Swapping fake tan for milking cows
A Waikato woman who swapped make-up and fake tans for milking cows and animal care, wants to see more young Kiwis give dairy farming a go.
More than 1000 dairy jobs were listed by Fonterra’s Farm Source website while a survey of Federated Farmers members generated 1150 responses and about half said they were shortstaffed.
Those already working on the land, like Tyla Ireland, 22, were in a commanding position as employers competed to retain experienced staff, offering higher wages and better working conditions.
Ireland finished school and pursued a career as a qualified beauty therapist but soon discovered there were few opportunities for graduates.
She fell back on her experience of growing up on dairy farms with her family and found a short-term calf rearing job. She was then offered a fulltime dairy farm job in spring, 2019.
‘‘When I was at school my friends and I just loved make-up. We loved getting fake tans, getting your nails done, your hair done and going out.
‘‘Now, I still get my nails done from time-to-time but my hands are usually covered in cow s... so you can see my world has changed.’’
Ireland is now the herd manager on a 500-cow dairy farm near O¯ torohanga after working on a few other properties over the past couple of years.
She won Dairy’s NZ’s Good Boss competition in 2020, which asked staff to write a summary describing the ideal boss.
‘‘An awesome boss is someone who is a good communicator, someone who is enthusiastic about the job.
‘‘They are honest, provide good feedback that you can learn from. They have a vision of what is expected and how to make the farm a happier workplace.’’
Thanks to support from her current employer, Ireland is studying Primary ITO courses in dairy farming as part of her training.
She is also involved in NZ Young Farmers where she has seen an increase in the number of young people moving into dairy jobs.
‘‘Dairy farming has its challenges. You have to give up at least one weekend now and again and there are early morning starts which might not appeal to young people.
‘‘But it can also offer a lot in terms of career development and opportunities.’’
Federated Farmers employment spokesperson Chris Lewis also had some advice for young people entering the dairy industry.
‘‘Look for an employer who is going to take some time to teach you, rather than someone who is going to pay you heaps.
‘‘The first few years are about learning, having someone to mentor you, to help you through ITO training and a bit of pastoral care.’’
Lewis, who farms near Cambridge, said farm owners had to work harder to retain staff.
‘‘Review your rosters, the hours, what you are paying them, their housing conditions. That is a better option to retain staff compared to having a vacancy for six months.
‘‘If you have to go to market, it’s going to be pretty tough.’’