Working smarter, not harder: Lean thinking in farming
What if the difference between a struggling farm and a thriving one isn’t the cows, the land or the milk price… but the systems?
When Jana Hocken and her husband returned to their 1,000-head dairy farm in New Zealand, they were facing two seasons of low milk prices, a $500,000 overdraft and long, exhausting workdays. Something had to change.
In this practical and eye-opening live recording from the Australian Dairy Conference, Jana shares how applying Lean management principles, developed by Toyota, transformed their business.
The results?
15% reduction in costs
72% increase in labour productivity over 10 years
Shift from 11-on/3-off to 5-and-2 rosters
Major gains in production and somatic cell count
Overdraft eliminated — and cash surplus at season start
Same herd. Same genetics. Same infrastructure. Different management.
Instead of hoping milk price rises to improve profit, Jana explains why the real opportunity lies in controlling what you can; cost, systems, communication and culture.
Hosted by Kirsten Diprose, this episode captures Jana’s keynote on how Lean tools; from weekly team meetings and visual management boards to root-cause problem solving and radical financial transparency — can dramatically reduce stress, lift productivity and build a farm that lasts generations.
This is the final collaboration episode with the Australian Dairy Conference. Go back and listen to earlier episodes, to hear more wisdom from the fabulous speakers and leaders involved in the event.
Produced by the Rural Podcasting Co… can we help YOU tell your own story?
