Waikato dairy award winner passionate about all farming opportunities
Waikato Share Farmer of the Year Aleisha Broomfield has a genuine passion for all things farming and believes there are many opportunities within the dairy industry for those who are willing to work hard and push themselves.
She’s the first sole female farmer to win the Waikato Share Farmer category, which was announced at the Waikato Dairy Industry Awards at Claudelands Event Centre last month. Aleisha is a 50/50 herd-owning share milker on the Dibble Family’s Tauhei Farms Ltd 86ha Te Aroha farm, milking 245 cows. She won $15,828 in prizes, as well as the Honda Farm Safety, Health and Biosecurity Award, Meridian Environmental Sustainability Award, Ravensdown Sustainable Pasture Award and ANZ Business Performance Award.
She was runner-up in the same category last year and believes working on her business was a key benefit of the awards programme.
‘‘As well as learning more and improving my business, I enjoyed meeting the other entrants and regional teams. It was great to have the recognition of hard work.’’
The 33-year-old was born and raised on a dairy farm in Patetonga and says farming is in her DNA.
Aleisha holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Science with First Class Honours from Lincoln University and a New Zealand Diploma in Agri-business. The former DairyNZ Consulting Officer and PrimaryITO tutor says her favourite part of farming is the cows.
‘‘I absolutely love the cows,’’ she says. ‘‘I’ve always wanted to be a farmer and give future children the rural upbringing that I had. I really enjoy working with the animals, in particular growing exceptional young stock, and having happy, healthy cows that have low SCC and high in-calf and production results.’’
She identifies a traditionally stressful time on-farm as her favourite – calving.
‘‘It’s also important for me to continually develop, so I have been doing a lot of training which helps improve the business and keeps you motivated.’’
Aleisha is proud she is a sharemilker in her own right, with an 82% six-week in-calf rate and 52,000 SCC. Together with her partner James, she is about to realise a life goal and purchase a dairy farm.
‘‘James and I have both worked really hard in our own businesses to get to where we are today,’’ Aleisha explains. ‘‘We are going into business together in June to purchase our own dairy property which has been a goal for both of us for a long time.’’
‘‘Anyone who knows either of us will know that there will be lots of vigorous debate on farm – particularly about what colour cow we are going to milk!’’
The second-time entrant would like to improve the rural-urban divide to ensure that others – both nationally and internationally - can see the great work farmers are doing.
‘‘I’d like to help attract more people to the industry who can see the benefits of running their own businesses and provide more support for those people as they progress up the ladder, so they stay dairying.
‘‘There are some headwinds and challenges but as an industry we need to work together to all pull in the same direction.’’
Aleisha believes the strengths of her business lie in the proven on-farm performance regarding cows and pastures.
‘‘I have a genuine passion for all things farming, particularly pasture management which allows us to get good performance at a lower cost than others.
‘‘Excellent cost control in the business as well as personally has allowed me to make strong profits year-on-year and build equity.’’
Future farming goals for Aleisha include the dairy farm purchase in June.
‘‘James and I would like to grow that dairy farm to a decent size where it can support a staff member, run a profitable business, and grow our family.’’
The other winners were Dairy Manager of the Year Sam Dodd, 26, who milks 800 cows on Belinda Wilson’s 252ha Te Awamutu farm, and Dairy
Trainee of the Year Natasha Price, who is a farm assistant/2IC for Paul and Kate Manion on their 280-cow, 108ha property at Kiwitahi, Morrinsville.