​​Paul Kuriger
Crystal Rivers Taranaki

The equity partnership operating this dairy farm which borders Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki national park is demonstrating that high production can be achieved alongside environmental gains.

Paul Kuriger, Tony Riley, and Jessica Gower have significantly transformed the 196ha (150ha effective) property by strategically investing in infrastructure to manage the area’s substantial rainfall.

The partners are now in their eighth season at Crystal Rivers Taranaki, with Paul managing day-to-day operations. The centrepiece of the farm’s transformation has been the construction of a herd home that houses cows over winter and during calving – effectively “turning the rain off” the paddocks.

The results have been dramatic. The barn has played a key role in reducing animal health issues and stock deaths while allowing for superior grazing management in wet conditions. It utilises a transitional feeding system that ensures the 360-cow herd remains productive and healthy year-round.

This infrastructure is complemented by an intense focus on water quality. Stream banks and wetland areas are extensively fenced with wide setbacks and enhanced with dense riparian plantings. This has significantly reduced runoff and nitrogen leaching – a crucial practice in this high-rainfall area.

Impressive biodiversity results have been achieved at Crystal Rivers, thanks to the native planting and intensive pest control. Since purchasing the property, the possum population alone has decreased from an estimated 1,000 to near-zero. This in turn is boosting native birdlife numbers, with populations of Whio, Kererū, and Bellbirds thriving, in addition to the sighting of a Pied Stilt – absent from the area since the 1970s.

Paul is actively involved in the local community and regularly opens the farm up to agricultural and veterinary students from Massey University for practical experience and trials.

This engagement, combined with his agricultural leadership roles, ensures the farm serves as a model for sustainable and profitable dairy management.