Taranaki Dairy Awards Winners Happy to Showcase Industry

Taranaki Dairy Awards Winners Happy to Showcase Industry

The 2016 Taranaki Dairy Industry Awards big winners, Ben and Belinda Price, are ready to open their farm and promote the dairy industry to visitors every day.

The couple won the 2016 Taranaki Share Farmer of the Year title and $17,300 in prizes at the region’s awards dinner held at The TSB Hub in Hawera last night . The other major winners were Sam Howard, the 2016 Taranaki Dairy Manager of the Year, and Sam Hughson, the 2016 Taranaki Dairy Trainee of the Year.

“We have numerous open farms with school groups and other visitors, so every day is show day,” Ben and Belinda Price say. “We have a passion for what we do so we love to show that off and hopefully promote dairy farming as a great industry to be in.”

The Prices are both aged 35 and 50% sharemilk 680 cows on 235ha for Dave and Adrienne Hopkins at Waitotara.

They have been sharemilking together since 2008, building their herd from 150 cows to present numbers. Their goal is to purchase a dairy farm within five years and employ a contract milker to run the property while they continue operating their current sharemilking position.

“We have very strong humble values which align nicely with that of our farm owners. We all care about our business, our industry and the people around us and we have a passion and a drive to do what we do and to do it well.”

The couple says they also have a great team and support network around them, which challenges them and has also supported their business growth.

The runners-up in the Share Farmer competition were Manaia 50% sharemilkers Dion and Johanna Bishell, who won $9000 in prizes. Eltham 50% sharemilkers Alastair and Nicola Wicksteed were third, winning $4300 in prizes.

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

The 2016 Taranaki Dairy Manager of the Year, Sam Howard, has a Master of Applied Economics and was an economist for DairyNZ before entering the dairy industry just two years ago.

The 27-year-old won $10,900 in prizes and is currently the Production Manager on Alan Mills’ Stratford farm milking 312 cows.

“My long term goal is to own a farm that allows me the choice whether to be hands-on farming full-time or pursue other business interests or lifestyle goals. I see 50:50 sharemilking as a strong vehicle for equity growth to allow me to generate the capital required to purchase land or invest.”

It was the first time Mr Howard had entered the dairy awards. “I spoke to people who had entered and were knowledgeable and they were all overwhelmingly positive about entering. They mentioned the benefits of learning about your own operation’s strengths and weaknesses through your own critical thinking and the judges’ feedback, the opportunities for progression and getting to know other people within the industry.”

Thirty-year-old Hawera Farm Manager Matt Kelbrick was placed second, winning $8900, and third place went to Inglewood Farm Manager Sam Symonds, aged 42 years, who won $4000 in prizes.

The 2016 Taranaki Dairy Trainee of the Year, Sam Hughson, says he enjoys dairy farming and wants to be good at it.

The 19-year-old has competed in competitive cycling and says he also enjoyed that and worked hard to be good at it. “It is the same for farming, I love it with a passion so I want to be good at it.”

Mr Hughson is currently second-in-charge on Steve and Maria Poole’s 810-cow Hawera dairy farm.

It was the second time he had entered the competition, this time winning and collecting $7200 in prizes. “The benefits of entering include meeting new people and making new friends. It also puts your name out there to respected farmers so it lets them know that you are willing to give things a try.”

His goal is to progress to 50% sharemilking by the time he is 25 years old.

Runner-up in the dairy trainee competition was 23-year-old Waverley Farm Assistant Jerome Grey, who won $3800 in prizes, and Opunake Farm Assistant Rebecca McKee, aged 20, placed third, winning $3300 in prizes.

The Taranaki Dairy Industry Awards field day will be held on March 22 on the Waitotara farm operated by 2016 Taranaki Share Farmers of the Year, Ben and Belinda Price. It will begin at 10.30am and Taranaki Dairy Manager of the Year, Sam Howard, Taranaki Dairy Trainee of the Year, Sam Hughson, and former Taranaki Sharemilker of the Year, Murray Brown, will also present. Further details on the winners and the field day can be found atwww.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.

ENDS

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