For Immediate Release

16 October 2013

25th Sharemilker Celebrations Begin

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards is holding a special event to launch the 2014 awards programme and kick-start celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year competition.

“It’s a pretty special celebration, as the sharemilker competition is the longest-running dairy farming contest. It’s also pretty cool that the fundamentals around why the contest is held – to support sharemilkers and help them progress in the dairy industry – remains at the heart of the competition,” national convenor Chris Keeping says.

The event is being held in Stratford, Taranaki, as the sharemilker competition was first held in Taranaki with the region’s inaugural winners announced at an event in the town back in 1977. Taranaki representatives also won the first New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year competition in 1990. Those winners, Kevin and Diane Goble, are still farming in the province and will speak at the event on Tuesday, October 22.

“In researching the competition’s history we have come across some wonderful people that have played instrumental roles in the competition’s development and evolution. Many of them will be at the event.”

Mrs Keeping says one of those people, retired Taranaki dairy farmer Murray Cross, had the initial idea for a sharemilker competition.

“Murray was involved with Federated Farmers and had the idea for a contest to showcase what sharemilkers had to offer prospective employers. He likened it to a ‘window to show their wares’.”

She says the initial idea wasn’t well received but, after more consideration, it was set in motion.

The launch event is being attended by past regional and national winners, organisers, sponsors and friends.

Further events are planned to mark the 25th anniversary and entries in the 2014 awards programme – the New Zealand Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year, New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year competitions – open on November 1.

The Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda Motorcycles NZ, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown, RD1, Triplejump, along with industry partner Primary ITO.

Further information can be found at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.

ENDS

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