Farming fits all of Ruth’s criteria
Challenging herself was one of the main reasons 2021 Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year Ruth Connolly entered the awards.
‘‘I try to take every opportunity to grow and saw the awards programme as an excellent way to not only improve my farming skills and knowledge but to build myself up personally as well.’’
The fourth-generation dairy farmer says the industry is ingrained in her heart.
‘‘Farming fits all my criteria. Mathematical and scientific aspects, being outside, working with animals,’’ she says.
‘‘Farming is a job that teaches you many personal attributes – hard work, dedication, respect for others and the environment, empathy, selflessness, patience and gratefulness.’’
Three years out of Otorohanga College, 20-year-old Ruth is a farm assistant at a 260ha property milking 800 cows at Ohaupo. It is owned by the Glenn family, but she works for Rukuhia Holdings Ltd under contract milkers Mark Nesbit and Annenrek Absalom.
‘‘My employers are best mentors ever; they’re the whole reason I’ve won. I owe them a lot,’’ she says.
‘‘I’ve also been lucky enough to associate with heaps of industry experts; they’ve taught me so much. Primary ITO has a mentorship programme; I’d like one day to become one of their mentors.’’
Currently studying Primary ITO Level 4, Connolly sees herself as an advocate for regenerative farming as well as positive dairy farming.
One of her biggest successes to date is a 59 per cent conception rate in the bulling cows she picked for AI.
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She wants to be a herdowning sharemilker within three years, along with having her herd’s breeding worth in the top 10 percent - and a daughterproven bull in the LIC team.
‘‘Ultimately, I will one day own a farm too.’’
Ruth has an insatiable thrust for knowledge and a genuine passion for the dairy industry. ‘‘I truly love milking cows.’’ At the awards, Ruth also won the FarmRight Farming Knowledge Award, Bluegrass Contracting Communication and Engagement Award, and the DairyNZ Practical Skills Award.
Otorohanga farm assistant Annie Gill was runner-up and Lichfield 2IC Sean Hayes was third.
The Trinity Lands Ltd Most Promising Entrant Award went to Adrian Beattie and Erica Gash won the Waikato Farmers Trust Community and Industry Involvement Award.
Ruth’s twin sister, Leah, is also dairy farming and was runner-up in last year’s regional dairy trainee competition.
‘‘We both had a talk before she entered last year; she didn’t want to compete against me, so I waited until this year to enter. I will definitely enter the Manager of the Year when I get to that point.’’
Leah is working for their cousin Reuben Connolly and his wife Deb, who sharemilk and are 20 per cent equity partners, and won this year’s Waikato Share Farmers of the Year title. The Connolly’s hosted a field day on April 19, where there were also presentations from Ruth and the Dairy Manager of the Year, former Filippino vet Christopher Gerard Vila, who is managing a 104ha farm milking 341 cows at Ohaupo.