Winning Sharemilkers Fine Tune Business
Winning Sharemilkers Fine Tune Business On Way To
Award
New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year West Coast - Top of the South winners Chris and Paula Riddle are grateful of the opportunity the competition has given them to fine tune and improve their farm business.
The couple won the West
Coast Top of the South regional prize, as well as the BNZ
Financial Management and Federated Farmers of New Zealand
Inc Leadership merit awards - taking home prizes worth
almost $8000 from the awards dinner in Shantytown last
night. "One of our reasons for entering was to
learn more about our business so we could answer any
question anyone could ever ask us about our business," the
Riddles say. "The competition also makes you focus on all
aspects of your business, making it easier to identify how
to improve your business." The Riddles entered the
competition in 2000, winning the Ravensdown Pasture
Management merit award. They run a 336 cow herd on 165
hectares at Taramakau where they have 50:50 sharemilked for
Robb Farms Limited for three seasons. They have two children
and previously sharemilked on Chris's family farm for three
years. The Riddle'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 meet industry
contacts. "It's great to get some positive feedback. The
competition reminds you of the positive things that you are
doing in the industry," they say.
The Riddles hope to
increase their herd to 600 cows over the next two years, and
aim to own their own farm in the future. 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. James Gibson and Callie Beveridge of Buller
were placed second, and also received the Livestock
Improvement Best Herd Records, the ACC Thinksafe and the
Lower Order Sharemilker merit awards. They won almost $4500
in total. Third place went to Collin and Judy Cudmore, of
Kowhiterangi, who also won the Ravensdown Pasture Management
merit award and took home about $2500. Other Merit Award
Recipients: Blue Wing Honda ATV Safety award - Bruce
Karl Dairy InSight First Time Entrant award - Darren and
Penny McFetridge Ecolab Farm Dairy Environment Award -
Mark Pender Young Stock Award - Allan Creswell