Milking It 2.0 is here

We often hear that one of the biggest challenges for dairy farmers is managing the financial side of the business.

When a thousand things call you onto the farm, taking time to sit at your desk and manage your budget can often fall in the ‘too hard’ or ‘not now’ bucket.

Dairy Women’s Network, CMK Chartered Accountants, Figured, and Mediaworks and REX have teamed up to become the ultimate ‘off-farm’ team.

They provide financial advice, tools and support to a farming family as they navigate the ups and downs of the season and establish best-practice financial management to achieve their goals of running a profitable farming business.

After a standout first season Milking It is back for round two, with Kevin and Nicole Oppert.

Everything they learn, you’ll learn alongside them, whether you’re in your first season contract milking, heading toward equity, or trying to wrap your head around budgeting for next season’s feed.

The Opperts run a 260 ha forestry conversion block with 750 cows in Te Puke.

This is a year-round business that includes a 91 ha support block nearby.

“We’re confident on-farm,” says Nicole Oppert.

“But we know our business is still weak in financial knowledge. That’s why we applied for Milking It – to better understand our numbers, benchmark properly, and take action to reach our goals.”

One of those goals is ownership.

“We’ve recently secured an equity partnership on the farm – which is a huge milestone.

“So, this is the time to step up and make sure we’re financially ready for farm ownership,” she says.

The Opperts use Figured and are eager to go deeper with the help of CMK, and the Milking It support team.

Having steadily built a resilient business with strong farm systems, past lessons still shape their approach.

“When we first started, no one told us we had to save for the second year’s tax,” Nicole Oppert explains.

“We got hit with a $90,000 bill. That experience taught us the hard way how important it is to understand your finances. We don’t want to feel that unprepared again.”

Now raising two young children, the Opperts are both running a business, and building a future.

As parents, farmers, and DWN members, they see Milking It as a way to align daily decisions with long-term dreams.

“This journey isn’t just about spreadsheets. It’s about confidence – knowing how to make better choices, faster, and feeling in control of where we’re heading.”