First-Farm Buyers Braden and Brigitte Barnes Secure Ownership with Award Support
Braden and Brigitte Barnes have taken the leap into farm ownership to purchase their first farm with support from the Fonterra & ASB First Farm Award.
Farmer co-op LIC has renewed their sponsorship for the next three years.
NZDIA general manager Robin Congdon says LIC has a long history of providing world-leading innovations for the dairy industry and the name change of the merit award to include Animal Wellbeing demonstrates its importance to LIC and the awards programme.
"The LIC dinner during Nationals week has become a permanent fixture that is looked forward to by our national finalists."
Congdon says national sponsors play a key role and their ongoing support ensures the success of the programme.
"Some of our sponsors have been associated with the awards since their inception more than 30 years ago," he says.
"A real benefit from sponsorship is the relationships that develop between entrants and sponsor representatives as they network, work together and learn from each other."
LIC chief executive, David Chin, says the farmer-owned co-operative is proud to renew its sponsorship for the awards.
"LIC has a rich history sponsoring the NZ Dairy Industry Awards and we are honoured to continue this partnership and celebrate the achievements of farmers across all levels of the dairy industry.
"Our farmers are at the heart of every decision we make at LIC and through increasing our support of these awards, we are proud to play a role in providing the farming community with the development and recognition opportunities that NZDIA offers."
The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors DeLaval, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda, LIC, Meridian Energy, and Ravensdown, along with industry partner DairyNZ and MediaWorks.
Entries open for the 2023 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards on October 1. An announcement on the date and location of the 2023 National Awards gala dinner is expected by the end of August.
