SIDE Field Trip
Kick off the SIDE conference with a behind-the-scenes look at two very different but equally impressive farming operations....click for more info
About This Workshop
This visit offers a great opportunity to step outside dairy and see how a large-scale horticulture business is being established, managed and future-proofed.
From there, we’ll head to Chertsey to visit Ashmount Farm’s brand-new dairy conversion - a 426 ha operation which will milk 1,700 cows. Hear firsthand about the decisions, challenges and opportunities involved in developing a modern, large-scale dairy system from the ground up.
The afternoon wraps up back at Lincoln University with networking drinks and nibbles - the perfect chance to connect, compare notes and ease into the SIDE conference.
About the Speaker(s)
Ed Tapp – General Manager NZSF Portfolio
Ed joined FarmRight in 2007 as a Trainee Consultant and has progressed through roles including Consultant, Investment Manager and Portfolio Lead, to become a senior leader within the company. Ed is also a current Shareholder Director of FarmRight.
Hannah Murdoch – Investment Manager Pipfruit
Hannah has been with FarmRight for eight years, beginning her journey as a Support Coordinator after gaining hands-on experience through several seasons Sharemilking. As FarmRight expanded into Horticulture, Hannah supported the onboarding and ongoing management of new Horticulture ventures, which lead to her appointment as Investment Manager for Horticulture. With the continued growth of FarmRight’s Pipfruit portfolio, Hannah’s role has recently evolved to focus specifically on this area, reflecting the strategic importance of the sector. In addition to her operational responsibilities, Hannah holds a small shareholding in FarmRight and is actively pursuing professional development in governance through the Institute of Directors and the FarmRight Board.
Damian Febery – Development Manager
Damian joined FarmRight as Development Manager in July 2023 to lead the redevelopment of 120 ha of NZSF owned apple orchards in the Tasman region, later relocating to Canterbury to lead the Tōrea development. Damian has been building his career in horticulture for around 16 years and has been lucky to work with a mix of crops over that time including apples, cherries, blackcurrants, and avocados. Damian particularly enjoys the challenge of developing orchards and helping to grow the industry, while working with great people along the way.
Matt Bentley – Tōrea Orchard Manager
Matt comes to Tōrea with a background in agriculture spanning from dairy to large scale specialty seed production. Working alongside Damian, this is Matt’s first role in horticulture, with his experience in leadership roles, he is focusing on building a high performing team, efficient systems, growing premium-quality apples, and developing people along the way.
Peter O'Connor:
Peter is the manager of a 1,000-cow operation at Chertsey Dairies, working for Will and Kim Grayling just north of Ashburton. Originally from a family farm in Westport, Peter has quickly established himself as a standout in the dairy industry. He was named New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year in 2022 and went on to be runner-up in the prestigious NZ Young Farmer of the Year competition in 2023. Most recently, Peter spent a year travelling, which included time working on a dairy farm in the UK, further broadening his skills and experience. Off-farm, he keeps active with hockey, hunting, and squash.
Pathways to Wealth Creation in the Dairy Industry
This workshop celebrates everyday people in dairy achieving extraordinary results - building wealth, creating opportunities, and making a lasting impact.....click for more info
About This Workshop
About the Speaker(s)
To follow.
Turning Milk into Profit: Smart Spending Strategies from the Top 10%
What separates the top 10% of dairy operators from the rest?....click for more info
About This Workshop
This practical, data-driven workshop reveals how leading farms manage costs, make smart spending decisions, and maximise profitability without compromising performance. Hear from experts and top farmers as they share real-world strategies for controlling costs, investing wisely, and turning small efficiencies into big results - offering actionable insights to help you boost your
bottom line.
About the Speaker(s)
To be announced
Rethinking the Future: Practical Tools for Using AI on Farm
Discover how artificial intelligence is shaping the future of dairy farming.....click for more info
About This Workshop
Join our industry leaders as they share insights and explore how AI tools can be applied in everyday farm management. Through interactive activities and real-world examples, you’ll gain a clearer understanding of the opportunities ahead - and how to prepare for the changes coming to on-farm decision making and efficiency.
About the Speaker(s)
James Allen
James is the CEO of AgFirst, New Zealand’s largest provider of primary sector advisory services. James is also a past president of the New Zealand Fieldays Society, a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management, and a previous national president of New Zealand Young Farmers.
James was awarded a Nuffield scholarship in 2023. The rise of Agriculture 4.0, the next agricultural revolution, and in particular the increased use of AI, is set to bring profound change on how both famers and farm advisers solve the complex problems facing farming. His research focused on re-defining what excellence looks like for the agricultural advisory sector in the midst of this change, to help keep New Zealand farmers at the leading edge of profitability and sustainability.
Optimising Your System: Making the Most of a High Payout Year
Every farm system can succeed - the key is understanding your own and knowing where to fine-tune it....click for more info
About This Workshop
About the Speaker(s)
To be announced
Advancing Pasture and Animal Performance Through Technology
Genetic technology is rapidly shaping the future of dairying, and this session breaks down what that means for your farm.....click for more info
About This Workshop
Leading scientists translate complex research into practical insights for South Island systems, exploring how genetics can boost animal health, feed efficiency, and climate resilience.
Gain a clear view of where these technologies are heading, what’s realistic now, and how they could influence your farm’s profitability and decisions.
About the Speaker(s)
John Caradus:
John Caradus is currently Chief Technical Officer of Grasslanz Technology Ltd, having been Chief Executive for nearly 19 years, based in New Zealand. Previously John was CEO of Dexcel Ltd, and a Science General Manager for AgResearch. John has a background in agricultural research with particular emphasis on plant breeding. John was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand (RSNZ) in 2006 and is an Honorary Fellow NZ Institute Agricultural and Horticultural Science (1998), and Fellow Agronomy Society NZ (1996). John was elected a Life Member of NZ Grassland Association in 2018. He is a Past President of the NZ Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science (NZIAHS), and the NZ Grassland Association, and is the current chair of the NZ Plant Breeding and Research Association. He has served on the RSNZ Council and RSNZ Academy of Fellows. He has been awarded the Pickering Medal (2018) and Thomson Medal (2020) by RSNZ, the AgMardt NZHIAS Technology and Knowledge Transfer Award (2023), was a member of the team awarded the Prime Ministers Science Prize for 2024, and the NZIAHS Jubilee Medal (2025). He has a number of company directorships, including being an independent director of Foundation for Arable Research (FAR). John has authored more than 290 science journal and referred conference papers, and book chapters.
Governance on Farm: Building Better Businesses Through Smarter Decision-Making
Good governance isn’t just for big businesses - it’s for any farmer wanting to make smarter decisions, build stronger relationships, and achieve long-term success.....click for more info
About This Workshop
In this session, industry leaders and farmers share how governance has improved clarity, accountability, and business performance, with insights from both boardroom and on-farm perspectives. Gain practical tools, ideas for mentorship and advisory networks, and a clear sense of how good governance can help you run a better business today and build a stronger one for the future.
About the Speaker(s)
Stuart Taylor:
General Manager of Farming, Craigmore Sustainables
Stuart Taylor is a fifth generation dairy farmer and the General Manager of Farming at Craigmore Sustainables, overseeing farming operations across 20 dairy properties and approximately 16,000 cows in Canterbury and North Otago.
Alongside his national leadership role, Stuart and his family, with a business partner, own and operate an 800cow dairy farm in Wakanui, near Ashburton. This hands on experience strongly informs his practical, people centred approach to largescale farming.
Stuart is known for championing farm systems that are tailored to individual landscapes and the strengths of the people managing them. He places strong emphasis on quality recruitment, fair pay, flexible rosters, and leadership development, believing these are critical to longterm performance and staff retention.
In 2022, Craigmore Farming Services was awarded the Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award, recognised for its practical, people focused approach to sustainability and innovation. Stuart is also an active member of the Dairy Environment Leaders Network, and a director of Safer Farms, supporting the Farmers leading Farmers initiative to improve health and safety on farms across the country.
Stuart brings a grounded, real world perspective on modern dairy farming -combining commercial discipline, environmental responsibility, and people led leadership.
Brent Love:
Brent’s role within KPMG is to enhance the knowledge that KPMG can bring to the agriculture sector. He specialises in advisory and financial management of private and corporate agricultural businesses, as well as, provides additional support around equity
partnerships, debt funding, succession planning and strategy.
Brent is well versed in on-farm management practices and systems with significant practical experience too. Through long term commitment to the industry, Brent has a good understanding of physical, financial and social (people) factors in business.
What They Wish They Knew: Lessons From The Dairy Journey
What They Wish They Knew: Lessons From the Dairy Journey...click for more info
About This Workshop
About the Speaker(s)
Louise Gibson:
My husband and I are based in Morrinsville but own a 100ha dairy farm in West Huntly that we are currently in the process of digging out of the weeds and turning it into a profitable business. I am the managing director of The Sharefarming Consultants which specialises in supporting farm owners to have successful sharemilking and contract milking relationships on farm without compromising on-farm performance and work closely with sharemilkers and contract milkers who need advice. We are primarily Waikato based but we support the rest of the country online. Amongst this we have two boys who are 7 and 5 who keep us busy and run a co-working space in Morrinsville to provide work and meeting spaces for our local community.
Will Grayling:
Will, along with his wife Kim are equity partners in a 3400 cow farm at Ashburton with a team of 17 people. Will started out managing 750 cows in 2008 and through stock ownership, Kim and Will built themselves in to a position to become equity partners with Jim and Sue Van der Poel in an 1800 cow farm in 2013. Kim and Will believe in the value of win-win partnerships and the potential of the dairy industry, having grown both their shareholding in the farm as well as growing the size of the farming operation which also includes two further Equity Partnership Farms.
Building Great Teams: Leadership, Culture, and Retention on Farm
Strong teams are built through great leadership, clear communication, and trust.....click for more info
About This Workshop
In this practical workshop, leadership experts and farmers share real-life lessons on creating and sustaining high-performing teams - covering delegation, staff development, and maintaining smooth operations. Walk away with practical strategies to grow and retain great people, strengthen team culture, and lead with confidence, because keeping good staff is the smartest investment you can make.
About the Speaker(s)
To be announced
Sharing the Real Story: Building Your Brand and Promoting Dairy Positively Online
Social media is a powerful tool used to shape how people see dairy farming, but using it well takes skill and confidence.....click for more info
About This Workshop
In this practical workshop, Grassroots Media shares how to tell authentic, positive stories that promote both your business and the wider dairy sector. Learn to build your brand, attract great people, and create smart, honest content that balances the good with the real. Walk away inspired and equipped to share your story confidently and strengthen the dairy community online.own simple web pages and understand the core concepts that power the modern web.
About the Speaker(s)
Allie King:
Alongside her husband Ben King, they 50:50 sharemilk 650 cross bred and jersey cows, in North Canterbury.
They have two children, Lincoln and Isabelle and a fluffy Samoyed dog called Ted who regularly features on their instagram and Facebook.
They have been in the industry for 11 years when Ben started as a farm assistant andAllie worked in a farm store. Allie wasn’t bought up in farming and had no exposure to it until Ben went farming. They then went contract milking in 2018 and worked our way up to 50:50 in 2022.
Our social media was borne out of the fact that my family and friends from town didn’t have much understanding of what a farming lifestyle was like, and the misconception around farm policies and procedures. We would often be at events and hear people bad-mouthing farmers. We wanted to showcase and promote dairy whilst educating our friends and family of our truth to farming in NZ. Allie is also the Dairy Women’s Network hub leader for Canterbury & North Otago.
Amber Carpenter:
Amber Carpenter is a dairy farmer, digital marketer, and sector leader with a strong commitment to shaping positive, honest narratives about New Zealand’s food and fibre sector.
Together with her husband Fraser, Amber farms just under 500 dairy cows in Paparimu, South Auckland, and leases two beef farms. Her hands on involvement across multiple farming
systems gives her a grounded understanding of the realities, pressures, and opportunities facing modern farming businesses.
Alongside farming, Amber owns and leads Grass Roots Media, a digital marketing agency built specifically for the food and fibre sector. Grass Roots Media partners with farmers, growers, and agribusinesses to help them tell authentic stories, clearly communicate their value, and succeed with practical digital marketing strategies that build trust, connection, and long term impact.
Amber is deeply involved in industry leadership and governance. She has served as National Chair of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, is Chair of DairyNZ’s Dairy Environment Leaders network, a Farmstrong Ambassador, an Esculator graduate and a Kellogg Scholar. She is also actively involved in community and catchment initiatives, bringing people together to create meaningful and lasting change.
Her leadership is driven by a clear purpose creating positive, impactful and lasting change for the people, communities, and future generations that underpin the food and fibre sector.
Keynote Session - Legends of Dairy
This Keynote session brings together Legends of Dairy at different stages of their wealth journey to share what’s worked, what’s changed, and what still holds true......click for more info
About This Workshop
