In 2011 the McCaigs won the Taranaki Farm Manager of the Year title and placed second in the national competition.
In 2012 Shearer won the West Coast Top of the South regional New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year competition and placed third in the national competition.
“It’s a pretty exciting result to have not one, but two finalists that have won regional titles in the past,” regional convenor Rebecca van den Brand said.
“The fact they have progressed in their farming career in a pretty short space of time to be competing on the national stage at a higher level is really impressive.”
Ben Frost won the region’s 2014 Dairy Trainee of the Year at a dinner at The Hub, Hawera.
The McCaigs are 21% sharemilking 500 cows for the Taranaki Community Rugby Trust at Manaia.
They won $20,500 in prizes.
The couple, 31 and 34, were in their fifth season in the industry.
They believed their experience outside of farming was one of their strengths.
“We changed careers to become dairy farmers,” they said.
“We brought knowledge acquired through employment in other sectors with us, and came to farming without preconceptions.”
Their relationship and common goals were other strengths.
“We came to farming together and we continue to work together towards our goals.
“These were to grow our equity over the next 20 years to a point that we can retire from operational activities in our early 50s and to actively engage in industry leadership and governance.”
Second place in the 2014 Taranaki Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year contest went to Patea 50% sharemilkers Jason and Gemma Skittrup, winning $8300 in prizes.
Stratford 24% sharemilkers Greg and Amanda Bland were third, winning $5050.
Shearer had a goal to own his own farm in 10 years.
In the short term he was keen to gain equity in a dairy farm.
He won $8800 in prizes.
“The benefits of entering the awards include having my name out there in the dairy community and networking with people who have entered the competition also,” he said.
Shearer, 21, was a managing a 360-cow Hawera farm for Steven and Ann Nicholas.
He said the property had good topography and infrastructure.
“The farm is all flat which makes for easier management of the pastures and the farm layout means short walks to the dairy and having a good size dairy allows for quick milkings and more time for other work,” he said.
Hawera farm manager Jayden Harvey was placed second in the Taranaki farm manager contest, winning $2270 in prizes.
Eltham farm manager JJ Atkin was third, winning $2100.
The 2014 Taranaki Dairy Trainee of the Year, Frost, was progressing to a farm manager’s position in June.
That would be on the same 450-cow split calving Hawera farm owned by James Murphy, where he was currently 2IC.
Frost, 21, won $6400 in prizes and thought the awards was a great way to promote himself.
“The awards also provide opportunities to network with other farmers, practice for future job interviews and are a great personal challenge,” he said.
“Success in the competition is a good confidence booster.”
He had been in the industry since 2011.
His goals were to continue progressing.
He also intended to begin building his own herd later this year.
“I will reassess my goals often as they may change as I am open to opportunities that will help me to get the end goal faster.
“I am a young keen farmer always willing to learn new skills and meet new people in the industry.”
Second in the dairy trainee contest was James Holgate, who won $550 in prizes.
Joe Churchman was third, winning $470.
The McCaigs will host a field day on April 10 and Shearer will host one on April 3.
Further details on the winners and field days can be found on www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.
Sharemilker/Equity Farmer Merit Awards:
Taranaki DIA Variable Order Cup – Charlie and Johanna McCaig
DairyNZ Human Resources Award – Charlie and Johanna McCaig
Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award – Jason and Gemma Skittrup
Federated Farmers of New Zealand Leadership Award – Charlie and Johanna McCaig
Honda Farm Safety and Health Award – Charlie and Johanna McCaig
LIC Recording and Productivity Award – Jason and Gemma Skittrup
Meridian Energy Farm Environment Award – Charlie and Johanna McCaig
Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award – Josh and Alex Cooper
Triplejump Risk Management Award – Greg and Amanda Bland
Westpac Business Performance Award – Greg and Amanda Bland
Farm Manager Merit Awards:
NZ Farmers Livestock Best Livestock Award – Michael Wilson
Staples Rodway Chartered Accountant Leadership Award – Jayden Harvey
Fonterra Best Practice Award – JJ Atkin
Primary ITO Human Resource Management Award – Matte Kirk
RD1 Farm Management Award – Michael Shearer
Westpac Financial Planning and Management Award – Michael Shearer
Dairy Trainee Merit Awards:
New Zealand Dairy Exporter Farming Knowledge Award – Ben Frost
Taranaki Veterinary Centre Leadership Award – Nga Apaapa
DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Simon Embling
