Organic Conversion — South Island Dairy

The market has arrived. The premiums are healthy.

Are you ready to go organic?

Find out if you're ready
DairyBase • 100+ farms • Since 2002

"Organic farms typically have lower expenses per hectare, with slightly higher labour costs offset by savings on fertiliser and bought-in feed."

FarmSource
DairyBase • North Island
  • Organic certification typically takes up to three years to achieve.
  • Farmers who want to supply in 2028/29 need to start planning now.
  • Organic certification typically takes up to three years to achieve.
  • Farmers who want to supply in 2028/29 need to start planning now.

How Groundshift can help

Don't make the jump alone

Groundshift provides independent advice, financial guidance and a whole-farm systems lens — ensuring every decision keeps you moving forward with confidence.

Plan your transition & certification

A practical roadmap tailored to your farm, goals and timeline — identifying opportunities and risks, then guiding you through the certification process, documentation and compliance to certified status.

Improve soil & pasture performance

Build biologically active soils that improve nutrient cycling, pasture resilience and productivity while reducing synthetic input reliance.

Optimise animal health

Livestock systems that prioritise nutrition, resilience and preventative health — built for performance within an organic system.

Strengthen profitability & ongoing support

Reduce input costs and improve system efficiency, backed by regular coaching, on-farm visits, benchmarking and a community of farmers making the shift to biology-led systems.

The window is opening in 2028!

What organic conversion could mean for your farm's bottom line.

+$
2

Average organic premium per kgMS

$
14

Forecast organic milk price per kgMS

-$
1

Average operating cost reduction per kgMS

Are you ready to transition?

Why Grounshift

Built differently, on purpose.

Independent

No products. No commissions.

Our advice is never shaped by what we sell. We earn nothing from inputs, so our only interest is what's right for your farm.

Evidence-based

Grounded in science and results.

Our advice draws on established research, on-farm experience and measurable outcomes — not ideology or trend.

Whole-farm

Biology, business, and people.

We integrate soil health, financial performance and management systems into a single, practical strategy — not siloed recommendations.

Farmer-focused

Your farm. Your goals.

Every recommendation is tailored to your context — your land, your business, your timeline. Not a template applied from above.

What the evidence shows

What FarmSource found

Using three years of DairyBase benchmarking data from Fonterra organic farms, FarmSource reports that there is a consistent pattern across the sector.

"Organic farms typically have lower expenses per hectare, with slightly higher labour costs offset by savings on fertiliser and bought-in feed."

DairyBase • North Island
100+ farms • Since 2002 • DairyBase benchmarking
$3.00+
Premium per kgMS
3yrs
To certification

See your whole system, clearly

One assessment. Every part of your farm scored across six dimensions — from soil function and pasture to people and profitability. You get a clear report showing exactly what's performing, what isn't, and where to focus first.

Get in touch

Want to understand what a transition actually looks like?

Transitioning to organic is about more than certification. It requires changes to how you think, manage, and build your business. Groundshift provides independent advice, practical support and proven tools to help you plan, implement and optimise your transition for long-term profitability.

Book a call and let's work through what this could look like for your farm.

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