Sustainability At Forefront For Auckland Hauraki Dairy Industry Award Winners

The 2022 Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Industry Awards Share Farmer of the Year winner is excited to see farmers moving forward with sustainability at the forefront of all aspects of farming, ensuring the New Zealand dairy industry will continue to produce top-quality milk for the world.

Danielle Hovmand was named the 2022 Auckland/Hauraki Share Farmer of the Year at the region’s annual awards dinner held at the Thames Civic Centre on Friday night. The other major winners were the 2022 Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Manager of the Year Jimmy Cleaver, and the 2022 Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Trainee of the Year, Jamie McDowell.

The second-time entrant believes the Awards programme pushed her outside her comfort zone and increased networking opportunities.

“By analysing my business and learning to capitalise on my strengths and overcome any weaknesses, I’ve gained a better understanding of my farming business, my farming system, where I want my business to be in the future and how I’m going to get there,” she says.

Danielle didn’t consider dairy farming as part of her career until a university placement during a summer break. “I was given the opportunity to try every aspect of farming.”

“I enjoy challenging myself to make improvements to my farming system and that there is a clear pathway of progression within the industry.”

Danielle is a contract milker for Sue Broomfield on her 106ha Patetonga farm, milking 270 cows. She won $10,550 in prizes and six merit awards.

The 25-year-old believes farmers are guardians for future generations. “I ensure I’m farming to high environmental standards and going beyond good practice helps ensure the next generation of farmers can enjoy the land as I do.”

“Since entering the Awards programme, I’ve discovered there is a great sense of community within the dairy farming industry and everyone has gone above and beyond to help me better my farming practices.”

Danielle holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from Massey University and is currently studying towards a Diploma in Primary Industry Business Management through PrimaryITO.

“Every year I like to do something that helps me to grow my skill level and self-development,” she says.

Danielle would like to see a change within the industry to mindsets around health and safety and work/life balance.

A committee member of the Ngarua Young Farmers club, Danielle also enjoys hockey and playing golf with her Nana.

“Work/life balance to me means enjoying what you do without being tied to it 365 days of the year.;” says Danielle. “Being able to remove yourself from the farm and trust the processes you have in place for someone else to step in and help you from time-to-time.”

Danielle believes resilience is essential to get through the challenges of farming. “I need to ensure that the highs and lows of farming are balanced to ensure the sustainability of myself in the industry.”

Completing her first season contract milking was a proud moment for Danielle, as was moving from managing a farm and working with other people on a daily basis to sole charge contract milking.

Danielle identifies the great working relationship with her farm owner Sue Broomfield as a strength of the business. “We both have a passion for the dairy industry and share similar values and views on how the farm should be run and standard it should be presented to.”

“I’ve been very lucky to have a supportive farm owner who is will willing to share her knowledge but also allow me the space to make my own decisions and implement some of my own farming practices.”

Future farming goals include securing a sharemilking role in the Waikato for next season. “I’m looking forward to purchasing my own animals to develop into an efficient and profitable herd as well as looking after the land in the most sustainable way.”

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

Jimmy Cleaver was named the 2022 Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Manager of the year and although he grew up on a dry-stock farm, he always wanted to be a dairy farmer.

“For as long as I can remember, my brother and I would be dropped off at my grandparents’ dairy farm for a holiday,” he says. “My uncle was running the farm at the time and I loved every part of it.”

“The best part of dairy farming is that you get to work from home and every day is a new day to learn and grow as an individual.”

Jimmy has been farming since he was 19 and moved to his current role 2020, managing Grant Clune’s 120ha farm in Rangiriri, milking 360 cows. He won $7,475 in prizes and four merit awards

The future of the New Zealand dairy industry looks bright to Jimmy, with progression opportunities through hard work available to all individuals.

“I’d like to one day be able to offer the same opportunities to younger farmers that were offered to me.”

Jimmy identifies working hours as something he would like to change within the dairy industry. “The industry can easily be seen as somewhere you have to work long hours with no time off.”

“To attract the younger generation of dairy farmers, time of and hours worked during the week need to be changed.”

Future farming goals include building herd numbers with an eventual goal of sharemilking.

Content cows, setting targets and making plans get the 22-year-old through challenging times on-farm. “Whether it’s feed-related or farm maintenance, making a plan with the staff each week and seeing the benefits of those decision a month later keep you motivated.”

Being a young farm manager was challenging at times for Jimmy. “I had to believe in my decisions and adjust to the challenges of the farm as I had been educated and taught by the right people.”

Jimmy holds a Telford Certificate in Agriculture (Distinction), from Lincoln University and PrimaryITO Milk Quality Stage 2, and Effluent Level 3 and 5.

He’s proud of holding the farm production and empty rate records on his current role.

When he’s not working Jimmy enjoys hunting or diving. “I need to take my mind off the farm which means I come back refreshed and open to new ideas and different ways of looking at things on-farm.”

Sam Waugh was named Runner-up of the 2022 Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Manager category and enjoys the challenge of managing an unpredictable biological system and trying to maximise performance as well as the practical component of working outdoors and with animals.

“These aspects of farming, along with the knowledge of making a difference and helping to feed people, are reasons I love working in the agriculture sector.”

The first-time entrant viewed the Awards programme as a way of benchmarking himself and looking at areas he does well, and identifying areas to improve on.

“Alongside this, I saw it as an opportunity to meet high-performing farmers in the dairy industry both in my region and further afield.”

Sam is farm manager for the New Zealand Young Farmers’ 68ha, 115-cow Donald’s Farm in Whitford and won $2,500 in prizes and one merit award.

He believes the farm’s location is its biggest strength.

“Because of where the farm is located, students from South Auckland are able to spend 15 minutes in a bus and be transported out of the city into the country, to experience a whole new way of living.”

“There’s a strong community of people now involved with Donald’s Farm, from the board through to relief staff through to the networks the farm has created,” he says.

“It’s involvement in the community, NZYF and Auckland schools means there is a great diversity of thought which really helps the farm to progress forward in achieving its vision.”

After completing a Bachelor in Commerce, specialising in Agriculture at Lincoln University Sam spent time working as a dairy consultant in Canterbury before travelling to the UK with his wife Liana, where he worked on a large arable farm.

The couple returned to New Zealand in March 2020 with Sam beginning work on Donald’s Farm.

“My first full season on Donald’s Farm was my first full season on a dairy farm and although I had developed good management knowledge and decision making through farm consultancy, I had limited experience with the on-farm, practical aspect of running a dairy farm,” explains Sam.

“I overcame these challenges through connecting with my support network and not being afraid to pick up the phone and ask plenty of questions.”

Sam is proud he broke farm production records on Donald’s Farm in his first season, going from 27,990kgMS to 34,503kgMS whilst maintaining the lowest total FWE since NZYF has owned the farm.

Short-term farming goals include continuing to develop Donald’s Farm to the point where it is able to operate self-sufficiently while maintaining a profitable system.

“Long-term, I am aim to become an equity manager in a farm, which is the pathway my wife and I have identified to enter into farm ownership.”

The winner of the 2022 Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Trainee of the Year category, Jamie McDowell, is a first-time entrant who entered the Awards programme to meet new people in the area and gain more knowledge by doing practical activities.

“I grew up in the city of Lower Hutt and went straight into the dairy industry when I left school, working as a herd manager at Lake Karapiro,” says Jamie. “It was challenging to live by myself and move six hours away from family.”

Jamie is currently farm assistant on Joyce Laing’s 164ha Rangiriri West property, milking 326 cows. She won $5,250 in prizes and two merit awards.

Jamie is excited about the different technology coming into the dairy industry and sees herself trialling new technology on her own farm one day.

She feels rewarded knowing that she is making a difference on-farm, especially by improving efficiency at calving and mating times.

Jamie is proud she has completed four New Zealand Certificates of Agriculture (Vehicles, Machine and Infrastructure; Farming Systems; Milk Harvesting; Livestock Husbandry and Dairy) while working full-time and is currently studying towards one in Livestock Feeding.

Future farming goals include a farm manager role with further goals of contract miking and farm ownership.

Shavaun McLean was named runner-up in the 2022 Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Trainee category and won $1,250 in prizes and one merit award. She is Farm Assistant on Tony and Marlene Walter’s 85ha, 250-cow Aka Aka property.

The first-time entrant entered the Awards programme to put herself out there and give herself some extra confidence.

She always knew her career would have something to do with animals and after spending time working with dry stock with her Dad, she discovered her love for dairy farming.

“I enjoy the changes around calving time and trying to visualise how the unborn calf is presented,” she says. “I enjoy being involved with the growth and development of the calf through to transitioning into the milking herd.”

Shavaun identifies being a young female in a traditionally male-dominated industry as challenging. “I found it hard to be accepted and supported to further my learning and I was prepared to leave the industry.”

“An opportunity arose with my present employers who have reignited my passion for farming and have supported and encouraged me with a can-do attitude.”

Shavaun has completed a pasture management certificate and is currently studying towards the dairy apprenticeship through PrimaryITO.

The 22-year-old would like to see more encouragement and support systems to allow people from non-farming backgrounds to become part of the dairy industry.

Future farming goals include completing her farming apprenticeship before progressing to a manager’s role.

“I want to continue to develop my skills and am hopeful of the opportunities that may arise for me to progress in the farming industry.”

Joel Mansell was third. The second-time entrant is 2IC on Craig and Cathy Maxwell, 530-cow Papakura farm and won $1,250 in prizes. He was third placegetter in the same category last year.

Joel enjoyed the new opportunities that arose through the Awards programme as well as making new connections with people.

Joel’s future farming goals include learning about all aspects of feeding, grazing, management and stock to increase his knowledge and practices.

The Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Industry Awards field day will be held on 07 April 2022 at 10.30am at 69 Otane Road, Patetonga S/N Fonterra 75061 where Auckland/Hauraki Share Farmers of the Year, Danielle contract milks. Also presenting at the field day will be the region’s Dairy Manager of the Year, Jimmy Cleaver and Dairy Trainee of the Year, Jamie McDowell. Further details on the winners and the field day can be found at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.

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