BrightSIDE 2024 - Tuesday 25 June 

BrightSIDE is to inspire and attract dairying’s future decision makers to the South Island Dairy (SIDE) Event, provide them with skills, tools and knowledge to succeed and thrive in a dynamic industry.

2024 BrightSIDE participants will start off joining the main SIDE event at Lincoln University in the morning, where they will hear from Dan Pronk an ex SAS medic who is just a small average guy who pushed himself to perform in complex environments, and who will tell his tales of adventure, resilience, while sharing some of his tools he used to thrive. 

After this they will jump on a bus and go to Ashley Dene, one of the Lincoln University research farms, where they will rotate through workshops to learn about different aspects of farming. 

Fred Hoekstra from Veehoff will be showing them how to correctly trim cows feet and prevent lame cows in the herd. 

Sarah Watson will grow their personal development by providing the skills around talking to people, building a CV and effectively communicating with people within their dairy team. 

DairyNZ and Synlait Milk will run a session on calving and reproduction where they can test their calving skills with a calving simulator cow. 

They will upskill in pasture management and learn how Ashley Dene is using Lysimeter to test different nutrient loss scenarios.

There will also be some virtual goggles to test out which DairyNZ and Lincoln University are working on to bring farming into the virtual world.

Throughout the day and during meal breaks, the BrightSIDE attendees will get to network with leaders in the industry, network with like-minded farmers and students, and see what other projects the farm is working on. 

If you are considering a career in the dairy industry or keen to step up into a senior role within the industry, and looking to be inspired and challenged, then BrightSIDE is for you!

BrightSIDE 2024 Sponsors