44 | Embracing cutting-edge technology Southland dairy farmers Karen and Sam Bennett with the kids. Karen Phelps RURAL PEOPLE » Sam and Karen Bennett Southland dairy farmers Karen and Sam Bennett are embracing cutting-edge agricultural technology while expanding their diversified business portfolio, demonstrating how modern farming families are building resilient, multi-faceted enterprises. The implementation of Halter smart collars on their 1,250-cow operation in Brydone has proven a game changer since they started using them in July this year. “The best thing is not having to get up at 2am in the morning to get the cows in. The collars bring them in to the shed, and then the collars get the next herd in,” says Karen. The GPS-enabled collars create invisible fences within paddocks, guiding cattle through audio warnings and gentle vibrations. “On the app, you put up a line on your phone, and that’s pretty much an invisible fence in the paddock, so the cows know not to cross that. If they cross that threshold, then their collars start beeping, which gives them a warning to get back to where you should be,” explains Karen. The technology has seen the reintroduction of fodder beet and the decision to keep using summer turnips on their 500-hectare farm. “Because it’s going to be so easy to shift cows on and off crop using the collars, using Halter, it’s less labour intensive,” says Karen. The collars also offer significant animal health monitoring benefits, particularly for artificial insemination management. “The collars will do all the drafting, so no one has to stand up in the cow shed on the stand to manually pick cows that are on heat. The collars will just automatically draft those off,” explains Karen. The technology also provides peace of mind when the couple travels. “If we go away, Sam knows what’s happening on the farm, just by being able to see the cows and where they are, just using the Halter app,” says Karen. Whilst the farming operation runs smoothly, with Karen saying it’s taken a couple of years to get to that point, the couple continues to diversify their business interests. Karen and her sister Laura acquired The Lactation Station in August 2024, an online business specialising in breast feeding supplements. The business supplies lactation cookies, blends and teas through 120 stockists nationwide. Product innovation remains a priority for the sisters. “We’ve got a new cookie flavour that hasn’t been released yet, but that will be happening in the next six to eight weeks. We’ve developed it ourselves, and we’re just going to add that to our range as another option of flavours,” explains Karen. “Additional products are in development for release next year, currently in the brainstorming stage.” The Bennetts have also recently restructured their property investment portfolio, selling four properties in Invercargill after nearly nine years to reinvest in Queenstown and Wanaka. “We pretty much used that as a stepping stone to get into those bigger markets. Obviously Queenstown and Wanaka are very high tourist areas, so we’ll run them as Airbnbs and holiday homes. We also get to use them when we want to as well,” says Karen. The diversification strategy, which helped the couple win the Westpac Business Performance Award when they were named 2020 SouthlandOtago Dairy Industry Awards Share Farmer of the 03 206 4628 | 027 206 4051 | threeriverscontracting.co.nz 22 Cardigan Road, Wyndham | 287 Sparbush School Road, Northhope Proud to support Sam and Karen Bennett Baling Silage Harvesting Precision Planting Fodder Beet Lifting Cultivation Effluent Spreading Earth Moving Bulk Supplies / Cartage Feed Supplies Year, creates multiple revenue streams alongside the farming operation. Balancing these ventures with raising four children - Alexia, Leo, Roman and Maia, aged between fifteen months and six years - requires careful time management. She says they are content with their current trajectory. “The farm will just tick along as it is. We’re pretty happy with where everything is at, including the cow numbers, and we’ve got a great team of staff.”
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