A practical approach

It took a stint at university to remind Otago dairy farmer Megan Morrison that being stuck in a classroom was not for her. 

“Halfway through an Agricultural Science degree at Lincoln University I realised that I much preferred to be outside doing practical things,” she laughs.  

This practical approach has only worked in Megan’s favour, as she has thrived under the opportunities and challenges she has faced along her career path. 

Megan was brought up on her family farm, with parents Stewart and Marie Morrison milking 400 cows at Inch Clutha, near Balclutha, Otago.  

Five generations of the Morrison family have been farming on Inch Clutha since 1909; it is a 30km2 island, that sits in the delta between the northern and southern branches of the Clutha River. 

The Morrison family own three self-contained dairy farms – Kemra Farm, Haswell Farm and Kilfinan. 

The home farm, Kemra Farm, was once used to run sheep and grow potatoes, including the development of the Red King variety, until the conversion to dairy in the early 1990s. 

“Dad has been a big inspiration for me, having converted the home farm to dairy back in 1992,” Megan says. 

After her time at Lincoln University, Megan went calf rearing for Brent and Jenny Geddes in Christchurch for a summer before working for Dean Geddes (Tahora) for a couple of years as a farm assistant.  

Megan then moved to Alexandra to be closer to family, working as a farm assistant on a dairy farm and training to become an AI technician.  

She became pregnant with her first son, Harry, and decided to move home at the start of the 2021/22 season, managing Haswell Farm for her parents. 

Megan admits it was a challenging time, with Harry only six months old and her partner Craig Johnston working off farm in his building business. 

Thankfully, things have settled; Megan is now milking 422 cows on 200ha, the majority of which are Holstein Friesian.  

“We also have a few ‘crossies’, and a few Jerseys, Milking Shorthorns and Ayrshires,” she says. 

The block is a pasture-based, self-contained property, with all young stock kept on farm. 

Megan says farms on Inch Clutha handle dry conditions well, due to its soil type; having experienced dry weather during her previous roles, she says Inch Clutha is her preference, where “it’s quite nice not spending all day thinking about irrigation, because none is required.”  

Last year, the herd produced 430kgMS/cow, but Megan would like to be closer to 440-450kgMS/cow. 

“We bought a whole new herd, which was made up of bits and pieces,” Megan says. “When we were buying there wasn’t a lot of Holstein Friesian herds on the market, so there has been a huge period of rebuilding.”  

The herd is spring calving, with around 100 replacements kept annually.  

Mating starts November 10, with the established herd AI’d by Megan. The yearlings are run with Jersey bulls. 

“There’s always a lot going on,” Megan says. 

She says they have used a lot of different bulls, but this year the majority of the herd was put to sires that are part of LIC’s Customate programme.  

There are a small amount of ‘special’ cows that receive handpicked semen from either Semex, CRV or Samen. 

“The special cows are the two cows we bought from Dean Geddes at Tahora, and a couple we purchased from the Fermoy Dispersal Sale,” Megan says. 

She says they are selecting genetics to improve fat and protein content, and to build on milk production.  

Megan says while she doesn’t want the cows too big, she’d like to see stature, capacity and a good rump angle. 

“We are trying to bring the angle of the rump down, as a lot of the cows we bought were too high,” Megan says.  

Megan says despite their appreciation for a good-looking cow, showing cattle is not on their radar. 

“I experienced my first show while I was working at Tahora with Dean Geddes, and it was quite an eye-opener,” she says. “Seeing all the work that goes into the preparation was phenomenal.”  

Despite this, Megan and her brother Brendan, who runs Kemra Farm, entered cattle from their farms in the 2023 Tokomairiro, Otago-Taieri and South Otago A&P Dairy Heifer Competition. 

Kemra Farms won the calves section for a herd of fewer than 100 and placed third in the in-calf heifers’ section for a herd of fewer than 100. 

Haswell Farm won the in-calf heifer section for herds fewer than 100 and placed third in the calves’ section for herds of more than 100. 

Megan says she was very happy to win her category because the herd was the first young stock born since she moved home to manage the farm. 

When it comes to business goals, Megan and Craig are hoping to go lower order sharemilking in a couple of years, with a view to work their way up to 50/50 sharemilking.  

“We’d like to stay on my parents’ farm,” Megan says. “I would like to thank my Mum and Dad for all the opportunities they have given us; we appreciate all their support. We couldn’t do it without them.” 

The couple is kept busy by sons Harry (4) and Oliver (1).  

Megan says she believes that women in dairy are not given the kudos they deserve. 

“Things have improved a lot, but we still get underestimated,” she says. “For the first few years on this farm, I had people walk straight past me to my male worker, assuming they were in charge.  

“Now, we are an all-female team on farm, with the exception of Dad who does some of the tractor work. 

“I’m proud of my team; we can do anything together.” 

Megan says there’s not just one person who inspires her as a woman in dairying, but she herself would like to do her best to inspire the next generation. 

“I’d like them to know that you can do anything, and just because you’re a woman, it shouldn’t stop you from doing what you want.”