Special Reports
Soil fertility a capital asset
When times are tough on the farm, fertiliser may be one of the items left off the shopping list.
Words Kerry Dwyer
Is Breeding the Answer?
Finding a marker or proxy in a dairy cow that correlates with low or high methane is the big prize.
Words Delwyn Dickey
Keep the finisher in mind
Dairy farmers wishing to phase out bobby calves will need to raise animals that will compete with other land uses. Sheryl Haitana reports.
Price Pressures Flatten
While some fertiliser costs are softening, global volatility is not going away and neither are the inbuilt costs for the industry to improve its environmental footprint. Words by Sheryl Haitana.
Measure it? Manage It
If you measure it, you can manage it and in tighter times managing it well can mean significant savings. When reviewing your fertiliser policy, ensure you’re getting the best bang for your buck, protecting the environment and highlighting areas where savings are possible.
Words Anne Lee
Margin squeezed but profits possible
Despite the rapid downward movements in milk price, and upward movements in onfarm costs, the rules of a successful dairy farming system remain the same, Mark Aitken writes.
A woman with a farming future
An addition to the family is on the horizon for Finja Philips, with a new generation for the family. Her first baby is due in March, luckily the perfect “time” for a spring calving calendar laughs Finja. By Claire Ashton.
Co-op focuses on the family
Fonterra has seen a significant increase in return and retention rates since implementing its new parental leave policy. By Sheryl Haitana.
Pasture comes first and supplement follows
Virginia Serra advises on the profitable use of feed.
From Canada with a focus on feed
Eighteen months on a Canadian dairy farm opened south Auckland farmer Andrew Hamilton’s eyes to cows’ potential. Anne Lee reports.