Farmers in the Bay of Plenty are benefiting from tailored B+LNZ Wormwise workshops thanks to a responsive approach taken by the programme. B+LNZ Wormwise Programme Manager, Ginny Dodunski, sheds light on the recent cattle-focused workshop held on a dairy support and beef farm near Ōpōtiki.
After listening to the popular B+LNZ Wormwise series ‘Parasite Chronicles’ on B+LNZ’s Scene + Herd podcast, farmers around Ōpōtiki reached out to their vets seeking further opportunities to learn more in-person about internal parasite management in their farming businesses.
As a direct result from those conversations, B+LNZ Wormwise Programme Manager Ginny Dodunski worked with Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (B+LNZ) Mid Northern North Island Extension Manager Laura Davis to deliver tailored workshops across her patch.
"Requested by vets and driven by farmer input, we tailored these workshops to what farmers in the area wanted. As a result, these workshops had less of a ‘classroom style’ and was more of a discussion group with practical conversations about management options and learning about internal parasites,” explains Ginny.
“We spent time out looking at calves in the paddock and ways to get better outcomes with less reliance on drenches.
“The host farmer had done some monitoring to ascertain which drench types were working best on his property. This enabled us to make a better choice of what to use when treatment was required.
“The local veterinary clinic had requested the workshop and done a great job of encouraging farmers along. The interaction was great, many of them knew each other and so the discussion really flowed. Many participants commented that they had clear actions ahead when they got home,” Ginny adds.
Emphasising the importance of adapting workshop deliveries based on farmer input, Ginny says, "Wormwise is evolving to a ‘beyond the basics’ approach with its workshops. The on-farm workshops and focus on cattle are making the learning more relevant and applied, and expanding the audience beyond sheep farmers."
This flexibility is essential as farmers seek practical solutions beyond the basics of worm management.
Ginny also highlights a successful collaboration with DairyNZ, as she and 2023 Young Farmer of the Year Emma Poole discussed B+LNZ Wormwise on DairyNZ’s 'Talking Dairy' podcast, turning the episode into the #2 downloaded episode of 'Talking Dairy.' Listen here.
Farmers are encouraged to contact their local B+LNZ Extension Manager to discuss what they need in their region to help inform B+LNZ’s extension activities.
About the Parasite Chronicles
B+LNZ’s Parasite Chronicles podcast series hosted by Sarah Perriam-Lampp discusses internal parasite management strategies farmers have implemented across different regions and shares insights from industry experts.
Listen on B+LNZ’s ‘Scene + Herd’ podcast, here or on your favourite podcast app:
- The Parasite Chronicles episode 1: Tom Brown (Wairarapa)
- The Parasite Chronicles episode 2: Andrew Law (northern Southland)
- The Parasite Chronicles episode 3: Insights from farmers reducing drench
- The Parasite Chronicles episode 4: Dave McKenzie (North Canterbury)
- The Parasite Chronicles episode 5: Ginny Dodunski (B+LNZ Wormwise Programme Manager)
- The Parasite Chronicles episode 6: Carlos Segura (Taumarunui)