DAIRY Country

Hosted by CountryWide Network

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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Sep 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

DAIRY Country is your mainstay in dairy farming as your trusted source for adding value to your dairy farming business with seasonal on farm stories and exclusive technical advice weekly with your host, Anne Lee. Formally the NZ Dairy Exporter since 1925, DAIRY Country is part of the CountryWide network based in Canterbury, New Zealand. Get in touch with our Anne Lee - anne@countrywidemedia.co.nz if you have a great insight to share with our thousands of readers and listeners in New Zealand and around the world. Don’t miss our weekly episodes of the DAIRY Country Podcast by hitting the subscribe button now and join our DAIRY Country weekly email newsletter to get the latest in-depth stories in your mailbox so you are always ahead of the game in the business of dairy farming into the future.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 30, 202638 min

Episode 131 - Couple Goals

Profitability in dairy farming comes down to getting both sides of the equation right, and Hugh and Anna Edward have built a system around tight cost control, strong pasture management and making every kilogram of feed count. Anne Lee speaks with the Putaruru couple about their journey from sharemilking to owning two adjoining farms, running 650 cows across 350 hectares and running separate, his and her, Jersey and Friesian herds through the season. Host: Anne Lee, Senior Journalist, Dairy Country Guests: Hugh and Anna Edward, South Waikato Farmers Hugh and Anna discuss how they manage their first grazing round and the focus they have on driving intakes of high quality pasture by closely monitoring both pre-grazing covers and post-grazing residuals. They use supplements judiciously to get a high milksolids response for every kilogram of bought-in drymatter and have a strong focus on buying fed in at the best possible price. They explain what’s behind their impressive six-week in-calf rate of 84% with planning for that starting early in the previous autumn. Sign up to the weekly DAIRY Country email newsletter here: https://dairycountry.co.nz/sign-up/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

September 24, 20261 hr 3 min

Episode 130 - The end of an era for Tatua

Tatua Cooperative chairman Steve Allen is stepping down after nearly 30 years on the board, including a long tenure as chairman. Anne Lee speaks with Steve about his journey from farming a small 160-cow herd to growing his farming business and becoming involved in the governance of one of New Zealand’s smallest and most specialised dairy co-operatives. They talk about the decisions that allowed Tatua to remain independent through deregulation and the formation of Fonterra. Host: Anne Lee, Senior Journalist, Dairy Country Guest: Steve Allen, retiring Tatua Co-operative Chairman Steve discusses the thinking behind Tatua’s decision to stand alone, the co-operative’s focus on adding value to farmers’ milk and its disciplined approach to growth, investment and retaining earnings. He also reflects on the importance of leadership and culture, the role of the board in choosing a chief executive and allocating capital, and why he remains positive about the future of New Zealand food and dairy. Find out more about the Better Pastures Together podcast by Barenbrug here: https://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.

September 17, 202645 min

Episode 129 - From burnout to balance

Farm ownership can feel like a long way off for young dairy farmers, but Abbi Ayre and Frikkie Terblance are steadily working their way towards the goal. Anne Lee speaks with the West Coast/Top of the South Dairy Industry Award winners about their journey from early careers and contract managing to leasing farms and working towards ownership, while also discussing the personal challenges they have faced along the way. Host: Anne Lee, Senior Journalist, Dairy Country Guests: Abbi Ayre and Frikkie Terblance, West Coast Contract Milkers Abbi shares her experience of burnout early in her dairy career and her journey through postpartum psychosis following the births of her children, while Frikkie talks about the impact it had on their family and the lack of support available for partners. They discuss the importance of recognising the warning signs, finding practical tools to protect mental wellbeing and building connections within rural communities. The couple also explain how they have used technology such as virtual fencing to manage their farms, the lessons they have learnt from different ownership models and why keeping business arrangements simple and aligned is key to achieving their goal of owning their own farm. Read the article featuring Abbi Ayre and Frikkie Terblance here: https://dairycountry.co.nz/from-burnout-to-balance/ Find out more about the Better Pastures Together podcast by Barenbrug here: https://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.

September 10, 202628 min

Episode 128 - Southern Dairy Hub: More from less

The Southern Dairy Hub is exploring what the future of dairy farming could look like through a side-by-side comparison of high genetic merit cows run at a 0.5 cows per hectare lower stocking rate than a more traditional herd. Anne Lee speaks with Southern Dairy Hub Acting General Manager Greg Delaney and DairyNZ Senior Scientist Dr Dawn Dalley about the latest results from the demonstration farm, including higher milk solids production per cow with significantly less supplementary feed. Host: Anne Lee, Senior Journalist, Dairy Country Guests: Greg Delaney, General Manager, Southern Dairy Hub Dr Dawn Dalley, Scientist, DairyNZ Dawn explains how the future herd produced more than 520kg of milksolids per cow compared with 470kg for the standard herd, while using close to 40% of the supplementary feed last season. In terms of total production, on a per hectare basis, production in the lower stocked, future herd is getting close to that of the standard herd. The future herd production was less than 100kg MS/ha lower than the standard herd. They also discuss grass-based wintering, body condition score changes and the wider potential benefits of running a lower-stocked, high genetic merit system. Greg and Dawn talk about the Hub’s new 1000-square-metre standoff pad, its design and how it’s being used to improve animal welfare during calving. The farm’s HubWatch weekly farm data updates are now available for the new season. Dawn and Greg also give an update on the process underway to determine the Southern Dairy Hub’s future strategic direction. Sign up to the weekly DAIRY Country email newsletter here: https://dairycountry.co.nz/sign-up/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

September 3, 202635 min

Episode 127 - The right pain relief

Pain relief is becoming an increasingly important part of dairy cattle welfare, with more options available to farmers than there were a decade ago. Anne Lee speaks with Northland veterinarian Rory Dean about how cattle experience and show pain, why they can be difficult to assess as prey animals and how commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can help cows recover from painful and inflammatory conditions. Host: Anne Lee, Senior Journalist, Dairy Country Guests: Rory Dean, Northland Veterinarian Rory explains how drugs such as ketoprofen and meloxicam work, and their role in managing lameness, mastitis and difficult calvings. Anne and Rory also discuss pain relief for calves, including during disbudding and when treating conditions such as pneumonia, navel ill, joint ill and diarrhoea, as well as the importance of early intervention and pre-emptive analgesia. They explore the different roles of anti-inflammatory drugs, local anaesthetics and sedatives, why pain relief needs to be combined with appropriate treatment and nursing care, and the importance of following label instructions and veterinary advice to avoid overdosing and side effects. Read the article from the latest issue of the DAIRY Country here: https://dairycountry.co.nz/the-right-pain-relief/ Sign up to the weekly DAIRY Country email newsletter here: https://dairycountry.co.nz/sign-up/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 27, 202634 min

Episode 126 - Your brain and burnout

Burnout can creep up on farmers when the pressure to keep going and the constant stream of decisions never lets up. Anne Lee speaks with former police crisis negotiator and wellbeing specialist Lance Burdett about what happens when the brain becomes overloaded, why overthinking can be more damaging than working hard and how farmers can recognise when stress is becoming burnout. Host: Anne Lee, Senior Journalist, Dairy Country Guests: Lance Burdett, Wellbeing specialist Lance discusses why simply pushing harder is not the answer, the importance of taking regular breaks and getting away from the farm, and practical ways to calm an overactive brain, including breathing, walking, writing and talking. Anne and Lance also explore how technology can add to the mental load when it is not managed carefully, the importance of choosing the tools that are genuinely useful and why changing the way we think about stress, learning and new challenges can help protect our wellbeing. Sign up to the weekly DAIRY Country email newsletter here: https://dairycountry.co.nz/sign-up/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 19, 202637 min

Episode 125 - Finding Security

Farm ownership can seem out of reach for young dairy farmers, but Biddy and Braden Barnes have shown it’s still possible with hard work, careful planning and the right opportunities. Anne Lee speaks with the Canterbury couple about their journey from contract milking and share milking to buying their first farm, and how winning the Fonterra and ASB First Farm Loan in conjunction with the NZ Dairy Industry Awards helped give them the confidence and financial backing to take the next step. Host: Anne Lee, Senior Journalist, Dairy Country Guests: Biddy and Braden Barnes, 2026 Fonterra and ASB First Farm Loan Winners Biddy and Braden discuss how they built equity through herd ownership, calf rearing and property, the challenges of finding a farm in a competitive market and why they chose to purchase a 200ha dry-stock property near Sheffield with plans to convert it into a 750-cow dairy farm. Anne, Biddy and Braden also explore the different pathways into farm ownership, the opportunities and risks of contract milking and share farming, the importance of understanding farm contracts and why seeking advice and support can help young farmers make informed decisions. Sign up to the weekly DAIRY Country email newsletter here: https://dairycountry.co.nz/sign-up/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 13, 202641 min

Episode 124 - Updates needed to law and agreements

Share farming and contract milking agreements are a fundamental part of New Zealand’s dairy industry, but are the contracts and legislation governing them still fit for purpose? Anne Lee speaks with The Sharefarming Consultants’ Louise Gibson and AgFirst’s Lycinda Lett about the challenges facing farm owners, contract milkers and share farmers, and why they believe the legal framework needs a refresh. Host: Anne Lee, Senior Journalist, Dairy Country Guests: Louise Gibson, Co-Founder, The Sharefarming Consultants Lycinda Lett, Consultant, AgFirst Louise and Lycinda discuss gaps in the Sharemilking Agreements Act, the growing use of contract milking and the risks of relying on contract law. Anne, Louise and Lycinda also explore the importance of clear agreements and farm policies, power imbalances, disputes and mediation, guaranteed minimum returns and withheld milk payments, as well as the changes Louise and Lycinda believe could provide greater security and support successful business partnerships. Sign up to the weekly DAIRY Country email newsletter here: https://dairycountry.co.nz/sign-up/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 6, 202624 min

Episode 123 - Improving herds through DNA testing

DNA testing is transforming dairy breeding by giving farmers greater confidence in parentage and allowing more accurate genetic information to be fed into breeding models. Anne Lee speaks with CRV myDNA Programme Manager Connie McFarlane about how DNA testing and genomics are helping farmers improve herd performance, from verifying calf parentage to increasing the reliability of breeding values and genetic indexes. Host: Anne Lee, Senior Journalist, Dairy Country Guest: Connie McFarlane, myDNA Programme Manager, CRV Connie explains why around one in four calves can be mismatched to their dams without DNA testing, and how tissue sampling and genomic analysis provide a much clearer picture of an animal's true genetic potential. Anne and Connie also discuss how farmers are using genomic information to identify replacement heifers and select cows for beef or sexed semen, the importance of building larger genomic reference populations, how DNA testing is accelerating genetic gain in both dairy cows and bulls, and the future opportunities for genomic traits including hoof health, mastitis resistance and genetic defect screening. Sign up to the weekly DAIRY Country email newsletter here: https://dairycountry.co.nz/sign-up/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 30, 202637 min

Episode 122 - Following the milk price signals

Global dairy markets have entered a period of correction after two years of exceptionally strong prices, with growing milk production putting downward pressure on key commodities. Anne Lee speaks with HighGround Dairy's Stu Davison about the global forces shaping New Zealand's farmgate milk price, from expanding milk production in the United States to Europe's heatwave, China's changing demand patterns and the latest Global Dairy Trade Pulse results. Host: Anne Lee, Senior Journalist, Dairy Country Guest: Stu Davison, HighGround Dairy Stu explains why traders are already pricing weather risk into dairy markets as New Zealand heads towards a potential Super El Niño, and what that could mean for milk production and commodity prices over the coming season. Anne and Stu also discuss the growing competitiveness of US dairy exports, how conflict in the Middle East is influencing global dairy trade and food security, the impact of Europe's large butter and skim milk powder inventories, and why currency movements could play a significant role in New Zealand's milk price outlook. Sign up to the weekly DAIRY Country email newsletter here: https://dairycountry.co.nz/sign-up/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.