CowManager Winners Say Tech Is a "No-Brainer" to Keep
The inaugural winners of the NZ Dairy Awards’ CowManager Experience prize say it will be a no-brainer to keep the technology in their farm business after experiencing the results.
And his outstanding leadership in delivering responsible dairying outcomes on the farm earned him the Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award at the recent NZ Dairy Industry Awards.
Beaumaris Dairies has been owned by the Dodunski Family since 2017.
Farming Within a Sensitive Catchment
Tony Dodunski, who manages the farm, told Dairy News that when the family first looked at buying the property, they understood the environmental constraints it has.
The farm has heavy soils and low-lying areas where overland flow of nutrients, sediments and phosphorus is the biggest environmental risk.
Dodunski says they identified that early and built a concrete feed pad to stand cows off and capture effluent during high rainfall events.
"We've also implemented a number of other initiatives including sediment traps, riparian planting, a low application rate effluent system, grid and all paddock soil testing with targeted fertilisr application, breeding smaller cows, focusing heavily on pasture utilisation, and installing solar to help power the cowshed."
Dodunski says he has come to acknowledge the farm for what it is.
"It's not an A-class Canterbury dairy farm, so rather than pushing the system too hard, we're comfortable farming at a slightly lower intensity to create something that is environmentally, financially and operationally sustainable long term."
Profitability Key to Long-Term Sustainability
Dodunski's message to dairy farmers is to focus on building profitable and resilient farm systems first, because profitability gives a farmer the ability to invest in sustainability long term.
"I also think sustainability is broader than just environmental outcomes. It's about people, energy, financial resilience, community, and the long-term sustainability of the wider dairy industry as well.
"The good thing about New Zealand dairy farming is that many of the practices that improve environmental outcomes also improve operational performance and resilience.
"Sustainability doesn't have to be about big statements, often it's the accumulation of lots of practical decisions and continuous improvement over time."
A Team Effort
Dodunski says the Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award means heaps to him, his family, and the people who have been part of the journey.
"My name might be on the award, but there are so many people who have contributed to it over the years, so it's just as much a reflection of their contribution as it is mine. I'm very proud and grateful."
New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards say Dodunski has demonstrated that high environmental performance can be achieved through deliberate system design, evidence-based decision-making, and long-term commitment.
"His work exemplifies responsible dairying in action: delivering verified environmental outcomes, building capable and motivated people, and strengthening the long-term sustainability of the dairy sector."
