Talking Dairy

In 10: The power of connection (and a good lunch): The SMASH story

• DairyNZ

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In this episode of Talking Dairy in 10, host Jac McGowan chats with Noldy Rust, Chair of SMASH (Smaller Milk and Supply Herds), and Frank Portegys from DairyNZ, about how this grassroots initiative is helping farmers connect, learn, and grow stronger businesses together.

SMASH began as a local idea to celebrate and support smaller herd farmers. Partnering with DairyNZ, it’s grown into a nationwide network, offering practical learning open to everyone.

Find out what’s coming up on the SMASH calendar and what to expect when you head along to their events (we also heard there might be a good lunch there too).

Learn more about SMASH or find an event: SMASH NZ

 

About DairyNZ collaboration with sector partners

At DairyNZ, we work alongside trusted partners to stretch your levy further, supporting better farming, stronger communities, and a more resilient dairy sector. These partnerships aren’t just about funding. We roll up our sleeves too, offering time, tools and expertise to help deliver what matters most to farmers. By collaborating with sector leaders, we make an impact where it counts – reducing duplication, promoting better farming practices, and maintaining our independence and credibility. Together, we’re building a future that’s practical and inclusive, and maintains our competitive edge. Partnerships with organisations like SMASH reflect our shared commitment to delivering real value for New Zealand dairy farmers. Together, we’re shaping a sector that’s connected, capable and ready for the future. Find out more about DairyNZ partnerships.  

Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at talkingdairy@dairynz.co.nz

Connect with DairyNZ

Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected



SPEAKER_00:

Ki ora and welcome to Talking Dairy in 10. I'm your host Jack McGowan from DairyNZ. Today we're talking about Smash, which stands for Smaller Milk and Supply Herds. Smash is a grassroots initiative that's making a big difference for farmers with smaller herds. We're joined by Noldi Rust, a dairy farmer and chair of Smash, and Frank Portergeist from DairyNZ. Let's find out what Smash is all about, why it matters, and how you can get involved. Tina Kurua, how are you two?

SPEAKER_01:

Very well, thank you, Jack. Yep, very good.

SPEAKER_02:

Thanks, Jack.

SPEAKER_00:

Alright, let's start with quick introductions. You can go first, Noldi.

SPEAKER_01:

Cool, yeah. I am uh, well, ex-dairy farmer now, but I still own my dairy farm, although only a portion now, because it's in an equity partnership. I was farming most of my life up until about five years ago, actively farming a smaller herd at Tipahu, bought our farm in 1996, and uh still own it to this day, as I say, as an equity partnership now, but sole owner operator until about 2020.

SPEAKER_00:

Cool. Thanks, Noldi. And Frank?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, also an ex-dairy farmer. Though we did sell our farm and haven't been farming as long as Noldi, but I'm a senior area manager with Dairy and Z covering the King Country region.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you both for joining us. All right, Noldi, tell us a bit about Smash. How did it come about and what's its purpose?

SPEAKER_01:

In 2010 or 2009, Joyce Brown and Fran Alcock, they were the two founding members. They were travelling, I think, in the South Island, and they saw a large sign that said Dairy Event, Large Herds Conference. And they thought everything in the media these days is large herds. And they thought, well, what about smaller farmers? There's a lot of smaller farmers around. Maybe we need to hold an event, organize a conference or something to celebrate smaller farms because there's a lot of smaller farms around. They're still very profitable. And just to celebrate that you don't have to be big to be successful. So they rung a few of us smaller herd farmers around the Waikatter, and we got together and had a bit of a chin wag and decided, yes, why don't we form a little committee, see if we can raise some funds and organise an event or two to celebrate smaller herd farmers, to educate them, to network with them, and just to celebrate all the good things about smaller herd farming.

SPEAKER_00:

Very cool. And Frank, what about Dari and Z's involvement with Smash? Tell us about that.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, probably the biggest thing Darian Z is doing is that we're one of the funders of Smash, along with some of the other partners. I'm also involved on the Smash committee with Noldi and a few others. We help out at some of the events. Sometimes we facilitate, sometimes we're presenting, other times it's other people or other organizations involved.

SPEAKER_00:

And what kind of events does Smash run? What do people get out of them, Noldi?

SPEAKER_01:

When we first started, we organized a conference. We thought we need to have a conference. So we organized three conferences, two in the Waikata and one in the South Island. And the idea was to get farmers together, to get a whole range of good speakers so that we can educate farmers and I guess just give them some tips, some useful tips along the way. It was mainly that in networking. So that's how it all started. We had conferences, and then from that we flowed out into some field days because we actually went, some of the speakers that were speaking at the conference, we thought would take it further and had some on-farm field days at some of those speakers' farms. So we went on to having field days and we thought, oh, this is good. We're getting a bit of a following here. So maybe we need to have some more field days. So we had some more field days, and then we had some seminars as well. So it just grew from that, basically getting farmers together, educating them, celebrating small herds, networking, and uh giving them some tips to make them farm more successfully.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, and do you still run conferences?

SPEAKER_01:

We don't anymore now. We ran them for a number of years, but numbers dwindled over the years, and the numbers increased on our field days and our seminars. We have indoors and workshops and uh field days. Numbers increased on those and they decreased on the conferences. So we thought, look, conferences take a lot of time, they cost a lot of money. We're better off running more on-farm events and smaller, more numerous events. So we did that instead.

SPEAKER_02:

Nolda, you mentioned smaller herds a few times. Are the events open to anybody? Do you have to be under a certain size? How does that work?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, when we started, it was all about smaller herds. That was the main thing. But we never turned anyone away. And people used to say, what define a smaller herd? And we said, look, average cow numbers is so much. We don't really care who comes, but it's it was sort of aimed more at the smaller herd farmers. But it soon became obvious that the speakers we attracted, the events we had, were attractive to any any farmers at all. So we sort of dropped the smaller herds thing, and especially to this day, smash is our catchphrase, but we don't emphasize the smaller herd thing anymore. It's just events for farmers to help educate them. So it's morphed into something bigger than that now. One of the reasons we get a good following is also we get really good, well-known, reputable speakers. The likes of Josh Wheeler, Neil Cheston, and Peter Alexander, they're reputable. They have got a good following, and and farmers still flock along to hear that. A lot of stuff's online these days, and farmers still like the face-to-face interaction. So I think that's what we provide as well. Would you agree with that, Frank?

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, definitely. And the turnout to the field days are generally very good. Like you said, the conferences all fell away, but uh, field days have always been very popular.

SPEAKER_01:

Farmers still like that, yeah. And our link with Frank is important because DairyNZ is important to us, obviously, for funding, but also for we use a lot of speakers and things as well. And we don't want to be completing or clashing because we're trying to educate farmers. We're all trying to do the same thing. So we don't want to be clashing dates and clashing with speakers. So we sort of want to make sure that we're all coordinating our our messages a little bit more um timely and accurately so that we don't fall over each other, eh?

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, and what's coming up with Smash? Frank?

SPEAKER_02:

There's a couple of events coming very soon. One on the 20th of November, that's at um Mike White's on White's Road in Patauru. And we're just looking at the a simple profitable farm system on their farm. So that's yeah, 20th of November. That sort of kicks off about 10.15 for a cup of tea. If you want more information, just go to the smash website or the smallerherds.co.nz, or you find that on the DairyNZ website. And there's another one in Taranaki, November 27th. Al McFederidge, they're on A3 Hursthouse Road. Again, you find some information on the websites.

SPEAKER_00:

And what can farmers expect when they come along to those days on farm? What does it look like?

SPEAKER_02:

We'll be drilling into the profitability of the systems. You generally find with the hosts for these field days that they're quite open about what they're doing, sharing the um financial figures, but also inputs and couple of speakers we've got. We've got James Allen, we've got Dot from Balanced Agronutrients going to be talking. Also Baronbrug just talking about the pastures. And also uh Paul Addison from New Farm talking about weeds on the farm. Very similar for the Taranaki, different speakers, but focusing on weeds and what's making the farms profitable. And one of the differences with the Taranaki one is they've got the once-day milking. And just I think they're doing that all season on that farm. So just know how does that work?

SPEAKER_00:

So a chance to get under the hood of a couple of really good farms there and and also hear from some experts.

SPEAKER_02:

And most importantly, there's also a quite a nice lunch will be presented at the end of the day. Excellent.

SPEAKER_01:

I was gonna bring that up, Frank, because when you say what can they expect, they can expect a good morning tea and an even better lunch. So and I think that's part of the attraction, eh?

SPEAKER_00:

Very nice, yes.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it's it's a discussion, the networking that that happens so after the actually event, which can be just as valuable as the information itself.

SPEAKER_00:

All right. And Noldi, if someone's keen to get involved or support Smash, what's the best way to do that?

SPEAKER_01:

We've got a huge database now. We do send out emails uh with upcoming events, but Facebook is one of our big things, obviously. We've got a Facebook page. A lot of our events are on Facebook, so link up with us on Facebook and Instagram, not so much Instagram, but Facebook or on our website, as Frank mentioned earlier. So, yeah, we still do fly drops as well in in local communities because they still seem to work pretty well. Farmers get it out of the mailbox and stick it on their fridge and they turn up. So I just want to mention, if I can, briefly, Dairy and Z too. They're our they're our primary funder. Once we started growing, we really needed some funding. So Dairy and Z came on board, and without them, we certainly wouldn't be able to exist. So the grant they give us every year is hugely valuable, along with all our other sponsors as well.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, thank you for that, Noldi.

SPEAKER_02:

Also worth mentioning is as, or as well as the field days, we've also done online webinars or seminars online. And we've done a couple recently just around farm succession and progression. And they are recorded, and you can find them on the Smash Facebook page. And I think they may also be on the um Smash website as well. So if you've missed them and they're well worth going back and have another look at.

SPEAKER_00:

All right. Well, thank you both, Noldi and Frank. It's been so good to have you on Talking Dairy and hear how Smash is helping farmers. As Noldi said, if you're keen to be a part of it, head to smallerherds.co.nz to find out more. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Talking Dairy in 10. If you'd like to know more, we'll link to the web pages mentioned in this episode and list some resources at the end of the show notes. If you'd like to get connected with DairyNZ's latest advice, research, tools, and resources, whether it's reading, scrolling, listening, or in person, you can visit dairynz.co.nz forward slash get connected, and don't forget to hit follow to keep up to date with our latest episodes. As always, if you have any feedback on this podcast or have some ideas for future topics or guests, please email us at talkingdairy at dairynz.co.nz. Thanks for listening, and we'll catch you next time on Talking Dairy.