Farmers explore practical tech at Tākaka field day

Farmers from across the top of the south recently gathered in Upper Tākaka for a full day of learning and discussion, focused on practical technologies that can add real value to farm operations.

The event, hosted by the Tasman Farming for Profit Committee under the B+LNZ banner, began with a morning session at Sam Sowman’s runoff block near Tākaka, where attendees were introduced to Halter’s virtual fencing system. Sam spoke about what having Halter meant for their farm and how it’s used at runoffs compared with the dairy farm. He also demonstrated a live Halter shift. Kate Clausen and Minna Wilson from Halter also spoke about the system’s potential in hill country beef operations.

“It was an interesting thought for many to be able to use virtual fencing on hill country that hasn’t been able to be grazed properly or breakfed,” said Amanda Henderson, Extension Manager for Tasman/Marlborough at Beef + Lamb New Zealand, who facilitated the day. “It also highlighted how Halter technology can be used to keep stock out of native bush and wetlands.”

Following the demonstration, participants made their way to the Upper Tākaka Country Club for a barbecue lunch, generously provided by PGG Wrightson Tākaka and featuring locally sourced Pearl Pastures meat.

The afternoon session featured presentations from three agri-tech providers. DAGI (Drench And Grazing Integration), developed by South Canterbury vet Ryan Luckman, is a parasite management app for sheep farms. Grace Boardman from Blenheim explained that ingrates grazing movements, drench history and FEC data to support more strategic and sustainable drench use. FarmIQ, presented by Russell Mackay, is a cloud-based farm management system designed to bring together tasks, compliance, reporting, and inventory management in one streamlined platform. And Resolution, introduced by Paul Ruddenklau, is a farmer-developed tool aimed at simplifying farm data management and team communication. Designed for any farming system, it centralises key information without overwhelming users, making it a practical option for busy rural teams.

Amanda noted there was strong engagement from farmers throughout the day, with plenty of questions and discussion. “It’s great to see so much interaction,” she said. “These tech companies have been listening to farmers — and in some cases, they are farmers themselves — so it’s great to see real, farmer-driven improvements being made.”

The event drew a strong turnout, with a focus on farmer-led, relevant content. “I’d like to acknowledge the Tasman Farming for Profit Committee, who come up with ideas like this that provide really good, relevant, and local learning opportunities.”