13 October 2025 Owl Farm celebrates 10 years of growing future agricultural leaders

The recent celebration of the 10-year anniversary of Owl Farm—a joint venture between Lincoln University and St Peter’s School, Cambridge—highlights the continued success of the North Island’s first demonstration dairy farm. Owl Farm has become a valuable platform for students, industry professionals and the public to connect with the land and learn about sustainable farming practices.

Lincoln University Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Edwards says the partnership has delivered lasting benefits over the past decade, including showcasing innovation, enhancing education, demonstrating best practices and inspiring students to pursue studies in agriculture, agribusiness and environmental science.

“I was very pleased to attend the 10-year anniversary celebration in Cambridge with Professor Keith Cameron,” says Professor Edwards. “The Owl Farm partnership has created a direct pathway for St Peter’s students to attend Lincoln University. Many more students also visit Owl Farm, and these on-farm experiences have inspired them to study at Lincoln. Several of these graduates are now giving back to the industry as leaders in farming, consulting and research. This strong pipeline highlights the value of linking secondary and tertiary education through a working demonstration farm such as Owl Farm.” 

At the time of forming the joint venture in 2015, Lincoln University and St Peter’s School also welcomed industry partners who are currently DairyNZ, Fonterra, PGG Wrightson Seeds, Ravensdown, and Westpac. These partners have contributed expertise to help improve Owl Farm’s performance and promote the transfer of knowledge and technology to students, farmers and beyond. 

Lincoln University’s Professor Keith Cameron, who has been involved since the venture’s inception, played a key role in the construction of a wetland area on the farm. Funded by the Waikato River Authority and Waikato Regional Council, the wetland treats farm drainage water before it flows into the Waikato River. The project also supported two ‘Ecoblitz’ events, where Lincoln University staff trained students and community members to record changes in wetland biodiversity.

“Owl Farm provides leadership for dairy farmers and the wider community by demonstrating best-practice sustainable agriculture systems,” says Professor Cameron. “Over 2,000 people visit the farm each year, including schoolchildren who are given the opportunity to explore and expand their knowledge of agriculture and related disciplines. It is crucial to attract young people to careers in the food and fibre industries, with export earnings from our primary production sectors making up the vast majority of Aotearoa’s export income.” 

The University plays an active role in Owl Farm’s governance and farm management with representatives on key committees. Governance committee member Professor Alison Bailey says the farm remains committed to being a leader in best-practice dairy systems. 

“Owl Farm takes a holistic approach to farming, with its key performance indicators designed to meet best practice standards for a sustainable farm business of the future. These indicators span animal wellbeing, farm performance, environment, quality workplace, business health and community,” says Professor Bailey. 

Lincoln University Farms Educational Facilitator Lauren Roberts plays an active role at Owl Farm, making the journey north to Cambridge to host on-farm workshops for secondary school students across the Waikato region. 

“As a specialist land-based university, Owl Farm is an important joint venture that connects us in the South Island with industry and prospective students in the North Island. In addition to the annual Owl Farm Open Day, which is open to the public, I host school groups on the farm to highlight responsible and sustainable dairy practices. These visits help bridge the gap between urban and rural perspectives and allow students to see science in action,” says Lauren.