2015 dairy awards entries open

Taking part in the Bay of Plenty Dairy Industry Awards is an enriching personal and professional experience according to past winners who will be quest speakers at the launch of the 2015 contest.

Anyone interested in taking part in the awards is invited the launch at Julian’s Berry Farm Whakatane, at 7pm on October 23, says Bay of Plenty awards convenor Nadine Meade.

Thomas Blackett and Stacey Lepper and their sons Jude (4), Willem (3) and Theo (1) have found diary farming offers the ideal blend of family life and career.

 “All our 2014 winners will talk about their experiences and offer some insights and advice. It is a great opportunity to meet other people that are similar minded, to network and to learn about the awards entry or judging process.”

Among the speakers will be Thomas Blackett and Stacey Lepper who won the 2014 Bay of Plenty Farm Manager of the Year title. The couple are recent converts to dairying. Thomas has an engineering degree and Stacey and Bachelor of Science in animal sciences but they have switched careers to dairy farming for the lifestyle and for their three boys aged five and under.

The region’s other 2014 winners will also speak at the launch. They are former school teachers Brett and Natasha Grindrod, who won the sharemilker/equity farmer title and former builder, Cameron Luxton, the trainee winner.

Nadine, who won the region’s 2013 Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year title with husband Russell, says the aim of the launch is to have some fun and to inform those that could be interested in entering the awards.

The region’s 2015 awards programme also includes the Bay of Plenty Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year competition as well as the farm manager and trainee contests and anyone interested in entering is welcome to attend.

The awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda Motorcycles NZ, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown, RD1 and Triplejump, along with industry partner Primary ITO.

 

 


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