DAIRY Country

In this episode, Anne Lee chats with Jordain Beattie and Louise Gibson who break down what successful sharefarming really looks like and what it takes to build equity through contract milking and sharefarming pathways. Together, they unpack the realities behind the numbers, the importance of setting clear goals and how strong planning can help farmers step confidently into business ownership while managing risk and maintaining long-term sustainability.
Host:
Anne Lee, Senior Journalist, Dairy Country
Guests:
Jordain Beattie, Client Director, NZAB
Louise Gibson, Co-Founder, The Sharefarming Consultants

Jordain brings a financial and strategic lens to the conversation, sharing why understanding your numbers is about far more than budgeting. She says setting clear equity goals, tracking business performance and planning for tax and reinvestment can help farmers stay on track and make confident, informed decisions as opportunities arise.
Louise shares practical, on-the-ground insights into the operational and contractual side of sharefarming, including managing labour, understanding agreement details and recognising potential risks around herd ownership and contract structures. She highlights the value of asking questions, seeking professional advice and surrounding yourself with the right support network to help build a resilient and rewarding farming career.

Read the article featuring Louise Gibson and Jordain Beattie from the Autumn 2026 issue of DAIRY Country here: https://dairycountry.co.nz/what-does-sharefarming-success-look-like/

Find out more about the Better pastures together podcast from Barenbrug here: https://www.barenbrug.co.nz/podcasts
Sign up to the weekly DAIRY Country email newsletter here: https://dairycountry.co.nz/sign-up/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode, Sarah sits down with Andrew MacPherson and Cara Sheridan to unpack the arrival of Bovillus Cryptium, a new vaccine for calves targeting cryptosporidiosis, and what it means for farmers managing calf health in New Zealand. The discussion sets the scene for why this vaccine is a game changer, how it can improve calf welfare and long-term performance, and why proactive planning with your vet is key to getting the most from it. With spring 2026 calving approaching, now is the time to understand how to integrate this new tool into your farm systems.
Host:
Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Editor-in-Chief, CountryWide
Guests:
Andrew MacPherson, Technical Advisor, MSD Animal Health
Cara Sheridan, Ruminant Technical Vet Manager, MSD Animal Health

Andrew MacPherson from MSD Animal Health New Zealand explains how the vaccine works by stimulating maternal antibodies for passive transfer to calves, reducing the risk of disease and improving growth outcomes. He outlines practical advice for farmers on administration timing, integrating the vaccine with existing protocols like Rotavac Corona, and the importance of planning early with their vets to maximise its benefits.

Cara Sheridan, MSD’s Ruminant Technical Vet Manager in Ireland, shares insights from the vaccine’s use in Ireland since mid-2024. She highlights the positive impact on calf health, reduced labour, and improved farm management, alongside the importance of quality colostrum and effective calf-rearing practices. Cara’s experience demonstrates how this preventive tool can reduce reliance on antibiotics while supporting animal welfare and performance, offering practical lessons for New Zealand farmers.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Anne Lee sits down with Mick and Kirsten O’Connor from Grass Gobblers to explore their journey from sharemilking to equity partnership and the simple, grass-focused system that has supported their business growth. Milking 1,000 cows near Burnham, the couple were hosts to the spring Pasture Summit field day. They share how a low-cost, pasture-based approach, combined with strong team culture and clear long-term goals, has enabled them to build a scalable and repeatable farming model. The conversation outlines the thinking behind their system, why simplicity drives consistency, and how focusing on pasture utilisation and animal performance underpins profitability.
Host:
Anne Lee, Senior Journalist, Dairy Country
Guests:
Mick and Kirsten O’Connor, Grass Gobblers

Mick and Kirsten also reflect on the financial discipline required to grow equity, including navigating a major payout downturn after expanding herd ownership. They discuss how detailed budgeting, reinvestment and the ability to rear and lease back stock with Dairy Holdings through their career with the company has helped them progress into equity partnership. They highlight the importance of understanding business performance, analysing opportunities through clear return targets and aligning partnerships around shared values and expectations. The discussion also touches on building strong farm teams and supporting staff progression, alongside practical advice for farmers entering the sector, emphasising patience, communication and surrounding yourself with the right people.
For more from the Pasture Summit field day https://www.pasturesummit.co.nz/2025-spring-events

Find out more about the Better pastures together podcast from Barenbrug here: https://www.barenbrug.co.nz/podcasts
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year award is designed to recognise leadership, contribution and future-focused thinking within the dairy sector, while also encouraging others to step forward and get involved.
In this episode, Anne Lee sits down with award recipient Jo Sheridan to unpack her experience as the 2025 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year, going through the Dairy Women’s Network process and what the recognition has meant both personally and professionally. The discussion sets the scene for why awards like this matter, how they can help bring clarity on your direction and why you don’t need to sit back and wait to be nominated. Self-nomination and backing yourself is a great way to open doors to new opportunities across the sector. Applications and nominations for 2026 close on February 28.
Host:
Anne Lee, Senior Journalist, Dairy Country
Guest:
Jo Sheridan, Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year 2025

Jo also discusses her work as Demonstration Manager at Owl Farm, which is run as a joint-venture between St Peter’s Cambridge school and Lincoln University. She outlines why future-focused farm systems, youth engagement and clear progression pathways are critical to the long-term success of dairy. She shares insights from a recent Fonterra study tour to the United States, including what global customers value, how technology and genetics are accelerating change, and what New Zealand farmers can learn from international systems. The conversation also covers how Owl Farm is tracking this season, what the data is showing around production and reproduction, and why continuous monitoring, adaptability and people development are central to building resilient farm businesses.

Find out more about the Better pastures together podcast from Barenbrug here: https://www.barenbrug.co.nz/podcasts
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lincoln University Dairy Farm (LUDF) has been taking another look at establishing plantain and how to combat weed pests.
In this episode, Anne Lee finds out more about the approach from Farm Source Technical Ag Specialist Russell Hamilton and catches up with LUDF Partnership and Demonstration Lead Antoinette Archer about how the farm is performing in a tricky, cooler summer season. The conversation explores why treating pasture as a crop is critical to maximising both quality and total production, how setting clear objectives upfront shapes renewal and management decisions, and how onfarm monitoring and data are being used to guide timely responses as seasonal conditions shift.

Host:
Anne Lee, Senior Journalist, Dairy Country
Guests:
Russell Hamilton, Technical Ag Specialist, Farm Source
Antoinette Archer, Partnership and Demonstration Lead, LUDF

Russell outlines the importance of viewing each paddock as its own crop, assessing performance, identifying constraints and setting a clear plan to lift long-term productivity. LUDF wanted to improve plantain establishment and longevity by addressing weed pressure, soil fertility and pasture renewal sequencing, he explains. Russell steps through the use of an Italian ryegrass cropping phase to reset paddocks and allow the use of the right herbicides in a timely way to reduce weed seed banks and create the right conditions for ryegrass, clover and plantain-based pastures. He highlights how getting establishment right upfront can significantly increase lifetime pasture yield and farm profitability.

Antoinette provides a seasonal update from LUDF, describing what has been a tricky year to manage with cooler, wetter conditions limiting pasture growth rates and reducing energy levels in pasture. She explains how close monitoring of pasture, cow condition and milk production has enabled the team to assess conditions early and act, including the decision to move to a three-in-two milking schedule and begin putting autumn management plans in place. Antoinette also outlines how these learnings will be shared with farmers at the LUDF Focus Day on March 4, where the team will unpack the season’s challenges, decisions and practical takeaways in more detail.

Find out more about the Better pastures together podcast from Barenbrug here: https://www.barenbrug.co.nz/podcasts
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.