Helping small herd owners smash challenging issues
Anna Kalma is Smaller Milk and Supply Herds (SMASH’s) national coordinator and has seen it all in her time on the national committee.
A midlife crisis and the desire for a new challenge were the catalysts for Nathan and Rosie Hughes’ switch to smaller herd dairy farming three years ago.
The Hughes owned a lifestyle block and they had built up a successful arboriculture business. They sold up to pursue a new career as the owners of a 80ha, 240 cow farm, situated on peat soil between Cambridge and Te Awamutu in the Waikato.
Rosie Hughes notes that there were a number of factors driving their change.
“My parents were farmers, so that is why we thought of going farming,” she says.
“We had a small business and it had got to the stage where we had several employees and Nathan was working long hours with no help in sight. Whereas, with the farm, we’ve got a retirement plan and a plan for the children. It means Nathan can take the kids with him on the farm. So he is still working long hours, but with a lot less stress, and it is more of an asset-based business.
“In a lot of ways it was a monetary move for us, and more of a challenge. It also suited Nathan, because it was something he could retrain as and he liked working outdoors. Everything fell into place, the farm came up for sale and it was within our price range.”
A smaller farm has provided the Hughes with an excellent training ground.
“I am glad we went in as owners,” says Hughes, “because nobody would have taken us on as sharemilkers, or lower, and we wouldn’t have gained the experience as quickly as we have. It was our money on the line, so we had to do the best we could. We are quite production driven, we want to pay the mortgage as much as we can.
“Nathan was raised in town and had a total of one week’s milking experience in his life, while I was raised on a dairy farm, but quickly learnt there is a lot more to dairying than playing around with horses! I do believe we mostly bluffed our way through that first year, listening to experienced people, and often having no idea what they were talking about, but being amazed at the amount of widespread knowledge that every farmer seemed to have.
“Other farmers have been so helpful, we really appreciate that. It isn’t a competition and that is really noticeable coming from the small business community.”
Hughes believes smaller farms still have a valuable part to play in the industry. “There is a role for smaller herds; people get tired of employees, they want something that is manageable. You can be just as profitable with a smaller herd as a big herd. You don’t need a 150ha property to make good money, as long as you are focussed on getting the most out of your farm.”
She also says SMASH events have played a big part in upskilling them to meet the challenge of running their own dairy farming business. “We like the SMASH events so much because they are at a good level, they are deep enough to be worthy of going, and practical enough that we can use them in everyday life. It is really useful to have that next level of education, even around spraying and fertilising, stuff that you wouldn’t get from reading the paper.
“Getting off the farm to go to an event is like a holiday! We’re so refreshed afterwards, it’s like being away forever!
“People should make the effort to go to SMASH events. Just go! The worst that could happen is you get a really good lunch. They are very beneficial and you learn a lot of new research and practical information that you can use for your farm. They have always got a good selection of topics, so if one topic doesn’t push your buttons, then another probably will.”
• Louise Hanlon is an executive member of Small Milk and Supply Herds (SMASH)
Boutique Waikato cheese producer Meyer Cheese is investing in a new $3.5 million facility, designed to boost capacity and enhance the company's sustainability credentials.
OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
Selecting the reverse gear quicker than a lovestruck boyfriend who has met the in-laws for the first time, the Coalition Government has confirmed that the proposal to amend Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) charged against farm utes has been canned.
Holstein Friesian excellence was front and centre at the 2025 Holstein Friesian NZ (HFNZ) Awards, held recently in Invercargill.
The work Fonterra has done with Ballance Agri-Nutrients Ltd, LIC and Ravensdown to save farmers time through better data connections has been recognised with a national award.
OPINION: Years of floods and low food prices have driven a dairy farm in England's northeast to stop milking its…
OPINION: An animal activist organisation is calling for an investigation into the use of dairy cows in sexuallly explicit content…