Varying Finalists Make Judges Job Tough

The 12 finalists competing for the 2011 New Zealand Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year title provide a mix of farming enterprises, scale and experience.

“Our judges have got a tough job ahead of them to determine the winner in this year’s contest as each finalist brings quite a different set of skills and attributes,” National convenor Chris Keeping says.

“Of the 12 finalists, we have seven traditional 50% sharemilkers, four lower order sharemilkers and an equity manager who has made it through to the finals in the first year of their eligibility in the contest.”

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards also run the New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year competitions. All three winners will be announced at a gala dinner attended by 600 people in Queenstown on Saturday May 14.

More than $130,000 in cash and prizes will be given to the winners, with the New Zealand Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year winner taking home cash and prizes worth $35,000 and a further $45,000 distributed among the place-getters and merit award winners.

The awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda Motorcycles NZ, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown and RD1, along with industry partner Agriculture ITO.

Mrs Keeping says a team of three judges will visit each finalist on their farm, spending two hours to gain an insight into how the finalists use their skills and available resources to manage and grow their farm business. The final judging component, an interview, takes place in Queenstown.

She says other notable variances among the finalists include their herd sizes, with the herds ranging from 300 cows to 1100 cows, and farming experience.

“One of our finalists entered the dairy industry less than four years ago after a successful professional career while another finalist has been in the dairy industry for 25 years.

“Most of our finalists are also experienced entrants in the awards competition, with just three of our finalists having entered the awards for the first time. One has entered the awards five times!”

The New Zealand Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year finalists (and the regions they represent) are:
Northland – Murray Jamieson, equity farmer, 1100 cows
Auckland/Hauraki – Jeffery & Bronwyn Ward, 25% sharemilker, 300 cows
Waikato – Jason & Lisa Suisted, 50% sharemilker, 430 cows
Bay of Plenty – Scott & Charlotte Jones, 22% sharemilker, 500 cows
Central Plateau – Nick & Bec Simmonds, 50% sharemilker, 700 cows
Taranaki – Aaron & Kate Murdoch, 50% sharemilker, 320 cows
Manawatu/Rangitikei/Horowhenua – Richard & Christine Sinclair, 25% sharemilker, 400 cows
Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa – Richard & Joanna Greaves, 50% sharemilker, 880 cows
West Coast/Top of the South – Caleb & Claire Ford, 19% sharemilker, 600 cows
Canterbury/North Otago – Rob & Debbie Mackle, 50% sharemilker, 550 cows
Otago – Tim & Lorraine Johnson, 50% sharemilker, 352 cows
Southland – Lindsey & Clare McClintock, 50% sharemilker, 300 cows.

Further information on the awards and the finalists can be found at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.