Bay farmers finalists in NZ Dairy Award
The 34 finalists in the New Zealand Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year, New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year competitions are now all known after the completion of 12 regional award programmes last week.
“The finalists have a range of backgrounds and experience in the industry, but are all working hard and achieving great results in their various positions. This is helping them to progress their career and grow their equity to take the next step in the dairy industry,” national convenor Chris Keeping says.
“The range of positions they hold also demonstrates the way the dairy industry has evolved to create opportunities for people to enter and progress at their own pace and in their own way.”
Mrs Keeping says the finalists hold positions from farm assistants, herd managers, farm managers, contract milkers, lower order and 50% sharemilkers, to equity managers and equity partners. “Some are in an equity partnership and are then lower order sharemilking for that partnership. It really is now whatever works!”
She says other trends among this year’s group of finalists appear to be a much greater emphasis on managing people within their business – or the human resource aspect to farming – and having good communication between all stakeholders.
“Having a sustainable farm and farming environmentally friendly has become the new norm among the finalists, just like having sound financial performance systems in place.”
Mrs Keeping says the finalists include a set of brothers, a seven-time dairy industry awards entrant, and a number with university and trade qualifications. The smallest herd size among the finalists is 220 cows, while the largest is 1400 cows.
Russell, Nadine Meade, Chris Mexted, Thomas Chatfield are among the finalists in New Zealand Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year, New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year will converge on Wellington for the national awards dinner in May.
Before then, many will host on-farm field days and also prepare for national judging, which takes place in mid-May.
Farm Manager of the year Chris Mexted says it's an honor to be acknowledged and to be a finalist.
"A lot of hard work, alot of disasters, alot of stree, its is just blimin good tobe achnologed and apart of the awards." He says.