March 17, 2025
Waka Dairies at Dannevirke began introducing big system changes a decade ago, and hasn’t looked back.
Pushing boundaries and challenging what’s possible is how dynamic duo Michael Phillips and Andrew Evans from Waka Dairies plan to become one of New Zealand’s leading producers. The 650-cow dairy farm near Dannevirke also aims to sustain a business that produces food efficiently, improves their natural resources and creates a natural habitat.
Ten years ago the farm was out of balance and in comparison to today, it was overstocked, having to bring in too much feed and not producing enough of a profit to remain in business sustainably.
Phillips and Evans sat down nearly a decade ago and decided to “go big or go home”.
They decided to reshape the way they farmed.
“Big system changes like we have made here are not easy. They come with plenty of challenges, but with the fantastic culture we have cultivated here at Waka Dairies, we are all able to sit down and tackle challenges head first together,” Phillips said.
Operating with a focus on the betterment of their taiao (environment), Waka Dairies developed its five key pillars of success: food, natural capital, skills, culture and energy.
Going from 850 to 650 cows, selling off a low-returning run-off block and installing a massive 60m x 90m composting barn were just some of the changes they have made to their operation.
The composting barn has become a big part of Waka Dairies’ toolbox, producing both high-quality fertiliser and better welfare outcomes. One major impact this barn has had is a massive decrease in the calf mortality rates at calving time, down to less than 1%. The herd calves inside the barn in a warm and dry environment.
The herd improvement isn’t just limited to the environmental factors, though.
For Evans, his herd’s nutrition is his biggest passion. Ensuring the herd is fully fed every day is critical and Waka Dairies operates a policy of no hungry days.
“We don’t just let them fully feed on grass to a point where they are excessively excreting nitrogen; we only feed the highest quality supplements to our herd, and we constantly test to see their mineral levels,” Evans said.
The herd is performing well and production has lifted from 450kgMS/cow 10 years ago to 650kgMS/cow. With eight full-time employees, Waka Dairies now grows 90% of its feed on the farm and, using a state-of-the-art feeding shed, delivers the right diet at the right time of year.
Waka Dairies farm has an ex-dairy processing plant out the front and has had years of whey being spread onto the pasture, producing pastures with Olsen levels ranging from 90 to 300.
This was causing a lot of milk fever. The team was spending countless hours and resources treating sick cows, which took a toll on both their bottom line and their sanity.
“We knew we needed to once again make some serious changes to the herd’s diet. Through collaborating with Sollus, we gained access to an expert ruminant nutritionist Dr Joe McGrath,” Phillips said.
“We tweaked the cows’ mineral diet, introducing lime flour, and the results were nothing short of transformative.
“We went from dealing with 15-20 cases of milk fever per day to maybe 10 per year.”
The dairy’s overall herd health and productivity have soared.
“The difference is night and day,” Evans said.
“We’re growing more grass, getting more out of our cows and running a much tighter, more efficient operation.
“Here at Waka Dairies, we’re all about reaching our true potential,” Phillips said.
“Through continuous evaluation and with the support of our trusted industry partners, there isn’t anything we couldn’t achieve.”
