One last word …

As we head towards the end of the season, it is all go on farms with lots happening.

The harvesting is done and all stored away, safe and ready to be fed when growth stalls during the colder months. Many farmers have put plans in place or are well into drying off their herds, sending stock to run-offs or graziers over winter, and sharemilkers are well into preparations to move onto new farms.

And even with the season winding down for the majority of farmers, there is still lots to be done – a farmer’s work is never done. But on the other hand, autumn calving farmers are in the thick of it and gearing up to keep the white gold flowing through the winter.

The period before the start of the new season is a great time to look at maintaining or fixing fences, cleaning the sheds, calf pens and feeders ready for the new season’s arrivals. Check and maintain machines, replenish stocks and order ahead if you can. It is also the time to ensure the calving kit is ready to go so when the time comes, it is available to grab and go.

I know of several farmers who cook up a storm during this time and fill the freezer with delicious and nutritious meals that will keep them going on those days when they are too busy to cook. Cakes, biscuits, soups, casseroles and even full roast meals seem to be popular choices.

It is good to see the GDT finally rise slightly after several consecutive drops. Let’s hope it continues north.

It is also good to see that farmer confidence is slightly up according to Rabobank’s first quarterly Rural Confidence Survey of the year. After dropping to an historic low in late 2022, New Zealand farmer sentiment has now crept to -58%, from -71% previously. Again, hopefully this continues northwards.

May is awards season for our hardworking farmers. This month we see the best of the best honoured at the national finals of the 2023 Dairy Industry Awards.

The finalists will have had their final round of judging. No doubt the nerves, anticipation and excitement are building up.

They will be competing for the honour of winning either the New Zealand Share Farmer of the Year, New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year or the New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year title.

The winners will be announced at a black-tie dinner at Cordis Hotel in Auckland on Saturday May 13. It is the biggest night on the dairy calendar, so hope to see you there.

Finalists for the Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year Award, and the Dairy Women’s Network Regional Leader, have also been named. The recipients will be announced at a gala dinner in Invercargill on May 3.

Good luck to all of you, and to all you hard-working farmers, take a break and put your feet up, you deserve it for a job well done.

Thanks again to Alesha Jane of Maolla Farms in Taranaki for these photos. With a view like this from her office, why would she want to work anywhere else?

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