| 23 Building a dairy career in South Otago Originally from North Yorkshire, Amy (second from left) grew up on a mixed livestock farm running 300 sheep and pigs. Anne Boswell 2026 Southland Dairy Trainee of the Year runner-up Amy Gouldthorpe is building her dairy farming career in South Otago after moving from England with no prior experience in the sector. Originally from North Yorkshire, Amy grew up on a mixed livestock farm running 300 sheep and pigs. She later studied agriculture at university before deciding to travel and gain experience across different farming systems. “I wanted to travel the world and get to know each aspect of the agricultural industry,” she says. “Dairy farming was something I didn’t have experience in.” Amy arrived in New Zealand in 2023 and began work on a 500-cow dairy farm in Tapanui, where she spent a season and a half learning the basics of milking and farm operations. After a six-month return to England, she came back to New Zealand in June 2025 and took up a role as a dairy trainee with Scott and Kate Burgess at Lynwood Dairies in South Otago in November 2025. Amy says the increase in scale and system complexity on the Burgess’ farm – milking 620 cows through a 60-bail rotary - has accelerated her learning. “It is a bigger farm and a different system,” she says. “They use Cow Manager on farm too, so that has been a big learning experience.” Amy entered the 2026 Southland Dairy Trainee of the Year competition to assess her progress and identify areas for improvement. “I entered to see where I stood against other trainees: where my skill level was and where I needed to improve,” she says. Despite identifying a few areas for further development, Amy placed runner up in the “I hope other employers look to see positive attributes beyond experience, and give other people like me a chance, too.” RURAL PEOPLE » Lynwood Dairies competition - an outcome she says exceeded her expectations. “I was happy just to get into the top six, but I was so proud to be runner up – especially against Kiwis who have been part of the dairy industry since they were children,” she says. Amy says the appeal of dairy farming lies in both the physical routine and the technical aspects of the industry. “I enjoy the long days,” she says. “I love getting up early, and I love the complexity behind dairy farming such as mating, genetics and animal health aspects. I love learning.” Amy plans to remain with the Burgess family for at least another season as a dairy trainee, with the goal of progressing into a second-in-charge (2IC) role the following year. “I’ve got more basic skills to learn over the next season, while building my confidence,” she says. Amy believes there are opportunities for more people to enter the dairy sector without prior experience - if employers are willing to invest in training. “I hope other employers look to see positive attributes beyond experience, and give other people like me a chance, too,” she says. Kate Burgess says developing staff is a priority within the business. “We want our people to be as good as they can be,” Kate says. “Amy is wonderful. We are very proud of her achievement; we love seeing our people thriving!” “You cannot beat NZ Wool it is naturally grown from grass” Main West Coast Road, Yaldhurst, RD 6, Christchurch 7676, New Zealand Phone: 027 432 4353 Email: ywlwool@nzwool.com Web: www.nzwool.com Contact us: 027 415 0718 | sdw.cam@gmail.com GROUNDWORK COVERED: Drainage, Excavation & Farm Maintenance Experts. We provide complete drainage & general excavation services along with specialised maintenance for dairy, sheep & beef farms. Get all your essential groundwork handled by one reliable team.
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