Talking Dairy

What will the replacement of the Resource Management Act (RMA) mean for your farm, consents and future plans? David Cooper from the DairyNZ policy team talks with barrister Patrick Senior, who has worked with DairyNZ during the reform process. They discuss the new Natural Environment Act and Planning Act, what farmers need to be aware of during the transition from the RMA, and what it means for existing regulatory requirements, including consents. With important regulations and plans still to come, they outline what has been confirmed and what remains uncertain as you consider decisions for your farm.

Links to more info
DairyNZ information:
RMA reform
Waikato - Plan Change 1
Resource management reforms | Ministry for the Environment
Waikato Regional Council guidance on Healthy Rivers/Wai Ora Plan Change 1
Horizons Regional Council guidance on Plan Change 2
Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at talkingdairy@dairynz.co.nz
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Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected

What do high-performing farmers do differently, regardless of the farm production system they run?
DairyNZ farm systems specialists Mark Speight and Steve Veix share findings from the Farm Systems Review, which looked at successful farm businesses across different regions and production systems. They discuss the practical things these farmers have in common, including how they manage pasture and supplementary feed, keep on top of finances, make decisions, work with people and use technology. They also explain why strong performance is not about which production system farmers choose, but how clearly and consistently they run it.
Read more about what high-performing farms have in common in the summer edition of Inside Dairy, out on the 27th of October.
More information: Dairy Training’s Business by the Numbers course covers financial budgeting, cashflow forecasting and managing the numbers in an agribusiness.
Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at talkingdairy@dairynz.co.nz
Connect with DairyNZ
Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected

How do you build a team that can assess pasture consistently, spot changing conditions and act early? Host Mark Williams talks with Mick O’Connor from Dairy Holdings about how to strengthen pasture decisions across your farm team with lessons learnt from his 20 years in dairy farming and overseeing 10 farms. They discuss teaching pasture assessment, how to build confidence and keep everyone aligned on the grazing plan. The conversation also covers round length, pre-grazing covers, residuals, leaf stage and monitoring the top of the feed wedge during peak growth. 
Link to more info:
Increasing feed that is grown and eaten on-farm is one of the most effective ways to improve profitability, strengthen farm resilience, and lower emissions intensity. Find out more at and access pasture management tools at: Homegrown feed | DairyNZ
Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at talkingdairy@dairynz.co.nz
Connect with DairyNZ
Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected

What does a beef finisher need from the calves you breed? Annie O’Callaghan of Temataa Station and Jo Sheridan of Owl Farm bring together two sides of the dairy-beef supply chain. They discuss Owl Farm’s dairy-beef programme, Annie’s experience buying and finishing calves, and how genetics, colostrum, calf health and traceability influence value. They also cover finding the right buyer, agreeing on a fair price and building relationships before mating. Their experiences show why breeding decisions need to work for the dairy farm, calf rearer and beef finisher. 
Links to more info 
Dairy Beef Opportunities programme  
Beef-on-dairy guidance  
Dairy-beef case studies  
Owl Farm Facebook page 
Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at talkingdairy@dairynz.co.nz
Connect with DairyNZ
Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected

How do you keep your pasture and profit goals on track when your farming situation changes? In 2024, Leighton and Hayley Parker hosted around 280 people at a Pasture Summit event on their Canterbury farm. Their business stood out for strong cost control and profitability, high pasture use and production, and improved reproductive performance. Two years on, they’re farming somewhere different. Leighton shares how their plans are tracking, what has changed, and where they’re heading next.
Join the 2026 Pasture Summit Spring Events:
North Island: Tuesday 24 November, hosted by Todd and Renee Halliday in Reporoa, Bay of Plenty
South Island: Thursday 26 November, hosted by James and Laura Bawden in Hinds, Canterbury
Find out more and register for Pasture Summit.
Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at talkingdairy@dairynz.co.nz
Connect with DairyNZ
Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected