A full day’s worth of seminars will be on offer both days at the NZ Effluent Expo Event from 8.30am-4pm on November 27-28, at Mystery Creek near Hamilton.

And they promise to provide food for thought for farmers running all types of dairying operations.

Run by industry professionals, the seminars cover a range of topics from sustainability through to effluent system options for small herd dairy farms.

Each seminar will be finished with a supplier sponsored session – and on Tuesday, November 27, there’s a guest speaker Q&A panel with Agricultural Minister Damien O’Connor and Rabobank dairy analyst Emma Higgins talking on the topic of ‘Who is driving the regulation – the regulator or the consumer?’.

“We are driving this event to really encourage and educate farmers around what it is that the consumer wants to see, and how ultimately it is the consumer that drives regulation,” says NZ Effluent Expo event coordinator Amanda Hodgson.

“Because we believe consumers are driving a lot of what our farmers having to implement on-farm – they drive the regulations from what they want when they go to purchase items – so this year we’re using this notion as a theme for the expo.”

The first seminar topic is ‘Sustainability and the future of good management practice, farm environment plans, and the Dairying For Tomorrow Strategy’ being presented by Fonterra’s general manager for sustainable dairying, Charlotte Rutherford.

Amanda says Charlotte will take attendees through the future direction for imbedding sustainability within our dairy farm systems.

“The Dairy For Tomorrow Strategy, rapid development of environmental policy and regulation and the pull from customers and consumers means farmers will need new tools and systems to help them deliver to the increasing requirements.

“Charlotte, who has spent 20 years working at the forefront of sustainability issues in NZ including 16 years at Fonterra, will cover the future of good management practice, Farm Environment Plans and the new challenges looming for dairy farmers and the industry,” says Amanda.

Seminar two is on ‘The importance of adequately sized effluent storage and an insight into the Dairy Effluent Storage Calculator’ by DairyNZ environmental extension specialist Logan Bowler.

Seminar three is ‘Water efficiency on dairy farms and the importance of water metering’ by DairyNZ’s Caleb Higham.

Seminar four is ‘Effluent system options for small herd dairy farms’ by DairyNZ’s Logan Bowler.

Amanda says with the same four educational and topical seminars being run throughout both days – with all effluent industry experts in the one room – offers the chance for farmers “to get a head start and start planning”.