Dairy Industry Awards 2022

22 FEATURE SUPPLEMENT

HAWKE’S BAY & WAIRARAPA REGION

2022

Thursday, March 17, 2022 Wairarapa Times-Age

FEATURE SUPPLEMENT 23

www.age.co.nz Thursday, March 17, 2022

Masterton the venue for 2022 Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Industry Awards

Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award nominations open until March 31

With a theme of “The Elements”, the 2022 Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Industry Awards dinner promises to be an evening not to be missed.

While New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards regional ÿ nalists are being named during 11 award dinners being held around the country this month, nominations for a national award that ÿ nds dairy farmers who demonstrate innovation and passion in their approach to sustainable dairying remain open until Thursday 31st March.

The 2022 Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award farmer could come from any of New Zealand’s milk suppliers and any farmer or farming partnership who demonstrates a high calibre of performance and leadership in the areas of responsible and sustainable care of people, animals, ecosystems and communities are eligible to enter.

The Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award was introduced by the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards to recognise those dairy farmers who are respected by their farming peers and their community for their attitude and role in sustainable dairying.

Robin Congdon, New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards General Manager, says that is important to showcase the good work farmers are doing within the industry as it does not always get the exposure it deserves.

One of the highlights of the dairy industry calendar, the winners will be announced at an Awards Dinner at Copthorne Solway Park in Masterton on Thursday 31st March, with categories for Share Farmer of the Year, Dairy Manager of the Year, and Dairy Trainee of the Year.

The three winners of each category will then go on to the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards national ÿ nal, with national winners announced in Christchurch on Saturday 14th May. The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards attracts farmers from across the country, working in all levels of the dairy industry.

The three categories give entrants the chance to challenge themselves, earn a regional or national title and to share in substantial regional and national prize pools.

Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa

Regional Manager Svetlana Dumanovskaya says the regional awards dinners are always a night of celebration, and not just for the winners.

“This year, with numbers capped at 100, the dinner will be livestreamed on the Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Industry Awards Facebook page.”

“The regional dinners not only focus on the regional winners and those in other categories, but provide another opportunity to meet, network and socialise with like-minded people who live and breathe the dairy industry.

“It’s also an opportunity for the volunteers and sponsors to be acknowledged. They provide invaluable support in so many ways to the entrants and the Awards in

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are a highlight of the year. general. Plus, it’s a chance for everyone to relax and have some fun!”

This year, with numbers capped at 100, the dinner will be livestreamed on the Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Industry Awards Facebook page.

New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards General Manager Robin Congdon says entering one of the categories remains one of the best ways people can raise their proÿ le and reputation, as well as learn more about the industry to progress their career.

“The overwhelmingly positive feedback we receive from entrants is how much they learnt during the process and how glad they are they entered,” he says.

“Entrants tell us that they really had to sit down and look at their business and how they were doing things on the farm and why.

“Entering the Awards really is a learning journey – about the industry, about your business and about you as a farmer,” says Robin.

supported by national sponsors DeLaval, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda, LIC, Meridian Energy, and Ravensdown, along with industry partners DairyNZ and MediaWorks.

To register interest for tickets for the Hawke’s Bay/ Wairarapa Dairy Industry Awards Dinner and for more information on the New Zealand Dairy Awards visit www.dairyindustry awards.co.nz

This year, entry for this award is by nomination of a farmer, or for the ÿ rst time, farmers can nominate themselves.

Past Share Farmer entrants are now also eligible to enter. Entry is via dairyindustryawards.co.nz

“We have excellent, experienced dairy farmers creating and working on wonderful projects that have a positive e° ect on the environment.

“We want to hear about the projects and the people who are farming responsibly,

NEW ZEALAND 2021 Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award winners Pete Morgan and Ann Bouma. both environmentally and socially, and showcasing excellence on a daily basis.

and Ravensdown, along with industry partners DairyNZ and MediaWorks

“This is a chance for people to nominate their neighbour, their employer or someone in their community.

Waikato farmers Pete Morgan and Ann Bouma won the 2021 Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award and received the John Wilson Memorial Trophy.

“This Award gives us the opportunity to recognise farmers that have progressed to ownership, demonstrate leadership in their farming practices and are a role model for our younger farmers coming through,” Robin says.

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors DeLaval, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda, LIC, Meridian Energy,

Nominations are via dairyindustryawards.co.nz, with entries closing March 31st.

From those nominations, three ÿ nalists will be selected and interviewed by a panel of judges at the National Final to be held in Christchurch this year with the winner announced at the Awards dinner on May 14th 2022.

SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR

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24 FEATURE SUPPLEMENT

Thursday, March 17, 2022 Wairarapa Times-Age

SHARE FARMER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

Share Farmers of the Year now helping this year’s entrants

Chaminda Wijesooriya Eketahuna

Jonathon and Kerri Robson Waipukurau

DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

2022

Rene Ten Bolscher Carterton

Seamus Murnane Dannevirke

One of the responsibilities of that comes with winning the New Zealand Share Farmer of the Year Award is to be the Team Leaders for that category the following year.

And so that role for 2022 has fallen on the shoulders of Manoj Kumar and Sumit Kamboj from Tararua district.

Manoj and Sumit grew up on their family’s farm in North India, two hours’ drive from Delhi, which

HAWKE’S BAY & WAIRARAPA REGION

Armajeet Kamboj Pahiatua

Shay Preston Takapau

is mainly cropping but has a small number of dairy cows.

Manoj ÿ nished his agricultural studies in India and worked on the family farm for 10 months before wanting to study more.

He learned that New Zealand has many good options in agriculture and came to this country as a horticulture student in 2010.

Aled Ellis Mangatainoka

DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR FINALISTS

Heidi Tarbotton Woodville

Jackson Woodhouse Carterton

FEATURE SUPPLEMENT 25

www.age.co.nz Thursday, March 17, 2022

Jacob Stolte Carterton

Russell Pearce Dannevirke

Martin Rostagno Masterton

Manoj Kumar (left) and Sumit Kamboj with the 2021 Share Farmer Of The Year Award.

“I was commuting between Auckland and Tauranga twice a week and noticed that around the orchards there were dairy farms.

“I stopped to have a look and was excited by them the scale of the dairy farms with up to a thousand cows for every four or ÿ ve sta° whereas in India it is around one person for every 10 cows.

“I thought I would look for a job in the industry and in 2011 saw an online advertisement for a farm assistant in Pahiatua and did an interview via skype.”

Manoj started working as a farm assistant but quickly became the manager after the previous one resigned, while his brother Sumit, who had come to New Zealand with Manoj’s encouragement,

became the farm assistant at the beginning of 2012.

As well as winning the 2021 Share Farmers of the Year Award, the brothers also won three merit awards: the Federated Farmers Leadership Award, Honda Farm Safety, Health and Biosecurity Award and the Westpac Business Performance Award.

Up until this year the brothers have been 50/50 sharemilkers with 760-cow on two properties in Pahiatua and one in Eketahuna, owned by Andrew and Monika Arbuthnott, Geo° Arends and Ester Romp’s 285ha.

But after being in Tararua region for the past 10 years, they are moving to Mt Somers in MidCanterbury, where they will be sharemilking 2000 cows for farm owners Richard & Chrissie Wright.

judges and helping the committee to organise the Awards ceremony and other events.”

Sumit says he and Manoj gained a lot from entering the Awards in 2021.

“It helped us to benchmark our business with others in the industry. The feedback we received from the judges helped us to further improve our business.

“Being migrants, we had very limited networking within the dairy industry. After entering the Awards, we have made a lot of contacts within the national dairy industry, which was our main motivation for entering them.”

“It’s a great platform to benchmark your business with others in the industry,” adds Manoj.

Manoj says they are very proud to be team leaders for the Share Farmer category.

“The independent feedback from the judges is very helpful for making further improvement in your business.

“As team leaders, we are responsible for organising the events for the Share Farmer category, which includes ÿ nding and encouraging the entrants to enter the Awards, organising

“As the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards is a national event, applicants get a chance to meet with other national and regional entrants, which is a great bonus.”

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Thursday, March 17, 2022 Wairarapa Times-Age

FEATURE SUPPLEMENT 27

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Dairy Trainee Awards welcomes new entrants, whatever their goals

Dairy Trainee team leader, sponsorship and then regional manager for Manawatu in 2018. Over that time she has made many valuable connections with other local entrants and sponsors.

Ten years on from first entering the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, Feilding dairy farmer Raewyn Hills feels like she is still benefiting from that experience.

HAWKE’S BAY & WAIRARAPA REGION

2022

Now as National Dairy Trainee Team Leader for the Awards, she is helping others who are new to the industry to get the most out of them as well.

Raewyn grew up near Rongotea in Manawatu where her parents ran an agricultural contracting business, which brought her into close contact with farming and animals.

“My introduction to dairy farming was through borrowing calves from an uncle’s dairy farm for school pet day and being hands-on with the animals. Later on I went relief milking through high school during weekends.”

In 2004 Raewyn attended Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre where she gained her Level 4 Dairy Certiÿ cate.

The next four years were spent working on a farm near Sanson where Raewyn was able to complete a Diploma in Agribusiness Management while in fulltime work.

“It’s hugely satisfying watching others come along and enter for the ÿ rst time and experience the same sort of growth as we have.

But everyone’s journey is unique and the Awards grows people in many ways.”

Around that time she met her husband Michael and they now have three children – Lucy, 11, Mitchell, 9, and Claire 5.

2019 was an introduction to leadership for Raewyn when she became part of the National Executive. She was really excited to be one of two Study Tour hosts for dairy trainees during the 2021 during Nationals week in Hamilton.

The couple are farming 850 cows on 375ha of dairy and 390ha dairy support and bull beef block, with eight permanent and part-time sta° .

“In 2008 we came to Colyton, near Feilding, as dairy managers for Michael’s uncle and aunty who were stepping back, and today we operate the farm as a family equity partnership.

“In 2013 we became equity partners in Burnside Farms Ltd and in 2020 became equity partners in the land we farm with Burnside Holdings Ltd.” The couple entered the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards for the ÿ rst time in 2012, achieving RunnerUp Farm Managers for Manawatu/ Horowhenua/ Rangitikei.

“We didn’t know a lot about the Awards but it gave us a

The Study Tour, conducted over two days, has the ÿ nalists of the Dairy Trainee of the Year category given a broader introduction to the dairy industry. chance to stop and look at what we were doing on farm and why.

“We entered again the following year. The focus then was more on we know what we are doing but how can we do it better and at the same time forming our own business plan for moving forward. We won the regional title and went on to be Runner-Up national winners.

“The Awards was key to our next step of becoming equity partners as it gave us conÿ dence in our plans and goals. It also gave business partners, banks, and advisers conÿ dence in our capabilities and abilities to meet set targets.”

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When not entering the Awards, Raewyn grew her skills in another way, being

involved with the local committee of the regional Awards programme.

“It was very cool to watch them come out of the ÿ nals week with so much more awareness, and ready to go and tackle things.”

Raewyn held roles as

This year’s Awards have seen

Raewyn and Mike Hills.

In 2017 the couple were runners-up in the Manawatu region Share Farmer of the Year programme which Raewyn says was an opportunity to again take

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a lot of changes to the Dairy Trainee Award programme, Raewyn says.

“The National Executive saw a need to cater for a lot of trainees who are new to

our entrants with a ‘Learn Connect Grow’ environment.

“The new programme is more hands-on, with entrants learning multiple skills, and really growing

“The National Executive saw a need to cater for a lot of trainees who are new to the industry after having changed their career, and acknowledging a shortage in our workforce.” the industry after having changed their career, and acknowledging a shortage in our workforce.

“As current National Dairy Trainee Team Leader I’m really excited to see our new programme rolling out in the regions, providing

their future manager potential, while building their networks and conÿ dence in day-to-day decisions on-farm and for their future journeys.”

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“It might be a deadline of judges arriving to get details collated, explore and forming plans for future opportunities, or simply having a door opened to meet others.”

Everyone gets something unique out of entering the Awards, Raewyn says.

“Everyone’s needs are di° erent. They might not be planning to move on to another job, or wanting to become a share farmer, but the Awards o° er something for everyone who enters, whatever their plans are.”

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out, you’ve got nothing to lose by entering the Awards, and everything to gain, Raewyn says.