I farm: “A family-owned intensive flat-land 570ha sheep and dairy grazing farm in Fiver Rivers, Northern Southland, New Zealand. We have 3,300 ewes, 1,000 hoggets and 50 rams.”

Sheep: “We run a Tefrom breed of sheep, which is a cross of 25% Texel, 25% East Friesian and 50% Romney. We graze 450 yearling and 450 rising two-year-old dairy Kiwi-cross heifers. We also winter 800 mixed-aged dairy cows for eight weeks in winter.”

Wintering: “Our stock are outside all year round. It’s currently winter in New Zealand so the majority of stock are being wintered on swedes or kale with silage or grass with silage.”

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Exchange: “I came to Ireland through the Farm Relief Services (FRS) for a dairy farm exchange for four months and was placed at John and Catherine Hannon’s Kiltemplan Dairy Farm at Patrickswell, Co Limerick. I would highly recommend for anybody who would like to go to New Zealand farming on a dairy exchange to go through [FRS].”

Grass growth: “It has been a phenomenal year here for grass on the farm, with growth rates some weeks over 100kg DM/ha and 15% of the farm reseeded.”

Differences: “The average-size dairy farm in NZ is 162ha with 448 cows at 2.76 cows/ha. The majority of our milking sheds [in New Zealand] are rotary sheds. I hadn’t worked in a herringbone shed until I came to Ireland.”

Award: “The Hannons and the farm work colleagues, Tadgh Hannon, Brian Mansbridge and Jack Gorman, are a great hard-working team and have a great dairy farm setup which was recognised when they were recently awarded as the Limerick regional winner for the Dairygold Milk Quality and Sustainability Awards 2025 as well as the grassroots sustainability award winner.

Quotable quote: “You don’t have beef sausages over here. It was big surprise to only find pork sausages – but they have grown on me.”