Owning a dairy farm is still one of the biggest aspirations people hold. In this episode of Talking Dairy, Jac McGowan talks with Blair Robinson from Dairy Holdings and Tony Finch from DairyNZ about what a pathway to farm ownership looks like in 2025. Hear what sets those are successful apart from the rest and inspiring stories of farmers who have recently turned their goal into reality. 

Read or listen to the latest Inside Dairy story mentioned in this episode:

Inside Dairy - Lessons along the way to landing the dream | DairyNZ

Links to information mentioned in this episode:

Business - DairyNZ | DairyNZ

Dairy Holdings Limited | Home

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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

Can a small amount of plantain in pasture really reduce nitrogen loss on-farm? New research from trials at Lincoln and Massey Universities suggests it can, and the results might surprise you. Kate Fransen shares the latest findings from DairyNZ’s Plantain Potency and Practice Programme and an update on what’s working, how farmers are using it effectively, and what’s next for the programme. 

Find out more about this research programme: Plantain Potency and Practice Programme - DairyNZ | DairyNZ 

Read the latest news story on this research: Latest plantain trial results again show role in reducing nitrogen leaching | DairyNZ 

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

Why is it that some workplaces seem to flow better than others? In this episode of Talking Dairy, DairyNZ researchers Dr Lucy Hall and Brian Dela Rue share insights on how time is used on-farm from 10 in-depth workplace productivity case studies across New Zealand. You’ll hear practical ways people are working smarter, not harder, and how small changes can free up time, boost productivity and keep business profitable. And, if you’re thinking of making some changes or fine-tuning operations, there’s also practical ideas and tips that could help.

For more information about this research, visit Research - Workplace Productivity | DairyNZ

Links to other information mentioned in this podcast:

• Productive workplaces | DairyNZ 
• Creating a productive workplace | DairyNZ
• Workplace Efficiency Booster: a 6-step challenge | DairyNZ
• Inside Dairy - Understanding on-farm workplace productivity drivers | DairyNZ 
• Building a high-performing farm team | Ep. 102 | DairyNZ
• MilkSmart - DairyNZ | 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

Tune into Talking Dairy in 10 for bite-size conversations. 

In this update about the International Precision Dairy Farming Conference, host Jac McGowan chats with DairyNZ Head of Science, Nicolas Lyons. They unpack what precision dairy farming really means, why this global event is a big deal for New Zealand, and how technology can make farming easier, more efficient, and sustainable. Hear about the world-class speakers, on-farm tours, and why this is a must-attend event for farmers who want to future-proof their business.

For more information and to register, go to precisiondairyfarmingconference.nz  

Early bird fees up until Friday 17 October and discounted rates are available for NZ dairy levy payers.

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’s going to improve our water quality and keep enabling productivity? In this episode, we discuss practical and proven solutions from key catchments. 

Johan van Ras, Ron Pellow and Justin Kitto share what’s worked, from stream planting and edge-of-field mitigations to simple farm system changes that reduce nitrogen loss. You’ll hear how farmers, iwi and communities made progress together through the Sustainable Catchments programme, and how you can apply the same ideas on your farm.

The Sustainable Catchments programme was funded by investment from the Ministry for the Environment’s Jobs for Nature programme and dairy farmers via the DairyNZ levy.

You can also read the story of their success finding solutions on page 8 & 9 in the Inside Dairy August-October 2025 edition: Practical solutions for catchments

Links to information mentioned in this episode:
Riparian planting - DairyNZ | DairyNZ

Waimea catchment | DairyNZ

South Canterbury Catchment | DairyNZ

Monitoring water quality in catchments | DairyNZ

Stream ecosystem health | DairyNZ

Low N Systems | DairyNZ

Catchment Group Support | 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

Tune into Talking Dairy in 10 for bite-size conversations.  

As we’re nearing the end of Biosecurity Awareness Month, DairyNZ experts Fi Roberts and Mitch Cooper join us to answer some common questions about biosecurity. Find out about practical tips for protecting your farm this spring, how prepared is NZ for biosecurity incursions, what are we keeping an eye on overseas, and how farmer voices are influencing biosecurity policy. 

DairyNZ’s Strong Biosecurity Systems Programme aims to strengthen industry-wide biosecurity. 

Its 10-year sector ambition is for an integrated, science-based, and sustainably funded biosecurity system that reduces institutional fragmentation, improves coordination and ensures efficient investment of dairy farmer levies. 

Links to information mentioned in this episode: 

Why our future depends on taking biosecurity seriously today | DairyNZ 

Biosecurity - DairyNZ | DairyNZ 

Visitor biosecurity management - DairyNZ | DairyNZ 

Biosecurity resources and tools | DairyNZ 

Your levy - DairyNZ | 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

Regional rules might feel like they’re made a long way from the farm gate – yet they directly affect how you farm every day. From nutrient limits to land use rules, the decisions made at your regional council table can change what you can and can’t do on-farm.

In this episode, you’ll hear from some of DairyNZ’s regional policy team – David Cooper, Carina Ross, and Shaun Hazelton – on the big changes happening in policy right now and why your voice matters in these processes. 

Hear how DairyNZ is collaborating and working for dairy farmers to make sure rules are informed by research and grounded in reality, and how that protects your ability to farm productively and sustainably into the future.

Since we recorded this episode, there’s been a win for farmers on two issues that DairyNZ has been advocating behind the scenes on:

1. More common-sense rules for low-risk activities
The government has changed the Resource Management Act so regional councils can set rules that let some low-risk farm activities go ahead without needing a consent, as long as they still help improve water quality over time. This means councils like Waikato and Southland can follow through on their original plans to keep things simple for low-risk activities, instead of farmers getting caught in unnecessary red tape.

2. Breathing space for Otago water permits
In Otago, some water permits will now be automatically extended for five more years. They’ve also removed rules around certain discharges that simply couldn’t be put into practice. This takes pressure off until the new regional plan is in place – meaning farmers can keep operating without being stuck in limbo.

Why it matters
These changes are a direct result of ongoing advocacy from DairyNZ and others. They give farmers more certainty, reduce paperwork, and mean the rules better reflect the realities on-farm – all while keeping the focus on improving water quality for the long term.

For more information about DairyNZ’s advocacy work for dairy farmers, visit these links:

Our policy and advocacy work for farmers | DairyNZ

Resource management reform | DairyNZ

Regional freshwater advocacy - DairyNZ | 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

Tune into Talking Dairy in 10 for bite-size conversations. 

This episode brings you an update about DairyNZ’s recent submission on the National Freshwater Framework under the Resource Management Act reform. DairyNZ’s Principal Policy Advisor, David Cooper, joins us to share what we said, why, and what it could mean for your farm. 

Read more about our work on freshwater policy reform for farmers 

View the submission 

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

Can your farm be both high profit and low in emissions intensity? What are the top-performing farms doing differently – and what can you learn from them?

This episode of Talking Dairy explores new research that reveals how some of New Zealand’s most profitable dairy farms are also achieving lower greenhouse gas emissions intensity. It’s part of the Emissions and Profitability Project – a joint effort between DairyNZ, DairyBase, Fonterra and LIC – based on data from around 8,000 farms.

Host Jac McGowan is joined by Mark Neal, Head of Data Science and Modelling from DairyNZ and Louise Cook, Programme Manager (Environmental) from Fonterra’s On-Farm Excellence team, to unpack what the data shows, where the opportunities are, and what it all means for your farm. 

With international customers and milk processors increasingly focused on this metric, this research highlights how a balanced, homegrown approach can deliver results – both financially and environmentally.

Useful tools and resources: 

• Emissions and Profitability Project | DairyNZ
• Business - DairyBase | DairyNZ
• Reproduction and mating | DairyNZ
• Feed fundamentals | DairyNZ
• Less methane | DairyNZ
• Climate - Managing GHG emissions | 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

In this episode of Talking Dairy, we’re talking about pasture – the foundation of New Zealand farming.

Farmers in the upper North Island have been noticing changes for a while now: pastures that don’t last as long, more pests, and weather that’s harder to predict. These challenges are backed up by DairyNZ data that shows pasture growth in Northland and Waikato has dropped by up to one tonne of dry matter per hectare each decade.

To help solve this problem, a new sector-wide research initiative led by DairyNZ was launched in June 2025 - called Resilient Pastures. The goal? Work with farmers to find tools and practical solutions for pasture species, seed mixes, and management practices that can stand up to these changes now and into the future. And for these solutions to be able to be adopted on all types of farms around the country.

Host Jac McGowan talks to Senior Scientist Dr Elena Minnee from DairyNZ and Jim Inglis from research partner Beef + Lamb NZ Strategy and Operations about:

• Why this programme exists and why it’s starting in the North
• The challenges farmers are facing
• How research, farmer experience and government funding are working together
• What the programme will do for farmers over the next seven years
• How the results will save costs and add value wherever you farm in New Zealand

The discussion highlights the significance of pasture in New Zealand's farming systems and the collaborative efforts to ensure sustainable and profitable farming practices.

To learn more about the Resilient Pastures research programme, visit Resilient Pastures Programme | DairyNZ

Funding partners

• Ministry for Primary Industries, through the Primary Sector Growth Fund
• DairyNZ
• Beef+Lamb New Zealand
• TR Ellet Agricultural Research Trust
• Barenbrug
• Fonterra
• Hine Rangi Trust
• Northland Dairy Development Trust

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