No. 1 Dairy Unit is located between the Massey University campus and the Manawatu River, encompassing 142.7 hectares (119.7 ha effective) of free-draining recent alluvial soils. This farm produces milk year-round, with a split herd (evenly split into two mobs of approxiamtely 135 Friesian cows) used to fulfil both winter and seasonal milk supply contracts. The cows are milked through a 24 a-side herringbone shed equipped with the Westfalia metatron system. A concrete feed-pad with 300 cow capacity is located close to the shed to increase supplement utilisation. Approxiamtely 90 percent of the farm was inundated during the February 2004 floods, resulting in significant silt deposits after flood waters receded; impacts of this event on factors such as regrassing policy are still being felt.