| 5 RURAL PEOPLE » Gavin and Karyn Humphrey A passion for livestock and the land Mangakino farm manager Gavin Humphrey says the farming lifestyle had lured him back to the land and a passion for stock had kept him there. It’s a passion shared by daughter Grace, who has had fantastic results with calf rearing for the last two years and is a part of the relief staff. Rosa Watson For the Humphrey family of Mangakino, farming isn’t just a job but a way of life. Gavin and Karyn Humphrey milk 1100 cows on a 330-hectare property that makes up part of the Wairarapa Moana Incorpartion group. He has six full time staff on the team plus relief milkers. The family have been with Wairarapa Moana for four years and this is their fifth season. This year they took out runner up dairy manager of the year at the Central Plateau Dairy Industry Awards. Gavin said he had entered the awards with his wife’s encouragement. “We’ve been doing it for a while and that was just a way to benchmark against the industry.” They reached second place last year and were third the year previous and are hopeful to do even better next time. The farming operation is a real family affair with Karyn, assisting with admin and managing the calf rearing on farm. Their son Jack (20) is a herd manger within the team, and has also achieved success at the Awards, named as a finalist for Dairy Trainee two years in a row. And daughter Grace (16) has had fantastic results with calf rearing for the last two years and is a part of the relief staff. Gavin had been managing dairy farms for 11 years before taking on the managing role at Wairarapa Moana. “Now I’m looking for the next step, which is either multi-farm management or operations manager. I don’t want to put future growth on hold, I want to continue moving forward.” Wairarapa Moana is a large multi-farming outfit that owns 12 dairy farms and three dry stock units all in the Mangakino area. Before forging a career in agriculture, Gavin had tried his hand in a number of fields. Out of school he worked in lighting and sound engineering. He also dabbled in aircraft construction in Palmerston North, building the aluminum components, and worked in scaffolding and engineering. His first farm job was at the age of 17 milking 2500 cows. “I think after the first two months I said I’m never going to milk a cow again, but 23 years later here I am.” He said the lifestyle of farming had drawn him in, and a passion for the stock and land had kept him there. “It’s not work if you get paid to do something you love.” And that passion looks to have passed down to the next generation with both children working in the industry and completing AgITO qualifications. • Pressure Pumps • Trenching • Pool Products • Water Filtration • Effluent Systems • Water Blasters • Bore Lifts 07 886 0271 15 Campbell St, Tokoroa 3420 www.swws.co.nz DESIGN • SUPPLY • INSTALL Our Business is Pumping SouthWaikato Water Solutions Ltd
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