Dairy industry awards regional finals underway
Manawatu became the first region to announce its finalists for the 2024 Dairy Industry Awards.
Central Plateau
Sharefarmer of the Year
Tim and Melissa Parsons are contract milking 920 cows on Trinity Lands’ Tokoroa 330ha farm and won $17,180 in prizes.
Tim (32) began farming 15 years ago as an assistant. Melissa (33) joined him seven years ago in progressing to the contract milking position they have held since 2015.
They were runner-ups in the 2015 Taranaki Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year.
Their goal is to own a once-a-day milking farm to achieve a rural lifestyle for their three young children and to remain working on the land with animals.
Manager of the Year
Colin Tremain, three times an award entrant, enjoys the personal planning, and developing his presentation skills and industry profile.
Tremain (30), a licensed builder, spent seven years building then returned to farming in which he grew up.
He is farm manager on the Tumunui Lands Trust 982ha, 1750-cow farm at Rotorua.
He is proud of his career progress and the development of Tumunui South into a sustainable profitable dairy unit.
Trainee of the Year
Donnal McKinley was runner-up in the 2017 Central Plateau Dairy Trainee category and says she gained much personally from entering last year.
Donna is second-in-charge for Davison Trust Partnership, milking 330 cows on the 116ha farm. Her short-term goal is to manage a farm by 2020, she says.
“My long-term goal is land and herd ownership and I have financial plans in place to ensure this happens.
“Being a woman in our industry will always have its challenges, but I have learnt how to use my strengths. I have also gained a lot of resilience and recognition of my own mental wellbeing and that of others around me.”
• The Central Plateau awards winners’ field day will be held on April 4 at 184b Poaka Road, Tokoroa.
Bay of Plenty
Manager of the Year
Bridie Virbickas (27) won $6975 in prizes plus five merit awards.
She is farm manager for Bernard and Linda Virbickas on their 58ha Whakatane farm, milking 235 cows. She was runner-up in the 2017 Dairy Manager competition.
She graduated BAgSc from Massey University and worked as a fertiliser rep for Balance Agri-Nutrients for three years, before leading the North Island farm sustainability team.
Family is a strength of her business, she says.
“It’s a family-orientated business so we are all working towards the same goal.”
Sharefarmer of the Year
Reece and Natasha Cox believe they have age on their side in growing their business and achieving their goals.
They are contract milking 700 cows for David and Lesley Jensen on their 240ha Tauranga farm and won $12,823 in prizes and five merit awards.
They both grew up in farming environments and enjoy the outdoors and the farming lifestyle.
Their goal is to build equity through a profitable and sustainable business, as a foundation for buying their own farm.
“We’re at a good age to start a business, as we have the time to expand and reach our goals,” they say.
Trainee of the Year
Winner Zoe Gleeson (25), a first-time entrant, heard about the awards and decided to “give it a go”.
“This is my first year as a full-time farm assistant,” she says. “I followed my husband into the industry four years ago and have always been the relief staff.
“I didn’t consider farming a career until this position where I’ve discovered a whole different side of the dairy industry and I’ve realised it can offer me a satisfying career and a lifestyle I am happy to raise our child in.”
She is farm assistant for Margaret Wright on her 450-cow, 220ha property at Whakatane.
• The Bay of Plenty awards winners’ field day will be held on April 5 at 504 Taumata Rd, Tauranga.
Waikato
Sharefarmer of the Year
Steve Gillies (31) and Amy Johnson (31) are contract milking 470 cows for Peter and Marian van der Heyden at Putaruru and won $13,750 in prizes. They aim to progress to sharemilking positions.
Gillies, a mechanic, has worked in the industry eight years since moving from Scotland in 2010 and changing career.
Johnson, BAppSc(Ag), grew up on a farm. She worked as a DairyNZ consulting officer and is now an agri-manager with ANZ, and works on the farm.
Trainee of the Year
Aaron Courage (19) is passionate about the industry and would like to gain a leadership position. He grew up on a West Coast dairy farm.
“I would like to breed quality animals that have a positive impact on the industry,” says Courage. “I’m focused on breeding a bull into the team of premier sires, working towards this via quality stock investment and working with other successful breeders.”
Courage is farm assistant for Stewart and Kathryn Anderson on their 146ha, 430-cow property at Otorohanga.
He is also training to be an AB technician.
Manager of the Year
Chelsea Smith (28) was previously a ‘travelling winemaker’ before she decided to enter dairying full-time in 2015.
She is farm manager on Steven and Amy Van Der Poel’s 250ha farm at Otorohanga, milking 1180 cows.
“I treat the cows like they are my own; they are the most important part of the business and need to be looked after and cared for. They all have their own personalities,” says Smith.
She believes good communication is a core strength of the business.
“I always converse with the farm owner and staff to ensure everyone is up-to-date with the day-to-day or week-to-week happenings on the farm,” she says.
• The Waikato awards winners’ field day will be held on April 5 at 455 Whites Road, Putaruru.
Auckland/Hauraki
Sharefarmer of the Year
Chris and Sally Guy have a clear vision and believe farming offers a great lifestyle for families.
Chris (31) grew up on a dairy farm and qualified as a carpenter. Sally (35) is a secondary school teacher who grew up on a sheep and beef station in NSW.
The couple are in their second season 50/50 sharemilking on Allan Guy’s 80ha Papakura property, milking 200 cows. Their goals include increasing their herd size and moving into a larger job, repaying debt and building equity, and owning a farm.
Manager of the Year
Terence Potter (24) entered the awards to test his skill level and get feedback from judges.
Potter early-on decided the outside life was for him, and loves going to work each day with new goals. He is farm manager on Graham and Lorraine Bell’s 325ha, 1100-cow property at Ngatea and takes pride in running the large-scale business with three staff. “With a fair amount of dedication and goal planning I’ve succeeded in getting this amazing position.”
Trainee of the Year
Quinn Youngman (21) was inspired by his grandmother to look at the dairy industry as his career.
Youngman heard about the awards through PrimaryITO and thought it would be an excellent way to gain experience. “I love the diversity of the job and working outdoors.
He works on David Dean’s 245ha, 600-cow farm at Mercer.
• The Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Industry Awards field day will be held on 4 April 4, 2018 at 540 Karaka Rd, Papakura.
Northland
Sharefarmers of the Year
Dan and Gina Duncan -- both aged 32 and BAgSc graduates -- were rural valuers and knew the lifestyle was what they wanted for their family.
They run a low-input system with all young stock reared on an adjoining run-off. The Duncans are 50:50 sharemilkers for the Pouto Topu A Trust milking 1020 cows on the 460ha Pouto property.
Manager of the Year
Sam Moscrip (21) entered the awards to challenge himself and learn how management decisions onfarm directly affect the economic and environmental sustainability of the property.
Moscrip, graduated BAgComm from Lincoln University and has farmed full-time since then. He aims to own a herd by 2023, enter an equity partnership by 2025 and own a farm. He is herd manager on Alan and Jill Moscrip’s 200ha Hikurangi farm, milking 400 cows.
Trainee of the Year
Women won first, second and third places in the 2018 Northland Dairy Trainee of the Year contest: Eden Ritchie (22) came first.
This is the first clean sweep by women.
Ritchie is a farm assistant on Jean Jeff’s 550-cow, 380ha Dargaville property; she entered to benchmark herself against others and to advance her skills and confidence.
• The Northland awards field day will be held on March 28, 2018 at 329 Opuna Rd, Pouto.
