Coming runner up in Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year section last year helped Chris and Carla Staples.
They used the judges’ feedback to their advantage by improving their business and farming systems.
Focusing on reducing debt and increasing equity also helped them.
The Staples are 50:50 sharemilking 365 cows at Whataroa for farm owners Keith and Angela Kelly.
They said their profitability and great working relationships are keys to their success.
“We are aware of our financial position at all times and we are constantly reviewing our budgets with our actuals to produce consistent farm working expenses,” they said.
“Our short term goal is to increase production while maintaining good profitability on our current farm.”
The couple’s long term goal was farm ownership.
They won $11,300 in prizes
Jason Macbeth, 23, was named the region’s Farm Manager of the Year.
He won $8750.
He was contract milking 280 cows for Bruce and Jocelyn Palmer at Murchison.
“We are very low cost farming with minimal inputs, which I believe you must be in today’s times,” he said.
“We are focused on quantity and quality when it comes to feeding our cows and it pays off in production.”
Macbeth is moving to a 25% sharemilking position in June.
He aims to be 50:50 sharemilking 300 cows in 2017 with his partner, Beth Phillips.
Amy White, 20, won the Dairy Trainee of the Year title.
The Murchison farm assistant won $5000 in her first entry in the awards.
It was her second season in the industry.
She was assisting on Stephen Todd’s 353-cow Murchison farm.
Her ultimate farming goal is to own a farm milking 400 pedigree Holstein and Ayrshire cattle.
“Until then my aim is to learn as much as I can about animal health and management so I can become a herd manager within five years, then go contract or lower order sharemilking to start my own herd and work my way from 50:50 to farm ownership,” she said.
Both the Staples and MacBeth will host field days on their farms on April 3 and March 27 respectively.
Further details on the field days can be found at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.
Merit Awards:
Sharemilker/Equity Farmer:
· DairyNZ Human Resources Award – Steven and Kerry Semmens
· Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award – Ant and Suzi O’Malley
· Federated Farmers of New Zealand Leadership Award – Steven and Kerry Semmens
· Honda Farm Safety and Health Award – Steven and Kerry Semmens
· LIC Recording and Productivity Award – Jon and Vickie Nicholls
· Meridian Energy Farm Environment Award – Steven and Kerry Semmens
· Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award – Gareth and Jenny Evans
· Triplejump Risk Management Award – Chris and Carla Staples
· Westpac Business Performance Award – Chris and Carla Staples
Farm Manager:
· Cuffs Accountancy Strategic Planning Award – Alice Reilly
· Reliance Feeds Leadership Award – Jason Macbeth
· Fonterra Best Practice Award – Thomas Oats and Hannah Davies
· Primary ITO Human Resource Management Award – Hayden George
· RD1 Farm Management Award – Jason Macbeth
· Westpac Financial Planning and Management Award – Jason Macbeth
Dairy Trainee:
· TBfree New Zealand Farming Knowledge Award – Joseph McNaull
· Silver Fern Farms Leadership Award – Stewart Watson
· DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Bridgette Payton
