Woman Wins Northland Farm Manager Award

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10pm, 5 March

Woman Wins Northland Farm Manager Award

Twenty-five-year-old Charlotte Greaves has been crowned the 2008 Northland Farm Manager of the Year, taking home prizes worth $5900 at an awards ceremony in the Bay of Islands last night.

Miss Greaves, who holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Agriculture from Massey University, manages the 78ha Northland Agricultural Research Farm near Dargaville.

It was her first time entering the awards and she did so as she thought it would be a good learning experience and help her focus on her goals and direction.

“Managing the research farm offers considerable professional development opportunity for me through on farm field days. As the farm has a high public profile, I am required to present to the farming community at field days.”

Miss Greaves says the farm offers mentoring and support from committee members, who also provide a wealth of knowledge to learn from.

Her five-year goal is to be 50% sharemilking 400 cows while her immediate focus is on planning her upcoming wedding.

The Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, Fonterra, RD1, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, and Blue Wing Honda, along with industry partner Agriculture ITO.

The 2008 Northland Dairy Trainee of the Year Cameron Mitchell was also announced at the awards ceremony, taking home a prize valued at $3000. Mr Mitchell is a manager’s assistant for former Northland and New Zealand Sharemilkers of the Year Bruce and Julie Paton on a 210ha farm milking 520 cows near Wellsford.

Mr Mitchell has completed his Agriculture ITO Level 4 production management and came second in a recent Agriculture ITO skills day. He is the Tapora Tennis Club captain and on the committee of the Tapora Golf Club.

He is planning to assume the management role on the Paton’s farm in June and complete a human resources course in staff management this year. He believes that his Agriculture ITO training gave him an edge over other applications for the opportunity to work for the Paton’s, describing them as “progressive and supportive”.

“I am in the process of forming relationships with likeminded individuals to look at the purchase of a dairy unit through an equity partnership and will continue to grow my assets by purchasing stock as I have done this current season, with total numbers up around 60 dairy units.”

Both Miss Greaves and Mr Mitchell will now compete against 11 other regional farm manager and dairy trainee winners for the New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year titles in Christchurch on May 24.

Farm manages for Bruce and Julie Paton, Lance and Janine Stubbs, were placed second in the 2008 Northland Farm Manager of the Year, winning $3500.

Dargaville farm manager Shaun Judd placed third, winning $1250. Mr Judd is in his third season in the dairy industry and has a long term goal of purchasing his own farm.

A field day will be hosted by Miss Greaves on the research farm on Tuesday 1 April. Further information can be found on www.dairyindustryawards.conz.

Farm Manager Merit Awards:
• Northland Regional Council Sustainable Land Management Award – Brian Karl
• DairyNZ Human Resource Management Award – Lance & Janine Stubbs
• RD1 Farm Management Award – Charlotte Greaves
• Westpac Financial and Planning Award – Damian & Rochelle Dixon

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