“That’s been a big change,” he says. “There was the perception that the regional winner had to become the convener the next year and we wanted to break that down.”
Taking on the role was completely different when there was just the Sharemilker of the Year competition to organise. But since 2006 when the competition joined with the Fonterra Westpac Dairy Excellence Awards and the Dairy Trainee Award, a more professional approach was called for. In 2011 there was the addition of equity farmers to the sharemilking competition, drawing in an even larger pool of entrants.
DIA executive committee member Brian Power, a judge of the Sharemilker-Equity Farmer Award in 2013, says growing regional skill sets was an important focus. That’s been a firm requirement for the first time this year after he suggested a move to regional managers in order to spread the workload among a team of volunteers,
“It’s working and they’ve really taken leadership,” he says.
While a template is provided for the regional awards and the dinners at which winners are named it was still necessary that the events were regionally relevant. To showcase some of the best ideas local managers have been encouraged to supply photos from their event to be shown at the executive’s annual meeting in June, with the aim of pinpointing which ideas work best and might be able to be repeated.
The national final on May 2 once again returns to Sky City in Auckland but Gavin is quick to reassure South Islanders this is not a permanent home for the event.
‘We want to get the national event back down to the South Island. That’s a high priority.’
“We have three venues around the country pencilled in for the next two years,” he says. “We’ve got to book well in advance.”
It’s a logistical challenge to get all regional winners, partners, supporters and organisers under the one roof with many farmers enjoying coming to Auckland to make up the 660-700 attendees. Sky City has the advantage of having accommodation as well as the venue for the black tie dinner, all under the one roof.
“We want to get the national event back down to the South Island,” Gavin says. “That’s a high priority.”
He can’t give away anything about the theme for the dinner at which TV3 news reader Mike McRoberts will be master of ceremonies once again. But he’s sure that DIA national convener Chris Keeping will do as she always does and pull something out of the hat.
The dinner will top off a busy week for the regional finalists with dairy trainees setting off on their study tour led by the former chairman of the executive, Marton farmer Greg Maughan. He’s a former runner-up in the sharemilker competition who has gone on to serve on the Fonterra Shareholders’ Council.
Gavin says feedback from judges at a regional level is that the calibre of contestants is of a high standard again this year. And while the sharemilking system was facing challenges the pathway it offered to farm ownership was still there.
“It’s always been difficult to get a start in the industry,” he says.
“You have to work hard and squirrel money away. Farmers still want people coming through.”
Gavin’s moved from relief milking to herd manager, then he and wife Sally won the Auckland-Hauraki Sharemilker of the Year competition in 2009 when they were 27% sharemilkers. In 2011 he was convener of that competition and later that year came on to the DIA’s executive committee. The couple also moved to Otau on a 50:50 sharemilking contract with 360 cows which they’ve now lifted to close to 500.
He believes the competition brings out a lot of goodwill towards progression from older farmers, who enjoy coming along to support those they see as following in their footsteps. And entering the competition allows the younger generation to use it as a tool to further their careers by putting themselves in front of future employers or equity partners.
“But there are people who have gone before and done well, who maybe haven’t left the door open,” Gavin says.
“They need to be reminded that they should because at the end of the day there’s no point building up wealth and equity with no one to follow on.”
