Prepare for anight of elegance, excitement, and revelation on 6March at the Copthorne ResortSolway Park in Masterton, kicking offwith pre-dinnerdrinks at 6pm. The 2025Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa Dairy IndustryAwards dinner will celebrate excellence in the region’sdairyindustry.
This year’s eventwill be adazzling affair with the theme of amasquerade. Attendees will witness unveiling of theregion most accomplished and innovativedairy farmers. Theunseen hardworkand dedication of those who work tirelessly to drivesuccess and best practice in the dairyindustry will be unmasked Theevening will celebrateregional excellenceacross three
categories:DairyTrainee of the Year, DairyManager of the Year,and Share Farmer of the Year.Regional nominees forthe prestigious Fonterra Responsible DairyingAward (FRDA) will also be recognised during thedinner. Thethree winners from each category, along with the FRDAfinalists,will advancetothe New Zealand Dairy IndustryAwardsNational Final with the ultimate winners announced in Mt Maunganui on Saturday10May
Hawke’s Bay/WairarapaRegional Manager Angela Strawbridge describes the regional awards’dinners as true celebrations -not just forthe winners,but foreveryone
regional dinners en’t only about recognisingthe winners andother finalists,”says Angela. “They’re also afantastic opportunityto connect, network, and socialise with like-minded people who shareapassion rthe dairyindustry.”
DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS 2025
Sheemphasises the importanceof the eventfor acknowledging the contributions of volunteers and sponsors.“These dinners provide achancetothank the incredible volunteers and sponsors whose invaluable supporthelps make the awards possible.Their dedication to the entrants and the wider industryistruly something to celebrate.”
New Zealand DairyIndustryAwards General Manager,Robin Congdon, believes entering an awardcategory is one ofthe best ways forindividuals to enhancetheir profile,build their reputation,and gain valuable insights to advancetheir careers in thedairyindustry. Entrants gettochallenge themselves, earnaregional or national title,and share in substantial regional and national prizepools.The awards help peopleinthe dairyindustryto:
Learn, connect, andgrowby accelerating learning and development, prompting entrants to challengethemselves and climb their career ladder.
Stand out from the herdby showcasing skills,turning entrant passion and driveintosomething thatsets them apart.
Be rewarded with improved prospects andagrowth in skills, rewarding the hardworkofentrants with prizemoney,recognition, and industryexposure.
“The feedback we receivefromentrants is overwhelmingly positive,”Robin says.“Many express howmuch they’ve learned throughoutthe processand howglad they aretohaveparticipated.”
He emphasises thatentering the awards is alife-changing experience.
“It’sajourney of discovery—about the industry, your business,and yourself as a farmer.”
TheNew Zealand DairyIndustryAwards have taken placesince1989 and aim to drivebest practice and improve tomorrow’s dairying.They aresupported by nationalsponsors ASB,CowManager, Ecolab, Federated Farmers,Fonterra, Honda, LIC, and Trelleborg, along with industrypartners DairyNZ and MediaWorks
Don’tmiss this extraordinaryevening of celebration and connection. Purchase your tickets todaytounmask the best of the dairy industry. Visit dairyindustryawards.co.nz formore information.
The four New Zealand DairyIndustry Awards categories:
DairyTrainee of the Year recognises employees on a dairyfarmuptothe age of 30, assessing entrants on general knowledge and practical skills
DairyManager of the Year assesses applicants on topics such as people,pasture, feed, livestock,the farm, environment, and sustainability.
ShareFarmer of the Year is forself-employedpercentage sharemilkers,contractmilkers, equityfarmers and lessees. Assessmenttopics include people and culture, farmhygiene,health and safety, biosecurity, financial and business acumen, pasture, feed,livestock management, farm, environment, and sustainability.
Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award recognises dairyfarmers and businesses demonstrating leadership in their approach to responsibledairying.
Hawke’sBay/Wairarapa winners of the 2024 Dairy IndustryAwards were:
Theregion’s DairyTrainee of the Year awardwentto Kieran Scannell who wasworking in Tararuaatthe time
Theregion’s DairyManager of the Year awardwentto Rene tenBolscher in Carterton.
Theregion’s ShareFarmers of the Year awardwenttoAlvaro Luzardoand Ximena Puig in Eketahuna.
•Dairy
2024 HBW winners (fromleft) Dairy Trainee of the Year Kieran Scannell, ShareFarmers of the Year Ximena Puig and AlvaroLuzardo,Dairy Manager of the Year Reneten Bolscher
INDUSTRY AWARDS 2025
HAWKE’S
BAY& WAIRARAPA REGION
2024 Hawke’sBay/Wairarapa DairyTra of theYear: KIERAN SCANNEL
Kieran Scannellenteredthe regionalDairyIndustry Awardstomeetlike-minded people with similar goals, butalsotogive himself achallenge and pushhimself out of hiscomfortzone. He was working on Mike and Heather Burmeister’s323hafarmatMangatainoka, northofPahiatua, at the time,having got into dairy farming because he fell in love with awoman already deeply committed to dairyfarming.
“Mypartner offered anew lifestyle out in arural area, so Itook aleap of faith and haven’tlookedback,”he remembers.
“Despite growing up in the city, Iwas alwaysahands-on kind of person, and farming has been agood waytomake the most of that.”
Sincewinning the Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa 2024 DairyTrainee of the Year Award, Kieran and his partnerNicolaBosch (winner of the Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa 2023 DairyTrainee of the Year Award), have movedtoasharemilking position in Feilding
Interviewed by the WairarapaTimes-Age last year,Nicolasaid“I love my work Being outside and working with cows is wonderful,and everyday is different.”
When asked what it wasthatmade her stand out to the2023 judges of the regional DairyIndustryAwards, Nicola said “mydegreehelped,aswell as my focus
on,and knowledge of,animal health and welfare.”She had also completed aPrimaryITO level 4certificate that boosted her knowledge about all aspects of dairyfarming -particularly about pasture-based milk quality. Eventhen, Nicola’s goal wastowork towardsasharemilking role.Kieran says he and Nicola arecementing their goals and have an interest in pushing the boundaries of innovation in the dairy industry.
ABOVE RIGHT:Kieran Scannell, Hawke’sBay/Wairarapa winner ofthe 2024DairyTrainee of the Year award. RIGHT:Nicola Bosch, Hawke’sBay/Wairarapa winner ofthe 2023DairyTrainee of the Year award(with Dorathe cow). h d
GotanATV that’s seen better days?Trade it in for a brand-newHonda farmbike—built tough, built reliable, built forNew Zealandfarms.
TradeANY brand
Competitive trade-in values
Hondadurability youcan trust
2024 Hawke’s
Bay/WairarapaDairy
Manager of the Year: RENETEN BOLSCHER
Rene is into his sixth season as farmmanager on Clarence and Elise Stolte’s 170ha, 500-cow farminCarterton.He was motivatedtoenter the Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Industry Awards because it forced him to question why he did things the way he did.
Back in his nativeHolland,Rene qualified as aplumber,electrician and engineer, beforemoving to New Zealand in 2013 on aworking holiday.“Farming suited my visa and Iquickly discovered Iloved the lifestyle,the varietyofworkand the challenge of alwaysbeing able to improveand be moreefficient.”
He also says his background has come in handy because dairyfarming is an industrywhereyou need to know a bit about so manythings:“plumbing, electrics,mechanics,computers and tech, finances,people management, and more”
Sincebeing in NewZealand,Rene has achieved PrimaryITO qualifications in Level2Milk Qualityand Level3 Agriculture, and is nowa certifiedAI technician. Rene has saidheisexcited about the new technology being developed to make farming more efficientand easier to be awareofwhat is happeningon-farm. Andhis future
farming goals include farmownership, while continuing to focus on having a work/lifebalance.
“Time is one of the things youwon’t get moreofand can’t get back,”Rene says “Weget one shot at raising our children and helping thosearound us who need help.Iworkhardtobalancework (which is also my hobby) with my other priorities.”
“I came to New Zealand not knowing anyEnglish or anything about farming and nowIam managing adairyfarmand ownsome land wherewecan enjoyour family life. I’dlove to ownadairyfarmone day, but “we’re taking it oneday at atime”
Rene ten Bolscher, Hawke’sBay/ Wairarapawinner of the 2024 DairyManagerofthe Year award
WANT WATER SECURITY...? WANTWATER SECURITY...?
NEWZEALAND DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS 2025
Hawke’sBay/Wairarapa ShareMilker
of theYear: ALVARO LUZARDO & XIMENA PUIG
Alvaroleft Uruguay and arrived in New Zealand in 2013 for aworking holiday andbegan workona dairyfarminCanterbury tosave money and continue travelling. Also fromUruguay,Ximena joined him in 2018.
Thecouple arecurrently doing their thirdseason as 50/50 sharemilkerson
Geoff Arends and Ester Romp’s 164ha, 480-cow, Eketāhuna property,and enteredthe DairyIndustryAwardsto meet new people andlearn from the experience. “Wewantedtochallenge ourselves and put our names out there forfutureopportunities.”
Alvaro has said thatheloved farming sincehewas achild.“I’ve alwaysenjoyed the flexibilityoffarmlife, working outdoors with the animals and the challenge of managing resources.”
He holds aBachelor of Agricultural Engineering which is similar to New Zealand’s agricultural science qualification, and has also achieved PrimaryITOLevels 4and 5here. Ximena holds aBachelor of Architectureand worksasanarchitectural designer from
AlvaroLuzardo &Ximena Puig, Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa winners of the 2024 ShareMilkers of the Year award
home,making it work around the farm includingrearing the calves
Thecouple believeNew Zealand has unique conditions to supply highqualityproducts to the world. “Here we have good land,niceweather, goodbreedingcowsand people who aremotivated by the opportunityto progress in their career pathway.”
Futurefarming goals include paying off debt to build astrong equityposition while continuing to improvetheir herd and eventuallybuying afarm. “Wesee dairyfarming,not just as ajob,but also as alifestyle,” Ximena and Alvaro agree. “Wewould like to grow our family around this healthyenvironment. For us,owning afarmmeans aplaceinthe worldfor our family to work and live.”
Thecouple says that“because we are 50/50 sharemilkers,our herdisour
biggest asset.Byimproving it,weare gaining value on it.Wehavebeen able to achieveour financial goals following the strictplan we established forourselves,and aim to be in astrong position by the time we decide to eventually move to our next step on the career path. In New Zealand,wehave astructured and clear pathwaytostart as afarmassistantand end up as afarm owner.This is unique in the world.”
When asked whatitisabout dairy farmingthathooked them both, they say, “weloveworking outdoors,welove cows,and we enjoytimeflexibility.”
As Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa DairyIndustry Awardwinners, the sharemilkers say “wewould like to inspireand motivate other people to believeinour industry. We startedfromscratch and,byworking ethically and working hard, we arrived whereweare now.”
