April 30, 2026
Each year we contribute $25,000 to the West Coast Focus Farm Trust, established nearly 20 years ago to enhance farming capability in the region. The Trust plays an important role in our farming sector by collecting and sharing practical data from a number of West Coast “Data farms”. Westpro recognises this information is crucial in helping our farmers understand how seasonal conditions are tracking and comparing performance across systems and seasons. The trust’s latest initiative is supporting the highly acclaimed West Coast Farm Plan Project which helps individual farmers bring all their farm planning requirements into one place.
Support for farmer-led Trust making a difference to West Coast farming
Timely and accurate data is proving a game changer for our West Coast farming community managing a range of challenges including highly variable weather, heavy rainfall, distinct pasture and soil conditions, and now a regulatory landscape that keeps shifting.
It is all thanks to the West Coast Focus Farm Trust, a farmer-led initiative established nearly 20 years ago to improve on-farm decision making by generating and sharing high quality practical data from working West Coast farms. Rather than relying on theory or modelling alone, the Trust uses “focus farms” to capture what is actually happening on farm including pasture growth, animal performance, feed management and seasonal conditions.
These farms act as learning platforms where data is collected, analysed and shared with the wider farming community to support better informed management decisions.
Westpro recognises that strong data leads to better decisions on farm – and better outcomes downstream. Our support for the Focus Farm Trust through an annual contribution of $25,000 recognises the value that data-driven farming brings to farmers and ultimately Westpro customers. While the Farm Focus Trust operates at farm level, its impact extends through the value chain. Our funding helps enable ongoing data collection, farmer engagement and the sharing of insights that are based on real farming systems. Initiatives like this underpin a more reliable and consistent milk supply, greater consistency in production through seasonal variability and confidence that Westland is actively investing in the long-term performance of its farming base.
Farm Project Plan – making a difference for individual farmers.
The West Coast Farm Poject plan is a farmer focused initiative helping farmers develop practical, personalised freshwater farm plans that reflect how their farms operate. The plan grew out of a pilot in Whataroa in 2022, developed by Lyn Carmicheal and Taane Johnsen of Westland milk produces who are both well known in the farming community.
Funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Integrated Farm Planning Fund, the project is coordinated by the West Coast Focus Farm Planning Project under the umbrella of the Focus Farm Trust. It has seen strong uptake, with around one in three West Coast farmers now involved.
The process combines in‑person workshops with tailored on‑farm support, making it straightforward for farmers to put robust plans in place. Plans are built using the QCONZ Freshwater Farm Plan tool, adapted for West Coast farming systems, and focus on good practice already embedded on farms.
Alongside the freshwater workshops, the project is developing three new modules – biosecurity, greenhouse gas emissions and climate adaptation with workshops in June/July.
By supporting farmers to manage risk, plan proactively, and translate regulatory requirements into practical actions, the project helps deliver high-quality milk while also improving security of supply through compliance with regulations.
