DAIRY 101 FARM ADVISERS
A farm adviser will look at all of your business – not just your cows.
Why should you hire a farm adviser? Story and photos by: Karen Trebilcock
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o, you’ve taken on a contract milking role for the first time, or your parents are making you step up and take over the farm. You have hired an accountant, lawyer and banker but there is one other person crucial to your team – a farm adviser. Why? Because you don’t know everything. Even if you have been managing a farm for years, there are always new products on the market, new practices and new ways of doing it better. If you have the best dairying business, you can always make it better. A farm adviser is the person who will help you prioritise your business goals and keep you on track achieving them. They are the person you can bounce ideas off, who will give you honest feedback, and provide impact assessments on different management options. 132
They are the person who will keep you accountable and honest to yourself. They will not be a “yes” person. Be prepared for them to play devil’s advocate. They want to make you think about all of the options, not just the easy ones or the ones you think are best. They will deconstruct your business and realise opportunities you have not considered. And they will be asking what happens if the payout drops, your second in charge (2IC) leaves or it doesn’t rain for a month? Risk management is their strength.
DON’T DISMISS THE OFFICE JOCKEY Farmers are by nature inquisitive, scientists at heart, and there will be some things you know more about than your farm adviser. They sit in an office. You do the real thing. But while you’re putting cups on, mowing paddocks or replacing a fence line, they’re reading up on latest technologies,
new farming trends and discovering innovative options to deal with ongoing compliance requirements to future proof your business. How do you go about finding one? The best way is by word of mouth. Find out who your neighbours use and figure out whether they are a good fit for your business. Of course, in this online world, your farm adviser could be in a different region but it’s important they understand your farm business and future goals to ensure they can add value. Check their skill set. Today, farm advisers are there for everything from feed budgets to governance, staff issues to effluent, problem solving to health and safety. Don’t expect them to know everything but if they don’t know something, they should be able to find the expertise suitable for your situation. They will know what other farmers are
Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021
