First-time Ohaupo entrants achieve top-six goal

By JEREMY SMITH Their mantra is “do it once and do it well” and it paid off for Ohaupo’s Andrew and Michelle McPherson.

The first-time entrants in the Dairy Industry Awards are finalists in the Waikato Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year category.

They are in their third season on their 137 effective hectare farm and Mrs McPherson says they felt the timing was right to enter the awards.

“We’ve had a lot of people say to us in the past, you should enter, but we wanted to do it once and do it well. We felt now was the right time.”

The McPhersons set themselves a goal of making the top six – an aspiration they have achieved.

“I have actually really enjoyed the opportunity that the competition has given us,” Mrs McPherson says.

She looks after the “financials” of the farm and helps with calving, and has enjoyed learning more about other aspects of their farming operation.

“Andrew and I both have our distinct roles on farm and personally I feel it has given me a better understanding of other aspects of the business.”

The McPhersons have three children and their journey and rise in farming has been rapid.

They returned from time in London in 2001 with savings, which enabled them to be sharemilking within two years.

It is now the couple’s ninth season farming and it’s an industry they love. “We have been motivated by the equity growth we have seen in our operation.”