Former sheep farmers, Michael and Karen Blomfield have attracted abundant praise from the award judges for the “outstanding dairy farm conversion” on their 220ha Western Southland property.

Michael and Karen took over the predominantly flat to rolling property in the Opio district from Michael’s parents John and Joan in 1994, and converted in 2008. The dairy platform is 189ha. Last season they peak milked 580 cows for a production of 233,300 kgMS at a cost of just $3.13 kgMS for the year.