Starting again is nothing new for Rupert and Catherine Wright. After moving their family from England to New Zealand nearly two decades ago, they are once again embracing change — leaving behind cropping and building a new dairy future for the next generation.

A willingness to challenge conventional thinking has seen Waka Dairies completely reshape its farming system. By combining pasture, home-grown feed and compost barn technology, Michael and Gill Phillips have lifted production, reduced environmental impact and built a more resilient future for their fourth-generation family farm.

After years of setbacks and an Environment Court refusal, the Abrahamson family refused to give up on their dream of creating a dairy farm for the next generation. Their determination led to the construction of a modern 54-bail rotary dairy near Darfield, complete with advanced irrigation, refrigeration, feeding, and effluent systems.

After generations of cropping and sheep farming, Rod and Adrienne May made one of the biggest decisions of their farming lives—converting their Canterbury property into a modern dairy farm. Backed by Central Plains Water, a purpose-built 54-bail rotary dairy and a trusted team of contractors, Avonlea Farm is now milking 650 cows with plans to expand.