Since I have been home from New Zealand and back in the rhythm of farming, work and engaging in the ag community in Montana, there has been a lot of time to think about how New Zealand is different than here. The first question other dairy farmers ask when we talk about New Zealand is: “How was it?” or “What did you think?”

Just like in the U.S., the 1980s was a decade of unrest for New Zealand agriculture. It was during this time the New Zealand government decided to change the way the state interacted with industry, agriculture and services, and made the dramatic switch toward a free-market approach. In a free-market system, government involvement with production, distribution and consumption is strongly discouraged. Australia and New Zealand are commonly seen as the most pure free-market systems in the world, particularly in regards to agriculture. This means there are no subsidies, tariffs or production quotas, and most research comes from non-governmental groups.

Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series discussing how Montana’s supply management system operates and the effect it has had on the state’s dairy industry.