A North Otago dairy farm is powering what’s being billed as the world’s first fantasy league using real cows. Farmer Tim Richards explains how the technology works.
V / NZ Herald
A North Otago dairy farm has become the unlikely setting for what is being billed as the world’s first fantasy league powered by real cows.
Meadow Fresh this week unveiled Fantasy Herd, a fantasy-style game that allows players to draft real dairy cows and score points based on live data,collected from a working farm near Ōamaru.
The game draws on behavioural data captured by solar-powered smart collars worn by cows at Nottingham Dairy Farm, a 200-hectare irrigated dairy operation in the Waitaki Valley run by farmer Tim Richards.
A dairy cow wearing a Halter smart collar, with individual performance data used in the fantasy league. Photo / Ben Tomsett
Richards said his herd of about 700 were fitted with the collars, which had been in use on the farm for about three and a half years as part of normal farm management.
Richards said the technology had become a routine part of modern dairy farming.
“In the last 10 years, there’s been a lot of technology come onto farms.
“Halter is very much focused on what’s happening with the cows out in the paddock, but there’s also technology in the dairy shed we’re using – things like automatic cup removers and cameras that monitor body condition.”
Around 700 cows at Nottingham Dairy Farm are fitted with smart collars as part of the fantasy league. Photo / Ben Tomsett
In the game, players assemble teams of cows and earn points based on real-world data collected from the herd, in a format similar to fantasy rugby or football competitions.
Richards said he was initially surprised when approached about the concept.
“It’s a different and novel idea.
“There’s not a lot I have to do, but it’s pretty cool to see the farm and the cows out there in a game that’s reaching the public.”
He said one benefit was helping urban audiences better understand modern farming.
“It shows people the technology that’s being used on farms these days.
North Otago farmer Tim Richards herd features in Meadow Fresh’s Fantasy Herd competition. Photo / Ben Tomsett
“Hopefully, it helps bridge that gap between town and country.”
Meadow Fresh marketing manager Jen Jones said the game was designed to be fun and easy to pick up, while also giving players a genuine window into modern dairy farming: “the technology used on farm, the care behind the animals, and the people producing milk every day”.
Fantasy-style player cards showing how real cow data is turned into scores, rankings and values for the game. Image / Supplied
VP Marketing and Growth at Halter Helen Moore said the tech also gave farmers a valuable tool to “maximise their productivity and to care for their animals.”
The game opens for drafting on February 9, with players competing over six rounds for a top prize of $20,000.
Richards said the cows themselves remained blissfully unaware of their new sporting status.
“They don’t even know they’re athletes yet.”
Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.
