No regrets choosing cows over boardroom
Winning the 2025 New Zealand Share Farmers of the Year still hasn't sunk in for Thomas and Fiona Langford.
Dairy Trainee of the Year Peter O'Connor is both honoured and surprised with his win.
"There were a large number of entries across New Zealand and when I signed up I did not expect to be the national winner.
"There were a range of skills all the trainee finalists brought to the awards and I was lucky enough to be the one that came out on top fr the challenges we were judged on," he told Dairy News.
He is currently 2IC on Leighton and Michelle Pye's 242ha, 900-cow Mayfield property and will progress to a new role managing a 400-cow farm near Lauriston in the 2022-23 season.
For other Kiwis looking to dairying as a career, O'Connor says there are so many opportunities waiting to be taken and the outdoor lifestyle is great.
"I love aways being outdoors and with animals, every day is different and there's always something new to learn or and improve on the farm.
"Lots of great employers are out there who will help you gain the skills and knowledge you need to move up positions and the dairy industry has a great pathway to go from just starting out on-farm to owning your own business and potentially your own farm."
O'Connor says his employers Steve and Rosie Ketter have always answered any questions he had.
They have given him more responsibility as his knowledge and experience has grown.
"They have involved me in discussions with the farm consultant and other professionals who come on farm.
"Being exposed to that side of the farming business as well as the day-to-day tasks has been great.
"The high standards we work to ensure I do jobs properly and learn the correct way things should be done, which not only helped me in the competition but will also set my standards high in years to come."
Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.
Within the next 10 years, New Zealand agriculture will need to manage its largest-ever intergenerational transfer of wealth, conservatively valued at $150 billion in farming assets.
Boutique Waikato cheese producer Meyer Cheese is investing in a new $3.5 million facility, designed to boost capacity and enhance the company's sustainability credentials.
OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
Selecting the reverse gear quicker than a lovestruck boyfriend who has met the in-laws for the first time, the Coalition Government has confirmed that the proposal to amend Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) charged against farm utes has been canned.
OPINION: Years of floods and low food prices have driven a dairy farm in England's northeast to stop milking its…
OPINION: An animal activist organisation is calling for an investigation into the use of dairy cows in sexuallly explicit content…