Thursday, March 28, 2024

No wish to be back in classroom

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Taking out the Sharemilker/Equity Farmer award in the Bay of Plenty Dairy Industry Awards, and half the merit awards, was no quick win for Whakatane couple Brett and Natasha Grindrod.
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They were runners-up last year, allowing them to hone that experience in their goal to pick up the top prize.

The couple were both teachers, but took a year out of teaching to work on the farm before going back into the classroom.

“But I found not long after starting that I really enjoyed being outdoors, and being able to see my family during the day. I never once wished I was back in the classroom, but I know if I had gone back to the classroom I would have wished I was farming!”

After a stint of only a few months as a farm worker on the 450-cow operation Brett faced a steep learning curve as he assumed the role of farm manager.

He has been working on modules to complete his Primary ITO Diploma in Agribusiness Management, finding its structure ideal for picking up the essentials of taxation and budget management. They use legal advice from BlackmanSpargo, farm advice from FarmWise and also have regular input from a rural accountant.

They are now in their second season as 25% sharemilkers on Natasha’s parents’ 140ha property.

“Staff orientation plays a huge part for us. It is about communication, keeping our staff in the loop and involved with what is going on within the farm, and beyond,” Brett said.

That includes written manuals and taking staff to industry conferences and discussion groups to keep them aware of new methods and ideas.

Farm safety is also an inherent part of good human resource management on the farm, and the couple also won the Honda Farm Safety and Health Award.

“We try to build safety into every aspect, and I have an ongoing document I am always adding to. I cannot afford for myself or my staff to be injured, and we are very conscious of the accident rate on New Zealand farms.”

While Natasha is an only child and acknowledges inheriting the farm from her parents Barry and Yvonne Richardson is a given, they are working hard on goals to build their dairying business beyond the home property.

“We see this as a base and our first goal is to be at 50:50 sharemilking within five years.

“However, beyond that we would like to expand into another sharemilking operation if one came up within half an hour of here. If there’s not one around, we will be looking at equity partnerships further south,” Brett said.

The couple also claimed the BlackmanSpargo Legal Audit Award, the LIC Recording and Productivity Award, and the Westpac Business Performance Award. There was no runner-up this year. Grant and Karley Thomson of Opotiki won the Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award, and Jeff and Ryn Going of Te Puke won the Federated Farmers Leadership Award, the Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award and the Triplejump Risk Management Award. The Meridian Energy Farm Environment Award went to Katherine and Sefton Hemingway of Tauranga.

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