The Dairy Women's Network is hosting the workshops to equip first herd buyers, or those looking to get involved in purchasing stock for the first time, with the skills and knowledge to understand the process step by step, to make an informed decision.
The workshop will cover sale and purchase agreements and the obligations of buyers and sellers, including the agent's role; how to identify and set up records and transfer cows between parties including National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) scheme requirements; spotting the 'fish hooks' - knowing the best time to buy and sell, pregnancy testing, in-calf guarantees, unsound animals and rejection rates, including a practical assessment to identify cows that could be rejected.
Workshop facilitation will be shared between Joanne Leigh and Maree Crowley-Hughes, both hands-on farmers with more than 35 years' experience between them in trading stock for their businesses.
Leigh has an extensive farming background. She is a dairy farmer, farm consultant and business manager of the Tirau-based specialist calf-rearing business, Top-notch Calves, which she has owned with husband Jonathan since 1993. Based at the couple's 63 hectare dairy farm, Top-notch Calves rears around 8000 dairy and beef calves annually, in a large scale commercial facility.
Crowley-Hughes is a director and owner/operator of seven Southland dairy farms. She has been a member of the Dairy Women's Network since 1998, and was last year appointed to the board. She is a passionate farmer who is very 'hands-on' at home and on the farm.
She says her involvement in trading stock has increased in the past five years as her and husband Peter's business has grown. While all their replacement calves are AB, they also trade stock as a part of the whole-farm business including carry overs and young stock, which they graze and sell as in-calf heifers.
"You get better at trading stock with experience, because that brings the knowledge you need to know who you can trust, what you need to look for when buying and what's a good price – this workshop provides a great starting point for those who are just starting to get involved in that process."
Crowley-Hughes says the workshop will be very hands-on, practical and upfront, with participants working with stock on the day.
She adds the workshop would give participants the knowledge and confidence to make good decisions and achieve the best outcome possible, regardless of whether they were buying or selling.
Workshops will be held in 10 regions across the country starting on February 7, 2013 in the Waikato and finishing a month later on March 7, 2013 in Canterbury. For a complete schedule of the Buying & Selling Stock Dairy Days visit www.dwn.co.nz.
