Tuesday, 31 May 2016 15:55

Positive vibe at awards

Written by 
Winning line-up... Nicholas Bailey, Jaime and Mark Arnold, and Thomas Chatfield. Winning line-up... Nicholas Bailey, Jaime and Mark Arnold, and Thomas Chatfield.

Despite the low milk price there was a positive vibe among the 33 finalists competing for the NZ Dairy Awards this year.

Awards general manager Chris Keeping says the finalists are looking to progress and grow their equity and position in the industry, "exciting to see and great to witness".

Share farmer head judge and DairyNZ senior consulting officer Abby Scott says the economic climate has prompted finalists to change some practices to ensure they better manage available resources.

"People were focusing on growing grass and supplements within their farm boundary and making sure they used it. And they were more interested in profit per hectare than benchmarking milk production per cow. We also saw innovative ways of reducing costs," Scott says.

"They were all positive about the industry, their business and their equity growth. Their positivity... was infectious. There's no doubt they're in the industry for the long haul."

Share Farmers of the Year Mark and Jaime Arnold are 50% sharemilking 500 cows for Mike and Sherynn Harold and Stuart and Sandra Cordell at Dannevirke. It is their fifth season on the farm and a great relationship with the farm owners led the owners to partner them as they progressed from lower order to 50% sharemilking.

Jaime says their farm operation is all about people.

"We are surrounded by people who have great influences; our staff make us who we are. We call our farm owners our farm partner and appreciate their support."

The Arnolds took a huge pay cut when they launched their dairy farming career eight years ago.

The former logging crew manager and teacher went on a single herd manager's salary when they stepped onto a dairy farm for the first time.

Thomas Chatfield became the 2016 New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year and Nicholas Bailey was announced the 2016 New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year.

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.

Sharemilker completes the trifecta

The major winners in the 2024 West Coast/Top of the South Share Farmer of the Year award, Michael and Cheryl Shearer were happy to complete the trifecta.

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.

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.

Boost for hort exports

The horticulture sector is a big winner from recent free trade deals sealed with the Gulf states, says Associate Agriculture Minister Nicola Grigg.

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