The cream of the crop
Hard work has paid off for Putaruru’s Rosie Simmonds who took two titles in this year’s Waikato Dairy Industry Awards.
Simmonds was named runner-up in the Waikato Dairy Trainee of the year and the Dairy Exporter Leadership award.
The Putaruru 2IC farm-girl was pleased with the win and hopes it will help her move forward in the dairy farming industry by showing everyone what she can achieve.
‘‘It’s something to put on my CV, it shows how motivated I am,’’ she said.
Simmonds and her partner have plans to sharemilk after the current season.
It has taken them two years to accrue 138 head of stock and their goal is to be 50-50 sharemilking with a herd of 300 cows by 2015-16.
Simmonds won $3700 worth of prizes from the awards.
Leading up to the finals, Simmonds said it is not always easy being a female farmer.
But it seems as if her skills speak for themselves.
In his third season of dairy farming, Nathan Hubbard took away the title for Waikato dairy trainee of the year and is now driven for further success.
Third place went to third went to Te Rauamoa 2IC Benji Gillespie.
Twenty five-year-old Morrinsville farm manager Liam Zander took Waikato Farm Manager of the year.
The young farmer hopes to own a farm with his wife Louise one day.
‘‘We are both passionate, driven people who love animals and being involved in such an ever-changing industry. We are both proud Waikato dairy farmers,’’ he said.
Winners of the Waikato Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year were James and Melissa Barbour.
The Barbour couple will host a field day on April 10 and Zander will host his field day on April 3 on the Morrinsville farm.