| 67 nzdairy New Zealand Century Farm and Station Awards » Maungatua Dairies Continuity, despite the obvious changes Kim Bowden The Miller family farm at Maungatua has been recognised with a Century Farm award, marking more than 150 years of family connection to the Taieri Plain. The story began in 1865, when Alexander and Christina Miller, who had emigrated from Caithness in Scotland, leased swampy ground at Maungatua. They grazed cattle there before securing ownership and additional blocks through Crown grants, naming the property Braemore. After Alexander died in 1871, Christina carried on alone. She expanded steadily, buying neighbouring sections and developing what was once heavy, wet ground into productive farmland. By the time she handed the land to her sons in the early 1900s, the holding had grown substantially. Through the generations that followed, the land was cropped, drained, sold, repurchased, and recombined. Systems evolved as machinery arrived, and while some family members stayed on the land, others moved into different careers. What endured was the connection to the original blocks, which are still farmed today. Andrew Miller, a direct descendant of Christina, represents the fifth generation connected to the land. However, his experience of the “family farm” looks different from that of his ancestors. While the property remains in family ownership, Andrew works off-farm running an agri-spray and farm supplies business. The Maungatua property now operates as a 50:50 sharemilking dairy farm in partnership with farmers Cameron and Anna Edgecombe. Looking through the diaries kept by his father and grandparents, Andrew sees continuity despite the obvious changes. Recently, when the farm planted a paddock in summer turnips, diary entries revealed the same paddock had been cropped generations earlier - though back then, it took a team of 12 men to hand-rogue the crop. “A lot of the practices haven’t changed. A lot of the methodology hasn’t changed. It’s the tools which we can do that with,” Andrew says. The modern operation centers on a herd of approximately 640 Holstein-Friesian crossbred cows, well-suited to the Taieri environment. By leveraging technology, the farm aims for a total production of 390,000 kilograms of milk solids for the season, while balancing output with animal welfare, staff wellbeing and looking after wet soils. Each cow is fitted with a smart collar, providing real-time data on health and fertility cycles. “He’s extracting full value and looking after the farm on the way through, which is important to us,” Andrew says. The Maungatua property now operates as a 50:50 sharemilking dairy farm in partnership with farmers Cameron and Anna Edgecombe. For him, the farm’s legacy is not just measured in hectares or production; it is about the people shaped by the land. Over time, the farm has launched family and staff into engineering, teaching, business and farm ownership – livelihoods that trace back to those early “wee beginnings” at Maungatua. Succession planning has been deliberate, with the farm structured as a business rather than a heavy obligation. “Don’t feel you have to be bound to it at all,” Andrew tells his own children, echoing advice passed down from his father. This business-first approach creates flexibility, allowing future generations to stay connected to their heritage without being tied to the daily grind unless they choose to be. Looking at the thriving operation today, Andrew says he feels “gratitude to my father and my uncle for their lifetime of work and now for trusting me with it”. The Team at Agrispray are proudly supporting Maungatua Dairies. Agrispray advises on and supplies a full range of farm inputs. We’ve got you covered. Proudly Supporting Maungatua Dairies “A lot of the practices haven’t changed. A lot of the methodology hasn’t changed.”
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