Passion for farming delivers award
James and Debbie Stewart from Dairylands in Manawatu impressed judges and took out the 2024 Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award.
Entries are now being accepted for the 2016 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards.
Competitions will include the New Zealand Share Farmer of the Year, New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year.
All entries are received online and close on November 30.
General manager Chris Keeping says major changes to this year's competitions, including changes to entry criteria, should ensure a more even spread of entries across the three competitions. A total of 539 entries were received in the 2015 awards programme.
"There are a number of factors that make it difficult for us to predict how entries will go this year, such as the changes we have made and low milk returns. In saying that, we remain confident that there will be strong interest from people keen to progress in the dairy industry," says Keeping.
"Entering one of our competitions remains one of the best ways people can raise their profile and reputation, as well as make the connections required to jump up the dairy industry career ladder!"
She says organisers have received overwhelmingly positive feedback to the changes made.
The main changes are:
The Share Farmer of the Year competition (previously Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year) is open to all self-employed farmers largely responsible for the day-to-day running of the farm, such as sharemilkers, contract milkers, leasees and equity farm managers.
The Dairy Manager of the Year (previously Farm Manager of the Year) is open to all salaried farm workers, including farm managers, herd managers, production managers and others.
The criteria in the Dairy Trainee of the Year contest has been changed so that only those aged between 18 to 25 years with up to three years full-time experience on a dairy farm and the equivalent of up to a Level 4 qualification can enter.
Keeping says a benefit from entering the awards is the opportunity it provides to undertake some business and career planning.
"Entering a competition does make you question what you are doing and why. Meeting other entrants, organisers and sponsors can also assist in providing support networks and valuable feedback. It is hard to estimate the value on that support during times of low milk returns, drought or stress."
For more information on the events and to enter, visit www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
OPINION: Scientists claim to have found a new way to make a substitute for cow's milk that could have a…
OPINION: The Irish have come up with a novel way to measure cow belching, which is said to account for…