Nick, 27, contract milks 260 cows on a 120ha property near Featherston owned by David and Lorraine Osborne.
The 2013-14 season was his first as a contract milker, though he managed the property for a year before switching to a contract arrangement.
Achieving record production of 78,000kg milksolids (MS) in his first season on the property while managing, Nick negotiated a rate of $1.50/kg MS based on his history and promise of improving performance further. He presented the Osbornes with a plan for how he would achieve further production gains, turning the proposal into a win-win scenario.
Driving those gains was better management of cow condition to improve reproduction and achieve a tighter calving spread, improved pasture management, and development and implementation of a re-grassing strategy. Getting the basics right would mean per cow production would increase along with the stocking rate to capture the extra feed grown.
With Nick on track to produce 100,000kg MS for the 2013-14 season, the strategy is clearly working. It was also recognised at the national level of the competition when he took out the RD1 Farm Management Award. The judges praised his proactive and planned approach to getting the most out of the farm.
Although he didn’t win this award at regional level, at the awards function he gave credit to the farm owners for giving him a free run.
“They’ve been awesome.”
Nick is a man with a plan. Before winning the regional competition, his goal had been to be 50:50 sharemilking by 2017. As well as being a saver by nature, Nick is building equity by buying 20-30 dairy heifer calves at both spring and autumn calving, rearing them on milk powder in an arrangement with the farm owners until weaning, after which they are then grazed off. These heifers will act as security with bank and will eventually form part of his herd.
Feedback from competition judges and bankers he came into contact with when preparing for the competition suggested he could be ready for a herd-owning sharemilking arrangement in 2016.
Building on skills developed studying towards Primary ITO’s National Diploma in Agribusiness Management, Nick’s business plan is well supported with forecast budgets derived from farm accounting software Cashmanager Rural. He takes ownership of the financial side of his business, something the national competition judges recognised in awarding him the Westpac Business Performance Award.
This year was Nick’s second in the competition. Last year he didn’t rank in the top six in his regional competition but did take out the award for being the most promising entrant, with the prize of a ticket to the finals.
“I’ve grown hugely in the last two years.”
After initially struggling to get a managing opportunity, Nick’s victory made him want to phone everyone who wouldn’t give him a job interview, he said at the awards function in Auckland. He thanked his parents, family, friends, and first employer Jos Slabbekoorn who all taught him how to farm. His brother, who was milking the cows while he was away, had helped him “massively” with his presentations.
Second place went to Simon Player, who manages a 76ha farm at Kerepehi.
Third place went to Phillip Colombus who manages a 350ha farm for Ngai Tahu at Oxford, Canterbury. He also took out the Fonterra Best Practice Award and Primary ITO Human Resource Management Award.
Sam Ebbett from Feilding won the DairyNZ Interview Award and Jared Crawford from Riversdale the Meridian Energy Leadership Award.
Head judge of the Farm Manager of the Year Competition, DairyNZ’s north Waikato regional leader, Phil Irvine, said there were some great examples of career changers among the entrants. Their use of technology and ways in which they had improved their skills also stood out.
“There aren’t many jobs as diverse and challenging,” he said.
“The dairy industry allows talent to blossom.”
