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Having control over your finances puts you more firmly at the helm when it comes to the direction of travel of your farm business. Hear how North Canterbury couple, Duncan & Nicky Anderson, budget and then monitor with good systems and communication so they and their two sons can meet the goals they’ve set together. We also hear from accountant Trudi Ballantyne on how to manage tax so there are no surprises.

Financial literacy is almost like learning another language, and in the summer issue of Dairy Exporter the special report focusses on where to start and what is to gain from improving financial literacy in our farm businesses. From understanding debt management, to growing your funds through compounding, this episode breaks down the key terms and tools, with DairyNZ’s Paul Bird, and BakerAg managing director Chris Lewis.

Farm ownership is becoming a harder goal to achieve, especially for the next generation who might not have the capital to meet increasing land prices. In this episode hear from Sarah How, Co-Founder of Landify, on how the platform is setting up young growers with established farmers; Conrad Wilkshire from Property Brokers about how the property market is gaining momentum this spring; and CEO of Pāmu Mark Leslie, on their new pathways programme.

The sun is finally out! Trish Rankin says it’s time to optimise their farm for the season.

Richard Reynolds reflects on his time as a farm consultant and questions DairyNZ’s new strategy to meet farmer needs.

Lactose intolerance is a significant health issue globally, although a lot of people are self-diagnosing. What’s the science behind it, what do we need to understand and how can we help people with less lactase? Words Dr Anneline Padayachee: The Food Scientist.

Farmers are great at looking after their cows’ optimal health, but several farmers need a bit of a nudge to get along to visit their GP and keep on top of their own health. Words Dr Alice Armstrong.

This loaf recipe can be used all year long, but the spices used, and the simplicity of the recipe makes
it a great gift to make over the holiday months. It could be a thank you to a teacher, mentor, staff member, your boss, a good friend or a family member. Alternatively it could be a quick, easy dessert to make for Christmas Day. Simply serve warm with ice cream or cream, or a sprinkle of icing sugar.

Instead of ruminating on the negative, training your brain to focus on the positive and practising gratitude can shift your daily experiences. Words Kathryn Wright.

Breeding a more eco-friendly cow can start by selecting cows on their milk urea nitrogen trait which is linked to urinary nitrogen. Words Anne Lee.

Predator Free 2050 is an ambitious goal for New Zealand to achieve in just 25 years. Is it merely a fantasy or could this become our reality? Words Rebecca Greaves.

Fonterra will be mapping the trees and plantings across dairy farms this season and will be assigning a carbon value to demonstrate the CO2 being removed from the atmosphere.
Words Sheryl Haitana Photos Michelle Good.

The new government has put pause on the roll-out of Freshwater Farm Plans, but what should dairy farmers do now while the water is still going under the bridge with legislation and bureaucracy? Resource management specialist Tammy Deans highlights what dairy farmers should be focused on with their farm environment plans to ensure they’re bringing in freshwater focus. Words Tammy Deans

A study monitoring heifer growth rates on winter crops has shown the importance of testing all winter feeds for nutritive value and formulating winter diets to ensure nutrient requirements are being met, rather than just allocating feed on a drymatter basis. Words Andrea Dixon & Dawn Dalley.

A Waikato dairy farmer is choosing to buy in maize silage from a neighbour which keeps his costs down and lets him focus on growing more grass on the milking platform. Words Heather Chalmers

A maize grower is trialling planting clover in between crops to break the cycle of insects overwintering on grass, eliminating the need for an insecticide treatment on maize seed. Words Heather Chalmers.