Direct-to-Satellite Tech a ‘Game Changer’ for Beef Farmers
Central Otago farmer Bevan McKnight no longer worries about leaving a few Angus cattle behind while mustering on the 13,000ha station he leases.
The Meadow Fresh Fantasy Herd lets players draft real cows for their chosen team, score points from live farm data, and compete for a $20,000 top prixe.
Like fantasy football, which relies on real athlete stats, Fantasy Herd draws on actual milking outputs and behavioural data collected from the herd at Nottingham Dairy Farm in North Otago, New Zealand.
Meadow Fresh marketing manager, Jen Jones says the aim is simple: make dairy farming fun, visible and accessible to everyone.
“Although dairy remains one of New Zealand’s defining industries, its place in Kiwi culture has evolved," Jones says.
“With Meadow Fresh Fantasy Herd, we wanted to shine a positive light on dairy by creating something
unexpected, entertaining, and true to what modern dairy really looks like, it’s exciting and high tech,” she says.
Like a traditional fantasy sports league, Fantasy Herd players select their own lineups, draft real cows, each wearing a solar-powered smart collar from New Zealand agritech company Halter.
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Helen Moore, vice-president marketing and growth at Halter, says the company's collars monitor every cow's location, behaviour, and movement.
"This gives farmers a valuable tool to maximise their productivity and to care for their animals. We'e stoked to surface the data and insights that Halter farms rely on, and bring it to everyday Kiwis."
North Otago farmer Tim Richards, whose cows star in the game, says it’s been a hit on-farm too.
“The cows don’t even know they’re athletes yet, but we’ve been laughing over who should be captain. If a bit of friendly competition helps people appreciate the care behind the dairy products in their fridge, that’s amazing.”
Fantasy Herd ambassador content creator Tav Hughes says jumping in was an easy yes.
"I love anything that helps bridge the gap between town and country. Most people only ever see the
finished dairy products on the supermarket shelves, not the tech, care and effort behind them," Hughes says.
“Fantasy Herd is a crack-up idea, but it’s also educational and uniquely Kiwi. I reckon people are going to get hooked," he adds.
“Or at least until my darling COW HABUNGA takes home the gold!”
Draft opens 9th February, one week before the first round, giving players time to build their herds, choose their captain cow, and join a league. After six rounds, the herder with the highest total score will be crowned Fantasy Herd Champion and take home $20,000 (Terms and Conditions apply).
