Suzanne and Terence Brocx have been dairy farming in Northland since the late 1980s, near Kerikeri. They’re quick to put technology to work, from cow sensors to automatic drafting. When we spoke with Suzanne in 2021, they were milking 650 KiwiCross cows on two farms plus a run-off, with five staff. Choosing Farm Focus for the farm finances was part of the same thinking.
“Terence manages cows, grass, and staff while I manage financials and anything paper - invoices, tax, and GST. We have implemented automated processes right across the business to help deliver time savings on-farm, and in the office.”
Technology across the whole farm
Automation has made life easier for the whole team, on the farm and in the office.
“CowManager (an electronic heat/health/temperature sensor), and Protrack drafting has streamlined day to day processes from stocktaking animals, animal health and simple drafting for health and mating all of which increases accuracy and saves time for the team.”
Why did tech-savvy farmers choose Farm Focus?
For Suzanne, the decision was simple. After a local Farm Focus workshop showed what the software could do, “we switched our farm business right away!”
Planning, budgeting and the farm accounts have all changed since, in a good way.
“I’m a firm believer in the saying ‘if you can’t measure it, you can’t monitor it and if you can’t monitor it, you can’t manage it’. We’ve been in the industry since the late 1980s and we still plan well ahead so we know where we’re headed.”
How does planning ahead protect the bottom line?
With a working budget alongside the actuals, Suzanne can see how changes on and off the farm will affect profit, seasons ahead. At the time of our 2021 interview, she could already see two seasons out.
“With Focus we can see how constraints on- and off-farm will impact our bottom line! Right now, we know where we’ll be by end of May 2022 and then May 2023 which takes stress out of the equation. We can plan expenditure and know what the impact of ‘surprise expenditure’ means to the bottom line.”
Saving time in the office
Bank feeds and invoice scanning do much of the routine work, so Suzanne stays ahead of the month.
“Focus is a brilliant application because it simplifies processes and encourages you to be more proactive in managing information. I love the invoice scanning and the bank feeds almost force you to stay up to date. I can check in and out from anywhere so there’s no end of month madness sorting invoices because they’re already saved in the system. I’m so up to date I now reconcile way ahead of months end!”
Is farm compliance easier with farm accounting software?
Farmers have more reporting and risk management to deal with than ever. Having everything in one system makes it easier.
“Compliance is an important part of doing business and the paperwork involved is time consuming which is another plus for Focus users. All our information is saved in the system so we can check back and compare prices, stock health applications or stock numbers across any given period. It’s all there for us.”
Supporting the next generation of farmers
Suzanne also looks after the finances for the Northland College Farm in Kaikohe, as part of its farm management committee. The college’s AgTrades Academy gives students practical skills on the school’s dairy farm before they move into work or further study. Farm Focus has long supported the farm.
“Using Focus, we know where we are financially which helps the farm committee make choices around infrastructure investment, or the donation of funds back to the college. Focus also enables the committee to report financials back to the Board of Trustees, so they have an overview with transparency over expenditure and financial direction.”
Technology helps, but people still make the difference.
“We’re fortunate to have a great team – on our farms and at Northland College. We try to provide a great working environment and remuneration because, at the end of the day, staff can make or break a business.”
Still automating today
Suzanne still runs the Brocx farm business and the college farm in Farm Focus. Bank feeds bring in transactions, the Invoice Scanner handles the bills, and Farm Source, Farmlands and Fonterra feed straight in. Each farm keeps a working budget, and GST is filed every two months from the same numbers. Suzanne also tells the Farm Focus team what could work better, and her feedback goes into future improvements. Since July 2026, she can ask the AI Farm Assistant quick questions about actuals, plans and reports.
Every Farm Focus customer gets free onboarding and phone support from a team that knows farming, in New Zealand and Australia.
