Kevin Davidson Email & Phone Number

I'm Kevin Davidson, and my journey into the world of agriculture began differently. At the age of 15 in 1974, I initially pursued a career as an electrician. Over four years, I honed my skills, completing my apprenticeship. For an additional three years, I mastered electrical work through self-employment.In 1981, after marrying Linda, I transitioned to dairy farming, starting with a year of hands-on experience on wages. The subsequent 12 years involved a successful 50/50 sharemilking partnership, a stepping stone toward our dream of owning a dairy farm.The dream became a reality in 1994 when we purchased our dairy farm in the Waikato region, marking the beginning of our commitment to excellence in the industry.In 2000, we sold our Waikato farm and ventured to the Hawke's Bay, initiating a transformative dairy conversion project with the Shepherd Family, encompassing 340 hectares and 1400 cows. Plantation Road Dairies evolved, expanding to a 460-hectare milking platform with 1850 cows and 550 hectares of support land. It became synonymous with innovation, enhancing animal welfare, production efficiency, profitability, and environmental sustainability.I became the largest single supplier of milk to Fonterra, whilst nurturing the success of Origin Earth, a small local processor, producing over 1 million Milk Solids.In 2022, I sold Plantation Road Dairies to Apatu Farms, retaining support land ownership to explore new avenues of impact and growth.Today, I focus on environmental sustainability, fostering farmer-to-farmer business practices, and re-investing in the Centre for Dairy Intelligence Limited (CDI). CDI, a New Zealand IP Development Company, hosts a groundbreaking program aimed at maximum sustainability, animal health, welfare, milk quality, profitability, and reducing methane/greenhouse gas emissions from cows.I'm committed to reimagining the dairy industry for the next generation, where innovation, sustainability, and shared success define our path forward.