Warrick and Stu Kent - Southland

Warrick and Stu are a father-son duo based on a 120-hectare farm in Isla Bank Southland, an ex-sheep farm that Warrick bought in 2001 and changed into a productive dairy farm. Stu, following in his father’s footsteps, now contract milks the 400-cow farm.

Their 40-a-side herringbone is the original shed Warrick helped build, “It still looks as good as the day it went in,” says Stu, “which is a testament to the products we use through it.” Warrick chose FIL products after positive experiences on a previous farm—and has never looked back. “When I decided to contract milking the farm, I had no reason to change from FIL” says Stu.

The farm uses Quantum Red acid and Quantum Powder alkali. “We’ve never had any issues with grading due to shed hygiene,” says Stu. “We could say it's a bit of management when it comes to the shed, but at the end of the day, you're only as good as your product.”

When Stu returned to the farm, he faced challenges with udder health. “The farm had a history of Staph. aureus, and I knew I needed to make changes,” he says. With help from his FIL Area Manager, they installed an Intelliblend auto mixing system to ensure teat spray consistency year-round. “Ever since we’ve had the Intelliblend, it’s been flawless and simple to use. It gives me peace of mind knowing the cows are getting the right mix, even when I’m not in the shed.”

With fewer mastitis cases and improved teat condition, Stu says, “I can’t argue with the results.”

Beyond the products, both Stu and Warrick say FIL’s service is what’s really kept them loyal for over 20 years “Whenever we’ve needed help, they’ve sorted us out. The service is everything,” says Warrick. Stu agrees: “You can be having a rough run during calving, and your Area Manager just shows up, has a yarn, and you walk away feeling better. Matt will often just pop in to see how we’re getting on. He's always thinking about you and that's a hard thing to replace.”