Thursday, March 28, 2024

Success runs in family for Hawke’s Bay Wairarapa dairy award winners

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Two of the big winners in the 2014 Hawke’s Bay Wairarapa Dairy Industry Awards prove success can run in families.
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The region’s Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year winners, Tony and Zoe Kuriger, and Dairy Trainee of the Year, Alice Gysbertsen, all followed in the footsteps of family members.

Tony’s parents, Louis and Barbara Kuriger, won the 1987 Taranaki Sharemilker of the Year title.

His sister, Rachel Short, won the same Taranaki title with her husband Kenneth last year.

Gysbertsen’s parents, Bart and Tineke Gysbertsen, won the 2013 Hawke’s Bay Wairarapa Farm Manager of the Year title.

The other major winner at the region’s awards dinner held at the Masterton War Memorial Stadium last night was Nick Bertram.

He won the Hawke’s Bay Wairarapa Farm Manager of the Year contest.

The Kurigers, both 27, were equity sharemilking a 740-cow herd at Woodville in partnership with Tony’s parents.

They won $18,500 in prizes.

They said their strengths were their education, ability to tap into knowledge and experience, and team environment.

Both hold bachelor degrees.

They value the input of the farm directors and shareholders, who have decades of dairy farming and governance experience.

“These skills and knowledge allow for comprehensive management at all levels, creating highly profitable and sustainable dairying practices,” they said.

The Kurigers encourage all staff to have input into the farm’s operation.

“This leads to a highly motivated team and the continued forward momentum of the business, as well as for a pleasant working environment and progression pathways for those at an earlier stage of their careers.”

The couple planned to progressively buy further shares in the partnership.

Their goal was full farm ownership.

“The equity partnership is taking on another 700 cows for a sharemilking contract next season that we will operate, which sets us on the path to achieving this goal.

“We’d also like to replicate our environmental sustainability results on a wide range of farming systems and assist others in their progression through the industry.”

Second place in the sharemilker/equity farmer contest went to Dannevirke 25% sharemilkers Blair and Naomi Castles.

They won $6600 in prizes.

Pirinoa sharemilkers Glen and Trish Rankin were third, winning $4600.

It was the second time 2014 Hawke’s Bay Wairarapa Dairy Trainee of the Year Alice Gysbertsen had entered the awards.

She won $6300 in prizes.

“One of the benefits of entering was getting the judges’ feedback and using that to better myself,” she said.

Gysbertsen, 19, was a farm assistant on Suzanne Butcher’s 180-cow Carterton dairy farm.

Her goal was to progress to a 50% sharemilking position by 2016.

Second place in the trainee contest went to Eketahuna herd manager Jarrah McCaffrey, 23, who won $800.

Third was Dannevirke herd manager Kyle Paton, 22, who won $1500 in prizes.

After winning the ‘most promising farm manager’ merit award in 2013 Nick Bertram has delivered on expectations this year.

Bertram, 27, won, the 2014 Hawke’s Bay Wairarapa Farm Manager of the Year.

He was contract milking 260 cows for David and Lorraine Osborne at Featherston.

He won $12,000 in prizes.

Bertram was focused on his future in the industry.

He had a goal to be 50% sharemilking by 2017.

He was rearing heifer calves in order to help achieve that goal.

Second place in the farm manager contest went to Featherston contract milker Adam Giddens, 25, who won $3600 in prizes.

Featherston farm manager Rowan McGilvary, 54, was placed third, winning $3450.

The Kurigers will host a field day on April 2.

Bertram will host a field day on the Featherston farm he manages on April 10.

Further details on the winners and field days can be found at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.

Sharemilker/Equity Farmer Merit Awards:
DairyNZ Human Resources Award – Glen and Trish Rankin
Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award – Glen and Trish Rankin
Federated Farmers of New Zealand Leadership Award – Bernie and April Cox
Honda Farm Safety and Health Award – Tony and Zoe Kuriger
LIC Recording and Productivity Award – Blair and Naomi Castles
Meridian Energy Farm Environment Award – Tony and Zoe Kuriger
Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award – Tony and Zoe Kuriger
Triplejump Risk Management Award – Tony and Zoe Kuriger
Westpac Business Performance Award – Tony and Zoe Kuriger

Farm Manager Merit Awards:
Bell-Booth Best Livestock Award – Adam Giddens
BEL Group Most Promising Farm Manager Award – Jeremy Daysh and Anna Bergstrom
MacDougalls Leadership Award – Ben and Deanne Parkes
Fonterra Best Practice Award – Rowan McGilvary
Primary ITO Human Resource Management Award – Nick Bertram
RD1 Farm Management Award – Rowan McGilvary
Westpac Financial Planning and Management Award – Nick Bertram

Dairy Trainee Merit Awards:
Watson and Son Farming Knowledge Award – Kyle Paton
Tulloch Farm Machinery Leadership Award – Haydn McKinley
DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Alice Gysbertsen

Congratulate them and the other regional Dairy Industry Award winners. 

Look out for more in-depth information on the winners in the next edition of Dairy Exporter.

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