Growing grass in South Canterbury can be a challenge with pasture performance relying heavily on the availability of water from irrigation schemes and what Mother Nature dishes out. One farm has been on a mission to tackle the issue of pasture performance by controlling the controllables.

Read NZ Dairy Exporter Autumn 2025 issue here. NZ Dairy Exporter is NZ’s premier dairy farming subscription magazine. Our magazine tagline says it all: Learn, Grow, Excel.

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

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.

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