Plantain is a grazing herb that grows well across New Zealand and fits easily into most pasture-based farm systems. It can be managed on a similar rotation to perennial ryegrass and works alongside other pasture species.

Chief Science and Innovation Officer

Hot weather can affect cow comfort, health and production. Learn practical ways to reduce heat load on farm, including shade, cooling, water, milking times and feeding strategies to help keep cows comfortable and productive during hot conditions.

Carl and Jodie Goudswaard are making more room for nature on their Waikato dairy farm by fencing, planting and retiring unproductive areas. Their approach focuses on improving farm efficiency while restoring habitat.

Greg and Claire Collins have transformed wet, unproductive areas of their Emerald Hills Northland farm into thriving wetlands. What started as a practical decision has reshaped how their farm performs environmentally and economically.

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.

Logan Hastings has taken a practical, long-term approach to riparian planting to care for waterways on their Manawatū dairy farm. The focus has been on good preparation, simple planting methods, and consistent follow-up maintenance.

Sandra and Chris run a rolling South Otago dairy farm where every paddock has gullies and seasonal creeks. After early plantings failed, they trialled planting seedings by drone and selective blanket spraying to establish native cover at scale.

Paul Kuriger has shaped a profitable dairy farm in Taranaki by working with the landscape rather than trying to force it into something it's not.

For Southland dairy farmer Gerard Vallely, what started as a final project before retirement, became a community-supported wetland, now home to birdlife, native species and a growing sense of pride for the next generation taking over the farm.

On Mark and Wendy’s low-input Canterbury dairy farm, wet corners and waterways that were once hard to manage have gradually become one of the farm’s greatest strengths.

Recycling, collection and safe disposal services are a responsible way to deal with farm waste, reducing the negative effects on the environment and the health risks for both people and animals.