Dairy Women's Network - West Coast and Top of the South

💻Join us online for our upcoming webinars with Ag Assist, CMK Chartered Accountants and AgriSmart!💻

From how to connect with local workforce, tips and tricks on managing tax, and the importance of maintaining employment contracts, our webinars cover a wide range of relevant subjects and provide the knowledge from the experts directly to you.

We hope to see you online.

26 JUNE – ACCESSING LOCAL WORKFORCE: MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO YOUR CALVING
Join Ag Assist, a start-up company focused on transforming how farmers connect with local workforce. Recognising the demands placed on entire families during calving season, they’re dedicated to offering a solution that enables you to work differently and access local workers tailored to your specific needs. In this webinar they will take you through how they can support you not just during calving, but through your farming season!
Register now: https://bit.ly/3VsFjQl

1 JULY – MILKING YOUR TAX OPTIONS - A GUIDE TO NAVIGATING TAX WITH EASE
Join CMK Chartered Accountants as they provide us with top tips and tools for best managing tax in your dairy farming business. This webinar will cover a range of topics such as provisional tax and how it works to the importance of budgeting. CMK Chartered Accountants are also offering a complimentary tax review session for all live webinar attendees!
Register now: https://bit.ly/3RpOtKZ

3 JULY – THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS
Join Marie-Claire Andrews and Rob Hart from AgriSmart as they dive into the importance of maintaining contracts including short term (like those for calf rearing and relief milking), and ensuring you stay legally compliant and crystal clear in your organisational practices. Through this webinar you will also discover how AgriSmart can facilitate a smooth and efficient onboarding experience for new employees.
Register now: https://bit.ly/3XlXvwv

Our Business Groups provide our members with a small group environment to connect with like-minded dairy women and build knowledge for success in their business going forward.

Without our volunteer Business Group Leaders, we wouldn’t be able to run our Business Groups across New Zealand.

Want to find out more? Head to: https://www.dwn.co.nz/business-groups/

Ag Assist recognises the demands placed on entire families during calving season. That's why they're dedicated to offering a solution that enables you to work differently and access local workers tailored to your specific needs.

Whether you require assistance with calf rearing, stock management, milking, or maintaining household tasks amid the chaos of school, housework and meals, Ag Assist is here to streamline your operations and alleviate the burden on your family.

Join Ag Assist on Wednesday 26 June at 12:00pm as they take you through:
• Who Ag Assist is: Discover their journey, mission, vision and how they're reshaping the agricultural landscape.
• How they can help solve farming challenges: Hear firsthand accounts of how Ag Assist addresses common hurdles farmers face during calving, saving time, resources, and reducing stress for farming families.
• The platform - Explore the Ag Assist platform and discover the intuitive features designed to facilitate acquiring local, skilled workforce.
• Empowering your farm: Discover how Ag Assist can support you throughout the farming season, offering valuable insights to boost overall efficiency and productivity on your farm.

Register today: https://bit.ly/3VsFjQl

Our Regional Leaders help us to connect with our members.

Without the help of our volunteers, DWN wouldn't be what it is today.

We thank and appreciate you all for your time, effort and contributions over the years.❤️

Find out more about becoming a volunteer with us: https://www.dwn.co.nz/about/join-our-volunteer-team/

At DWN, we enable our volunteers by supporting and rewarding them with training and development, leadership opportunities and close connections within the sector – all things they can take back to their personal and professional lives!

Our Conference Committee is made up of our volunteers, allowing them to step out of their comfort zone and have a leadership role in the planning and delivery of the DWN Conference.

Want find out more about becoming a volunteer with us? Head to and get in touch: https://www.dwn.co.nz/contact/

Joining AgriSmart for their live webinar about why it's essential to keep your employment contracts maintained and up-to-date are good friends of DWN Marie-Claire Andrews and Rob Hart.

Marie-Claire (M-C) has been a friend of DWN for several years working closely with our team. She's recently MCd our Business Group Summit and helped shape the 'Women Leading the Way' panel session our 2024 conference. She’s a passionate start up business expert, coach and mentor who lives by the mantra ‘no pressure, no diamonds’ and started working with Rob and the team at AgriSmart in March.

Rob has worked with the DWN team over a couple of years. Gaining valuable Business Banking experience in the UK, Rob and his family moved to New Zealand in 2018, where he utilised his knowledge and skillset to forge strong relations, and find solutions, for Kiwi business owners. Roles have included recruiting and placing apprentices within the trades and helping agribusinesses with their workforce management. Rob has also gained valuable insights into life as a NZ business owner, supporting his wife run a small team at a local cafe and catering business in Cambridge.

Register now for the webinar on Wednesday 3 July at 12:30pm: https://bit.ly/3XlXvwv

National Volunteer Week celebrates the collective contribution of the millions of volunteers who enrich Aotearoa.

From our Regional Leaders to our Conference Committee and Business Group Leaders, we want to recognise, celebrate, and thank you for all the work that you do for DWN and your communities.

Whether you're a seasoned dairy farmer or new to the industry, understanding tax and the various tools that can be used to manage tax is VERY important.

Join CMK Chartered Accountants for a LIVE webinar on Monday 1 July as they take you through the important tools and top tips for best managing tax in your dairy business. Don't miss the opportunity to take your tax knowledge to the next level!

Register now: https://bit.ly/3RpOtKZ

Join Beck, a farm owner in Canterbury, and Louise, a 50/50 sharemilker in the Waikato for a LIVE webinar on Wednesday 26 June as they introduce you to Ag Assist, an intuitive online platform that could improve your calving season (and beyond!).

Louise Benns, a seasoned 50/50 sharemilker from Waikato, offers deep expertise in dairy farming, especially during calving. With a generational farming background, she excels in marketing, customer experience, and farmer-focused product development. Louise's dedication to enhancing on-farm efficiency and profitability is driven by her passion for positive change and understanding of farmers' needs.

Beck's journey into agriculture began with a passion for dairy farming, defying her Wellington roots. She studied at Lincoln University, envisioning a future in New Zealand's agricultural sector. Four years of immersive learning strengthened her expertise and led her to meet her future partner. Together, they raised three children and advanced in the dairy industry, eventually owning their own farm.

Register now: https://bit.ly/3VsFjQl

It's time to discover why maintaining your employment contracts is not just important...but ESSENTIAL.

Join the team at AgriSmart for a LIVE webinar on Wednesday 3 July as we dive into the importance of maintaining even short-term contracts like those for calf rearing and relief milking, and ensuring you stay legally compliant and crystal clear in your organisational practices.

See how AgriSmart’s innovative solutions can transform your onboarding process. From the initial job offer to the comprehensive induction program, including vital health and safety protocols, we’ll show you how to make the journey smooth and efficient for every new hire.

Registrations are now open: https://bit.ly/3XlXvwv

Introducing Ag Assist, a pioneering startup transforming how farmers connect with local workforce. Through an intuitive online platform, Ag Assist provides farmers with seamless access to workers whenever they're needed!

Join Ag Assist for a LIVE webinar on Wednesday 26 June as they discuss how they can improve your calving season (and beyond!). From who they are to how they can help address common hurdles farmers face during calving, join them online and discover how they can support you throughout your farming season.

Registrations are now open: https://bit.ly/3VsFjQl

It's time to join Jeremy Clark with Ballance Agri-Nutrients for a LIVE webinar all about feeling confident using MyBallance and preparing you for nitrogen data reporting in June.

There's still time to join! Head to the link below to tune into this webinar:
https://bit.ly/3UBtaYZ

Join Jeremy Clark for Ballance Agri-Nutrients LIVE webinar taking you through everything you need to know about submitting your nitrogen report.

Jeremy joined the Ballance team as Digital Product Owner in 2023, supporting the team to drive development of the MyBallance customer portal. Utilising his experience in designing and developing user centric web applications, he is focused on developing tools that make it easier for Ballance farmers to run their farms productively and sustainably.

His goal is to continue enhancing MyBallance, ensuring it is simple to plan, order, spread and record fertliser data, helping farmers both comply with regulations like Nitrogen Cap, but also maximise productivity on their farm.

Join Jeremy on Tuesday 28th May at 12:00pm: https://bit.ly/3UBtaYZ

It's now time to join Paul Drew from Seales Winslow who will be taking us through Ruminix³, the new digital tool from SealesWinslow that helps you to understand how to feed your herd to be more profitable!

Join the LIVE webinar now, there's still time to register: https://bit.ly/3vZUkzf

Are you ready to tackle the 2024-2025 season? It's time to join CMK Chartered Accountants for a LIVE webinar as they take us through their tips and tricks for getting finanically fit ahead of the new dairy season.

There's still time to join the webinar: https://bit.ly/3QeRtZR

'Women in rural communities are known for wearing many different hats, and the Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) conference is a showcase of the women going above and beyond in the dairy sector and in their communities.'

After the DWN 2024 Enhance. Elevate. Evolve conference in New Plymouth Sheryl Haitana from 'The NZ Dairy Exporter Podcast' caught up with Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year Katrina Roberts, Regional Leader of the Year Rebecca O'Brien, and Dairy Women's Network CEO Jules Benton.

To listen to the full episode, head to: https://omny.fm/shows/the-dairy-exporter-podcast/celebrating-women-in-dairy

How do you get your business finances in shape so that you can enter the 2024-2025 season in the best position possible?

As we count down to the new season, let CMK Chartered Accountants prepare you with the right tools to be financially fit and successful. Join them for a LIVE webinar on Tuesday 21 May where CMK Chartered Accountants cover:
- Gaining insights into the current financial environment
- Understand the state of play with the milk payout
- Learn how to assess your current financial position
- Understand how a Cashflow forecast can help prepare you
- and MORE.

To find out more or to register, head to: https://bit.ly/3QeRtZR

It's now time to join Kara Dawson and Rebecca White from LIC to talk all about the myths, challenges, and the actionable on farm strategies for tackling Johne's head on!🐮

Tune into the LIVE webinar now, there's still time to register! https://bit.ly/3JuUEJf

Are you ready for nitrogen reporting in June?

Join Ballance Agri-Nutrients for a LIVE webinar on Tuesday 28 May at 12:00pm as they help you feel confident using MyBallance and take you through everything you need to know about how to easily submit your nitrogen reporting.

Through this webinar you will also learn how you can set your data up for success going into the new season, and you'll have the opportunity to ask the experts any questions you may have.

Register now: https://bit.ly/3UBtaYZ

Wishing all the super mums out there a Happy Mother's Day! 💐

Dominic George from Rural Exchange caught up with Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year winner Katrina Roberts to chat about her recent success, experiences and contributions in the dairy industry.

To listen to the full interview, head to: https://www.dwn.co.nz/news/fonterra-dairy-woman-of-the-year-winner-katrina-roberts-rural-exchange/

Seales Winslow has launched Ruminix³ - an easy-to-use digital tool that helps you understand how to feed your herd to be more profitable. It helps to identify the limiting nutrients holding back milk production and how to feed those gaps to improve feed margin, based on the variables of your farm’s unique system.

Join SealesWinslow for a LIVE webinar on Thursday 23 May at 12:30pm as they use the Ruminix³ tool to demonstrate:
- Input feed options & on farm information to gauge return on investment for your farm.
- What alternative feed options could improve milk production outcomes & profitability.
- Show an easy-to-understand report with the discussed outcomes that can be customised based on your individual needs.

To find out more about Ruminix³, register now: https://bit.ly/3vZUkzf

The last 12-18 months in the dairy industry has come with ups and downs...with dairy farmers balancing payout fluctuations, increased interest rates and farm working costs that have stayed fairly constant.

With all this in mind, how is it best to get ready for the new season? Join CMK Chartered Accountants for a LIVE webinar on Tuesday 21 May at 12:30pm as they provide you with top tips for getting financially fit as you head into the new dairy season, helping you hit the ground running and ready to tackle the 2024-2025 season.

Registrations are now open: https://bit.ly/3QeRtZR

✨Meet your presenters!✨

Join Kara Dawson, Epidemiologist at LIC and Rebecca White, member of the LIC Animal Health Research and Development team, for a LIVE webinar all about Johne's Disease on Tuesday 14th of May at 12:30pm.

Kara has a background in veterinary practice before studying for her Master's degree in Veterinary Epidemiology. She previously worked for OSPRI as a Disease Control Managers for bovine TB, and as a MPI contractor in research and animal movement tracing for M.bovis eradication programme. Now, she is an epidemiologist at LIC in the R&D Animal Health team and will soon be starting her PhD!

Rebecca studied a the University of Waikato, completing her BSc in Biochemistry, and her MSc looking at ear infections in children. Since then, she has worked in the Pneumococcal Serological Reference Laboratory in London, looking at antibody functionality pre and post immunisation against Streptococcus pneumoniae. She has been a member of the LIC Animal Health Research and Development team since December 2018. Her main research focus is Johne’s disease epidemiology and diagnostics.

Tune into the 'Moo-ving Forward: Tackling Johne's Disease with Science' webinar with LIC by registering today: https://bit.ly/3JuUEJf

Let's talk all about Johne's Disease! 🐄

Join LIC on Tuesday 14th of May at 12:30pm as they take us through the myths, the challenges and the actionable on farm strategies for tackling Johne's head on.

Through this webinar you will learn:
🐮 How to seperate facts from fiction, equip yourself with all the correct knowledge!
🐮 Learn more about the testing process
🐮 Why it's important to control Johne's disease (and what can happen if it's not...)
🐮 Scientifically proven methods for controlling an outbreak
🐮 and finishing with a Q&A session with the experts, answering your questions!

Register today: https://bit.ly/3JuUEJf

We are now LIVE with James Atkinson, NZX's Dairy Derivative Manager as he takes us through the risks involved in hedging, the managements tools available to you when managing exposure to fluctuating milk process, how to access margin facilities and how to connect to the futures market.

There's still time to join the webinar brought to you by Fonterra and NZX - New Zealand's Exchange! Follow to link below:
https://bit.ly/4andmyr

⭐MEET THE PRESENTER⭐

James Atkinson is NZX’s Dairy Derivatives Manager based in Auckland NZ. In James’s work, he is responsible for the development, sales and building of liquidity in the SGX-NZX Global dairy futures and options market in New Zealand and internationally. Alongside work, James is passionate about New Zealand’s Agricultural industry, having a continued involvement in the family dairy farming operation based in the mighty Waikato.

Join James Atkinson as he takes us through the risks involved in hedging, the management tools available to you when managing your exposure to fluctuating milk prices, how to access margin facilities and how to connect to the futures market during our LIVE webinar with Fonterra and NZX - New Zealand's Exchange TOMORROW at 12:30pm.

Register now! https://bit.ly/4andmyr

Get ready for your chance to sit down with key sector organisations, to connect and be inspired by them.

With multiple table rotations, it's time to figure out who’s table YOU want to visit.

Thank you to our conference supporters Shoof International and Milk Bar as well as this year’s table hosts for supporting the DWN 2024 Enhance. Elevate. Evolve Conference.

Register and secure your spot at conference on Thursday 2 May before it's too late: https://bit.ly/3uC275y

Did you know that Ballance Agri-Nutrients are giving you the chance to WIN TWO CONFERENCE REGISTRATIONS? ✨

The winner will receive two registrations to the DWN2024 Enhance. Elevate. Evolve Conference as well as two tickets to the Casino Royale Gala Dinner.

To be in to win, head to the Ballance Agri-Nutrients page now to search for the pink social post, tell them who you would bring to the conference and why, and you’re in the draw!

Entries close at close at 11.59pm Friday 19th April (TONIGHT), so be quick!

Operation 'Give Mum A Break for the Day' is a go! 💪

With Mother's Day not so far away…it's time to execute the ultimate escape plan for mum and give her a break from the daily grind.

Gift her a day filled with inspiration, connection and empowerment with workshops, a keynote speaker, interactive session and meals included...it's the ultimate day out!

Register mum to the DWN2024 Enhance. Elevate. Evolve Conference in New Plymouth on Thursday 2 May before it's too late!: https://bit.ly/3uC275y