NZ Dairy Winter 2026

Growth sits firmly within Fortuna Group’s DNA, but the Southland dairy business is becoming more discerning on how it is achieved - Page 4 A high performance mind set WINTER 2026 www.waterfordpress.co.nz

2 | nzdairy Contents #nzdairy #yourstory www.waterfordpress.co.nz   Ad and Anita Hendriks ��03 Fortuna Group ��04 Forest View Belted Galloway Stud ��09 Clydesdale Dairy ��10 Chris and Steve Blyde ��12 Stokes Farming ��14 Callum Pilsworth ��15 Raemac Dairying ��16 Groves Dairies ��17 Grace and Issac Te Kahika ��18 Hayden Lawrence - Artificial Intelligence ��20 Henderson Dairy Farm Fresh Milk ��22 Jenna Smith ��24 Jon Pemberton ��26 Kevin and Nicole Oppert ��28 Kyler Pastorals ��30 Lawson Farms ��32 Limestone Downs Station ��33 Merivale Farms ��34 Mitchell Dairy Farms Ltd - High Road Farm ��36 Nicole Barber ��37 Ngahape Valley Farm ��38 Dodunski and Fleming ��40 Lanseair Ltd ��41 Te Tawa Kaiti Lands Trust ��42 Tomalin Farms ��43 Henwood and Finlayson ��44 Milkoad Ltd ��45 Grand Bend Farm ��46 Hudson and Jones ��47 Methven Dairies ��47 Abbi Ayre and Frikkie Terblanche ��49 Taylor Alty ��50 Alpine Rose Ltd �� 52 Carse-O-Fern Holsteins �� 54 Daniel and Zara Colgan �� 55 Eliott, Mary and Sam Cooper �� 56 G2 Farms Ltd �� 58 Garrett and Ferguson �� 60 Greenacre and Ballinamore Farms �� 61 JRC Farm Ltd �� 62 Karl and Jess Wood �� 64 Lan Bariuad - Miraka Farm �� 66 Lummys Ltd �� 67 Lupton and McCracken �� 68 Marc and Megan Lalich �� 69 O&H Milking Ltd �� 70 Radd Ltd �� 72 SKMoore Ltd �� 73 Sona Chosta �� 74 Theland Purata �� 76 B&T Hopson Partnership �� 77 Fonterra’s Longburn Farms Ltd �� 77 R and T Pastoral �� 78 Red Fern Ltd �� 78 Nui Fresians �� 79 Global Veterinary Services �� 80 Baz Janssen Building Ltd �� 81 Lime Stone Ltd �� 82 Central Silo Systems Ltd �� 83 Energy Vets Taranaki Ltd �� 84 Cambrilea Weedspraying �� 85 Aztech Buildings �� 86 MacDougalls Agri Services �� 87 Irrigation New Zealand �� 88 Lewis Agri Ltd �� 91 87 | Proud to be celebrating 55 years 128 | Being recognised is a huge honour 14 | An eye-catching cattle stud OUR PARTNERS: T&C’s: These conditions are prescribed for the sake of understanding between the Waterford Press Ltd and its clients. 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| 3 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Ad and Anita Hendriks Increasingly complex compliance requirements Russell Fredric South Canterbury dairy farmer Ad Hendriks says increasingly complex compliance requirements are continuing to frustrate farmers trying to stay focused on running productive businesses. Ad milks 800 cows across a 250-hectare property on the edge of Geraldine, supplying Fonterra and producing about 414,000kg of milk solids this season. The farm recently shifted to a 50-50 sharemilking arrangement after several years of contract milking, with production steadily increasing during the past three seasons. The business irrigates most of the property under pivots and sprinklers, while also wintering about 300 cows at home and grazing the remainder of the herd off-farm on a dryland block over winter. Favourable autumn conditions this year also helped maintain strong feed levels following a relatively dry spring. While environmental responsibility remains important, many consent processes have become overly complicated and expensive, with some compliance documents are now so detailed farmers struggle to complete them independently. “The regulatory side has still been quite frustrating. If you need a professional to fill in the forms just to stay operational as a dairy farmer, then I think something has gone wrong.” “You should be able to fill the forms in yourself, but after five minutes you give up because there are so many references to laws and bylaws that most people don’t know by heart.” He points to consent costs as another major issue, saying some dairy farmers have spent in excess of $100,000 simply trying to continue farming under evolving rules. The Hendriks property sits partly within a Geraldine water protection area, requiring additional scrutiny around environmental management and farm consents and there has been considerable investment into environmental improvements, including planting natives along waterways and maintaining careful irrigation management. The farm runs a predominantly pasture-based system with supplementary feed including maize silage, grass silage and in-shed feeding. Ad milks 800 cows across a 250-hectare property on the edge of Geraldine. “We grew about 18 tonnes of dry matter on dryland kale this year, then followed it up with oats and made silage off that, which was pretty good.” Production has lifted progressively during the past three seasons, climbing from about 385,000kgMS to more than 400,000kgMS this year. “The sharemilker we’ve got now was our contract milker the last couple of years, and production has gone up every season. We’re up another 10,000 solids again this year.” Good management and cow care continue to drive the farm’s performance. “Knowing what to feed your cows and looking after your cows is the biggest thing. We do buy in some feed if need be, but we seem to get the rewards too.” Through his involvement with Federated Farmers and advocacy for sharemilkers and contract milkers, Ad believes succession will become one of the dairy industry’s biggest challenges during the next decade. With the average age of farm owners now sitting around 59, creating viable pathways into contract milking and sharemilking is becoming increasingly important as more farmers move towards retirement. Stronger milk payouts and the Fonterra brands payout are helping ease financial pressure on farm owners, making it easier for some to take on sharemilkers and create opportunities for younger people prepared to step into the industry, work hard and build their own businesses. “If people want to go into contract milking or sharemilking, the biggest thing is budget, budget, budget. Get all the information because numbers don’t lie.” Ph: 03 687 4790 www.mainfert.co.nz Mainfert, Turning knowledge into action to build stronger farms Proud to support Ad and Anita Hendriks with better nutrient solutions EXCAVATION, DRIVEWAYS, LANDSCAPING, SEPTIC TANKS, DRAINAGE AND MORE! CALL US TODAY jARED - 027 277 9519 DENYS - 027 686 2237

4 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Fortuna Group A high performance framework and mind set Russell Fredric Mike Flemming and Craig Horrell at Mt Prospect. Growth sits firmly within Fortuna Group’s DNA, but the Southland dairy business is becoming increasingly deliberate about what that growth looks like and how it is achieved. The company is placing strong emphasis on building what executive chair Mike Fleming describes as a “high performance framework and mindset” across the business, alongside continued investment into expanding farming operations, technology, environmental projects and staff development. “Our vision is to be New Zealand’s best intergenerational dairy farming business,” Mike says. “The key word there is best. Not biggest; best in people, best in environment and best in class in terms of systems and output to deliver high profit and total shareholder return for today and future generations.” Founded in 2012 by David and Kay Dodunski, Fortuna Group comprises 23 dairy farms and eight support blocks, with more than 17,000 dairy cows spread across 5,464 hectares owned and a further 1,726 hectares leased across Southland. The company supplies predominantly to Fonterra and has expanded through farm acquisitions, infrastructure investment and internal capability development. Mike has been involved with Fortuna since its incorporation in 2012 and recently stepped into a transitional executive chair role while the company searches for a new chief executive following a planned leadership transition. Prior to joining Fortuna, he held agribusiness governance and leadership roles focused on dairy and wider primary sector investment and management. People and capability Manager Kate Winter says excellence and continuous improvement remain central to the company. 027 218 7500 healytrucking@outlook.co.nz healytrucking Livestock spreading & general cartage

| 5 nzdairy Gleneden, Edendale. “Excellence and getting better every day are cornerstones of Fortuna’s value system and the Dodunski family culture. We’re known for good farms and good farming, but the icing on the cake is our care for the environment and our people.” “Being custodians of the land and leaving it better than we found it is synonymous with Dave and Kay. Sustainability is non-negotiable within our business framework and a major part of our reputation.” The Dodunski’s vision is that people working in the business will one day own part of it, Kate says. “That flows through to strong career and wealth creation pathways within the company.” Mike says Fortuna’s focus on becoming “best in dairy” on scale and that is intergenerational needs to be underpinned by a high performance culture in the business. We’re very much leaning into that in this next phase.” That culture is built around accountability and shared standards throughout the business, he says. “We are able to define a behaviour and a standard that we want to see in the business with our people, and we are comfortable holding each other to account to meet those expectations every day.” “We often refer to the All Blacks environment which has a long history of winning so this is something we are trying to emulate.” While Fortuna continues assessing future acquisition opportunities, Mike says with its strong balance sheet and cashflow the company will spend the next two to three years strengthening the business and looking to increase investment in resilience projects such as solar installations, feed pads and dairy shed upgrades designed to help DAIRY PEOPLE » Fortuna Group Robert: 027 439 5096 Email: rivertonfarmdrainage@xtra.co.nz • to page 6 FOR ALL YOUR HERBICIDE, FUNGICIDE & INSECTICIDE SPRAYING LIQUID FERTILISER & PROGIBB SPRAYING TABULA GPS GUIDANCE, SHEEP DIPPING Proud to Support Fortuna Group operations@boothag2008.co.nz www.boothag2008.co.nz PROUDLY BACKING THE DODUNSKI FAMILY AND FORTUNA GROUP FOR OVER 30 YEARS. BACKING BUSINESS. ASB Rural banking 0800 787 252

6 | nzdairy Mike, Tony, Kay, David, Stacey, Scott and Krystle. DAIRY PEOPLE » Fortuna Group Proud to supply veterinary services & Animal Remedies for Fortuna Group • from page 5 77 CLYDE STREET, INVERCARGILL, PH (03) 214 4254 www.southlandhonda.co.nz SOUTHLAND HONDA For the best Parts, Sales & Service in the south lower operating costs and improve productivity. “As part of our strategic refresh this year, we’re elevating our focus on data management and integrating generative AI into decision-making. He believes artificial intelligence will become increasingly influential across agriculture, particularly around supporting decision making in scaled businesses, accessing productivity gains through improved plant and animal genetics and lowering its environmental footprints with technological advances in mitigation tools. “With our scale, we have the ability to make some strategic investments in technology and upskill people to initially prove and refine the business case (return on investment) to then roll out on scale if justified.” “So that’s again part of our people strategy to upskill.” Despite a cold and wet spring, a cooler summer and favourable autumn contributed to a very strong production season which has set up Fortuna’s farms and the overall business well for the next season. “Asset value appreciation has been strong, supported by a good milk price resulting in very good dividends paid to shareholders and they’ve had very good asset growth, so total shareholder return has been a record for Fortuna shareholders this year. In summary, a very, very good year for New Zealand dairy and our shareholders.” Visit www.progressivelivestock.co.nz for more info Livestock Specialist · Buying and Selling · Grazing Contracts · Valuations Auctions and Clearance Sales · Bull Plan Finance Options PROUD TO BE SUPPORTING FORTUNA GROUP Progressive Livestock lives up to its name, delivering progressive solutions for a diverse range of clients k (0x IȸȒȅ ȸǣɀǸ ɎȒ ȸƺɀȒǼɖɎǣȒȇ ɖǣǼƳ Ə ȅȒȸƺ ƬȒȅȵǼƺɎƺ ɀƏǔƺɎɵ ɀɵɀɎƺȅ ɯǣɎǝ ȇɀǣƳƺ !ƏȵɎɖȸƺ ǣȇǝƺȸƺȇɎ ƏȇƳ ȸƺɀǣƳɖƏǼ ȸǣɀǸ nǣȇǸ ǝƏɿƏȸƳɀ ɎȒ ɀƏǔƺɎɵ ƬȒȇɎȸȒǼɀ ǕƺɎȒȇɀǣƳƺِƬȒȅ ɖɎȒȅƏɎƺ ƏɖƳǣɎ ƏȇƳ ƬȒȅȵǼǣƏȇƬƺ ȸƺƏƳǣȇƺɀɀ «ƺƳɖƬƺ ǣȇƬǣƳƺȇɎɀ ƫɵ ɖȇƳƺȸɀɎƏȇƳǣȇǕ ȸǣɀǸɀ ɎǝȸȒɖǕǝ ƳƏɎƏ

| 7 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Fortuna Group Founders David and Kay. Mt Prospect, Te Anau. 21 Springford Street PROUDLY SERVICING SOUTHLAND FOR OVER 75 YEARS Livestock & Farm Cartage Fertiliser Spreading Contracting & Demolition Stockfeed Delivery Gravel Supply CALL NOW 03 2217 192 ryalbushtransport.co.nz A Partnership Built on Trust, Courage and Shared Purpose: Re ecting on a Decade with Fortuna Group The most enduring client relationships are rarely de ned by a single transaction, project or moment in time. They are established through shared experience, open communication and the con dence that develops from working alongside one another through periods of change, growth and complexity. For more than a decade, we have had the privilege of working with David and Kay Dodunski and the wider Fortuna team as their business has continued to grow, evolve, and lead within the sector. Fortuna’s story is well known in Southland dairying circles, but its signi cance lies not only in the scale of what has been built, but in the way it has been achieved. From the outset, Fortuna has treated us not simply as external advisers, but as part of its wider team. That level of trust has shaped the way we have worked together. It has enabled us to walk alongside the business, understand its ambitions in context, and provide advice grounded in possibility and sound judgement, rather than reasons why something couldn’t be done. Effective partnerships such as this rely on openness and mutual respect. We have consistently valued Fortuna’s willingness to engage in substantive conversations, test ideas carefully, and make decisions with both commercial discipline and conviction. Growth at this level requires courage, including the ability to identify opportunity early, invest with con dence, and continue leading when a more conservative path may appear easier. Equally notable is the care that underpins Fortuna’s ambition. The Group has invested not only in land, infrastructure and progressive farming systems, but also in its people. Its approach re ects an understanding that sustainable businesses are built through capable teams, and that leadership is demonstrated through the capability, con dence and culture developed along the way. That same thinking carries through to how Fortuna sees the future: decisions made today carry responsibilities for tomorrow. In a sector navigating complexity, scrutiny and change, this sense of stewardship is both important and distinctive. We are proud to have been trusted as part of Fortuna Group’s journey. The relationship has strengthened our own work, deepened our understanding of effective advisory partnership, and reinforced the importance of trust, shared purpose and long-term commitment in achieving enduring outcomes. It is, in many ways, exactly the kind of partnership we aim to bring to every client: legal advice shaped by a genuine understanding of the business behind it. Tavendale + Partners

8 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Fortuna Group Working with you for happy, healthy and productive animals in the south. 24/7 EMERGENCY CARE Switzers Valley Transport Ltd Locally owned, locally operated and locally trusted to meet all your cartage and sowing needs. 29 Main Wendonside RD, RD7 GORE 7777 phone 03 202 4000 JOCK SHARP 0274193096 stock@svt.co.nz MURRAY MASLIN 027433043 accounts@svt.co.nz JAMIE COOTE 0272266009 fert@svt.co.nz Proud to support FORTUNA GROUP “Asset value appreciation has been strong, supported by a good milk price resulting in very good dividends paid to shareholders and they’ve had very good asset growth.” NATIONWIDE Molasses SOUTHLAND/OTAGO - Dairy Blends - Calf Feed - Silo Monitor - Crushed Grain - Dairy Pellets - All Transport Options Together, Creating the Best Soil and Feed on E We are proud to support FortunaGroup by tailoring fertiliser inputs to achieve each farm’s environmental and performance goals. 173 Spey Street | 03 211 3355 Findex works alongside farmers to keep finances clear, bringing together accounting, tax, and business advice so you can make confident decisions all year round. Talk to our Invercargill team. Whatever the season, your numbers should make sense P3 cows grazing.

| 9 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Forest View Belted Galloway Stud Belted Galloway breed adds real value Sue Russell Susan Nicol and Eric Box own and operate Forest View Belted Galloway stud, situated at Ohaupo, near Te Awamutu. The couple have been breeding Belted Galloway for nigh-on 20 years and, as dairy farmers first, they say there’s plenty of good reasons why the breed adds real value into their dairy business. “We discovered there’s demand for the Galloway crosses from the beef farmers and there’s a strong market for selling five day feeder calves. We have standing orders from people each season. The’re popular with life-stylers, being black and white they look pretty cool in the front paddock and at the end they are very tasty,” Susan says. Belted Galloway Bulls perform well in the dairy herd and produce calves with strong traits, that grow a fine carcass of meat with good marbling and taste. The stud numbers are small, but this is something the couple are happy with. Currently the registered herd extends across six pedigree cows and eight bulls. It began with three cows and a bull but increased measurably back in 2015 when the opportunity to import ten embryos from the USA was seized. “We got into breeding to access the traits we needed – temperament, size and strength for longevity. We were very fortunate with our strike rate, out of the ten embryos nine struck. Today I have two cows and one bull from that original breeding.” The history of the breed is impressive, extending way back to the 17th century from the Galloway district in Scotland. Belted Galloway’s are one of four types and the most distinctive. Galloways offer farmers great capability given their adaptability to varying conditions of altitude, topography and climate. Canadian studies prove their ability to convert dry matter to meat in a higher proportion than any other breed. “They’ll eat just about anything, including backberry and gorse shoots and cope well with feed shortages with great resilience. They’re also easy calving cattle, giving birth to low-weight progeny that grow rapidly. They’re also great mothers and have proven ability to get in-calf.” Susan says while they appear a moderate or smaller animal their kill weight is always surprising, yielding higher carcass percentage to live weight with the added advantage of marbling in the meat. In a new development Susan and Eric have decided to rear their calves all the way through to killing. Susan Nicol and Eric Box. “We’ve just bought a little bit more land in order to do this and we’re looking foward to seeing what sort of results we can achieve,” says Susan. There isn’t too much Eric doesn’t understand about the breed and the benefits Galloway genetics bring into the mix. “We originally chose Belted Galloways because of the colour markings. They’re definite so you can tell immediately what you’re looking at in the herd. Easy calving was another factor influencing our choice and because they’ve been bred over the last 500 years they have become good at looking after themselves. Within a day of being born they are on the go,” Eric explains. Another characteristics is the slower maturing rate of the animal compared with other breeds. This means their meat remains tender longer as they grow out. “They’re also very intelligent and are naturally a polled animal which is something I always wanted,” says Eric. Eric says, with the decision to grow out their own beef, he has a developing interest in the marketing of meat, pointing to a mobile abattoir in the South Island that focuses mainly on the heritage breeds. “It would be good to have access to something similar here as there’s growing interest from people to source wonderful quality meat direct from the paddock and to understand the environment the animal has been raised in.” Forest View Stud belongs to the NZ Galloway Society, an organisation focussed on promoting and preserving the breeds unique qualities. Strict guidelines are adhered to in order to register a herd. Described as a ‘breed apart from all others’, if managed properly they are extremely docile with calves enjoying an appealing curious disposition. Puberty is reached at a young age as well and the breed is extremely fertile. With rich creamy milk, cows produce a very well nourished calf and its not uncommon for cows to continue to calve well into their late teens. COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE Our Services Domestic Home Automation Rural Healthy Home Checks Electric Vehicle Chargers Outdoor Areas Commercial Home Audio Systems Solar Systems Home Ventilation Smart Panel Installation 0800 308 300 info@bestelectrical.co.nz www.bestelectrical.co.nz “We got into breeding to access the traits we needed – temperament, size and strength for longevity.” • Feed Pads - Farm Structures • Wintering Sheds • Dairy Sheds

10 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Clydesdale Dairy Sense of renewed confidence being felt Alexia Anderson Otago dairy farmers Francois and Shelley Tillard are optimistic about the future of the dairy industry. After several challenging years, Francois says the current season at Clydesdale Dairy, near Oamaru, has been “a lot easier”, reflecting a sense of renewed confidence being felt across New Zealand’s dairy sector. “I think it’s for everybody, the dairy industry in general”, he says. “I think everybody is reasonably happy with where things are.” That positivity extends beyond the farm gate, with a flow on effect benefiting contractors, suppliers and the wider community, he says. “The township is extremely reliant on the primary industries doing well. When we have dairy, sheep and beef all doing well, it makes a big difference to a township like that.” He says strengthening balance sheets across the sector can only benefit rural communities like Oamaru. Clydesdale Dairy is a 200ha year-round milking operation in the Waitaki District, run as a 50/50 equity partnership with Craigmore Sustainable. The property carries a peak herd of between 700 and 800 cows, with an additional 150ha leased across two runoff blocks. With calving taking place three times a year and a barn-based wintering system, the Tillards operate a system focused on both environmental and business resilience. Production this season is up close to 7%, despite a colder than usual spring and ongoing weather related challenges. The property is vulnerable to flash flooding, with about a quarter of the farm made up of heavier soils that have flooded in the past. As a result, the Tillards invested in its barn system which now houses about half of the herd during winter. Francois says while every farming business faces variables outside its control, particularly fluctuating milk prices and weather patterns, the current outlook remains encouraging. “I’m always optimistic. Clydesdale Dairy is a 200ha year-round milking operation in the Waitaki District. We supply & provide agronomy for Clydesdale Dairy. Speak to our team today! DEPOSIT IN 12 MONTHS IN 24 MONTHS P.A. INTEREST RATE T&Cs APPLY 259ThamesStreet, Oamaru 0800 436 723 | waterforce.co.nz PROUDLY SUPPORTING CLYDESDALEDAIRY. PUMPING SERVICES WATER MEASUREMENT ATER MEASUREMENT SE S IRRIGATION WATER FILTRATION Large Solar farms • Solar for Full Dairy Shed systems Solar for Houses • All other Electrical needs. CALECT SOLAR 0800 360063 calum@calect.co.nz

| 11 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Clydesdale Dairy The property carries a peak herd of between 700 and 800 cows, with an additional 150ha leased across two runoff blocks. “We do feel pretty confident, but I suppose it’s been in a good place for a period of time.” That confidence comes after what Francois describes as one of the toughest periods the industry has faced in recent decades. The 2014-2015 downturn saw global dairy prices fall sharply, leading to significantly reduced payouts for farmers across New Zealand and widespread financial pressure throughout the sector. “It took a period of time for us to get out of that,” he says. “It’s easy to forget. You keep working through it for a number of years and then you wake up in a pretty good place. You do take a knock, but you do forget.” For the Tillards, the downturn was made even more challenging because it coincided with major farm development and their transition into equity partnership. However, Francois says the business is now in a much stronger position. Another ongoing challenge for the industry has been attracting and retaining skilled staff - an issue being experienced globally, he says. office@sscontracting.co.nz www.scottsimpsoncontracting.co.nz CONTRACTING LTD LANE MAINTENANCE • EFFLUENT • EARTHMOVING • CARTAGE BALEAGE • SILAGE • STRAW • HAY • GRAIN • FODDER BEET Quality service with quality results. 021 607 957 The Tillards, who currently employ four full-time staff and two part-time, consider themselves fortunate to have retained a stable team. “We are pretty lucky, we’ve had the same people for a period of time.” As a Fonterra shareholder, he says New Zealand’s dairy structure is another reason for confidence. “We don’t know how lucky we are, really. It’s not always been perfect, we have had tough times, but if you look at it from an unbiased point of view our overall industry is in a very good place, even compared internationally,” he says. “That strong cooperative ethos, along with our grass fed competitive advantage are the keys of our success, I think the dairy farmers would agree.” While increasing regulation and compliance requirements can create uncertainty, Francois says it is part of the evolving nature of the industry. “It doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing, but when you see it coming, there’s apprehension about what’s next.” 0800 65 55 45 www.bayirrigation.co.nz ® Pivot and Lateral systems, Hard Hose irrigators, Fixed Grid systems, Motor Pumps, Electric Pumps, PTO Pumps and Generator Sets.

12 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Chris and Steve Blyde Higher input system pays off for Blyde family Anne Boswell For the Blyde family of Lepperton, a move to a higher input system four seasons ago has reshaped both their farming operation and their future. Chris Blyde, alongside his wife Anne-Marie, is in an equity partnership with his parents, Steve and Cherry, who have farmed the North Taranaki property since 1990. While Chris now makes around 90% of the day-to-day decisions, Steve remains actively involved, bringing experience and continuity to the business. Peak milking 270 cows on an 80ha effective milking platform, the Blydes operate a split calving system, with around 80 cows calving in autumn and 180 in spring. Alongside this, they have a 50/50 sharemilking operation run by a contract milker, with empty cows returning to the home farm over winter. Around 120 cows are winter milked, before final culling decisions are made ahead of August calving. Replacement heifers are mated at 18 months old rather than 12 months old, in order to put a bigger, stronger, more mature animal up for mating. The shift to a higher input system was driven by both necessity and passion. Chris, who previously worked in contract and 50/50 sharemilking roles, saw an opportunity to return to the home farm when his parents wanted to start stepping back - but the farm in its original form was too small to support two families. Chris saw an opportunity to revamp the operation to a higher-input system that would enable the farm to support the two families, but in order to make this happen, the property needed the correct infrastructure. That challenge led to the construction of a 64x45m composting barn, which is now in its fourth Peak milking 270 cows on an 80ha effective milking platform, the Blydes operate a split calving system. PROFESSIONAL EARTHMOVING CONTRACTORS Denis - 021 397 399 • denis@deniswheeler.co.nz Brett - 027 384 0620 • brett@deniswheeler.co.nz Office - 06 759 9919 • admin@deniswheeler.co.nz Depot - 87 Corbett Rd, Bell Block, New Plymouth · Excavators - 25T, 14T, 13T, 8T, 5T, 3.5T, 1.7T · Earthmoving · Bobcat Work · Transporting · Cartage · Land Clearing · Site Levelling · Demolition · Rock Work · Drilling · Digging Disposal · Bulldozing · Landscaping · Farm Work • Round Hay & Silage (plus sales) • Conventional Hay Baling • Fert Spreading • Hedgemulching • Hay/silage cartage • Tip Trailer Work OVER 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE Phone Amanda: 06 752 0698 Mobile: 027469 7353 GOBLE CONTRACTING Outstanding in Your Fields www.unlimit.co.nz Proud to support Chris and Steve Blyde Is your business performing as well as it could be? We can help Learn more at

| 13 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Chris and Steve Blyde Chris saw an opportunity to revamp the operation to a higher-input system that would enable the farm to support the two families. winter of use. The investment has proven transformational, enabling the Blydes to adopt a more controlled and consistent feeding system, while also improving cow comfort and overall management. Production gains have been significant. “Dad’s average production was 90,00095,000kgMS, and this season we are on target to break 170,000kgMS,” Chris says. “Now, with the additional 50/50 sharemilking job, the two farms Whether you’re a seasoned farmer or just starting out, our commitment to excellence ensures that you get the best products and services. 39 Cutfield Street, Inglewood 94 Broadway, Stratford 0800 662 6455 See us for: Pumps and Water Systems | Milking Machines Effluent Systems | Meal Systems | Teat Spray Systems www.moamilking.co.nz can support two families.” Chris’ interest in higher input systems stems from his previous 50/50 sharemilking role. “That role gave me my first taste of a higher input system,” he says. “But I’ve always had a passion for fully feeding my cows and watching them make milk. We keep it simple as possible: just silage, maize and palm kernel.” The barn plays a central role in delivering that system. Feed is brought in daily, with cows receiving supplementary maize and palm kernel when pasture growth is strong. During drier summer and autumn periods, cows are brought into the barn straight after morning milking and fed more intensively, ensuring condition and production are maintained regardless of conditions. The barn has delivered practical, day-to-day benefits. It has simplified management, improved flexibility and made life easier - particularly for the spring calving herd, which is housed full-time from dry-off through to calving. The business itself has also evolved, with the two farms now operating under a company structure. Chris and Anne-Marie are steadily increasing their shareholding, building toward long-term ownership while balancing family life with daughters Olivia (6) and Chloe (4). George Hazlett Recruitment · Immigration 027 254 1603 george@cultivatepartners.nz www.cultivatepartners.nz Need help with your employment needs ? Locally trained dairy workers available... Cultivate partners in conjunction with Alpine Immigration and the National Trade Academy brings Southland its very own dairy farming courses: • Trained across 8 Southland dairy farms • 12 weeks of on farm training, milking, routine, fencing etc • Visa eligible migrant workers • Southland trained students course | all placed - course 2 students available soon

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