HAWKE’S BAY/WAIRARAPA | DAIRY MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Left: Chicory has been a great summer crop for Leon McDonald’s cows.
RUNNER UP in the Dairy Manager category was Claire Douglas from Patoka and third was René ten Bolscher from Carterton.
However, in five years time they will look for different jobs in the area, and hope to be able to buy some land and rear calves for themselves in the meantime.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
Push it to the limit WORDS BY JACKIE HARRIGAN PHOTOS BY: BRAD HANSON
M
aintaining a low somatic cell count in the top 5% of the country for Fonterra helped win Leon McDonald the Fonterra Dairy Management merit award and take out the 2021 Hawkes Bay/ Wairarapa Dairy Manager of the Year award. Leon has entered the Awards three times previously, was runner-up in the 2020 Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Manager category and says the process gave him the chance to meet people in the industry outside of his usual circle. “The most important benefit I have received is the boost to my confidence in not just my farming knowledge but also my ability to speak publicly.” Leon is Assistant Manager/2IC on Barry and Carol McNeil’s 150ha, 450-cow Papatawa property north of Woodville. “I love what I do. I love the animals, getting out on the farm and being surrounded by nature.” “You can’t beat getting the cows in on a morning where the sun is rising behind the 78
hill and the light is reflecting off the grass covered in dew.” Leon and his wife Haylee have been working and living on the same Woodville property for the past three years and value the stability it brings for their two sons, Jackson, 5 and Brody, 3 who is autistic. “We are keen to stay here as we are settled and we have good work conditions and great family support.” (Haylee’s parents live handy to Jackson’s school in Ashhurst.)
Leon also won the employee engagement award, for his work with farm assistant Peter Skinner who is an apprentice under the Federated Farmers apprenticeship scheme. Leon says it’s important to take time to talk Peter through the jobs and why they are doing them and to keep him up with what is going on on the farm. “I think it’s good to take time to teach him rather than taking over his job if he does something wrong - it’s important to take time so he knows how to do it properly - 100% it would probably be faster to do it myself - but then how would he learn?” “I also like to chat to him about what is going on in his life - to make sure he is eating properly and drinking lots of water in the busy calving period.” He is also really proud of the dairy
DAIRY MANAGER
MERIT AWARDS: Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa DIA Most Promising Entrant Award – Claire Douglas AMR Group Ltd Employee Engagement Award – Leon McDonald ADM.NZ Leadership Award – Damon Ashworth Vet Services Feed Management Award – Claire Douglas DeLaval Livestock Management Award – Claire Douglas Fonterra Dairy Management Award – Leon McDonald NZDIA Power Play Award – René ten Bolscher Westpac Financial Management & Planning Award – René ten Bolscher
Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | April 2021
