The L.A. Times has a story this evening about Kevin van der Poel, who moved to Missouri four years ago and is part of a wave of New Zealanders investing millions in dairy operations throughout the state and in the South.
Apparently land for dairy cattle is getting harder to come by in New Zealand, so cheap American land prices and welcoming neighbors proved irresistible.
The Times notes that “New Zealanders are considered among the most efficient dairy producers in the world.”
And they grass feed, which, as the Times notes, is taking many Missouri farmers back to farming practices of the past.
The story first appeared with art here from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. More on the New Zealander influence here from Marketplace.
Virtual Farmgirl 