Dairy Exporter April 2021

Page 58

CENTRAL PLATEAU | DAIRY TRAINEE OF THE YEAR

Runner-up in the Dairy Trainee competition was Tata Jed Te Aho, who is second in charge (2IC) on Wairarapa Moana Incorporation’s 355ha, 1050-cow farm in Mangakino. Third place went to 25-year-old Herd Manager Shivpreet Arora who also works for Wairarapa Moana Incorporation in Mangakino.

Central Plateau Dairy Trainee of the Year winner Tayla Flight loves getting out into the field.

Taking flight on a dairy career WORDS BY: JACKIE HARRIGAN

T

ayla Flight got into dairy farming as a career when she was filling in the university holidays with a relief milking job. “At first the money was really appealing, but then I realised how the harder you work the faster you can progress through the industry.”

Now the winner of the 2021 Central Plateau Dairy Trainee of the Year, Tayla is planning her future in the sector, including a move to a 450-cow manager’s position next season which will become a contract milking role the following year, if all goes to plan. After that she and her partner plan to work together to set themselves up to take on a 600-cow sharemilking job “and then

work really hard to get together the money to buy into a farm of our own.” Tayla is farm manager for Jared Seymour, milking 220 cows on his Atiamuri farm. “I’ve always wanted a job where I’m happy. I love animals and get to hang out with 220 cows and my dog every single day. If they’re happy, I’m happy,” says Tayla. Born in Kuratau, on Lake Taupo, and schooled as a boarder at Whanganui Girls College, she embarked on study to become a vet but decided against continuing. “I excelled academically at school and was always expected to go to university. I didn’t always know I wanted to be a dairy farmer, but I love that you are rewarded depending on how hard you work and you can progress at the pace you’re willing or feel comfortable to,” she says. “You don’t have to study for years to prove yourself. You prove yourself when the cows come into the shed happy and healthy and milk is going into the vat.”

INSPIRED BY WOMEN LEADERS

The amount of women taking leading roles in the dairy industry makes Tayla feel excited about the future of the New Zealand dairy industry. She cites Fonterra

HOMEOPATHIC PRODUCTS TO SUPPORT UDDER HEALTH AT DRY OFF HOMEOPATHIC FARM SERVICES

e info@farmservices.nz 58

p 07 858 4233

w farmservices.nz Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021


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Articles inside

Getting the genetics right

2min
page 137

From dryoff to payoff

2min
page 136

Connecting farmers with the right staff

2min
page 135

Why should you hire a farm adviser?

5min
pages 132-133

Full stream ahead for Farmers’ Forum

2min
page 129

Beefing up the dairy calf crop at Kintore Farm

8min
pages 122-124

Vets Voice: Prevent toxic nitrate shock

4min
page 126

Cows stand their ground in pugging study

4min
pages 130-131

Beef and dairy need to collaborate

2min
page 125

EVOLVE at SIDE conference, Ashburton

5min
pages 127-128

CO Diary: Wintering practices improve

7min
pages 119-121

Share farmer: Ann & Scott Henderson

9min
pages 116-118

Trainee: Sophie White

2min
page 113

Trainee: Mattes Groenendijk

3min
page 103

Trainee: Sam Smithers

3min
page 93

Share farmer: John Wyatt

9min
pages 88-92

Dairy manager: Diego Raul Gomez Salinas

5min
pages 86-87

Trainee: Sydney Porter

3min
page 85

Dairy manager: Leon McDonald

5min
pages 78-79

Share farmer: Manoj Kumar & Sumit Kamboj

9min
pages 80-84

Share farmer: Sam Howard

9min
pages 72-75

Trainee: Josh Wilkinson

3min
page 67

Trainee: Tayla Flight

3min
pages 58-59

Dairy manager: Mark Rivers

6min
pages 60-61

Dairy manager: Christopher Gerard Vila

6min
pages 42-43

Dairy manager: Hayden Goodall

6min
pages 48-51

Trainee: Dayna Rowe

3min
page 47

Share farmer: Reuben and Deb Connolly

9min
pages 44-46

Share farmer: Rachael Foy

8min
pages 38-40

Trainee: Ruth Connolly

3min
page 41

Dairy manager: Stephanie Walker

5min
pages 36-37

Using KiwiSaver to buy a house isn’t an option for farm workers

13min
pages 14-19

Trainee: Emma Udell

3min
page 35

Market View: Dairy commodity prices soared in March

5min
pages 22-25

Trainee: Bella Wati

3min
page 26

Global Dairy: 3-breed crossbred cattle are improving US herds

3min
pages 20-21

Niall McKenzie boxes on with some inspiration from Rocky

3min
page 13

Anne-Marie Wells champions onfarm discussion groups

2min
page 12

Carla Staples airs her concerns about freshwater legislation

3min
page 11
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