Growing in the South island, Flat Out Everywhere Else: A Terravest Season Update
Calving's all but done, herds are settling into full production, and every business unit across Terravest — Deosan, Agora, and DTS — is right in the thick of peak milk. It's the busiest stretch of the season, and it felt like a good moment to share what's actually happening across the group right now.
New Terravest team members in Southland, New Zealand
Six new faces in the South island
We've grown the Deosan team in the South Island with six new staff joining across the region this season. It's a reflection of how much is happening on the ground down south, and a chance to get more local support in front of farmers right when they need it most — through calving wrap-up, into peak, and on toward mating.
South Island farmers dealing with any of our teams over the coming weeks will likely be meeting some new faces alongside familiar ones.
Peak milk means every part of the business is stretched - in a good way
With calving nearly finished across the North Island and herds building toward full production everywhere else, this is the point in the season where every Terravest business unit is at its busiest:
Deosan's teams are supporting farmers through the highest-frequency milking stretch of the year, when teat condition and hygiene consistency matter most.
Agora's telemetry is doing exactly what it's built for, watching vats and refrigeration continuously as volume climbs, so faults get caught early rather than found late.
DTS's refrigeration technicians are flat out keeping chillers performing as they carry the heaviest loads of the season, with servicing and call-outs running at their peak.
None of these teams operate in isolation from each other, and peak season is exactly when that shows. A hygiene question often leads to a refrigeration one, and a refrigeration question often leads to a monitoring one, which is a big part of why we've built the group the way we have.
Kip Bodle, CEO and Barry Williams from Westland Milk checking out the Agora Westland farm installs
Agora Vat Telemetry installations across Westland are now complete.
Every participating farm has been fitted with the system, and the team's shifting focus to calibration, farmer support, and making sure everyone's confident using the app day to day. If you've got questions about your setup or the alerts you're seeing, reach out to your local Agora contact.
Calving wraps up: 80% complete in the South Island
Calving's tracking well this season. The North Island is largely through it, and the South Island is now sitting at around 80% complete - meaning most herds are through the hardest part of the calendar and settling into the routine of full milking.
That last 20% still matters. Late calvers need the same level of care as the first ones through, even as attention naturally starts shifting toward peak volume and mating prep.
Some pics from the team:
Peak season is when this group works exactly the way it's meant to — hygiene, refrigeration, and monitoring backing each other up, with more people on the ground than ever to make sure of it. Here's to a strong run through to the other side of peak. Got a question for your local Deosan, Agora, or DTS contact? Get in touch - our teams are ready to help.
Kip Bodle
Founder & CEO, Terravest