In the Shed
Making It Stick: Embedding Systems Into Day-to-Day Operations
In this episode of In the Shed with Trev, FarmRight’s Mark Cudmore, Tracey Russell, and contract milker Jared Crawford, share how data and systems are embedded into the day-to-day running of large dairy operations.
Across multiple farms and thousands of cows, the challenge isn't collecting more data, it is making sure it is consistent, trusted, and actually used. From pasture walks to stock movements and business-wide visibility, this episode is a practical look at how better systems can lead to stronger performance, less admin, and better decision-making on farm.
If you’ve already got systems in place but they’re not being used consistently, this episode shows what it takes to make them stick day to day.
What you'll hear
- Why managing information gets harder as farm businesses grow
- How FarmRight reduced double handling across multiple systems
- What changed once teams started recording things in real time
- Why some tools get adopted on farm and others don’t
- How cleaner reporting reduced weekly chasing
- Why staff buy-in matters more than the software itself
- How better visibility helped managers make quicker decisions
- What helped Trev become part of the weekly routine
Who's in the Shed?
Sheryl Haitana, Host
With a background in ag journalism and communications, Sheryl Haitana leads SpadeWorks Communications and focuses on New Zealand’s primary sector. She brings strong industry knowledge and hands-on experience, offering a practical perspective on farm businesses, people and day-to-day operations.
Mark Cudmore, Investment Manager, FarmRight
Overseeing multiple farms and managers across FarmRight’s portfolio, Mark Cudmore works at scale to keep systems, reporting, and on-farm performance aligned. His focus is on building clear, consistent data across the business to support better decision-making and stronger operational outcomes.
Tracey Russell, Operations Coordinator, FarmRight
Tracey Russell plays a key role in collating FarmRight’s farm data to ensure it is accurate, accessible and fit for purpose. She focuses on improving visibility, reducing inefficiencies and supporting both on-farm and the wider business with systems that make reporting and compliance easier.
Jared Crawford, Contract Milker, Lamorna Farm, FarmRight
Jared Crawford is a FarmRight contract milker running a 2,000-cow dairy operation, leading a large team and managing day-to-day performance on farm. He is focused on what’s important on-farm and keeping systems simple and efficient for staff to then use data for real-time decision-making.
A few takeaways worth chewing on
- The hardest part usually isn’t the software, it’s changing habits
- If the team doesn’t trust the system, they’ll stop using it
- Recording things weekly is easier than rebuilding the story later
- Too many platforms create confusion and double handling
- Good visibility makes faster decisions easier to back
- Simple systems are easier to stick with when things get busy
- Cleaner data means less chasing and fewer surprises
Listen Now
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