Guys judged Hauraki’s top share farmers
Chris always wanted to return to New Zealand and pursue a career in dairying. Sally Guy
First time Dairy Industry Awards entrants Chris and Sally Guy have won the Auckland/Hauraki Share Farmer of the Year title.
The Papakura farmers were encouraged to enter the awards by previous entrants and did so to develop their knowledge in business management. They won over $12,000 in prizes and will host a field day on their farm owner’s property on April 4. The couple are in their second season 50:50 sharemilking 200 cows on Allan Guy’s 80 hectare Papakura farm.
Their future farming goals included increasing their herd size and moving to a larger job, paying off debt and building their equity and obtaining farm ownership. Chris said their ability to rear extra stock on large lease blocks enabled them to grow their equity have more input into decisions that are made on farm.’’
In their first season on the farm, they achieved record production and reared 175 weaners alone and as sole operators. ‘‘It was a huge effort and we had a young baby at the time, with Sally a long distance from her family. We are finding our feet now.’’
The couple grew up on farms in different countries but said they knew they wanted the same experience for their children. Chris, 31, grew up on a dairy farm in New Zealand and is a qualified carpenter and has qualifications in landscaping and level 4 Primary ITO courses. He was working as a builder in Australia when he met Sally, 35, a secondary school teacher who grew up on a sheep and beef station in rural New South Wales.
‘‘Chris always wanted to return to New Zealand and pursue a career in dairying. Working and living on the farm means that we get to see each other throughout the day and allows more time for him to spend with our young son, Hunter,’’ Sally said.
The Guys were named winners at the region’s annual awards dinner on March 10. Runners-up were Tuakau 50:50 sharemilkers Ethan and Sarah Koch and in third was last year’s runners-up, Thames contract milkers Vijay and Dipika Patil.
The Dairy Manager of the Year competition was won by Ngatea farmer Terence Potter, who said he entered the awards to test his skill level and receive feedback from judges that would benefit his career. The 24-year-old is farm manager on Graham and Lorraine Bell’s 325ha, 1100-cow property in Ngatea. He believed his biggest accomplishment so far was running the large-scale business with three staff.
‘‘I’m really proud that with a fair amount of dedication and goal planning I’ve succeeded in getting this amazing position. The farm is family owned and operated and the farm owners are very supportive. We work together as a team and they take the time to get to know us and our interests outside of work,’’ he said.
Runner up was Karaka assistant manager Oliver Milne and third place went to Awhitu contract managers Robbie Morritt and Jacqui Rutherfurd. The winner of the Dairy Trainee of the Year contest Quinn Youngman said he was inspired by his grandmother to look at the dairy industry as a career.
‘‘I love the diversity of the job and working outdoors,’’ he said. The 21-year-old works on David Dean’s 245ha, 600-cow farm in Mercer. Tuakau farm manager Olivia McKay was second and Ngatea farm assistant Kaz Wallace was third.