People
Building on a supportive base
The Dairy Women’s Network has given Waikato dairy farmer Aimee Wilson an opportunity for personal growth. Words Sheryl Haitana.
Win–Win Attitude
Make sure sharemilking conversations are robust and include a chat about cow numbers vs per-cow production. Words Louise Gibson.
Connecting the next generation
Shanice Young has built up the Te Puke Young Farmers Club, and in return, the club’s engagement has helped build Shanice. Words Sheryl Haitana.
Laying it on the table
Staff retention is not a new issue and was the reason behind the Sharemilking Agreements Act of 1937. But a signed agreement is only the beginning – farmers need to communicate better to ensure good ongoing relationships with their sharemilker or contract milker. Words Louise Gibson.
Strategy to suit
As the creeping Kikuyu plant smothers more pastoral land in the North Island, the decision for farmers is to either fight the Kikuyu or embrace it. Bay of Plenty dairy farmers Andre and Natalie Meier have embraced the summer grass, altered their system to once-a-day and are enjoying the productivity wins.
Words Sheryl Haitana Photos Emma McCarthy
Succession – it’s a big nut to crack!
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.
Supporting your people amid tight times
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.
Viewing people with a value lens
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.
Improving efficiency in your team
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.
Don’t get stuck onfarm this spring
Tapping into the potential workforce in your local community could be a game changer for dairy farmers this spring and a new online platform has made it easier to connect with people. Words Sheryl Haitana.