New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards - Media Releases

Changes open up Sharemilker Contest

Changes to the 2010 New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year competition will open the contest to a wider group of potential entrants.

Organising Committee Chairman Matthew Richards says the committee has agreed on changes that will enable equity dairy farm managers to enter the sharemilker contest, so long as they own more than 25% and up to 50% of the business they are employed in.

"We've made the change to reflect the changing nature of employment structures in the dairy industry. There has been a noticeable increase in the number of aspiring dairy farmers moving from farm management direct to an equity farm ownership position rather than sharemilking.

"In most of these instances, the equity farm managers and sharemilkers have a similar amount invested in the dairy industry and similar goals to own their own farms," Mr Richards says.

The New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year competition is run by the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, along with the New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year. The awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, Honda, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown and RD1, along with industry partner Agriculture ITO.

Mr Richards says the contest's rules had prevented equity managers from entering the sharemilker contest or had included them within the Farm Manager of the Year competition.

"It is obvious their level of skill, management and investment in the industry is more equal to sharemilkers."

He says the competition will continue to be called the Sharemilker of the Year, although that may change in the future should further changes occur to ensure the competition remains relevant in the evolving industry.

"We are being open-minded as to what the future may hold. Our key goal is to provide a forum where excellence in the industry is encouraged and recognised at every step along the way and support is given to help people achieve their farming goals."

Equity managers owning less than 25% of the business they are employed in will still be able to enter the farm manager contest.

Entries for the three competitions open on 1 November, with entry forms available on this website.

For Further Information:
Chris Keeping
National Convenor
021 425 791

New Chair for Dairy Awards

The new chair of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, Matthew Richards, is a role model for the saying give a job to a busy person and it will get done.

Mr Richards has taken on the role with some strong ideas on how the awards may need to evolve over the next few years to remain relevant to the industry.

He also recognises he has huge boots to fill, following in the footsteps of Greg Maughan who has chaired the awards since 2007 and has been involved in the Sharemilker of the Year competition every year since first entering in 1997.

Mr Richards says his passion for the awards was ignited in 2003 when he and wife Vanessa won the Southland Sharemilker of the Year title.

"It was only our second year sharemilking and winning the regional title really set us up – all of a sudden we could almost do what we wanted."

In 2004 he joined the Southland organising committee, before convening the Southland competition in 2005 and joining the national management committee in 2006.

Now he has the job to chair the voluntary team organising the 2010 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards that will culminate in a national awards dinner in Rotorua in May next year.

Mr Richards says the awards format and structure needs to evolve and that is likely to mean there will be some changes for the 2010 competitions – New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year, New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year.

"There will need to be some changes to the competition as the current format has been outgrown. As the awards are being driven from a volunteer base – and we don’t want to lose sight of that – we want them to have input into our strategy going forward."

He says the ideas he has will be discussed with the volunteer convenors from around the country at a conference in October. Then they will be confirmed and made public.

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, Honda, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown and RD1, along with industry partner Agriculture ITO.

As well as chairing the awards, Mr Richards’ oversees a Southland farming business milking more than 2500 cows on three neighbouring properties in varying structures. He is also the sharemilkers representative for Southland Federated Farmers, the Chair of Southland Agriculture ITO and on the HR committee for the Southland demonstration farm.

Mr Maughan remains on the committee, as treasurer.

Winners Show Dairy Farm Ownership Dream Alive

The winners in the 2009 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards show dreams of farm ownership can come true.

"For anyone who says you are not able to get to farm ownership any more, you only have to look at these guys and see they are on track," head judge and DairyNZ Consulting Officer Jo Deutz Ebeling says.

"You wouldn't think there is a global recession on. People talk about people being lucky, but these guys have created their own luck. Through good networking and being involved with the right people they have created opportunities for themselves."

Miss Deutz Ebeling says the 2009 New Zealand Sharemilkers of the Year Chris and Teresa Moore created their opportunities when applying for a variable order sharemilking position.

"They asked the farm owner if it would be possible to stipulate going from variable order to 50% sharemilking the following year and he agreed."

The Moores, representing the Central Plateau region, won $34,000 in cash and prizes for their win announced at the TSB Events Centre in Wellington last night.

They sharemilk 600 cows for Mark and Sophie Dibley at Ngongotaha, near Rotorua, and have a goal to grow their equity by 20% annually.

"They stood out in their financial presentation. They had clear goals and objectives and a great pathway on how they were going to achieve those goals. They also knew the areas of their business that they needed to work on."

Miss Deutz Ebeling says the Moores also demonstrate great leadership. "They work hard with their own staff, with the community and with the dairy industry.

"Chris and Teresa are behind a great initiative with Fonterra in trying to start a sharemilkers section so the company better understands sharemilkers issues. They work with the likes of IHC to get people on farms and they are involved in rural mentoring to help younger people.

"They are really just an amazing couple with infectious personalities."

Second place in the 2009 New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year contest went to Craig and Brooke Littin, representing the Waikato region where they 50% sharemilk on a 168ha farm near Putaruru. They won $16,000 in cash and prizes.

Miss Deutz Ebeling says the Littins had excellent farm hygiene and health and safety practices. "They have got great policies in place and had been audited by the European Union and passed with flying colours."

Matthew Gibson, representing the Hawkes Bay Wairarapa region, placed third winning $10,000 in cash and prizes. He 50% sharemilks 470 cows on his parents farm near Dannevirke.

"He had a great farm succession plan in place with his family and they have got some strict guidelines in place to make sure all parties are happy."

The 2009 New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year winner, Shane Kelly, and 2009 New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year, Mark Nicholas, were also announced at the gala dinner.

A Lifetime Achievement Award was also presented to retired Massey University Dairy Professor Colin Holmes.

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, Honda, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown and RD1, along with industry partner Agriculture ITO.

The 2009 New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year, Shane Kelly, is an exceptional farmer who is making the most of his opportunities in the dairy industry, head judge Dave Whillans says.

Mr Kelly, 39, manages a 400ha Landcorp farm milking 1140 cows at Dobson, near Greymouth on the West Coast. He won $20,500 in cash and prizes.

"Shane showed a real passion for what he is doing. That came out on the farm through his presentation and in the interview. He is a knowledgeable, experienced operator who relates well to people."

Mr Whillans says Mr Kelly was the only finalist in the competition to score full marks in any of the judging criteria, in health and safety.

"The systems he has in place to monitor health and safety are exceptional and are backed up by what he is doing on the farm."

Waikato finalist Zarsha Osborne, 24, placed second, winning $8500 in cash and prizes. She is managing a 380-cow farm near Cambridge.

Mr Whillans says Ms Osborne's major strength is in her financial planning, enabling her to become a part owner in a dairy farm this coming season.

"She has done very well to advance that rapidly at a very young age."

Third place in the New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year competition went to Canterbury representative Matt Ward, who is managing a 1350-cow farm at Rakaia. He won $4000 in cash and prizes.

The 2009 New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year, Mark Nicholas, 32, is leap-frogging in the industry. With less than two years experience in the industry, he has secured a 280-cow sharemilking position beginning next month.

Mr Nicholas, who won $3000, is currently an assistant farm manager on a 140ha Whakatane farm milking 500 cows.

Southland dairy trainee Adam Waite was highly commended.

Further details on the winners can be found on our Photo Gallery page.

Sharemilker Merit Awards:

DairyNZ Interview Award – Chris & Teresa Moore
Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award – Craig & Brooke Littin
Federated Farmers of New Zealand (Inc) Leadership Award – Chris & Teresa Moore
LIC Recording and Productivity Award – Matthew Gibson
Meridian Energy Farm Environment Award – Simon & Claire Light
Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award – John & Kim Wakefield
Westpac Business Performance Award – Rowan & Rachel Baker

Farm Manager Merit Awards:

DairyNZ Human Resource Management Award – Phil Moeke
Fonterra Interview Award – Shane Kelly
RD1 Farm Management Award – Shane Kelly
Westpac Financial and Planning Award – Zarsha Osborne

For further information:
Chris Keeping
National Convenor
021 425 791