Case studies

Doug and Emma McLeod are 50:50 sharemilkers on flat to rolling land next to the Pomahaka River in South Otago. They supply milk to Danone. Up to 160 kg N/ha has typically been applied to pasture each year and effluent application is via a pod system.

Duncan and Anne-Marie are equity managers of a 210 ha flat farm near Taieri. They supply milk to Fonterra. Planned start of calving is 5 August with the majority of cows being wintered off-farm.

Jon and Birgit Pemberton are owner-operators of a 139ha farm in Brydone, milking approximately 400 cows producing 560 kg MS/cow through a 28-aside herringbone dairy with in-shed feeding. They supply milk to Open Country Dairy.

Rob and Rachael are farm owners for Brooklea Farm Ltd at Wendonside which was converted to dairy in 2008-09. They supply milk to Fonterra. A 100-ha unirrigated support block was purchased in 2020 allowing more of the wintering to be done in house.

Farming in the Lake Rotorua catchment means meeting challenging N-loss targets. Knowing they had to do their bit for the environment, Steve and Paula Holdem began looking at tools to reduce their N-loss from their farm.

Using plantain has resulted in a 5% reduction in N-loss for the Passey’s so far, as modelled in Overseer and based on an average of 10% plantain in the pasture sward.

This case study considers the learnings for a large dairy farming operation bordering the South bank of the Rangitata River when it flooded in the summer of 2019.

In November 2016, North Canterbury experienced a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, its most powerful seismic event in over 150 years. Read how Mark Hislop, a dairy farmer severely impacted by the earthquake, dealt with the damage and the recovery process.