Ashburton Courier: May 12, 2022

FEATURE
48 Ashburton Courier, May 12, 2022
www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
Dairying In the Heart of Canterbury
Inspiration to solve farming challenges
Adiverserange of keynote speakers and
workshopsatthe South Island’slargest
dairy eventnextmonth will offer
inspired thinking to help solve farming
challenges.
SIDE (SouthIsland Dairy Event) will
be held in Oamaru,onJune 8­9.
It is run by farmers, for farmers, and
chairperson AnnaWakelin said this
year’s event themeis‘dynamic.’
“Asfarmers we are operatingina
dynamic world andwealways need to
change andimprove to stay on topofour
game,”she said.
“Tohelp farmers remain dynamic,
SIDE 2022 is hosting arange of exciting
speakers from different professions,
who have innovativesolutions to tough
farming challenges.
“SIDE will alsogive farmers the
opportunity to take part in awide range
of practical workshops, and to discover
thelatestdairy technology and
research.”
“SIDE is agreat opportunity for
farmers to getoff­farm and networkwith
other farmers.
‘‘Withexhibition space already sold
out, we encourage farmerstoregister
soon to avoid missing outonSIDE this
year,” she said.
Guest speakers include Craig Piggott
(founder andCEO of Halter), Geoff and
JustineRoss (co­founders of 42 Below
South Island Dairy Event guest speaker Craig Piggott will share how he found
solutions to help his dairy farmer parents reduce their working hours.
PHOTO SUPPLIED
vodka) and Dr Tom Mulholland (doctor,
entrepreneur,author and CEO).
Aformer Rocket Labengineer,Craig
Piggott will share howhefound
solutions to help his dairyfarmer
parents reduce their workinghours.
Thissearch led him to launchHalter,a
technology company which has
developed afarmingsystemthat allows
farmers to easilymove and manage their
herd through software.Craigisthe
winner of the2020 NewZealandHi­
Tech Young Achieveraward.
Geoffand Justine Ross will sharehow
they swapped lifeinAuckland for an
Otago highcountry sheep farm. Their
property, LakeHawea Station, was the
first farm in New Zealand to haveits
carbon footprintcertified. It is also
carbon positive –and theywillexplain
how this offersthem aunique marketing
advantage.
DrTom Mulholland will talk about
strategies farmers can use to maintain
theirphysical and mentalhealthin
times of stress. He spent 25 years in
emergency medicine and eightyears
travellingaround New Zealand with his
pop­up medicalclinic. Hisfocus is
educatingKiwis on how to avoid
preventable diseases and he has
developed awellness app to help people
monitor andmanagetheir health.
Farmers canalsojoin fourof14
practical workshops on awiderange of
topics from wintering to milk futures,
reproduction, plantainand reducing
greenhouse gasemissions.
As part of SIDE 2022, aseparate
BrightSIDE event foryoung farmers and
farmteam staff whowant to progress
their careers is alsobeing held on June
82022 at Oamaru.
BrightSIDE will include workshops
on:how to keep yourself healthy,new
technology to make managing farms
easier, career progression
opportunities in dairy and developing
good financial habits.
SIDE 2022, supported byDairyNZ,
Ravensdown andFonterra, is being held
for the firsttimeatthe heritage town of
Oamaru.The event will be held at the
historic Oamaru Opera House andthe
Brydone Hotel, withthe dinner being
Steampunk themed.
To find out more and register for SIDE
2022 visit www.side.org.nz
2358745