| 99 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » SMASH NZ Any group as successful as SMASH has become needs a solid core of hard-workers behind the scenes. Sue Russell A supportive, engaging space is proving popular with farmers across the land, by simply providing opportunities for them to gather, share and learn. SMASH, the brainchild of farmers Fran Allcock and Joyce Brown, was established to be a place for people with smaller milking herds to share their ideas and support each other, but as SMASH Chairman, Noldy Rust shares, it’s a welcoming space for anyone passionate about the dairy sector. “You know even these days there’s still a lot of smaller herds around and we just aim to create opportunities for them to get together, listen to a speaker on particular topics of interest and talk with each other. It’s proven very successful.” The organisation, established in 2010, has grown, to include regular seminars and field days. Funding support from DairyNZ along with half a dozen sponsors keep the group ticking over. “I think gaining the sponsorship really made a statement that we meant business, especially as the industry seemed to be focussing on large herds,” Noldy says. In fact, he reflects, it’s good to have a whole mixed-bag of farm herd sizes turning up for SMASH events, reflecting that often the same issues are faced, no matter the number of cows milked. “Probably the biggest difference would be that the farmers SMASH focuses on are often doing it themselves, are family run, or have one other person in the team, so they’re not necessarily needing to focus so much on staff policy and management aspects.” And the group are very encouraging of new ideas and gaining a sense of what farmers are most wanting to know more about, or have as shared discussions. “At the end of every event we provide a feedback form and welcome hearing what visitors to an event found engaging and or where they could see a need to do something new. For instance, there is always a need for some topics, so we try to have a calf-rearing day each year and regular succession planning events.” When NZ Dairy spoke with Noldy, the group had just had a farmer with a covered composting barn open his doors to visitors to see how this asset sits in the greater farming operation, in a really practical hands-on way. Any group as successful as SMASH has become needs a solid core of hard-workers behind the scenes. Noldy credits Louise Hanlon as absolutely top-class, keeping the organisation well informed of events planned. Keeping it simple is the best approach, Noldy comments. “It’s nothing to join SMASH and a great networking supportive space. Especially what’s great is that there are so many ways to farm, different approaches, people working toward different goals and visions for their businesses. A welcoming space for the dairy sector Being exposed to different ways and reasons is always a good thing.” While SMASH started in the Waikato, spreading to Northland and Taranaki, the aim is to spread the net wide, with days held on the West Coast of the South Island and usually one each year in the deep South. BNZ First Farm Breaking newground for first farmbuyers With discounted lending straight out of the gate Eligibility criteria, terms and conditions and fees apply. DL B 60$6+ 1=B3ULQW $G [ PP B+5 SGI Л30
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