Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm learns from region’s high-performing farms
The Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm, a partnership between Fonterra, Nestlé and Dairy Trust Taranaki, is sharpening its focus on practical on-farm approaches for improving efficiency through a series of visits to top-performing dairy farms across Taranaki.
The visits brought together the Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm’s on-the-ground team, as well as staff from Fonterra and Dairy Trust Taranaki.
The group met with consistently high-performing local Fonterra farmers to better understand the day-to-day decisions, systems and mindsets that keep delivering results, says Carina Chaves, Fonterra’s project manager for the farm.
“The purpose of these visits was straightforward – to better understand what’s already delivering results on farm, then take those lessons back to the Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm to help inform our trials and share what works more widely with Co-op farmers,” she says.
“The Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm is all about turning on-farm insights into scalable, practical change and these visits were a great example of that approach in action.”
Common threads
One message came through clearly across the visits – there is no silver bullet. The stand-out farms were instead making gains through simplicity and well-aligned decisions made consistently over time, including:
- Efficiency first: The farms focused on doing more with less – lifting production per cow, improving feed efficiency and disciplined cost control.
- Simplicity as an advantage: The top-performing systems weren’t necessarily complicated - many were deliberately simple. Straightforward feeding systems, clear routines and staff processes that were easy to execute reduced mistakes and helped the whole farm perform consistently.
- Inputs used strategically: Farmers were targeted with fertiliser, nitrogen and supplementation. Through crop choices, self-sufficiency or reducing reliance on purchased inputs, these farms actively managed exposure to volatile seasons and markets.
- Technology with a purpose: Tools were adopted when they solved a real problem, like reducing labour pressure, tightening decision-making or improving animal management. Many farmers used data to guide decisions but validated it through observation. Animal care and “reading what the cows are telling you” were treated as non-negotiables.
- Embedded environmental stewardship: Environmental action was built into day-to-day farming – nitrogen reduction, a focus on soil health, native planting and biodiversity work also supported resilience and long-term performance.
- A mindset of continuous improvement: No one farmer talked about having a “finished” system. The tone across each visit was one of keep learning, keep refining and keep taking small steps that compound over time.
The Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm is all about turning on-farm insights into scalable, practical change and these visits were a great example of that approach in action.
Real-world examples
The farm visits also offered practical proof that strong performance can take different forms.
One farm demonstrated how a lower stocking rate paired with higher per-cow performance can deliver strong results, supported by disciplined, simple nutrition, meaningful native planting and land retirement.
Another placed a strong emphasis on feed self-sufficiency and very low external inputs, taking a firm profit-over-maximum-production approach.
A third showed what’s possible with focused, measured change, backed by a close eye on genetics and pasture diversity.
Taking the lessons back to the farm
The insights from the farm visits will be valuable as the Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm continues its mission to identify and demonstrate practical pathways to lower on-farm emissions while supporting resilient farm performance, says Chaves.
“By stepping into the wider farmer community and listening to what’s already working, the Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm can turn these observations into practical, farmer-led learnings to be shared more broadly with Fonterra’s farmers,” she says.
“Progress will come from solutions that fit New Zealand farming realities, and these visits reinforce that when farmers share what they know, the whole sector moves forward.”
About the Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm
The Net Zero Pilot Dairy Farm is a project within the Fonterra and Nestlé partnership, working with Dairy Trust Taranaki to trial emissions reduction solutions on a 250ha (210ha effective) farm in Taranaki. The pilot aims to create New Zealand’s first commercially viable net zero dairy farm in 10 years.
Trials on the farm are focused on solutions that are practical, scalable and good for the farmer, the cow and the milk.