Dairy Exporter August 2020

Page 80

Proactive leadership proves a winner Respect for staff and livestock and proactive leadership are at the heart of Andre Meier’s management style, which are winning formulas not only on-farm, but also at a national industry level too. By Elaine Fisher.

Andre Meier, the 2020 New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year, with partner Natalie Cameron, plan to progress to sharemilking and invest in a farm by 2028.

T

he Bay of Plenty farmer, who is the 2020 New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year, stood out amongst a strong group of finalists as “a proactive manager and leader who constantly seeks opportunities to grow and learn and help others to do the same,” says Dairy Manager Head Judge Mark Shadwick from DairyNZ. When it comes to the dairy herd, Andre says respect is vital for both animal and human welfare. “Settled, happy cows are easier to handle and there’s much less risk of injury to staff. I won’t tolerate staff yelling at cows or

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using anything other than leaning on them to move them in the shed. I don’t care how loud the radio is, as the cows don’t seem to mind, but shouting does upset them.” Andre uses the same calm, considerate approach to working with staff who he encourages to pursue training and their own pathways through the industry. The success of that approach is evident in the loyalty of his herd manager Lindsay Williams who has been with Andre for six years. Lindsay has moved with Andre to a new farm this season and has progressively increased his own industry qualifications and won merits in Dairy Industry

Awards. The plan now is for him to take on increased management roles. Both he and Andre are encouraging new trainee Sam Clark to enter next year’s Dairy Industry Awards. “Sam has just left school, and had only a little experience in farming,” says Andre. “He is keen and a hard worker, with definite personal goals within the industry so I was happy to give him an opportunity, as people did for me in the past.” Andre, who with partner Natalie Cameron, moved to the role of contract milkers on Natalie’s family’s farm at Otumarakau in June,

Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | August 2020


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Articles inside

Environment and animal welfare spur system change

2min
page 87

Maize silage, the ideal spring supplement

3min
page 89

Select Hereford bulls on merit

1min
page 88

The secret of MUNBV

2min
page 86

The lowdown on good silage

5min
pages 84-85

National dairy trainee winner ‘loves science

7min
pages 82-83

Proactive leadership proves a winner

5min
pages 80-81

Bone injuries: Broken shoulders in heifers

3min
pages 73-74

DairyNZ: Take care using antibiotics for clinical mastitis

2min
page 75

Mycoplasma bovis: Biosecurity a priority to combat disease

3min
pages 78-79

Milk replacers: To curd or not to curd?

6min
page 77

Great soil and water management wins awards

8min
pages 70-72

Doing what’s right’ for whole farm wins awards

13min
pages 62-66

CO Diary: GoDairy - Helping Kiwis get into dairying

3min
pages 45-46

Co-operative vs corporate governance

3min
pages 60-61

Diversity makes for better decisions

3min
page 59

Good governance structure benefits farm business

8min
pages 47-49

Spreading experience

7min
pages 57-58

Learning to govern effectively

1min
pages 50-51

Cashing-in on the culls

6min
pages 42-44

Shining through the drought

9min
pages 39-41

Covid-19 brought a range of challenges for Bridie Virbickas

3min
pages 14-15

Zanda Award: Winning Coaster champions staff training

10min
pages 36-38

Redesigning workplaces to make them attractive to new workers

2min
page 35

Using a Kanban workplace management system to run a Canterbury farm

10min
pages 28-34

Global Dairy – Brazil: Dairy farming in a land of contrasts

3min
page 21

Chloe Davidson shares the joys and challenges of relocating business and family

3min
page 12

High standards in a sensitive environment

9min
pages 24-27

Shiralee Seerden welcomes the extra business of a contract milking position

3min
page 13
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