How do you prepare to go from being a farm worker to a contract milker? What are some things to be aware of, what are the foundations for success, and how do you avoid the common mistakes?

Taranaki dairy farmer Kane Brisco nearly walked away from farming, worn down by the constant physical and mental strains of the job.

With entries for the 2023 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards about to open, we catch up with one of this year’s winners, north Waikato farmer Jimmy Cleaver.

Three years ago, Quinn Morgan was a self-described city slicker, working as a personal trainer in Perth and spending hours sitting in traffic.

Recorded on 20 April 2022. With over 12,000 businesses across New Zealand employing over 30,000 workers on farms, our success in attracting, retaining and growing our people will determine whether the dairy sector thrives or survives.

Recorded on 9 March 2022. Kiwi dairy farmers are increasingly under pressure with ever-changing regulations, acute workforce shortages, and all the complexities that come with a changing world.

Stress, depression, anxiety, fatigue and other wellbeing issues are a growing concern in the rural sector. Often, the conversations we have about it are focused on men. But what about rural women?

How do we find skilled, capable and enthusiastic farm staff when they just don’t seem to be available?

Could reducing the number of milkings in a week help the dairy sector attract new staff and improve work-life balance?

Stepping back from the day to day running of the farm is an exciting stage in life, but one that can be complex. What are the big things to consider? What are the common pitfalls and how can you avoid them?

Staff shortages can cause big headaches for dairy farmers. In this episode, we discuss what you can do to attract and retain staff, and we look at the results of a recent dairy farm employee survey, with DairyNZ's lead advisor – people, Jane Muir.

What's the difference between contract milking and variable order sharemilking? Are they still a viable progression pathway? And how do you make it work in your first season?

As a human resource advisor in the dairy industry, your insights help shape resilient, profitable and sustainable farm businesses. To support your work, we offer apps and resources designed to help you analyse, plan, and support with confidence.

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 and helps our advocacy in these processes.

Tune into this Talking Dairy in 10 episode for an update about DairyNZ’s recent submission on the National Freshwater Framework under the Resource Management Act reform.

Can your farm be both highly profitable and low in emissions intensity? New research from nearly 8,000 farms reveals how top-performing NZ dairy farms are achieving both and offer practical insights on how to achieve this on your farm.

In this episode of Talking Dairy, we explore the Resilient Pastures programme - a new research initiative tackling pasture persistence problems. Hear how farmers, scientists and funders are working together to find lasting, practical solutions.

More farmers are using wearables for heat detection and to ease pressure on skilled people at mating time. But do they lift repro results? Hear what the research says in this episode with DairyNZ’s Paul Edwards and CowSmart vet Line Ferriman.

Want to breed a herd that performs now and into the future? Donovan Croot and Sophie Cookson share how they’ve built one of the country’s top herds for BW by applying practical breeding strategies.

In our 100th episode, Jac McGowan chats with DairyNZ’s Bruce Thorrold and Campbell Parker about the science and smarts behind NZ’s world-class dairy. Hear how farmers led the change and what’s coming next. A must-listen for anyone in dairy.