Feed decisions sharpen award-winning manager’s confidence

Taranaki dairy manager Miriam Lauridsen says learning to question feed costs and pasture decisions through a Dairy Training course has improved both her confidence and on farm decision-making.

When summer dry conditions hit the coastal Taranaki farm she manages, Miriam Lauridsen started looking more closely at one key question: was extra feed paying its way? After completing Dairy Training’s Feed for Profit course, the 29-year old pasture, forage and herd manager says she now approaches supplement use, feed budgeting and production decisions with a stronger understanding of profitability.

Farming has been part of Miriam’s life from the beginning. Growing up on her parents’ dairy and dry stock farms, she developed a love for milking cows, rearing calves and working outdoors. She’s currently based on a 370-cow System 3 farm, south of New Plymouth.

Early in her dairy career Miriam studied an Apprenticeship in Agriculture – Dairy Farming with Primary ITO and she’s keen to keep learning and growing her skills. She says industry training and development opportunities, including the Dairy Training courses, are an ideal way to do it.

Feed for Profit focuses on practical skills for 2ICs, managers and farm owners. Miriam says the course helped strengthen her understanding of feed budgeting, pasture management and how feed decisions affect profitability.

She says completing the course in November was ideal timing because she could immediately apply what she had learned on-farm.

“As we are summer dry, we often bring in more supplements over this period, so the course made me stop and ask myself: Is it going to be more valuable to bring in supplements or is it better to drop a bit of production?

 “It also showed us there were times when supplement prices were low enough that feeding more could profitably lift production.”

Miriam says she now regularly uses tools such as the Supplement Price Calculator to help assess feed costs and production decisions.

“The course has helped me with knowing the ‘why’ behind what I do. Before I would just get into doing the jobs, but now I stop and think about why things are important.”

Miriam says she enjoyed the four small in-person workshops because they allowed attendees to talk and learn from each other as well.

“The connections and conversations with others in the class were really valuable because learning about what each other is doing is helpful. There are always things you could be doing better.”

Keen to continue challenging herself, Miriam entered the Dairy Industry Awards. She won the 2026 Taranaki Farm Manager of the Year and then went on to nationals, where she placed runner-up in May. This followed her runner-up placing in the Taranaki Dairy Trainee of the Year award in 2023.

“I learnt a lot through preparing for the awards because the judges consider so many different elements. It helps you find weaknesses and the judges’ detailed feedback is really helpful. I entered for the learning and it was a nice surprise to be recognised.”

Recognising the importance of growing capable and confident farmers, DairyNZ is an industry partner of the awards and Dairy Training sponsors the 11 regional dairy manager people and leadership awards.

Miriam encourages others wanting to develop their skills and career to give all learning opportunities a go.

“Sometimes there are gaps in what you know, but you don’t realise they’re there until you challenge yourself to learn.

“Completing any kind of course is a good investment because it gives you knowledge and confidence. Things are always changing with farming, so it’s good to look at what courses come up because they can help make sure you’re doing the best you can.”