Featherston couple top dairy awards
FEATHERSTON couple Matt and Tracey Honeysett have won the 2015 Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa sharemilker/ equity farmers of the year, landing $11,200 in prizes.
The couple were the major winners at this week’s Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa dairy industry awards held in Masterton.
The other big winners were Rowan McGilvary, the region’s 2015 farm manager of the year, and Grace Stephenson, the dairy trainee of the year.
‘‘Our future farming goal is to run a sustainable system taking into consideration the environment, human resources and producing efficient product,’’ the Honeysetts said.
The couple, aged 33 and 34, are equity farm managers for Pahautea Ltd Partnership, milking 1200 cows at Kahutara, near Featherston.
It was Matt Honeysett’s second success in the region’s awards programme, after winning the 2009 Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa farm manager of the year title.
The Honeysetts, who have been working in the dairy industry for 10 years, aim to own a 400 to 500-cow dairy farm or to increase their level of equity in a large-scale farm or multiple farms.
‘‘We’ve got an excellent group of equity partners that are driven, motivated and astute business people. They provide support and advice as we continue to grow ourselves and the business.’’
Dannevirke
equity
sharemilkers Mark and Jaime Arnold placed second in the region’s sharemilker/equity farmer of the year contest, winning $6150 in prizes. Glen and Trish Rankin, who are 22 per cent sharemilkers at Tutira, were third for the second year running, collecting $3800 in prizes.
The 2015 Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa farm manager of the year, Rowan McGilvary, is a professional farm manager.
The 56-year-old has been farming for 32 years and, after sharemilking and leasing farms, he now aims to manage or be operations manager of large-scale dairy farms.
McGilvary is the farm manager for Kaiwaiwai Dairies at Featherston, milking 900 cows. He says he has great farm owners and staff. ‘‘The farm owners are very knowledgeable, progressive and supportive while the staff are all hard working, loyal, reliable and happy.’’