CEO of Aztech Buildings Matt Hoyle says Environment Canterbury supports composting barns for wintering, recognising their meaningful impact in cutting nitrate loss and soil damage.

Beyond the environmental gains, the barns double as summer shade that keeps cows out of the heat.

“Farmers are actually surprised how much additional returns they get during the summer period,” he says.

Manure and urine from the cow are absorbed into the bedded pack.

“If the barn is smelling, there’s actually something wrong; the composting process isn’t working.”​

Barn design and pack management decide whether they work, with farmers getting four to five years out of a pack. He says when given open gates, cows are choosing to stay in the barn.

“It speaks for itself.”

Read ECAN’s piece on wintering barns here, and see more from Aztech here

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Correction: An earlier version of this article stated ECAN backed wintering barns as ‘gold standard’, however ECAN does not have an organisational position on wintering barns relative to other approaches.