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DairyNZ will be running a series of workshops in November aimed at helping Canterbury dairy farmers decide on whether they should invest in off-paddock cow shelters such as barns.
DairyNZ regional leader for Canterbury/North Otago Virginia Serra says farmers need to assess a range of factors when considering off-paddock cow shelters.
"The decision to invest usually involves a big capital cost and can be driven by a range of different reasons so it needs to be based on sound analysis of the farm business," said Serra.
The aim is to help farmers understand how to use physical and financial modelling tools to investigate the impact of different options for their farms.
By pulling together the factors a farmer should consider in their decision-making, the workshops will focus on helping farmers to work through key questions such as:
• what are the main drivers behind the decision to build?
• what are the right tools to evaluate this decision?
• what research has been done and how does that help with analysing options?
The workshops will run from 10.30 to 1.30 on the Monday 17 November at the Hinds Community Hall, Hinds and on Tuesday 18 November at the Dunsandel Sports Centre, Dunsandel. Lunch is provided.
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