Case studies

Frustrated that milking wasn’t more enjoyable for his team, Bay of Plenty farmer Gordon McFetridge decided it was high time to seek help from milking expert Josh Wheeler.

Improving milking efficiency is one of the great wins for dairy farmers.

Leo Vollebregt wanted a thriving dairy farm, but faced challenges with staff retention and cow health. Then, he had an insight during a 2007 trip to Canterbury.

Johan van Ras is a Waikato dairy farmer who has spent the past six years transforming low-lying, unproductive areas on his 66-hectare effective farm into thriving native wetland and bush restoration sites.

Mike Bodle has transformed challenging, gorse-infested gullies on his Southland dairy farm into productive forestry, native plantings and wildlife habitat.

Owl Farm, owned by St Peters School in Cambridge, is a demonstration farm run for the benefit of the school, the students, the local community, and the dairy sector.

The AB Lime dairy farm in Winton, Southland, was converted to dairy in 2014 and has excellent infrastructure. The farm operates over 661ha consisting of a 466ha dairy platform, of which 373ha is effective and a further 73ha is in native bush.

Discover the success story of the Everest family at Flemington Farm, Canterbury, as they pass on their legacy to son Paul.

Tait Family Trust is an intergenerational family-owned dairy business. The home farm (275ha total) is located in Lowcliffe, Ashburton and produces around 1,601kg MS/ha, 513kg MS/cow operating a system four production system.

Tokoroa Pastoral Ltd is 70ha of Taupo deep sand soil type, milking 175 cows (2.6 cows/ha). The farm operates at system 2, with 7% of the annual feed supply brought onto the farm.