Inside the Southland Dairy Farm Where Robots and Pasture Work Together
In Dacre, near Invercargill in New Zealand’s South Island, Bruce Dinnington is running a dairy operation unlike any other.
Power Farming has launched a joint venture in Southland.
It has announced Southland dealer principal Heath Kendall as a 50% JV partner in Power Farming Southland.
It marks a new chapter for PF Southland and reflects the company’s long-standing philosophy of combining strong local leadership and ownership with the scale, expertise and support of the wider Power Farming Group.
Heath joins a growing group of JV partners across the Power Farming network, creating a model where local owners are directly invested in the customers, teams and communities they serve.
The company says since he joined, Heath has built a strong reputation for his commitment to customers, leadership and development of high-performing teams across the Southland region.
Under his leadership, it says the Invercargill and Gore operations have continued to build strong relationships with farmers, contractors and rural businesses throughout the region, backed by leading agricultural machinery brands and strong local parts and service support.
Power Farming chief executive Tom Ruddenklau said Heath’s appointment reflects the company’s belief that investing in great people is fundamental to building strong, sustainable businesses.
“One of the things that makes Power Farming unique is our commitment to creating genuine pathways to business ownership for outstanding leaders,” Ruddenklau said.
“Heath has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, strong commercial capability and an unwavering commitment to his customers, his team and the Southland community.
“Having local owners who are deeply invested in the success of their region creates stronger businesses, better outcomes for our customers and long-term stability.”
Federated Farmers says it welcomes Labour's commitment to reviewing the Sharemilking Agreements Act, calling on other major parties to do the same.
For Canterbury dairy farmers Sian Meijer and Rick Wobben, wearable technology has become one of their most valuable on-farm tools - helping manage 1850 cows across an expansive, high-performing dairy operation while improving efficiency, mating outcomes and day-to-day decision making.
Fonterra has unveiled its annual results for the 2026 financial year, posting $27 billion in revenue and close to $20 billion returned to New Zealand farmer owners and unit holders.
The first major update to the Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare in more than a decade has been released, marking what DairyNZ describes as an important step in ensuring animal welfare standards continue to evolve alongside scientific evidence and on-farm realities.
Ravensdown shareholders have elected Jane Montgomery and Kate Acland to the Ravensdown Board for three-year terms, following a closely contested director election.
Federated Farmers says new legislation replacing the Resource Management Act will cut red tape, unlock investment and help grow New Zealand's export-led economy, after the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill passed their third reading in Parliament yesterday.

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