Awards celebrate cream of dairy farming talent

CHRIS HILLOCK

Last season’s Taranaki dairy awards winners (from left): Dairy trainee Karl Dean, 20, sharemilkers Paul, 29, and Lorette Davidson, 27, farm managers Fiona Hogan, 29, and Aaron Riddick, 31, with their dog Gazz (aka Chops, 13 months). Peering from the rear is Mr Riddick’s cow No 127.

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The 2010 Taranaki Dairy Industry Awards will be launched in Albert and Mary Dettling's new rotary shed at Midhirst next Thursday.

The awards conveners (and last year's sharemilker winners) Lorette and Paul Davidson say the launch event is being held to enable potential entrants to learn more about the awards, the entry process, meet people and to have some fun.

Last year's Taranaki sharemilker runner-up Shaun Baxter says the launch day is "a great place to meet people and get an idea as to what the competition is all about".

Entries for the awards - which will also find the top farm manager dairy trainee - opened on November 1 and will close on December 24.

Equity farm managers are now eligible to enter the sharemilker competition, so long as they own more than 25 per cent and up to 50 per cent of the business they are employed in.

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

There were 32 entries for the 2009 awards.

The Taranaki event begins at 10.30am at the Dettling York Rd farm, Fonterra No 40986.

Events to follow: January 20, entrants and sponsors' night, Stratford; February 26, regional awards dinner, Stratford; March 19, sharemilker field day; March 26, farm manager field day.

- © Fairfax NZ News