Levies return 26c/kgMS per year in value, DairyNZ reports
Milksolids levies paid by dairy farmers over the past six years have generated nearly $3 billion in value, according to an independent review.
Science backs what humans need to thrive, and DairyNZ wellness and wellbeing specialist Dana Carver is keen for dairy farmers to benefit from such science to stay strong and healthy.
Wellness is as much a science as the study of grass species or cow conditioning, Carver says.
Her workshop on this topic at last year's South Island Dariy Event was highly rated, many people asking for a repeat.
"Most said they knew of someone else who would benefit from coming along, and we're hoping that will happen. It's encouraging that so many people in the industry are starting to talk about wellness and resilience.
"We're keen for farmers to discuss tips from the workshop with family and colleagues in their networks."
Her talk is themed, 'The resilient farmer: keeping yourself strong amidst the ever-increasing pressures of farming'. She will talk about what it means to be healthy and how to deal with stress, with practical examples.
"The stressors aren't going away, but there are things you can do as an individual that will help you; these don't cost anything and don't need to take up a lot of time," she says.
For example, set aside time to turn off the television and play a board game with the family, get off the farm once a fortnight for three hours, or make a simple change to diet.
Carver will tell stories of changes made by some farmers who attended previous workshops, including one who now jogs the 2km from his home to the milking shed – and back – each morning. "It's made all the difference to his stress, and it's a cool example of what a small change can make."
She will speak about understanding your personality and values, and how this can help with decisionmaking, handling the unexpected, stress and burnout.
And she will remind farmers that farming should be enjoyable as well as profitable.
Metallica's charitable foundation, All Within My Hands (AWMH), teamed up with Meet the Need this week for a food packing event held at the New Zealand Food Network warehouse in Auckland.
After two years, Alliance Group has returned to profit.
According to Zespri's November forecast for the 2025/26 season, returns are likely to be up for all fruit groups compared to the last forecast in August.
Next month, wool training will reach one of New Zealand's most remote communities, the Chatham Islands - bringing hands-on skills and industry connection to locals eager to step into the wool harvesting sector.
Farmers' health and wellbeing will take centre stage with a new hub at the 2026 East Coast Farming Expo.
Dannevirke farmer Dan Billing has been announced as the new national chair of Beef + Lamb New Zealand's (B+LNZ) Farmer Council.
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