The 20-year-old is currently 2IC for Eddie and Kath Lambert at Whakatane milking 450 pedigree Holstein-Friesian cows. The herd averages 550kg MS/cow on a System 3 operation.
The farm owners’ focus on breeding has sparked a similar passion for genetics in Michael.
He’s started to help with bull selection this season and has joined the New Zealand Holstein-Friesian Association. He has entered animals in competitions and won the best two-year-old.
Michael has passed his Level 3 Feeding and Pastures with Primary ITO and is studying Level 4 Dairy Management.
It’s his second season working in the industry, after starting out as farm assistant.
“I always wanted to go into the dairy industry. I initially got accepted to university to do an Agriculture Science degree I wanted to be a consultant.”
Then the Whakatane High School student saw the Lambert job advertised, applied and had the interview the next day.
He finished school on November 20 and started work on November 25, and hasn’t looked back.
Dairy farming runs in the blood. Michael’s grandfather Alan Theobald owned about 14 farms across the North Island and now nearly all his grandsons are farming.
Michael’s aim is to step up to farm management in the next couple of seasons.
He has started to build stock numbers for a future sharemilking position, although he still has thoughts about being a farm consultant.
“By the time I’m 25 I hope to have about 60 animals. I will either stay farming or sell up and put that towards an education.”
Whakatane assistant manager Harepaora Ngaheu was runner-up and Hayden Goodall, Whakatane, placed third.
