After years of milking 750 cows through two aging herringbone sheds, Ngaere Farms knew change was needed.

The third-generation Taranaki farming family chose to build a centralised 60-bail rotary dairy designed around labour efficiency, cow comfort and long-term sustainability. With custom decisions throughout the build — from effluent management to automation and operator comfort — the result is a dairy designed for the next generation.

For the Rogers family, every great milking cow starts with exceptional calf rearing. Their purpose-built automated calf facility combines technology, outstanding stockmanship and practical design to rear hundreds of calves each autumn, delivering healthier young stock, faster growth rates and stronger future herd performance.

When Phil Empson decided to rethink what a dairy shed could be, he was not interested in simply building another rotary.

Driven by animal welfare, cow comfort and a desire to challenge traditional thinking, Richmond Downs Ltd in Orakau has become home to one of New Zealand’s most innovative dairy facilities — combining automation, first-to-market technology, smart lighting, advanced shelter systems and a world-class milking environment.