Feed for Thought

How do you keep an arable farming business profitable in an environment of changing markets, tightening regulations, and unpredictable weather? In this episode, Matt and Wade are joined by David Birkett, Canterbury arable farmer, to explore how he uses data, irrigation, and a simplified cropping system to make better decisions and build resilience into his operation. David shares how his rotation balances productivity with practical constraints like harvest timing, soil traffic, and seasonal risk.
The team unpack David’s approach to nutrient management, including organic matter testing, nitrogen mass budgeting, and simple on-farm strip trials to validate decisions. They also dive into precision agriculture, discussing the value of yield monitoring, satellite imagery, and variable rate applications, and why understanding the numbers remains critical for decision-making. David also shares insights from his governance roles with FAR and Federated Farmers, covering seed certification, traceability, biosecurity, research funding, and the future of New Zealand’s arable sector.

What goes into developing the maize hybrids and forage products farmers rely on every season? In this episode, Matt and Wade are joined by Andrew Powell, Head of Portfolio & Research, to explore the journey from paddock to portfolio and the years of research, testing, and decision-making behind every bag of Pioneer seed. Drawing on his upbringing on a Taranaki dairy farm and a career spanning forage, sales, marketing, portfolio management, and seed production, Andrew shares how Pioneer develops products for New Zealand farmers.
The team unpack the realities of modern plant breeding, from global germplasm sourcing and predictive breeding technologies through to the extensive testing processes used to identify products suited to New Zealand conditions. They explain how farmer feedback, research, and seed production work together to shape the hybrids and forages available years into the future.
Andrew dives into the challenges of balancing breeding priorities, why genetic trade-offs are unavoidable, and what it takes to deliver products that perform in the paddock. If you've ever wondered how new hybrids make it to market and what the future of seed development looks like, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

In this episode, Kyle Gardyne, Pioneer Seed Applied Technology Manager, sits down with Matt and Wade for the launch of a new seed-applied biological treatment. In maize production, the foundations for yield and feed quality are set early. Establishment influences crop uniformity and ultimately determines how well a hybrid expresses its genetic potential. With spring conditions becoming increasingly unpredictable, securing a strong, consistent start for your business has never been more important. Learn how Lumidpat can help improve early plant vigour and establishment in challenging conditions.

Dr Grant Matthews, our new Farm Systems Manager for the South Island, joins us in this episode to bring his perspective to a question many dairy farmers are asking: how do we build farm systems that stay productive, simple, and resilient?
Grant shares his background and the shift from large-animal veterinary work into dairy nutrition and farm systems, explaining why focusing on what goes into the cow can change everything downstream. We get specific about the South Island, from Canterbury through to Southland, where maize silage and maize grain are becoming more realistic options thanks to shorter-maturity maize hybrids.
This episode serves as an introduction to Dr Grant Matthews and sets the scene for practical farm systems conversations. If you’re based in the South Island and interested in getting in touch with Grant, you can find his contact details at www.pioneer.co.nz/contact-us/find-your-local-pioneer-rep

How do you run a high‑input dairy system that performs without burning out your people or drowning in feed complexity? In this episode, Matt and Wade are joined by Nic and Kirsty Verhoek to unpack how they’ve kept a high‑input system productive while simplifying the ration, lowering risk, and protecting time. They walk through the numbers behind the change, using Feed Checker to compare diets on ME, protein, and cost, and explain how they’ve built a stable maize‑based ration with flexible protein and energy on top. 
The team explain how lifting pasture and silage quality has helped protect milk production, how wearables and smartphone tools reduce key‑person risk and support better decision‑making, and what “no hungry minutes” really means for cow performance and condition. They also dive into liveweight targets, tightly controlled young stock growth, and the breeding and welfare decisions behind polled genetics and a future without bobby calves.