Converting a sheep and beef farm to dairy and going once-a-day milking has proven good decision-making by Jersey breeders Matthew and Emma Darke of Aria, Waikato.

Farmers in Canterbury and Manawatu have shared stories on their hill country development experiences to give regulators and other farmers a better understanding of managing risks and opportunities on this type of land.

Moyra Bramley was born in 1933, the year Sir Apirana Ngata and Lord Bledisloe inaugurated the Ahuwhenua Trophy to recognise excellence in Maori farming — now Ms Bramley has at least a 50/50 chance of winning that trophy.

The future of blanket antibiotic treatment at dry-off (dry cow treatment or DCT) is still uncertain as the wider international discussion on antibiotic use in food producing animals continues.

The weather already this year has been a mixed bag of wet and dry. The winter season is now around the corner and who knows what that will bring.

A leading Maori dairy farm is planning to reduce its cow numbers but believes that by using better genetics it will maintain its production.

The Dill family of Kaipara Flats, north of Auckland, has won the 2018 Auckland Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

The first meat quality results from the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Genetics (BLNZ Genetics) beef progeny test are showing that farmers can select genetics to markedly improve their beef herds, and better marbling than expected in some breeds.