Teaming up for better farming

Farming through Waikato’s dry spells takes more than hard work—it takes trusted partners.

For dairy farmer Andy Hawkings, local expertise and tailored advice turn challenges into opportunities for stronger pastures and sustainable productivity.

For Andy Hawkings, running a 240-hectare dairy farm near Hamilton with 600 cows is all about striking the right balance between preparation and adaptation. With peat soil and a climate prone to dry spells and droughts, Andy relies on trusted partners to help him keep his farm productive and sustainable. Among those partners, Brett Wallace, a Farm Source Technical Sales Representative, has become invaluable—not just for the products he provides but for the advice and local expertise that help Andy make smarter on-farm decisions.

Tailored advice that makes a difference

Dry periods can be especially tough, and Andy knows the importance of having pastures that perform even in tough conditions. That’s where his partnership with Brett has proven essential.

“Brett brings great value to our business,” says Andy. “Whenever I have problems that happen on farm, and I don’t always have the answers I know Brett can bring his knowledge to our business, and to me, that’s a great support.”

Having someone like Brett in his corner gives Andy the confidence to tackle issues knowing he doesn’t have to come up with solutions alone. Together they assess the problem and work toward long-term fixes rather than temporary band-aids.

Waikato farmer Andy Hawkins and Farm Source Technical Sales Representative Brett Wallace.

One area where Andy and Brett’s collaboration shines is pasture renewal. Both recognise that good pasture management is key to maintaining productivity. By working together, they identified paddocks where performance could improve and introduced Array, a perennial ryegrass developed by Barenbrug, into Andy’s system.

“This is the second season of having Array,” Brett explains. “We’ve been able to look at paddocks that aren’t performing up to his high-performing paddocks and plug Array into that system.”

Andy was impressed with Array’s performance right away, particularly during dry spells where it outperformed other pasture he had tried previously. "On that first trial season, I was really impressed with it,” Andy notes. “Especially again through some dry months, I noticed it was really outperforming some of these other pastures that we had previously.”

Local knowledge backed by relationships

Julie Gaukrodger, Area Manager from Barenbrug, works alongside Brett through the Farm Source partnership to maximise results and shares insight into why Array is such a fit for Andy’s farm. “Array’s been bred to be easy to eat, it grows upright, and cows clean it up.” Julie’s seed expertise complements Brett’s on-the-ground advice, creating a trusted circle of support that ensures farmers like Andy have the tools they need to succeed.

For Andy, the strength of Brett’s advice comes from his local knowledge and the relationship they’ve built over time. Brett doesn’t just talk about farming concepts; he’s out there walking paddocks, understanding challenges and opportunities specific to Andy’s property. This personalised, hands-on approach means advice is relevant to Andy’s goals.

“It’s about knowing the farm intimately,” says Farm Source Technical Sales Representative Brett Wallace, “so we can bounce ideas back and forth. Andy and I have built a really good working relationship, and that shows in the results."

For Andy Hawkings, successful farming isn’t just about figuring everything out alone—it’s about working with the right people who can help him solve problems and find better ways of doing things. As Brett sums up, “Great pasture renewal at Andy’s doesn’t just happen—it’s a team approach to deliver profitable, sustainable results.”

Andy’s story highlights the value of relationships based on trust, tailored advice, and collaboration with local expertise. Whether it’s leveraging pasture solutions like Array, managing paddocks better, or setting up the farm for success through the seasons, Andy’s partnership with Farm Source and Barenbrug demonstrates the real impact of working together.