Te Awamutu woman helping Waikato farmers breed better cows faster

Dana (23) is CRV’s new field consultant for the South Waikato, including Tokoroa, Putaruru, Arapuni and Cambridge.

She has dairying in her blood. Dana grew up on a dairy farm in Te Awamutu and then left school at 16 to pursue her own career in dairy farming. Safe to say she knows a bit about cows.

But she also gets the big picture and understands that data and genetics are the key to breeding more efficient dairy herds with a lower environmental footprint.

“Accurate data is crucial to farmers’ breeding decisions, so having clean and tidy herd records needs to be a priority,” says Dana. “Farmers should know the parentage of their animals to help them make good breeding decisions.”

Dana joined CRV in 2020 in the company’s customer support team. She is rejoining CRV in her new field-based role after the birth of her son.

“If you’re chasing the best returns for your milk, you want to select the bulls that will breed the most efficient and productive cows. If you’re breeding pedigree animals, you want to be breeding with pure genetics. If you want to have less wastage and less bobby calves on the ground, you might opt for sexed semen.”

Dana is a strong advocate for sexed semen. She believes this innovative genetic solution not only helps farmers accelerate their herd’s genetic gain, it also responds to demand from consumers who want food they know is produced in a sustainable and ethical way.

“We know consumers around the world want to see less bobby calves on the ground and know that every calf born is treated well,” says Dana. “Breeding the top performers in your herd with sexed semen ticks all the boxes.”

“In New Zealand we want to breed good cows with longevity that are medium in size and can keep up production without too much impact on the environment. The health and efficiency traits of CRV sires are helping farmers achieve that,” she says.

“Everything CRV offers is based on sound science and I have been impressed by the team’s level of skill and expertise, including that from our head office in the Netherlands. I am excited about some of the developments in the pipeline that will continue to make farmers' lives easier and help their businesses thrive.”

When Dana is not working, you will likely find her down a country road somewhere with a camera in hand.

A self-taught photographer, she takes son Harvey out to spot tractors and shoots photos of contractors working out in the field. Her partner Cam also works in the agriculture industry.