We are Grasslands.
Grasslands was formed in 2000 by a group of dairy farmers from New Zealand and Ireland. The business began as Canterbury Grasslands, operating 1,608 hectares and running 19,500 stock units, primarily Merino sheep in Hororata in Canterbury.
In 2004, the first dairy platform was commissioned, marking a significant milestone in the company’s evolution. Over time, several adjoining blocks were acquired, and today Grasslands operates nine dairy units across 3,500 contiguous hectares in Canterbury.
Expansion continued in 2017 with the purchase of a property at Mossburn in Southland. Since then, Grasslands has grown its Southland footprint to nine dairy units, creating a total effective dairy platform of 2,700 hectares. This is supported by a further 1,500 hectares of run‑off land in Northern Southland, used for young stock and wintering.
In 2023, Grasslands expanded into the Waikato with the acquisition of a large contiguous landholding spanning 3,000 hectares and milking approximately 6,350 cows. Bordering the Waikato River, this unique property has an effective dairy area of 2,114 hectares, allowing the business to explore sustainable land-use initiatives, including the establishment of both native and exotic forests.
Most recently, in 2025, Grasslands entered Otago with the purchase of three adjoining dairy units. These properties comprise 877 hectares of effective dairy platform, milking around 2,300 cows, and are supported by 470 hectares of run‑off land for young stock and wintering.
Today, Grasslands operates across multiple regions, continuing to grow a resilient, sustainable dairy business built on scale, people, and responsible farming.
Company Values
People
- Respect - We treat one another with fairness, consideration, and dignity in everything we do.
- Integrity - We act honestly, take responsibility for our actions, and do what is right—always.
- Collaborate - We work together, valuing diverse perspectives to achieve better outcomes.
- Empower - We support our people to grow, make decisions, and take ownership of their work.
Pride
- Work Hard - We apply strong work ethic and commitment to deliver quality outcomes every day.
- Positive - We approach challenges with optimism, resilience, and a solutions‑focused mindset.
- Future - We think long‑term, making decisions today that support a sustainable and successful future.
- Celebrate - We recognise and celebrate achievements, milestones, and the contributions of our people.
Performance
- Aspire - We set high standards for ourselves and continually strive to do better.
- Innovate - We embrace new ideas and smarter ways of working to improve how we operate.
- Execute - We follow through, delivering on our commitments safely, efficiently, and effectively.
- Learn - We learn from experience and feedback to continuously improve and grow.
Our Culture
At Grasslands, our purpose - farming together, for better - guides everything we do. We are building a culture where people, pride, and performance come together to create a thriving, sustainable future for our communities, shareholders, and each other.
We foster a deep sense of belonging, where every person feels welcomed, connected, and part of a meaningful team. From the moment someone joins Grasslands, they experience consistent support and genuine relationships that help them grow and succeed.
We take pride in ourselves, our farms, and our collective achievements. Our people are motivated to do better every day, driven by a shared purpose and a commitment to excellence - from milk quality to immaculate farm presentation.
We value clarity and accountability, with clear goals, expectations, and honest conversations about performance. We celebrate success, learn from challenges, and continuously improve together.
Our culture is built on trust and empowerment. Leaders act with initiative, and everyone is encouraged to make decisions within a clear framework -knowing they are supported and trusted to lead.
We keep things simple and focused, using smart systems and technology that adds to productivity. Our people feel valued, listened to, and know they have opportunities to grow into the world’s best farmers.
Together, we are creating a workplace where happy faces, happy cows, and high performance go hand in hand - delivering sustainable value for our communities and shareholders, while growing our people and our impact.
Our People
Our people share a common passion for the dairy industry and take pride in everything we do.
Across our four hubs, Grasslands provides employment and development opportunities for around 170 full time jobs. Our teams include farm managers, supervisory staff, contract milking teams, and young stock specialists, all supported by administration staff based across the regions.
Grasslands benefits from a supportive and engaged shareholder base and is governed by an experienced, industry‑leading Board. Alongside the senior leadership team, this brings together a wealth of expertise in large‑scale dairy farming, the global dairy industry, strategy development and execution, international business, economics, and finance.
We are proud of the opportunities we offer for growth and development, both within the Grasslands business and across the wider dairy industry. Our shareholders strongly support this focus, recognising that investing in our people is fundamental to the long‑term success of the business.