One region. Four farms. Four hundred-plus hectares. Nearly 1300 cows. Nineteen valued employees. Six different projects. And more than 250 paddocks…

 

Local on-farm research doesn’t get much better than this! In fact, Dairy Trust Taranaki is the commercial testing ground for new ideas that other regions probably secretly wish they had.

 

It’s also a unique chance for us to share, and learn, all things pasture in this amazing part of New Zealand.

 

Because even though grass - and clover, and herbs, and forage crops – are our speciality, farming is changing fast, and we too want to help future-proof your livelihoods.

 

Teamwork makes the dream work  

 

If you’ve been to a Dairy Trust Taranaki field day any time over the past five years, you’ve walked on, looked at and discussed our pastures and crops.

 

We’re proud to sponsor virtually all the seed sown on Trust farms. There’s no better way to help test new systems for maximising farm grown feed, or to find out what works here in Taranaki.

 

Seed is just part of the story, however. Important, yes, but only as good as the planning and care wrapped around it. So even before it goes in the ground, we spend a lot of time with the Trust working out how best to meet the pasture and cropping goals for each farm.

 

Then – thanks to the patience of Jason and the team - we hang around all season, sampling, measuring, monitoring, and helping make decisions about grazing management.   

 

Telling it like it is

 

Best of all, we hear from you, about all sorts of things! Your challenges, questions and risks; what you want and need to farm well in the future; where the opportunities lie; what you think and what you know.

 

The beauty of collaborating like this is that everyone benefits. You get to see how different pastures and crops perform under different management strategies, right in your own back yard, so you can grow with confidence.

 

We get first-hand experience, feedback and insight into how farming might look in the future, and where our pastures and crops can play their part.

 

Already we’ve learned a lot, and as another season begins, we can’t wait to find out more. Autumn re-grassing has occurred; our diverse pasture mix is entering its second year, and our Captain plantain plus clover is about to be under sown across the ‘future’ farms in spring.

 

See you on a Dairy Trust Taranaki farm, soon!