A Waikato farm is trialling planting maize using no-till and strip-till on clay soil. Words Heather Chalmers.

A balanced use of insecticide without killing beneficial insects is important for managing fall armyworm. Words Heather Chalmers.

Optimising Winter Nutrition for Dairy Cows: Insights from Kale and Fodder Beet Research at the Southern Dairy Hub.

Isaac Algar and Jordyn Crouch highlight the opportunities that still exist in the dairy sector. Buying their own farm in their twenties has been an accomplishment born out of sacrifice, hard work and making the most out of their opportunities. Words & Photos Sheryl Haitana.

A recent Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme report by Tessa Appleby builds a clear picture of farmer and industry understanding of Bovine tuberculosis and what, if any, complacency might exist surrounding the disease. Tessa’s mission to eradicate the disease is not only forged by her work with OSPRI, but by personal experience of TB in the Hawke’s Bay region. The 2021 TB outbreak was eventually brought under control, but could this lead to a potentially dangerous complacency amongst farmers and industry? Words Tessa Appleby.

The substantial expansion of the dairy industry and the reality of stubborn reproductive performance has resulted in farmers not having as much selection pressure within arm’s reach, but there is now a huge opportunity for farmers to further focus on improving the efficiency of their herd and reduce emissions intensity. Words Sheryl Haitana.

At this year’s SIDE event, several farmers shared their experiences, something that is unusual in the industry. In amongst the good, the bad and the ugly, the biggest takeaway for a successful succession is to start early. Words Chris Coughlan.

Valuing people even in tight times can cost you less in the long run. DairyNZ has some ways to improve efficiency onfarm to help get further value out of your staff, and has tips for how best to rearrange labour costs if necessary without losing people from your business. Words Jane Muir.

It’s time dairy farmers hold up the mirror, look at themselves and ask what they can do better to retain employees onfarm. Because the industry is performing below par and it’s about to get a whole lot tougher to attract employees to the sector. Words Sheryl Haitana.

People are the biggest asset to your farm business, and getting more value out of them can come down to taking out inefficiencies in daily farm jobs. Words Jana Hocken.