48 | nzdairy “I came back to my family and thought great I don’t have a job and I have no career thanks to covid. I grew up on a dairy farm in Canterbury and my family said why don’t you just go and milk cows until Covid passes.” DAIRY PEOPLE » Theland Purata Already looking at becoming a contract milker Emma Bailey Lauren McConnachie was set to spend a summer in Norway as a sea kayak guide when covid hit which saw her make a dramatic u-turn and end up in the dairy industry. Her decision has paid off as she was awarded Runner Up in the Dairy Manager of the Year category at the 2025 New Zealand Dairy Awards for Canterbury/North Otago, and placed third in the same category in 2024. This year she is looking at entering again and having a tilt at the top spot. “I was a sea kayak guide and then I did a stint in Melbourne as a travel agent. In 2020 I was just about to head off to Norway to do summer guiding up there when covid hit. “I came back to my family and thought great I don’t have a job and I have no career thanks to covid. I grew up on a dairy farm in Canterbury and my family said why don’t you just go and milk cows until covid passes.” So she did and to her surprise loved it. Just five years in she’s already looking at becoming a contract milker. “There is a lot of progression in the industry. My partner and I are hoping to go contract milking this year in Hinds, so will see how that goes; I may be too busy to enter the dairy awards but I always value what I learn through the process.” She worked a couple of seasons before moving to Robindale Dairies, a 563-hectare effective dairy operation owned by Theland Farm Group. Robindale is run by contract milkers Rob and Jenine Screen and is located just 10 minutes from Hororata inland from Rakaia. At its peak the operation milks 2,200 cows, making it the largest milk supplier to Synlait. After managing one shed with 840 cows, the 35-year-old stepped up last year to oversee both sheds and the full herd. “I couldn’t have done it without Rob and Jenine, their support has been amazing. I’m really grateful for the opportunities they have given to me. As farm manager her day starts at 4.30. “If we have a good run we are finishing about 9am in the bigger shed which is an 80 bale rotary shed and milks around 1300 cows. In the smaller shed, which has 60 bales and milks 850 cows, we Lauren McConnachie was awarded Runner Up in the Dairy Manager of the Year category at the 2025 New Zealand Dairy Awards for Canterbury/North Otago. are done by around 8.30am.” They milk twice a day for the bulk of the season, then during the summer it will be twice a day every second day. “This is to give the staff a few lie-ins and also for the cows during the heat.” She oversees two herd managers, who she is in daily contact with. “I always do the morning milking and then in the afternoon go around the assessing the cows and checking into see if there are any problems.” Managing up to 11 staff has been the biggest adjustment in her new role with staff from all corners of the world. “It’s just about keeping everyone happy and motivated and understanding the different cultures.” FERTILISER SPREADING | FARM MAPPING GPS TRACKING | VARIABLE RATE SPREADING LIVESTOCK CARTAGE | DAILY FREIGHT CONCRETE SUPPLIES | GRAIN CARTAGE SHINGLE SUPPLIES | FERTILISER SUPPLIES Leeston: 03 3248 070 | Dunsandel: 03 3254 039 reception@ellesmere.co.nz Experienced Dairy Vets Focused on whole farm performance Rakaia and Ashburton o ces Dedicated to dairying - we provide a dairy only veterinary service Excellent personalised service tailored to your farm system Competitively priced products and services O ce: Ashburton (03) 308 0493 Rakaia (03) 302 7818 418West Street, Ashburton 7700 9 Railway Terrace East, Rakaia 7710 Email: info@dairyvets.co.nz Web: www.dairyvets.co.nz Website: www.robsonenvironmental.co.nz
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