experiences show why breeding decisions need to work for the dairy farm, calf rearer and beef finisher. 

Links to more info 

• Dairy Beef Opportunities programme  
• Beef-on-dairy guidance  
• Dairy-beef case studies  
• Owl Farm Facebook page 

Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Connect with DairyNZ

Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected 

How do you keep your pasture and profit goals on track when your farming situation changes? In 2024, Leighton and Hayley Parker hosted around 280 people at a Pasture Summit event on their Canterbury farm. Their business stood out for strong cost control and profitability, high pasture use and production, and improved reproductive performance. Two years on, they’re farming somewhere different. Leighton shares how their plans are tracking, what has changed, and where they’re heading next.

Join the 2026 Pasture Summit Spring Events:

• North Island: Tuesday 24 November, hosted by Todd and Renee Halliday in Reporoa, Bay of Plenty
• South Island: Thursday 26 November, hosted by James and Laura Bawden in Hinds, Canterbury

Find out more and register for Pasture Summit.

Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Connect with DairyNZ

Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected 

Kim Robinson from Agfirst and Dr Paul Edwards from DairyNZ join Willie McKnight to discuss findings from a multi-season trial comparing different supplementary feeding systems. They explore the full cost of producing extra milksolids, from feed costs through to the wider impacts on your farm system, and share insights to help you assess whether extra feed is delivering value for your business.

Links to more info

Marginal milk research, tools and resources

Supplement Price Calculator

FeedChecker Calculator

Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

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Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected 

New results from a four-year trial show plantain reduced annual nitrate leaching by an average of 33% while maintaining milk production.

In this episode of Talking Dairy In 10, Kate Fransen from DairyNZ and Canterbury farmer Andy Macfarlane discuss what the findings mean for dairy farmers, how the research compares with on-farm experience, and the practical considerations when including plantain in a farm system.

Find out more about the research 

Get tools and resources on plantain

Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Connect with DairyNZ

Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected 

In this episode, Julian Reti Kaukau sits down with Ahuwhenua judges Rito (Basil) Tapuke and Peter Ettema to get a behind-the-scenes look at what judges notice when they visit a farm. They explain why bigger does not necessarily mean better, what stands out beyond the numbers, and how strong governance, clear decision-making and alignment between owners, trustees and farm teams can shape performance. 

The kōrero also explores what Māori farming businesses can gain from entering the Ahuwhenua Trophy competition, including the chance to share their story, gain fresh insights and recognise what is already working well.

Most importantly, Basil and Peter challenge the idea that your farming business needs to have everything sorted before entering. They explain the support available to entrants and why opening the gate to a fresh perspective could show that you are more ready than you think.

Thinking about entering?

• Ahuwhenua Trophy entries close 2 December 2026.
• Young Māori Farmer Award entries close 29 January 2027.

Find out more and enter here.

Questions? Contact the DairyNZ Māori agribusiness team at [email protected]

Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Connect with DairyNZ

Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected 

In this episode of Talking Dairy In 10, Jac McGowan talks with DairyNZ's Forage Value Index (FVI) research project manager, Janet Montgomery, about the next phase of FVI research.

Find out what researchers aim to find, the plans for the FVI tool, and the trial that’s underway to gather more evidence about ryegrass cultivar performance.

Links:

What's important in your pasture and how do you decide which cultivars to use? Share your feedback here.

Find out more about the Forage Value Index research project. 

Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Connect with DairyNZ

Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected 

What helps pastures persist through changing conditions? One year into the Resilient Pastures Programme, we look at what's being learnt so far and how farmers are helping shape research designed to improve pasture persistence, productivity and resilience. Hear from scientists Dr Elena Minnee and Dr Lydia Farrell, and Northland farmer Allister McCahon about the challenges driving this work, the early insights emerging from the programme, and what they could mean for future pasture decisions on your farm.

Find out more about this research: Resilient Pastures Programme | DairyNZ

The Resilient Pastures programme is a seven-year initiative led by DairyNZ with MPI through the Primary Sector Growth Fund and industry partners Beef + Lamb New Zealand. It focuses on enhancing pasture performance and persistence on dairy, sheep and beef farms across the upper North Island.

Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

Connect with DairyNZ

Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected