Manaia Sharemilkers Take Top Dairy Title

Taranaki Dairy Industry Awards

Strictly Embargoed to 11pm, Friday March 9, 2007

Manaia Sharemilkers Take Top Dairy Title

Manaia sharemilkers Christopher and Catherine Cook and James Murphy have won the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards Taranaki Sharemilker of the Year title at an awards event in Stratford tonight.

The Cooks and Mr Murphy are 50:50 sharemilkers, milking 640 cows on a 175 ha property owned by Kevin and Marianne Murphy. They are on target for production by year ended May 31, 2007 of 215,000 kg/ms.

The three partners divided the farm’s responsibilities, with Catherine mainly taking care of financials, livestock and pasture; Chris looking after resource and management issues, farm safety and health and dairy hygiene; while James priorities are human resources and pasture.

They are all actively involved in the community, particularly school and sporting interests.

They have ambitious longterm goals including having $30 million equity by 2027 and owning and building dream homes on lifestyle blocks in New Plymouth.

The Cooks and Mr Murphy will now go forward to represent Taranaki in the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards Sharemilker of the Year national final to be held in Invercargill on May 12, competing for a national prize pool of nearly $75,000.

An award was also made for the Taranaki Dairy Trainee of the Year. The prize, a study trip to Australia, went to Tammy Rubie from Hawera.

Taranaki’s entrants in the Farm Manager of the Year which also comes under the Dairy Industry Awards umbrella have all made the finals for the farm manager section for the Lower North Island. They are Quentin and Stephanie Bruntlett from Patea, and Justin Perry and Latoya Straathof from Manaia. The winner will be announced at awards function to be held in Masterton next Friday night.

Runner up for Taranaki Sharemilker of the Year was Gavin and Debbie Stratton. Third place went to Shaun and Anna Baxter.

A field day will be held on the Cooks and Mr Murhpy’s farm at 834 Oeo Road, RD28, Manaia on April 20.

Other results included

Taranaki Regional Awards
Taranaki Farmers Livestock Best Endeavour Award Peter and Frances Cooper
Taranaki Daily News/Thursday Farmer Attitude Award Shaun and Anna Baxter
Taranaki Regional Council Sustainable Farming Award Gavin and Debbie Stratton
Sharemilker of the Year Merit Awards
ACC Workplace Safety Discounts Award Gavin and Debbie Stratton
Blue Wing Honda ATV Safety Award Ben and Kelly Frederickson
Dairy InSight First Time entrant Award Shaun and Anna Baxter
Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award Ben and Kelly Frederickson
Federated Farmers Leadership Award Gavin and Debbie Stratton
LIC Recording and Productivity Award Greg and Hannah Topless
Meridian Energy Farm Environment Award Chris and Catherine Cook and James Murphy
Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award Chris and Catherine Cook and James Murphy
Westpac Business Performance Award Chris and Catherine Cook and James Murphy

Ends

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