Whangarei brothers Ian and Tim Douglas have won the premier award at the 2013 Northland Dairy Industry Awards, announced in Waitangi last night.
The pair equity manage a 300ha family farm they are shareholders in, along with their parents, Murray and Marcelle Douglas.
It is the first time a pair of brothers has won the award, and they collected cash and prizes worth $26,100, and the opportunity to compete for further honours in the national finals.
The night’s other big winners are Niall and Delwyn McKenzie, the 2013 Northland Farm Managers of the Year, and Jake Thomson, winner of the 2013 Northland Dairy Trainee of the Year title.
The Douglas brothers have been involved in the farm’s management for as long as they have understood farming, but have only been in the partnership for the past three years after returning to the farm following work in other sectors.
“We are stronger together than we would be apart, and as the root of success in any business is the people we have a real emphasis to grow people within our business.”
The pair says they have a solid business plan with good systems and financial monitoring. “This gives a consistent return for all stakeholders and allows for growth.”
It was the first time the brothers, aged 28 and 29, had entered the awards and, as well as the win, they won five merit awards. They plan to grow the business to 2500 cows (currently 950) and to also expand a farming business they have in Brazil.
Wellsford 50% sharemilkers Johann and Jemal Guitry placed second in the Sharemilker/Equity Farmer contest, winning $6500 in cash and prizes.
The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda Motorcycles NZ, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown and RD1, along with industry partner AgITO.
The 2013 Northland Farm Managers of the Year, Niall and Delwyn McKenzie, love what they do and want to continue to develop their farm skills and business.
The McKenzies, who won $12,400 in cash and prizes, are managing a 320-cow farm near Wellsford owned by Andrew and Angelea Fleming.
They entered the awards for a third time as they welcome the opportunity for internal evaluation of their farm management and business. “We also enjoy the comradeship it brings meeting like-minded people, along with the competitiveness of the contest.
“One of our strengths is our low environmental impact by having sustainable systems. We also enjoy farming in a partnership of farming profitably and loving what we do.”
The couple says their goal is to grow within the business and to purchase a small coastal winter milk farm.
Poroti contract milkers Mike and Donna Carroll placed second in the Northland farm manager contest winning $2500 in prizes, and Wellsford farm manager Steven Ketter was third, winning $1500 in prizes.
The 2013 Northland Dairy Trainee of the Year, Jake Thomson, says entering the awards has been an “awesome” way to gauge his career and personal development.
“I got feedback from entering last year and have been able to re-motivate myself to get ahead. I met awesome people and I enjoyed being around people who are passionate about dairy farming.”
Aged 24, Mr Thomson won $5200 in prizes and is currently on a 350-cow Maromaku farm owned by John and Jacqui Kehoe.
With wife Alana, he plans to move into a herd management position for the new season and progress towards lower-order sharemilking. “Our long term goal is to own our own herd and sharemilk on a profitable farm. We hope the NZ Dairy Awards will help us to keep moving onwards and upwards.”
Twenty-two-year-old Kokopu trainee, Luke Boylan, placed second in the trainee contest, winning $1500 in prizes, and Dargaville trainee, Julia Mathis, aged 20, was third winning $1000.
Northland Sharemilker/Equity Farmers of the Year, Ian and Tim Douglas, will host a field day on March 26, while Northland Farm Managers of the Year, Niall and Delwyn McKenzie, will host a field day on the Wellsford farm they manage on March 14. Further details on the winners and field days can be found on this website.
Sharemilker/Equity Farmer Merit Awards:
• Agriseeds Strategic Planning Award – Johann & Jemal Guitry
• NDS Fuels Innovation Award – Ian & Tim Douglas
• DairyNZ Human Resources Award – Ian & Tim Douglas
• Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award – Ian & Tim Douglas
• Federated Farmers of New Zealand Leadership Award – Cam Hansen & Amy Deal
• Honda Farm Safety and Health Award – Ian & Tim Douglas
• LIC Recording and Productivity Award – Johann & Jemal Guitry
• Meridian Energy Farm Environment Award – Andrew & Vicky Booth
• Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award – Ian & Tim Douglas
• Westpac Business Performance Award – Johann & Jemal Guitry
Farm Manager Merit Awards:
• Northland Regional Council Sustainable Land Management Award – Sam Hartles
• AgITO Human Resource Management Award – Niall & Delwyn McKenzie
• Fonterra Best Practice Award – Glenn Hobbs
• RD1 Farm Management Award – Niall & Delwyn McKenzie
• Westpac Financial Planning and Management Award – Niall & Delwyn McKenzie
Dairy Trainee Merit Awards:
• DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – Jamie Lang
• Cervus Equipment Farming Knowledge Award – Jake Thomson