The winners of the 2026 Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Industry Awards were announced at the annual awards dinner held at the Thames Civic Centre on Tuesday evening.
Olivia Sutton and Craig Dobbe are the 2026 Auckland/Hauraki Share Farmers of the Year, with Owen Clifford named Dairy Manager of the Year and the title of Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Trainee of the Year awarded to Wil Wilkie.
The Share Farmers of the Year felt like this year was the right time to challenge themselves and enter the Dairy Industry Awards – and they were right.
Craig, 29, and Olivia, 25, are 33% equity partners in JRC Farm Limited at Waerenga, milking 200 cows on 190ha.
The couple won the title along with a $13,275 prize package and six merit awards.
They both come from farming backgrounds and have progressed through the industry from farm assistants to managers, contract milking, into an equity partnership.
Craig also has five years’ experience working as a mechanic which comes in handy on farm, while Olivia is a trained AI technician.
“Watching our parents and grandparents, we never saw farming as a “job”, it was simply the way they lived. Seeing that lifelong commitment up close, sparked a love for farming in us and made us want to carry that way of life forward.”
The couple are in equity partnership with Olivia’s grandmother and mother and are focused on operating a sustainable farm for future generations.
The judges said Olivia and Craig had a “detailed Farm Environmental Plan that was well understood. They had put a lot of time and energy into plantings on farm and had identified future infrastructure projects”.
Note: Due to the minimum number of finalists not being reached, Auckland/Hauraki Share Farmer and Dairy Manager entrant scores were benchmarked against the national average, with data collated from the 10 other regions. Merit awards and placings were only presented where entrants achieved the required benchmark level.
The Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Manager of the Year is Owen Clifford, a farm manager from Waerenga.
The 27-year-old is farm manager for Ross and Tracey Laing, milking 475 cows on 200ha.
After five years farming in the United Kingdom, Owen moved out to New Zealand to work as a contractor before finding a job on a dairy farm.
He gets excited about breeding top performing cows while keeping costs minimal in a cost-effective and simple system.
The Judges commented his “passion and understanding of the herd was clear. Owen’s record keeping was being used at a high level to make effective breeding and management decisions”.
Owen has completed PrimaryIT0 Level 4 and the LIC DIY artificial insemination training course. He has entered the Dairy Industry Awards three times as a way to meet more like-minded people and learn from others who are operating different farming systems.
Owen has plans to go sharemilking and work toward farm ownership. He won a prize package worth an impressive $9,400 along with winning four merit awards.
Runner-up in the 2026 Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Manager of the Year is Aristotle Sadinas.
The 29-year-old is herd manager for Craig Zydenbos on a 338ha farm at Paeroa, milking 1050 cows.
“Last year’s awards gave me a reason to continue what I love and that is farming. I gained confidence to communicate to others and I have learned so many things about farming.”
Growing up in the Philippines, where his parents are rice farmers, he saw the opportunity to come to New Zealand to enter the dairy industry.
He won $5,025 and two merit awards on the night.
The 2026 Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Trainee of the Year is Wil Wilkie, who won $6,400 and one merit award.
The 26-year-old is farm assistant for Brendan and Tessa Hopson, milking 600 cows on their 200ha farm at Paeroa.
Wil has a Bachelor of Science and then completed a Certificate of Primary Industry Skills at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology before getting his first job as farm assistant.
“I have always been passionate about animals so farming was an ideal career for me. I love getting to know the cows, and I enjoy the variety of different tasks I get to do every day.”
The judges cited “Wil demonstrated excellent farming knowledge across a wide range of areas. He confidently articulated a strong understanding of general farming practices and principles, including animal health, calving and mating management. In addition he demonstrated exceptional knowledge in feed budgeting and a strong commitment to health and safety best practice”.
Runner-up in the Dairy Trainee category is 19-year-old Zak Sattrup.
The herd manager works for Rhys Darby, milking 650 cows on 239ha at Huntly.
Born on a fourth generation sheep and beef farm, Zak wants to progress in the dairy industry and build equity to be able to eventually return to the family farm and continue that legacy.
“It would be cool in the future to buy a dairy farm and incorporate the family sheep and beef farm.”
Judges said “Zak arrived on Skills Day with a great attitude. His practical skills and experience really shone through in the way he approached his work and problem-solved”.
Zak won a merit award along with a prize package worth $2,050.
Third place in the 2026 Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Trainee of the Year is Robin Attwell.
The 21-year old is farm assistant also works for Rhys Darby, milking 650 cows on 239ha at Huntly.
Moving out from his parents farm in England, Robin is excited about a future in the New Zealand dairy industry.
Robin won a $1,875 prize package.
The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors ASB, CowManager, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Honda, LIC, Power Farming and Trelleborg, along with industry partners Fonterra, DairyNZ, and The Country.
The Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Industry Awards Field Day will be held on 1 April at 10.30am at 246 Keith Road, Waerenga, 3781. F/S 71665.
Further details on the winners and the Field Day can be found at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz
Results of the 2026 Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Industry Awards:
2026 Auckland/Hauraki Share Farmer of the Year
Winner – Olivia Sutton & Craig Dobbe
2026 Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Manager of the Year
Winner – Owen Clifford
Runner Up – Aristotle Sadinas
2026 Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Trainee of the Year
Winner – Wil Wilkie
Runner Up – Zak Sattrup
Third – Robin Attwell
Share Farmer Merit Awards:
· DairyNZ - People & Culture Award Olivia Sutton & Craig Dobb
· Federated Farmers Leadership Award Jarrod Miller
· Honda Farm Safety, Health & Biosecurity Award Olivia Sutton & Craig Dobbe
· LIC - Animal Wellbeing, Recording and Productivity Award Olivia Sutton & Craig Dobbe
· Pioneer Environmental Sustainability Award Olivia Sutton & Craig Dobbe
· Trelleborg Sustainable Pasture Award Olivia Sutton & Craig Dobbe
· ASB Business Performance Award Olivia Sutton & Craig Dobbe
· Ecolab Emerging Talent Award Prabhjot Bassi
Dairy Manager Merit
· MPI Sustainable Farming - Environmental Award Owen Clifford
· DeLaval Pasture & Feed Management Award Owen Clifford
· Dairy Training Limited Emerging Leader Award Aristotle Sadinas
· BlackmanSpargo Rural Law Ltd Personal Planning & Financial Management Award Aristotle Sadinas
· I.S Dam Lining Emerging Talent Award Sam Begbie
· Fonterra Dairy Management Award Owen Clifford
· CowManager Livestock Management Award Owen Clifford
Dairy Trainee Merit Awards:
· Diprose Miller Emerging Talent Award Sam Burr
· Franklin Vets Farming Knowledge Award Wil Wilkie
· Taylor Brothers Communication & Industry Involvement Award Sam Burr
· DairyNZ Practical Skills Award Zak Sattrup
