Friday, March 29, 2024

Giving back drives award winner

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Rural professional and down-to-earth dairy farmer Jessie Chan-Dorman is driven by the opportunities to contribute in the agricultural industry. She talked to Annette Scott. 
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Equally confident at a grassroots level as she is in her governance and leadership roles, Jessie Chan-Dorman is driven by her desire to give back to the industry that has given to her.

“Over the years the agricultural industry has been good to me and my motivation is just making a meaningful contribution,” she said.

The Mid Canterbury dairy farmer who has dedicated her career as a rural professional to New Zealand’s dairy industry was named 2017 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year at the Dairy Women’s Network annual conference in Queenstown.

With a career spanning farming, business and governance, Chan-Dorman’s experience stemmed from her roles in big organisations such as DairyNZ and Environment Canterbury and volunteer positions with Federated Farmers, the Land Use Futures Board, Land and Water Forum and Ballance AgriNutrients as a judge for its farm environment awards.

She is a director of the Ashburton Trading Society and RuralCo, a Fonterra Shareholder councilor representing farms in Rakaia, a member of the Holstein Friesian NZ external affairs committee and a member of the Institute of Directors and NZ Asian Leaders.

She is a Kellogg Rural Leadership scholar, has completed a Fonterra governance programme and was the recipient of Canterbury’s Institute of Directors aspiring director award in 2014.

Chan-Dorman grew up in Palmerston North, one of four children.

“Dad was very old school. We grew up with the coal range, the chooks in the back yard of our town section and the vege garden to feed us so I was exposed to a rural lifestyle but didn’t live on a farm.

“Education was instilled in us and I was determined to go to university. I left home at 16.”

Chan-Dorman’s first taste of agricultural was with the Dairy Research Institute, now the Fonterra Research Institute.

“I was intrigued learning about developing products and where they go. I always had an interest in science, in particular biological science.”

That led her to Massey University to do a degree in animal science, majoring in ruminant nutrition.

At the end of her fourth year there was real shortage of ruminant nutritionists.

“So no PhD, it was time to move on.”

That move was to Wellington where she worked in several agricultural roles including biosecurity, policy adviser with Federated Farmers and manager of the Johnes Disease Consortium where she also experienced her first taste of governance.

“I learnt so much and gained good exposure in all these roles, especially through Feds. That became the catalyst for my involvement in the dairy industry and still now keeps me founded on the grassroots.”

Chan-Dorman was the first woman provincial president of the Wellington Young Farmers’ Club and it was through the organisation that she met her husband, Hayden, who was chairman of Tasman Young Farmers.

The couple teamed up and their first stint together was milking on a Mid Canterbury dairy farm.

“That was going to make or break us.”

It proved the making and the couple spent two years as variable order milkers followed by two years herd owning before the farm was sold to Italian buyers and they were offered the opportunity to lease.

Before the sale the 420 hectare farm was run as two units carrying 1700 cows.

Then the tough years hit and the Dormans made the decision to future-proof themselves.

They cut back to 950 cows and became self-contained, introducing split calving and winter milking, growing 70ha of crop to feed their cows and managing pasture to winter their own herd.

“It was something Hayden had always wanted to do and the time was right.

“We have full control over the whole system and we have established resilience and risk mitigation.”

The pair complement one another with Dorman leading the hands-on role with the cows while Chan-Dorman plays out her strengths, including governance.

“I self-confess, I don’t milk cows and do I acknowledge that Hayden makes sacrifices for me so I can do what I do.

“I have the academics but Hayden taught me a lot about how to be a farmer.

“He encourages me and supports me. Together we work as a team and we have little Adam about to turn four so there is just enough going on for us all that without family and community support just couldn’t happen.”

Chan-Dorman’s career over the past decade had seen her add extraordinary value to the business of dairy in NZ.

From the variety of roles she has had in volunteering to business ownership and governance she has made it a priority to share her expertise and give back where she can and she’s not afraid to have the tough conversations.

Chan-Dorman said the award was a great step for her to continue role-modelling dairy leadership to her peers and those looking to come through the ranks.

“I see myself further influencing change by being involved at a governance or representation level in our co-operatives and advocating for the next generation to get involved in the industry.

“I’m looking forward to working further on these kinds of collaborative relationships at a higher level.”

Chan-Dorman received a scholarship prize of $20,000 to do a professional business development programme.

“I am keen to get more global context for our primary sector and to help inspire others to take up leadership roles and contribute to their industry.”

While there were challenges in meeting marketing requirements and producing a sustainable product the biggest challenge for the industry was in its own backyard.

“That’s in terms of public perception around how we look after our animals and the land.

“It’s about people and how we train people in the industry with the basic fundamentals.

“Yes, tertiary education, data, technology are all important but onfarm skills are the critical base that will underpin the drive forward.

“At the end of the day we must not lose sight of the fundamentals and the connection to the cows and the land so how we work with this is the biggest challenge fronting the industry – it is a long journey.”

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