Tuesday, 16 May 2023 10:55

Great time to go dairying

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
Canterbury sharemilker Ash-Leigh Campbell believes the time is right for young Kiwis to join the dairy industry and become part of the success story. Canterbury sharemilker Ash-Leigh Campbell believes the time is right for young Kiwis to join the dairy industry and become part of the success story.

The dairy industry is urgently looking to attract more people to meet a shortage of 2,500 staff on farms, according to DairyNZ.

And Canterbury sharemilker Ash-Leigh Campbell believes the time is right for young Kiwis to join the dairy industry and become part of the success story.

The dairy sector is keen on greater diversity in its workforce and 32-year-old Ash-Leigh, an urban Māori, is a great role model.

She and her business partner own 'Partners in Cream' - a sharemilking business.

She has served in governance roles and has won several awards including being the youngest ever winner of the prestigious Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year award in 2020.

In 2021, she completed a three-year term as chair of New Zealand Young Farmers and in the same year was one of four businesswomen to win an emerging director award from the Institute of Directors (IoD) Canterbury Branch.

Ash-Leigh's first brush with the dairy industry came when she was in Lincoln High School in Christchurch.

"It was by complete accident," she says.

"When I was in high school, I relieved milk for a local farmer milking 200 of his pedigree Holstein Friesian cows, three times a week after school and it snowballed from that.

"My parents purchased me my first runabout vehicle, and if I wanted to drive it, I needed a job to pay for fuel, registration and other expenses."

So she turned to sharemilking.

Ash-Leigh says the farmer was shocked to see a female - as Ash-Leigh is also a male's name - rock up for the interview, which was for milking the cows and hosing down the yards afterwards.

"He stated he wouldn't be offended if I didn't want the job. I said 'no issues, see you tomorrow'."

Ash-Leigh says she learnt on the job and points out that in the agri-sector "you can earn while you learn".

"In the trade space you may be on a lower wage while you're doing your apprenticeship but you're learning and getting a qualification at the same time.

"That's a really viable pathway here in the dairy sector as well. That's exactly how I did it, completing Primary ITO papers at the same time as dairy farming. Going in at the base level, putting those two things in together - working and learning."

Like all newcomers, Ash-Leigh says she started from the very bottom, learning how to milk a cow, and hose down a yard efficiently and effectively on day on and from there slowly built up her confidence.

Milking cows after school for a few years was enough for her at the time, as farming also wasn't sold as a career by high school careers advisor.

"So, I was blissfully ignorant I could turn what I enjoyed doing - being with the animals and working outdoors - into a career I am passionate about.

"I'm a big believer in continuous learning. You can stop when you want, and pick things up again when you want, which is what I have done.

"I hd made moves and progress when the time felt right, and when I was feeling hungry for my next challenge."

Being from an urban background has never bothered her and she hopes that others aren't put off by having an urban background.

"If anything, give it a go, if you don't enjoy it, at least you gave it a shot! You may also find that you can support the dairy farming sector in different ways."

Being a young Māori female in dairy was a hurdle earlier on but doesn't bother Ash-Leigh now.

"The hurdle for me personally in this sector, would have to be early on being a young wahine.

"Now it doesn't bother me. Wherever and whenever I can mentor or encourage other young women I do so."

Ash-Leigh's advice to young Kiwis is to give dairying a go and seek good employers.

"If we an contribute to telling that story and working to create more environmentally friendly products, great products with high food safety for the international consumer, while looking after our own backyard and our own Kiwi customers. Why wouldn't you want to be a part of the change?"

More like this

Strong uptake of good wintering practices

DairyNZ has seen a significant increase in the number of farmers improving their wintering practices, which results in a higher standard of animal care and environmental protection.

Better animal genetic gain system

A governance group has been formed, following extensive sector consultation, to implement the recommendations from the Industry Working Group's (IWG) final report and is said to be forming a 'road map' for improving New Zealand's animal genetic gain system.

OSPRI's costly software upgrade

Animal disease management agency OSPRI has announced sweeping governance changes as it seeks to recover from the expensive failure of a major software project.

Musical chairs

OPINION: DairyNZ's director elections has seen scientist Jacqueline Rowarth re-elected for another three-year term.

Featured

Massey Research Field Day attracts huge interest

More than 200 people turned out on Thursday, November 21 to see what progress has been made on one of NZ's biggest and most comprehensive agriculture research programmes on regenerative agriculture.

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo being once again hosted in Wairoa in February.

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.

National

OSPRI's costly software upgrade

Animal disease management agency OSPRI has announced sweeping governance changes as it seeks to recover from the expensive failure of…

Machinery & Products

BA Pumps expand

Cambridge based BA Pumps & Sprayers, specialists in New Zealand-made spraying equipment, has acquired Tokoroa Engineering’s product range, including the…

Entries open for innovation award

Fieldays and its renowned Innovation Awards are celebrating their 57th year, marking a longstanding tradition in the agricultural calendar, with…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Chinese strategy

OPINION: Fonterra may have sold its dairy farms in China but the appetite for collaboration with the country remains strong.

Not fair

OPINION: The Listener's latest piece on winter grazing among Southland dairy farmers leaves much to be desired.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter