Donald's Farm NZYF

01/11/2024

We are thrilled to announce that we’ll be hosting the Young Farmer of the Year District Final for the Northern Region on November 9th, right here on the farm!

Any northern young farmers members who want to compete need to enter by this Sunday night!!
This event is a great chance to support our young farmers and see some amazing talent in action!

Take a look at this link for more information:
https://www.youngfarmers.co.nz/regional-finals/northern

29/10/2024

We received this lovely review from a family who attended our Open Farms event earlier this year!

We are so glad we could be part of this nationwide program, connecting our community to farm life. Thanks to everyone who joined us and this amazing family for their kind words! We are looking forward to the next one! 🐄🌱

24/10/2024

🌱 We’ve kicked off our summer crop program, planting 12 ha of chicory! But before we can get those seeds in the ground, the first step is a really good spray-out of the old pasture. A huge thanks to Nufarm New Zealand💚 their crucial product does an outstanding job, helping us prepare the perfect base.

We’re grateful to have Nufarm New Zealand as a sponsor supporting our work here at Donald's Farm! 🙌 Stay tuned for updates as our summer crops start to flourish!

23/10/2024

Exciting day for Logan, who's been working hard training Cinnamon on the farm! He competed at the Franklin Group day today and has received a third place in the rearing section.

Logan and his sister Jemma will also be competing with their calves at the Clevedon A&P Show, coming up on 16th Nov.

Stay tuned for an update on their full calf club journey! 🐄👩‍🌾

Today, Logan and Cinnamon are competing at The Franklin Group Day. It is a chance for Logan to show Cinnamon and all his hard work against a larger group of students and animals.
We wish you both good luck, and we can't wait to hear how your day went!

22/10/2024

We’re excited to share that Conservation Volunteers Auckland has planted 23,000 native trees on our farm over the past two winters as part of the Papakura Stream Restoration Project!

This initiative not only enhances our landscape but also supports local biodiversity.

Check out the video to see the progress!

The Papakura Stream Restoration Project, run by Conservation Volunteers New Zealand, aims to improve the health of the Papakura Stream and the wider catchme...

21/10/2024

⬇️💪👀🐄💯

21/10/2024

Students from James Cook High School have taken an apiculture course run by Pacific Coast Technical Institute throughout the year on our farm!

We now have 20 active bee hives 🐝 being managed by the students. Their hard work supports education and benefits our local ecosystem.

15/10/2024

Photo of the week 💯 One of the adorable additions — a stunning calf that’s sure to brighten your day!

If you think this cutie deserves some love, give this post a 👍❤️
Let’s spread the joy!

14/10/2024

🌟 Exciting times ahead! We're thrilled to showcase some of the latest innovative technologies that Gallagher Animal Management has installed and has available.

Stay tuned as we’ll be diving deeper into each product throughout the year, sharing insights and updates as we start using them.
Can't wait to share more!

10/10/2024

We were honoured to host Gallagher Animal Management as part of the NZ sales conference recently!

It was great to see their team in action as they installed some of their innovative equipment on-site. Exciting advancements for our farm!

10/10/2024

🌾 Exciting updates from Donald's Farm! We have recently weighed and sorted out calves into groups.

We’re starting the weaning process for our heavier calves, marking an important milestone in their growth.
Stay tuned for more updates on their journey!

08/10/2024

10/07/2024

Today is supposed to be our planned start of calving. With 40 cows already calved, things are moving pretty quickly around here!!

Milk Bar
NZAgbiz

31/05/2024

We hosted Conservation Volunteers NZ on farm today to run their corporate planting challenge. This year they managed to plant another 4,411 native plants on Donald’s Farm, taking the total number of natives planted since May 2023 to approximately 23,500!!! With more planting days planned this winter, we expect to surpass the 25,000 mark soon. This will be an amazing transformation for our waterways, and will also go a long way toward achieving our environmental goals!!

27/05/2024

2024 FINALISTS ANNOUNCED! This Primary Industries New Zealand Award recognises an emerging leader, an individual who demonstrates commitment, passion and leadership in their career within primary industries. With thanks to the Emerging Leader Award sponsor Lincoln University and congratulations to these finalists:

Claire Williamson, Velma & Beverley
Jordi Hoult, Ministry for Primary Industries
Sam Waugh, Donald’s Farm

View all the categories & their finalists at: https://zurl.co/CJE5

13/04/2024

Congratulations to farm manager Sam on his successes this evening! He took out second place in the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Northern Regional Final, as well as the Agribusiness, Agrisports, and Agriknowledge awards! A stellar effort ✨

13/04/2024

Farm manager Sam has had two very busy days competing in the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Northern Regional Final! He has just taken the stage for the quiz, which is the last challenge he has to tackle before finding out how he has placed overall- wish him luck!

25/03/2024

We love being part of Open Farms every year. It’s amazing to see these results come through and shows that providing opportunities to connect with our urban mates can only be a good thing!!

10/03/2024

Thanks so much to everyone that made it to our Open Farms event today!

We have the final results for Billy the bulls weight - 336kg. Congratulations to Tony T. Your guess of 340kg was the closest.

07/03/2024

A huge congratulations to Emma, who won the Auckland-Hauraki Dairy Trainee of the Year Award this evening!

Emma has previously held a number of roles here at Donald’s Farm, including as a relief worker, calf rearer, and as a volunteer through our educational initiatives and calf club program. Good luck for the national competition, Emma!

Congratulations Winner 2024 Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Trainee of the Year – Emma Williamson

28/02/2024

Check out this fantastic interview with our farm manager, Sam! He's doing great things at Donald's Farm to give city tamariki an insight into farm life 🐮🐮

Lessons on Donald’s Farm cover a lot of ground – and the livestock on it.

23/11/2023

Good luck to our mate Sam Waugh from NZ Young Farmers Donald's farm who will be donning his gumboots tomorrow and walking around the farm for 24 hours to raise money for I AM HOPE and Gumboot Friday.

21/10/2023

We are very excited to be working with Nature's Den to raise money for and awareness of the awesome work I AM HOPE does for youth in NZ. Come and join us as our farm manager Sam and Natures Den founder Alex will be walking for 24 hours around the farm in their gumboots.

Join us for an incredible journey of community, resilience, and compassion!

On Thursday November 23rd at 3pm, Alex & Sam will be slipping on their gumboots and attempting to complete a 24-hour walk on Donald's Farm in Brookby.

This challenge isn't about the miles walked or the duration of the walk; it's about coming together to raise awareness and much-needed funds to support I AM HOPE's important mission.

Nature's Den & Donald's Farm NZYF invite you to join us at the start of our walk on Thursday evening. This remarkable event is all about supporting I AM HOPE's Gumboot Friday, and we would love for you to be a part of it.

From 10am on Friday, the event is open to the public.
☕️ We will have a coffee cart serving until 1pm.
🌭 We will have a sausage sizzle between 12-1pm with all donations going to I AM HOPE.
You may even have the chance to meet our I AM HOPE ambassador, who will be there to speak with our young learners, spreading hope and resilience.

Throughout the day, we've lined up a variety of fun-filled gumboot activities suitable for all ages. Test your aim with the kiwi gumboot throw, lace up for a gumboot relay race, and take on other exciting challenges.

As our 24-hour walk draws to an end on Friday November 24th at 5pm, we would be honoured to have you join us in the conclusion of this incredible journey.

Nature's Den is more than a forest & farm school; it's a place where the community unites to create change, raise awareness, and stand together in the face of adversity. So, put on your gumboots, bring your family and friends, and be a part of this fantastic event that supports a cause that truly matters.

Let's come together and make a difference in the lives of our young ones 💙

Location: Donald's Farm, Ara-Kotinga, Whitford. You will see us at the start of Ara-Kotinga on the right, just past the intersection with Whitford Park and Brookby roads. Look out for our signage.

Entry: gold coin donation to I AM HOPE

Our Donation Page: https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/2023-gumboot-crusade

Event Page: https://facebook.com/events/s/2023-gumboot-crusade/251786864142764/?mibextid=Gg3lNB

18/10/2023

Awesome news from our calf club kids! A photo of Logan & Snowy has been chosen as one of the winners of the Pohutukawa Coast Ag Day Competition and a photo of Jemma & Harmony was awarded Highly Commended 💕🐄