Sharemilker Winners Benchmark Their Business
Sharemilker Winners Benchmark Their Business
Taranaki Sharemilker of the Year winners Peter and Tanya Ford say the New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year competition has given them valuable insights and exposure to progress in their sharemilking career.
The couple won the Taranaki regional
prize, as well as two merit awards - the Bank of New Zealand
Financial Award and the Ravensdown Pasture Management Award
- to take home prizes worth almost $13,000 from the awards
evening at the Stratford Town Hall last night. "We entered the competition so we could benchmark
ourselves against other sharemilkers and constructively
scrutinise our business from a different perspective," they
say. The Fords have been 50:50 sharemilking for the past
three years, after lower order sharemilking for the previous
seven years. They run a 290 strong herd on an 81 hectare
Manaia property owned by Harry and Helen Bayliss. They
will now progress to the New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year
final in Auckland on May 3, where they will compete for a
total prize pool worth more than $60,000. ACC, Blue Wing
Honda, Bank of New Zealand, Fonterra, Livestock Improvement,
Ravensdown, Ecolab, RD1, Dairy InSight and Dexcel sponsor
the competition. The Ford's say that the New Zealand
Sharemilker of the Year Competition, run in association with
Federated Farmers of New Zealand Inc, has allowed them to
gain a clearer picture of their business and form a network
of contacts. "The competition has provided some very
helpful insights into self-marketing. The exposure that you
get through the competition can really advance your
career.
"We have also been able to meet our peers and
compare notes. Overall, we've really been able to improve
our business through entering the competition." The Fords'
long-term goal is to progress through the sharemilking
system to the point of farm ownership, without compromising
their lifestyle. Rodney and Melissa McQuaig of New
Plymouth were placed second, with Steven Whittaker and
Frances Forster of Urenui coming third. Christopher and
Catherine Cook of Manaia won the Variable Percentage Prize
valued at more than $2000. Merit Award
Recipients: Daily News/ Thursday Farmer Attitude Award -
Steven Whittaker and Frances Forster Staples Rodway
Chartered Accountants Communication Award - Christopher and
Catherine Cook Taranaki Regional Council Environmental
Award - Craig and Rachel Dettling Taranaki Best Endeavour
Award - Ryan and Katrina Corbett ACC Thinksafe Farm Safety
Award - Craig and Rachel Dettling Blue Wing Honda ATV
Safety Award - Leighton and Danelle King Dairy InSight
First Time Entrant Award - Vaughan and Helen
Jones Federated Farmers Leadership Award - Mark and Louise
Jellyman Ecolab Farm Dairy Environment Award - Rodney and
Melissa McQuaig BNZ Financial Management Award - Peter and
Tanya Ford Ravensdown Pasture Management Award - Peter and
Tanya Ford * LIC Best Herd Records Award - Tony and
Lesley Landers