Young Waikato Dairy Award Winners See Value In Judges’ Views

The major winners in the 2022 Waikato Dairy Industry Awards are a young couple who believe that progression is possible and your limits are only what you perceive.

Brian Basi and Rachel Bunnik were announced winners of the region’s Share Farmer of the Year category at the Waikato Dairy Industry Awards annual awards dinner held at Claudelands Event Centre on Monday evening. The other big winners were Andrew Macky, who became the 2022 Waikato Dairy Manager of the Year, and Edward Roskam, the 2022 Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year.

Brian and Rachel are contract milkers for Dick and Liz Johnson on their 72ha, 230-cow Putaruru property for the past two seasons. They won $14,828 in prizes and four merit awards.

Brian placed in the top five in the same category last year and believes judges analysing their overall farming business and performance was a key benefit of the awards programme.

“I maintained a ‘win or learn’ mindset,” explains Brian. “The judges feedback was very helpful for my self-development which has helped us for the future of our business, focusing on areas for improvement and being a lot more critical about our business.”

Brian (25) and Rachel (23) both grew up on family farms and have worked their way up in the industry, with Rachel also training to become an AB technician while Brian is currently studying toward PrimaryITO Level 5 Production Management.

“Last season we contract milked two different jobs, with Brian working where we currently are and I contract milked with my brother, joining Brian this season,” says Rachel.

“We’re proud we were contract milking at the ages of 23 and 21. We’ve increased production with no other changes to the system, having achieved record production on our current farm as well as farms in the past.”

“When we put the results in front of farm owners, we prove age is just a number!”

The couple identify the public perception of dairy farming and negative publicity as something they’d like to change about the dairy industry. “We’d like to show the good being done nationally everyday by 99% of farmers for our communities.”

“We’d also like to encourage enthusiasm within the industry through changes to staff management, treatment and training, to prevent younger generations from leaving dairying,” they say.

Rachel and Brian have a passion for the dairy industry and love the variety farming offers.

“We love to see the results of our hard work daily, partially the tanker leaving the gate, knowing we are creating a highly-valued food source while being sustainable,” they say.

Technology in the dairy industry that is continually developing to increase farm productivity and efficiencies while decreasing the carbon footprint make Brian and Rachel excited for the future of the dairy industry.

“As a young couple, we see ourselves becoming more involved within the dairy community and being ambassadors for positive dairying.”]

During challenging times, the knowledge that the cows will be still be waiting at the shed the next morning, content and fully fed, ready to be milked, keeps the couple motivated.

“We have a duty of care to the animals and their welfare, as well as the production leaving the gate daily to feed the nation and the world.”

“Setting and achieving production and reproduction goals also keeps our interest and motivation high.

Brian and Rachel believe the strengths of their business lie in their team work and success as business partners. “Our strengths and passions complement each other.”

“Both our business and the farm owners have the same mindset regarding what we want to achieve, with clear targets set, which is a key element of success.”

Future farming goals for Brian and Rachel include sharemilking for the next six seasons whilst focusing on building equity. “Our target is to purchase a farm in the seventh year,” say the couple.

“We want to keep improving our business and focus on breeding what we believe is the most efficient cow for milk production while ensuring we are environmentally sustainable.”

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors DairyNZ, DeLaval, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda, LIC, Meridian and Ravensdown along with industry partners DairyNZ and MediaWorks.

Sisters Aleisha Broomfield and Stephanie Kay were named Runner-up and Third Placegetter in the Share Farmer category respectively.

Aleisha Broomfield is a 50/50 herd-owning share milker on Ian and Jim Dibble’s Tauhei Farms Ltd 86ha Te Aroha farm, milking 250 cows.

As Runner-up, she won $7,928 in prizes and two merit awards.

The first-time entrant entered the Awards programme to learn, connect and grow and learn more about her business. “I want to grow my business and profile within the industry which will lead to further opportunities in the future.”

The 32-year-old was born and raised on a dairy farm in Patetonga and says farming is in her DNA.

“I’m passionate about the industry and I like to help others,” she says. “I love the animals and I’m good at what I do.”

“There are lots of opportunities with the industry to own your business and generate wealth.”

Aleisha is excited about the future of the New Zealand dairy industry. “We’re producing top-quality products that feed the world.”

“My goal is to be a leading farmer and role model for others coming through the industry.”

“We see ourselves as early adopters of innovation and hope to be part of the change.”

Aleisha holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Science with First Class Honours from Lincoln University and is currently studying toward the New Zealand Diploma in Agri-business.

The former DairyNZ Consulting Officer and PrimaryITO tutor says her favourite part of farming is the cows. “I absolutely love the cows!”

She also identifies a traditionally stressful time on-farm as her best – calving. “I hop out of bed every morning and can’t wait to see how many new babies there are.”

“I love rearing the replacement heifers as you can see them grow and develop and see all of your hard work paying off.”

Aleisha identifies on-farm practical skills as a big development area for her. “I’m very grateful to my sister, neighbour, farming mentor and all of the others who have supported me in learning and upskilling.”

“Being a female and doing an awesome job on-farm in what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry is something I’m really proud of,” Aleisha says.

Aleisha identifies the ability to generate profit to achieve the business and professional goals of everyone involved in the business as a strength.

“We strive to be leading farmers that are achieving excellent results on and off farm.

“I’m super passionate about the industry and I’ve got to where I am today on my own by putting in the hard yards.

“I try my best to promote farming as a viable career option to females that are on their own as I feel we make very good farmers in our own right.”

Stephanie Kay placed third in the Share Farmer category and is contract a herd-owning sharemilker for Sue Broomfield on her 68ha property, milking 220 cows. She won $5,779 and two merit awards.

Stephanie is excited to see how the industry will change with developing research and technology. “I want to adapt new systems which will create a more profitable and sustainable farming business and be able to educate others to do the same.

The 30-year-old identifies sharemilking on a family property as a strength of the business, as it gives a reasonable amount of stability where all decisions are made after consultation with all parties involved.

She and her husband Lance have obtained several lease properties and this has created diversity for the business and the opportunity to grow.

“I’m proud we have bought our own lifestyle property, which is located within 1km of the dairy farm,” says Stephanie. “We are able to live here with our son Oliver (2) and rear our young stock on the property.”

Future farming goals include farm ownership allowing full control over decisions. “Somewhere our children can also learn to love farming, and if they want, allow them to progress through the industry on our property.”

“I love that farming provides a huge range of opportunity to grow your own business.”

The winner of the 2022 Waikato Dairy Manager of the Year category is the fourth generation of his family to farm the land he currently manages and would love to own it one day and put his stamp on it for future generations.

Andrew Macky won $9,800 in prizes and four merit awards. He is Farm Manager for William and Fiona Macky on their 98ha Ohaupo farm, milking 320 cows.

After gaining his Diploma in Farm Management from Lincoln University in 2011 Andrew went shepherding on large farms for three years, giving him experience in working with staff and a good understanding of how to handle all types of stock such as sheep, cattle and deer.

“Growing up on a small dairy farm I wanted to experience another industry. I love working with stock, working outdoors and the genetic side of dairy farming is a massive interest of mine,” says Andrew.

“I love calving time, seeing all the new heifer replacements and what the future milking herd is going to look like.”

Currently in his fourth season dairy farming and loving it, Andrew spent time in New Zealand and American Midwest as an agricultural contractor and on a dairy farm in Scotland for six months.

The 31-year-old believes one of the most exciting things about the future of dairy farming is the new technology and the rate is coming on to the market.

“I’m always keen to improve my farming system by trying new things, so if I can make decisions that improve the efficiency, that’s a great result.”

“It’s crazy to think what tech is going to be available in 10 years’ time!”

Andrew has been on a mission to improve the empty rate over the last three years, and was rapt when this year they scanned at 5.8% empty, down from 11.5% two years prior. “I was happy knowing the hard work and decisions that I had made had paid off.”

Farming through drought a couple of seasons ago was one of Andrew’s hardest challenges that he’s overcome. “The cows weren’t giving much milk, the SCC was sky-rocketing, grades were coming in and there wasn’t a lot of feed around,” he remembers.

Andrew made the choice to dry half the herd off three months early. “The pay-out was also good, so it was a really, really hard decision, but rain did come, the grass started growing and looking back now it was definitely the right decision.”

“You have to push through the hard times to get back to the good ones again.”

An active participant on social media, Andrew is popular on Instagram and has his own YouTube channel (The Once A Day Farmer), where he posts videos twice a week.

“It’s a way people that have no connection to a farm can gain a good understanding of what actually happens on-farm, and also for other dairy farmers to see what I’m doing and why I am doing it like this,” he says.

“I have people watching from all around the world which is pretty humbling!”

Andrew would like to see a change in public perception of the dairy industry. “It would be cool to bring these people that bag it on-farm and show them a little bit more about what’s going on and why we do it this way or that way.”

He identifies being once-a-day as a strength of the business. “The flexibility of the system and the improved health of the cows means I can save so much time and energy during the busy periods because I know the cows are so healthy and have minimal metabolic issues or other troubles.”

Andrew also cites working with his dad as a strength. “He’s the owner of the farm, but has stepped back and given me full control over the running of it.”

“If I ever get into a situation where I don’t know what to do, it’s reassuring to have him there. It’s so special to be able to go to work with him every day.”

Otorohanga Farm Manager Shaun Muller was runner-up in the Dairy Manager category, winning $5,750 in prizes and one merit award. He works on Alan and Briar Roger’s 205ha, 570-cow property.

The first-time entrant to motivated to experience the Awards programme after speaking with previous entrants. “I decided to enter myself for a challenge and to network.

Shaun was inspired to enter the dairy industry while working at Farm Source and speaking with farmers every day. “I wanted to experience what they were talking about!”

“I love that no day is the same. I really enjoy calving time, because even though it is the toughest part of the season, it is the most rewarding.

“I also love that my wife Samantha and daughter Luna (4) visit me on farm – I love showing Luna new calves and teaching her a few things.”

Shaun currently owns 26 cows and hopes to keep the numbers growing. He identifies good quality staff and a good working environment as strengths of the business.

“The attitude of always be looking at what is a better way we can do what we are doing, and adapt.”

Farm Manager Sam Guise placed third and won $3,250 in prizes. He placed third in the same category last year and was runner-up in 2020.

Sam works on Kevin and Gillian Monks 240ha, 870-cow farm at Cambridge.

The 29-year-old believes a big benefit of the Awards programme is sitting down and overlooking the system as a whole.

“From judges feedback, I can make changes or tweaks to the farm for the better,” he says. It’s also great to show our staff that what we are achieving on-farm is recognised in the industry.”

Sam is proud of the many achievements and successes in his current role. “The team and I have pretty much had a royal flush on breaking all the farm’s records in the past four seasons – production, lowest somatic cell count averages and daily production per cow peak, and kgms per cow also.”

“We achieved the farm’s first ever grade-free season.”

Family is number one for Sam. Together with his wife Samantha, they have three children Sophie (9), Enzo (7) and Tyler (5) and spending time with them is important for the family.

“They’re the reason I push through the harder times – I have a family to provide for and nothing makes me happier than getting home to my family.”

Sam believes a key feature to running a farm is to always be approachable. “The mood of a single person can affect the whole team dynamic is just one encounter. In our team environment, a key strength is communication.

“Cleanliness is also key – whether in the dairy shed or out on the farm, cleanliness is key to achieving great results.”

The 2022 Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year is Edward Roskam who entered the Awards as soon as he was old enough to do so.

“My PrimaryITO advisor recommended it to me last year, now I am finally old enough to enter!”

Edward left school at 16 to begin working as a farm assistant on JT Torrens Ltd 65ha property at Okauia, milking 230 cows. He won $6,500 in prizes and two merit awards.

“I tried a lot of different careers through the Gateway programme at school. My parents didn’t really want me to leave school but I had a big passion for dairy farming and decided that’s what I wanted as my career.”

A challenge for Edward was overcoming the perception that he should attend university. “Everyone expected me to be head boy at school – I was top of the class and getting good grades and the pressure to prove myself as a top student was getting too much for me.”

“A lot of people were shocked that I left school but they didn’t see how much I enjoyed the farm and how I was hanging out to milk the cows after school every day.”

“I have proved to myself and teachers that farming is a valuable industry and there is a ladder to climb that doesn’t include university.”

Edward is excited about the use of technology in the dairy industry. “I proved to my current employer last calving how beneficial it was to use the drone for night calving watch. I am looking forward to looking at the data from collars, that are used on farm I’m moving to next season, and how I can use this information in a positive way.”

Edward has completed PrimaryITO courses and is currently completing PrimaryITO Milk Quality 2, Dairy Farming Level 4, and studying towards a Land based Training Certificate in Apiculture Level 3.

“I began beekeeping as a hobby and really enjoy this challenge. So far, I have three successful hives.”

The 18-year-old is proud in placing fourth in the regional final for Young Farmer of the Year. “I had just turned 18 and was the youngest competitor in New Zealand.”

“I’m actually quite a shy person but through farming I have put myself out there more and am now on the local committee for Young Farmers.”

“I’m also proud of being grade-free with an average SCC of 75 for the 20-21 season – I’m on track to beat that this year!”

Edward’s future farming goals are specific and include becoming a manager within four years. “I have started on my next step by moving to a bigger farm with a larger herd next season and moving up to 2IC.”

“It was a really hard decision to leave the family farm this next coming season,” says Edward. “I appreciate the skills Dad has taught me and have become better at asking questions and suggesting new ways of doing things.”

“It’s time to spread my wings and to keep growing.”

Runner-up in the Dairy Trainee category was Annie Gill who won $1,550 in prizes and one merit Award. Annie was Runner-up in the same category last year.

The second-time entrant credits a sponsors’ evening with meeting her one of her best mates. “Meeting people in the industry is a huge benefit as there are no better references than the people you’ve interacted with.”

Annie is Farm Assistant for Alan and Briar Rogers on their 195ha, 600-cow Otorohanga property. Future farming goals include progressing to a manager’s position and be 50/50 sharemilking in ten years with pedigree dairy cattle.

Breeding cows, genetics and showing cows is what I love most,” says Annie. “I inherited the Pitstone stud from my father when he sold the farm and got to keep a family line.”

The dairy industry has presented a few challenges for Annie, who has had her ability doubted because of her age and physique.

Annie would like to see better mental health support and availability in the dairy industry. “Although there are a few systems in place, it doesn’t seem to be enough. The attitude of ‘wake up and you’ll be right’ just isn’t working.”

Third place in the Dairy Trainee category went to 22-year-old Herd Manager/Farm Assistant Hannah Jackson, winning $1,350 in prizes. She works for Emmaline Trust’s 158ha, 500-cow Kaipaki farm.

Hannah enjoys producing a high-quality product and spending her day with animals. “I’m excited about the technological advancements in the industry and the reduction of industry waste, such as bobby calves.”

“I want to be an industry leader. I’d like to see it as a more encouraging career path for the younger generation.”

The Waikato Dairy Industry Awards winners field day will be held on 05 April 2022 at 10.00am at 59 Arapuni Road, RD1, Putaruru S/N Fonterra 77907 where Waikato Share Farmers of the Year, Brian Basi and Rachel Bunnik contract milk. Also presenting at the field day will be the region’s Dairy Manager of the Year, Andrew Macky and Dairy Trainee of the Year, Edward Roskam. Further details on the winners and the field day can be found at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.

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