No regrets choosing cows over boardroom

The first-time entrants are equity partners and contract milkers on a 1090-cow farm in Putaruru. They took out the national title at the awards night held in Mount Maunganui this month.

"We were shocked on the night and it still hasn't quite sunk in," Thomas told Dairy News.

"It was an incredible evening to cap off a great week for the national awards. We enjoyed celebrating the dairy industry and meeting many amazing and talented farmers.

"We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved and the work we've put into our personal and professional journey in the dairy industry."

On their way to winning the national title, the Langfords collected six of the nine merit awards given out on the night. They won over $38,000 worth of prizes.

Thomas says the awards are a great opportunity to network with farmers and agricultural leaders from around the country.

"The judges have taken the time to provide feedback in all areas of farming which we will use to continue to improve our business.

"It is also great exposure for Fiona and me at a national level. We are alwayrs looking for opportunities to grow and develop ourselves and have an influence on the wider industry."

Share Farmer category head judge Steve Canton from DairyNZ says the Langfords impressed the judges with their overall excellence across the board.

"Thomas and Fiona are very focused on the detail," he says. "They both come from corporate lives, and they have brought that experience into a lot of their systems and processes."

Fiona holds a Masters in Diatetics and Thomas a Bachelor of Food Science (Hons). They both began work in the Fonterra Technical Graduate Programme, with Fiona moving to Melbourne to work in the Nutritional's team and Tom working with the Fonterra Nutrient Management team. Both have a Masters in Dairy Science and Technology which they completed during their time in the Fonterra programme.

The Langfords have no regrets turning their back on the corporate world in favour of dairy farming.

"We saw dairy farming as a great opportunity to create the lifestyle that we wanted and gave us the autonomy to control our development, direction and progression," says Thomas.

"Zero regrets. The time we now get to spend together and with our family has been amazing. The trajectory we are on now towards our dream of farm ownership, governance and ag leadership is miles ahead of where we would have been staying in the corporate world.

"You do have to take the good and the bad with farming but for us the good has far outweighed the bad."

He points out that they have a great support network around them and couldn't have achieved what they have without their incredible support.

"Particularly Jos and Marian (farm owners Jos and Marian van Loos) who have and continue to support our growth both at a personal and professional level.

"We have an amazing team who have been very loyal and dedicated, we couldn't do it without them. Community, network and support are important to us, and it is one of the reasons we are so involved at a community level."

Farm ownership remains on the forefronts for the Langfords.

Thomas says it is definitely one of the drivers behind their business and their strategic plan.

"Alongside farm ownership we are also committed to growing our influence within the dairy industry through governance and supervisory roles. We are passionate about the industry and are excited about the future it has to offer."