For Luke and Nicole Kane, entering the Ballance Farm Environment Awards was as much about taking stock of their business as it was about recognition. “Coming off the back of doing the Rabobank Executive Development Programme, we kind of thought we might have our ducks in a row better than we thought,” Luke Kane said. “So, we thought, let’s give it a go.” For Kane, who is also Otago provincial president of Federated Farmers, the process was a chance to step back and take a clo

Ignacio Perez, herd manager at Mount Rivers, with his partner Yanina Ferro. With cattle moving taken care of, they get to see a lot more of each other at home. From Ashburton New Zealand, all the way to Osorno Chile: herding cows via satellite from 12,000 km away. In Valetta, near Mayfield, Mount Rivers is the latest in a growing community of Kiwi farms to adopt an innovative approach to farming, connecting family and technology, and stretching all the way from rural New Zeal

Scott and Stacey Mackereth were named the 2026 New Zealand Share Farmers of the Year at the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards in Rotorua. Supplied. Southland couple Scott and Stacey Mackereth say people, relationships and creating opportunities for others have been central to their success after being named the 2026 New Zealand Share Farmers of the Year. The couple took out the national title at the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards in Rotorua on May 9, alongside three merit

Hinehou Timutimu was named the 2026 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year at the Dairy Women’s Network conference gala dinner in Christchurch. The Bay of Plenty leader says she hopes the award helps create pathways for other women in the sector. Photo Supplied. Bay of Plenty leader Hinehou Timutimu says if her win as the 2026 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year inspires even one other woman to step forward, it will have been worth it. “If I can just inspire one person, that would be

A Mid Canterbury dairy farmer has been named a finalist in a national award recognising grassroots leadership across the sector. Ashleigh Gordon, of Valetta, is one of two finalists in the 2026 Regional Leader of the Year Award, presented by Dairy Women’s Network (DWN). The winner will be announced at the gala dinner during the organisation’s annual conference on May 5 in Christchurch. DWN chief executive Jules Benton said the finalists reflected the importance of leadership

“We’re just getting back into equilibrium,” says dairy farmer Mark Cressey. Kiwi dairy farmers have received one of the largest cash injections in the history of the industry, but for Cressey, the payout is more about restoration than gain. Fonterra’s recent sale of its consumer brands, to French dairy giant Lactalis, has returned $3.2 billion to New Zealand farms. Cressy, a Methven local, told the Guardian that the payout is “better described as a return of capital than a fi

I’m not sure you noticed, but a large grocery retailer recently announced they will start supplying US butter for $6.99. This is not good news for NZ dairy. In an election year, New Zealanders will be wondering why we can import butter cheaper than we can make it ourselves, and the questions won’t stop there. That $10 Kiwi butter sits on the shelf right alongside news of the dairy industry windfall courtesy of Fonterra’s capital payout. Meanwhile, Kiwis will cast their votes

Thomas Slee after being crowned the 2026 Otago Southland FMG Young Farmer of the Year in Gore on February 7. Supplied Third time lucky for Slee in Otago Southland Young Farmer final Nightcaps dairy farmer Thomas Slee is heading to the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final after taking out the Otago Southland regional title in Gore on February 7. The 28-year-old accumulated 271 points across five demanding modules at the Gore A&P Showgrounds, finishing ahead of Henry Smith