Sam Dodd was one of the major winners in the Waikato Dairy Industry awards last week.
2023 Waikato winners L-R Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year Natasha Price, Waikato Share Farmer of the Year Aleisha Broomfield, Waikato Dairy Manager of the Year Sam Dodd
The farm manager for Belinda Wilson on her 252ha Te Awamutu farm milks 800 cows.
He was named Dairy Manager of the Year 2023, won four merit awards – and picked up $10,025 in prizes.
Leamington’s Chloe Mackle was named runner up in the share farmer category – won by Aleisha Broomfield, based in Te Aroha.
Natasha Price, based in Morrinsville, won the 2023 Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year award.
Before entering the dairy industry six seasons ago, Dodd was studying to be a paramedic. He made the switch to dairy farming and enjoys working outside with animals and the responsibility that comes with that.
“You can see progress and see how your decision-making benefits the business,” he said.
The 26-year-old believes one of the most exciting things about the future of dairy farming is the number of people changing careers to begin dairy farming. “They bring new skills and perspectives.”
Challenges have included droughts and floods – and Dodd says he is grateful to work for a supportive family who have allowed him to have the growth and opportunities to be where he is today, and he also cites them as a strength of the business.
Chloe Mackle was the 2016 Southland/Otago Dairy Trainee of the Year and runner-up in the 2018 Southland/Otago Dairy Manager of the Year category. She won $8,428 in prizes and one merit award.
Mackle is contract milking 215 cows on Neil and Sonnie Kirk’s 69ha Leamington property.
The friendships she formed as a dairy trainee during the national study week are still strong and she credits the awards programme for bringing these people into her life.
Sam Dodd
The 30-year-old is excited about the future of dairy farming in New Zealand
“The primary industries are an exciting place to be. We are resilient, flexible and adaptable. I think there is plenty of opportunity going forward to keep being good stewards of land, breeding efficient cows and working with great people.”
The runner-up in the dairy trainee category was Lauren Randall who won $1950 in prizes and one merit award.
Randall is farm assistant for the 2021 Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award winners Pete Morgan and Ann Bouma on their 230ha, 605-cow Te Awamutu property.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts Event Management and worked in the events industry for eight years.
“I had never been near a cow until I met my partner in 2018. To spend time together I would go out on farm on the weekends and help with whatever she was doing.”
Third place in the Dairy Trainee category went to 19-year-old herd manager Kirwyn Ellis, who won $1250 in prizes. He works for Hamish and Sheree Germann on a 135ha, 460-cow Te Awamutu farm.
The major winners will be at the Waikato Dairy Industry Awards winners field day on March 24 at 241 Mikkelsen Road Te Aroha.
