Top share farmers Taupo bound
Take opportunities when they come and don’t be afraid to be cheeky - that’s the advice from Southland/Otago share farmers of the year Russell and Tracy Bouma.
The couple grew up in the Waikato and Central Plateau areas. Russell left school at 16 to pursue his dairy farming career while Tracy finished school at 18 and went farming shortly after.
In 2000, the pair started their first job together in a lower order sharemilking position, milking 530 cows. Meanwhile, Tracy found time to complete a social science degree and become a qualified social worker. Four years ago they made the big move to Clydevale. They run two 50:50 share milking jobs with different owners, within 15 kilometres of each other, calving 1200-1250 cows combined.
The Clinton farm milks 460 cows and is owned by Wayne and Fiona Black. Nearby, the Clydevale farm milks 762 cows and is owned by Owen and Andrew Johnston. The Boumas were the first Otago winners of the awards and are in the running for the national title to be announced in Auckland on May 6. Soon they won’t be calling the region home as next season they move back to Taupo for a share milking position milking 1100 cows.
‘‘We love farming down here in the Clinton area, it’s reliable. It was a matter of moving back to that extended family,’’ Russell said at a field day at the Clydevale farm. They will keep their Clinton 50:50 milking job and will come down every four to six weeks to monitor progress. The Boumas had made it to where they are in their career by being open to opportunities that came their way, and not being afraid to ask for jobs, even if there was a possibility they would not get it.
‘‘We’ve always been clear about our goals,’’ Tracy said. In the next one to five years the couple want $1 million of equity growth, to complete the DairyNZ governance and leadership course, to achieve more than 560,000 kilograms of milksolids and maintain a work/ life balance. In the long term they hoped to have a herd that was in the top 25 per cent for breeding worth, their own 400-500 cow farm with a solid equity percentage and to go on a family holiday to Disneyland.