Chief Science and Innovation Officer

Looking for information on milking three times in two days? This research programme will investigate the human, animal and pasture response to milking three times in two days (3-in-2).

Carl and Jodie Goudswaard are making more room for nature on their Waikato dairy farm by fencing, planting and retiring unproductive areas. Their approach focuses on improving farm efficiency while restoring habitat.

Greg and Claire Collins have transformed wet, unproductive areas of their Emerald Hills Northland farm into thriving wetlands. What started as a practical decision has reshaped how their farm performs environmentally and economically.

Summer conditions can change quickly, and every season brings different challenges. The key to managing summer well is knowing your current position, monitoring conditions closely, and having a plan in place before you reach a trigger point.

Heat stress can affect cow wellbeing, milk production, health and reproduction. Unlike people, cows can start experiencing heat stress at temperatures above 20°C.

Johan van Ras is a Waikato dairy farmer who has spent the past six years transforming low-lying, unproductive areas on his 66-hectare effective farm into thriving native wetland and bush restoration sites.

Mike Bodle has transformed challenging, gorse-infested gullies on his Southland dairy farm into productive forestry, native plantings and wildlife habitat.

Logan Hastings has taken a practical, long-term approach to riparian planting to care for waterways on their Manawatū dairy farm. The focus has been on good preparation, simple planting methods, and consistent follow-up maintenance.

Sandra and Chris run a rolling South Otago dairy farm where every paddock has gullies and seasonal creeks. After early plantings failed, they trialled planting seedings by drone and selective blanket spraying to establish native cover at scale.

For Southland dairy farmer Gerard Vallely, what started as a final project before retirement, became a community-supported wetland, now home to birdlife, native species and a growing sense of pride for the next generation taking over the farm.

On Mark and Wendy’s low-input Canterbury dairy farm, wet corners and waterways that were once hard to manage have gradually become one of the farm’s greatest strengths.