Supreme Sharemilker to Represent Region

Media release
Southland Sharemilker of the Year

Supreme Sharemilker to Represent Region

Otahuti sharemilkers Wayne (38) and Elaine (36) Cook were named the 2006 Southland Sharemilker of the Year at an awards function in Invercargill tonight.

The Cooks are 50/50 sharemilking 750 cows on a 287 hectare property owned by Peter and Marilyn Erb with estimated production of 315,000kg/ms.

It was the second time the couple had entered the competition with objectives of networking, and “to win”.

Wayne, who comes from a sheep and beef background, and Elaine, who grew up on a dairy farm, have been sharemilking for 10 years. It is their sixth year in Southland.

They believe their direction, their commitment and ability to achieve identified goals contributed to their success.

“We have long-term goals and we have identified how to reach them. Short-term goals have also been set and achieved,” Elaine Cook says.

The couple’s farming goals are to achieve 320,000kg/ms at a cost of $1.43 kg/ms and to make their dairy unit non-reliant on the sharemilking business.

“And we want to win Sharemilker of the Year!” she says.

Elaine and Wayne Cook now go forward to represent Southland in the New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year national final to be held in Christchurch on May 13, competing for a national prize pool of nearly $60,000.

The 2006 New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year Competition is run in association with Federated Farmers of New Zealand (Inc) and is sponsored by Dairy InSight, ACC, Bank of New Zealand, Blue Wing Honda, Dexcel, Ecolab, Fonterra, Livestock Improvement and Ravensdown.

A field day will be held on the winners’ farm, 102 Calcium-Spar Bush Rd, Otahuti on Tuesday 11 April at 10.30am

Runner up in the competition was Simon and Claire Light from Waianiwa. Third place went to Mike and Daina Tuffin.

Other results were

Property Presentation Award , Francois Tillard & Shelley Sanders
Terry Bently Memorial - Best Livestock Award Wayne & Elaine Cook
Best Variable Order / Contract Milker Award Francois Tillard & Shelley Sanders
Business Management & Future Aims Award Wayne & Elaine Cook
Claude Wuest Memorial – Encouragement Award Nathan & Mahina Spence
Karen Vreugdenhil Memorial – Career Blended Lifestyle Award Donald Kidd & Loshni Manikam
Dairy InSight first time entrant award Francois Tillard & Shelley Sanders
Federated Farmers Leadership Award Wayne & Elaine Cook
ACC Thinksafe Farm Safety Award Francois Tillard & Shelley Sanders
Bank of New Zealand Financial Management Award Wayne & Elaine Cook
Blue Wing Honda ATV Safety Award Bob & Nicki White
Ecolab Farm Dairy Environment Award Mike & Daina Tuffin
LIC Best Herd Records Award Simon & Claire Light
Ravensdown Pasture Management Award Simon & Claire Light

ENDS

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