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
Was a smashing day at Otorohanga yesterday with Jane Kay talking pasture vs supplements and Josh Wheeler discussing efficiencies in the milking shed.
"Dairy farmers are not confident about expanding their businesses because of uncertainty surrounding environmental legislation, an NZX Dairy Outlook to 2023 report says.
Other restraints on the growth of milk production are the availability of on-farm labour and the rising costs of compliance, fuel and inputs.
The land area being used for dairy farming will also reduce during the next five years, analyst Susan Kilsby told the NZX Global Dairy Seminar in Singapore."
A bit dry, and a bit wet...
NIWA Weather on Twitter
“What a difference a few days can make. Soils in large parts of the South Island are now wetter than normal for the time of year courtesy of this weeks rain 🌧️. Can't say the same for the North Island though 🏜️ t.co/2Ej7LfEvtD”
DairyNZ
Who doesn’t love the water? Dairy farmers included. That’s why DairyNZ is launching a new movement – The Vision is Clear.
We’ll be sharing what dairy farmers and other New Zealanders are doing to improve waterways, encouraging all Kiwis to get involved and sharing ideas on how we can all make a difference at an individual level. We're excited.
Follow the movement at www.thevisionisclear.co.nz.
#TheVisionIsClear
It’s high time I sat down and wrote a blog. Since the weather is not so good I thought it may be a good time to write and put off going outside. It feels like nothing much has happened since the last blog. It seems like I’m on the go all day and barely get […]
The sun is shining as I write this, and that certainly has made life easier. In spite of the mud calving has gone really well with one cow to go, and one milk fever. The girls are currently producing 2.27 kg per day, with grass a little short they are also getting 3 kg silage […]
With the mid-winter (or should I say mid-summer in European terms) holiday now a distant memory and the spring rush on farm now winding down, it’s time to reflect on the calving period and look forward in anticipation to the huge spring flush that is about to happen…. well the signs are certainly there, that’s […]
In my last blog I was busy writing about the winter dry period that was ahead of us. Time has rolled on now and Sam has been stuck in getting things sorted. Covers are ok, cow condition is good, it’s been a bit wet, some heifers have calved early and everything is set for calving […]
Last season was a good one to get behind us. Things were tough for a lot of the season, with too many floods and water sitting on the farm for too long leading to regrassing some areas six times. This meant we have taken a big production and financial hit. Also, council have come back […]
Being July, I am in the last throes of getting organised before the new season. The rubber ware has been replaced, but I still must repair cracks in the yard to keep the inspector happy. That is the problem with a 60 year old shed – the maintenance required to create the right environment to […]
I’ve now started my final season of milking cows. I thought that maybe I would be struggling with motivation saying, “I don’t need to worry because this is the last time.” But it doesn’t seem to be the case at the moment. Things are still full on at the moment – getting ready for a […]
It’s June 1st, the start of the new dairy season. It’s an exciting time on the farm for many as cows are generally dried off by now in spring calving herds, farms change hands, sharemilkers move, staff changes occur, and we say goodbye to the last season and look forward to a brand new season […]
Hi all. As usual at this time of year, the emphasis is on setting up for next year. For me that means using grass silage to lengthen the round from 36 to 72 days. The girls are still putting in the effort, but you can tell they are looking forward to a rest. They are […]
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!
“We have kind of gone off discussion groups because they tend to just look after our little district. Discussion groups are mainly people checking up on what the neighbours are doing whereas SMASH events are different, we get a lot more from them. I wholeheartedly loved it. It is good getting out of the area too.”
The strong working partnership of smaller herd farmers Matt and Sarah-Jane Yates has been a cornerstone to the success of their farming business. Matt started his career drystock farming on the family block, but its sale enabled him to buy his own property.
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