Dairy NZ

Through the local DairyNZ Pasture Plus group, Josh is able to take part in timely discussions, get valuable advice, and ideas on what to plan ahead for.  "You learn a lot of theory at university whereas at every Pasture Plus event we are given relevant information to remind farmers what to start planning for.

"Pasture Plus discussion groups have taught me to no longer budget for tomorrow, but to budget for weeks and months ahead.  It's not about making a decision from what you can see that day, it's about planning ahead," he says.

Farming on a grass only system brings with it unique challenges. For example in October rain was the problem and Josh has had to plan around this.

The Pasture Plus group has allowed Josh to talk through any issues and get information on relevant subjects.

"One of our biggest limiting factors is that we can get very wet in the winter and very dry in the summer.  However our DairyNZ consulting officer and other Pasture Plus farmers suggest ways to manage each situation.  I don't have to come up with solutions all by myself," says Josh.

Each DairyNZ consulting officer runs a Pasture Plus discussion group in each region to help farmers build on their pasture knowledge.  

The location of each meeting is rotated around member's farms to ensure each individual is learning as much as possible.  "I can definitely say that I am getting more and more confident every discussion group with pasture management," says the young farm manager.  "But the programme is also about taking your staff along so they can get something out of it too, which is just as important."

There are seven full-time staff on the Feilding farm Josh manages and he wants his staff to progress in the industry like he has.  "We always try and take a few staff members with us to each discussion group.  Then at the staff meetings they share with the rest of the team what they have learnt.

"It's rewarding watching the staff grow with their pasture management.  By taking the time to take them along to the groups, I can now send the younger staff on a farm walk and I have every confidence that the feed calculations they give me afterwards are correct. When I first arrived on this farm they couldn't do that, Pasture Plus has certainly helped," says Josh.

Josh plans to continue attending the pasture plus groups well into the future. 

"It is definitely worth it as you can bench mark yourself with older more experienced farmers and set goals. You go home thinking, he did that, so maybe I can do that on my farm."