Wednesday, 28 February 2018 07:36

Leading local women recognised

Written by 
(L-R) Lorraine Stephenson and Kylie Leonard. (L-R) Lorraine Stephenson and Kylie Leonard.

Two women with generations of farming experience behind them are finalists in the 2018 Dairy Community Leadership Awards.

They are dairy farmers Kylie Leonard, from Reporoa in the Central Plateau, and Lorraine Stephenson, from Dannevirke in Manawatu.

The Dairy Community Leadership Awards are a Dairy Women’s Network (DWN) initiative recognising the unsung heroes of rural communities. This year’s award will be presented at an awards ceremony during the Network’s conference in Rotorua, 22-23 March.

Sponsored by ASB and Tompkins Wake, the award recognises the voluntary role dairy farming women have in leading their communities and sharing their time and skills beyond the farm gate.

DWN chief executive Zelda de Villiers says both finalists embody the community-centric values and a willingness to go the hard yards that can often go unrecognised.

“Kylie and Lorraine are those people you can leave a task to and know they’ll get on with it and that it will make a difference to those around them,” says de Villiers.

“They both volunteer an extraordinary amount of time in their communities and place a lot of value on their network and relationships, which is essential for any rural community.

“We’re proud to announce them as finalists for the Dairy Community Leadership Award.”

The recipient of the award is chosen by a panel comprising representatives from DWN, ASB and Tompkins Wake and the recipient will receive a scholarship prize to attend a leadership programme in New Zealand.

Last year’s Dairy Community Leadership Award winner was Southland dairy farmer Katrina Thomas.

More like this

Win to inspire young women

The Fonterra 2020 Dairy Woman of the Year Ash-Leigh Campbell hopes her win will inspire young girls to join the dairy industry.

DWN trustee to step down

A board position with the Dairy Women’s Network has opened up as Waikato dairy farmer Tracy Brown steps down from her role as a trustee.

Featured

People expos set to return

Building on the success of last year's events, the opportunity to attend People Expos is back for 2025, offering farmers  the chance to be inspired and gain more tips and insights for their toolkits to support their people on farm.

SustaiN lands NZ registration

Ballance Agri-Nutrients fertiliser SustaiN – which contains a urease inhibitor that reduces the amount of ammonia released to the air – has now been registered by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI). It is the first fertiliser in New Zealand to achieve this status.

National

The Cook Islands squabble

The recent squabble between the Cook Islands and NZ over their deal with China has added a new element of…

Machinery & Products

Nedap NZ launch

Livestock management tech company Nedap has launched Nedap New Zealand.

Landpower win global award

Christchurch-headquartered Landpower and its Claas Harvest Centre dealerships has taken out the Global After Sales Excellence award in Germany, during…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

O Canada

OPINION: Donald Trump's focus on Canada is causing concern for the country’s dairy farmers.

Plant-based fad

OPINION: The fact that plant-based dairy is struggling to gain a market foothold isn’t deterring new entrants.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter