SMASH has been set up to help dairy farmers, particularly those with smaller operations, to run successful businesses. We mainly achieve this by running events throughout New Zealand. These give farmers the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills which will stand them in good stead back on their own farms.
We also want to foster a supportive farming community – we are all in it together! SMASH is run by a group of New Zealand dairy farmers with a passion for the industry and for helping to build a strong and sustainable future for dairy farming. Read more
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Early June reminds me of my younger days when the dreaded shifting time came up. Moving house, children, machinery, and livestock. It was a means to an end and would not have been possible without the help of family and friends. There was always the excitement of a new job and all the work required […]
Remember the Seinfeld show? Jerry went to the studios and said “I want to do a show”. “What’s the show about?” they asked. “Nothing” was his reply. It’s a show about nothing and yet there were 180 shows. So today’s effort is about nothing. It’s a hard one to write this time around as those […]
I feel like a lot has changed since my last blog back in November. Not so much on farm related but off farm in the dairy industry. The milk payout setting new records, but at the same time costs have reached new highs too (fuel, grain, PKE and fertiliser). Also, the supply chain of farming […]
Every season is different and so farming is always a moving feast of jobs and planning. It never fails to keep me interested and motivated to anticipate the next required moves. With three cuts of silage in the pit, followed by some baleage before it got too dry, I feel reasonably secure against the vagaries […]
The 21/22 season has been the perfect storm from our farm’s perspective. We were firing on all cylinders until mid-November then the humidity hit, our grass went into a reproductive state and production crashed. All while we were making grass silage, had hay locked up, and were topping. But more to come in our ‘storm’ […]
So many things have changed in the last six weeks, hence the delay in getting a blog written. The plan was to put another house on the farm for either ourselves or the farm manager. After missing out on a couple we were able to secure a fabulous home. With the best site chosen and […]
Looking out my lounge window this morning I can hardly see the farm for the trees. I am not unhappy about that. Climate change has certainly brought more heat and wind to the farm. The shade has already benefitted the cows, but I do admit that the trees have suffered from the wind. Even the […]
Calving is definitely NOT the busiest time of the year, it’s more the last 20 cows still left to calve who still need dusting and 100% of your attention, that annoying colostrum and penicillin mob you still have to bring to the shed, setting up fences all over the farm, managing pasture, feeding calves outside, […]
Spring has sprung and not before time. Calving has been over for a week, 3/9/21, as I write this. Bringing calving forward five days has given me a good head start on last season but has put pressure on feed available. Growth rates of 11 kg DM/ha through late winter, July / August contrasted with […]
Thank you and your committee for your great work re SMASH events. We have gained several life changing ideas from these events.
At SMASH events we met like-minded people doing similar things.
It gave us confidence to know that there are people out there doing the same thing we are doing.
The positive vibe and the feeling of community amongst the farmers here was a highlight.
Can't sleep as am too excited after events!
This was a brilliant day. Refreshing, informative, varied and motivating.
“Farming is all I ever grew up with and I enjoy the lifestyle, you get to work from home. It has its challenges for sure, there are some days when you think “Why am I doing this?” but I enjoy the challenge, every day and every season is different dairy farming, it is rewarding.”
“SMASH events are more relevant for smaller herds farmers, you don’t feel out of place as you are not among the big corporates. It’s good to have small events like SMASH. I would encourage anyone to go to a SMASH event if they get a chance. I enjoy the interaction with the people afterwards as much as the topics.”
“We like the SMASH events so much because they are at a good level, they are deep enough to be worthy of going, and practical enough that we can use them in everyday life. Getting off the farm to go to an event is like a holiday! We feel so refreshed afterwards, it’s like we have been away for ever!”
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