12 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Carse-O-Fern Holsteins Recognised for pasture & dairy management Annie has a real passion for genetics and breeding cows. Randall Johnston Otorohanga-based Annie Gill has won the Dairy Manager of the Year Runner Up Award for the Waikato Region at the 2024 NZ Dairy Industry Awards - a huge achievement in a large pool of talented competitors. She also won the Pasture Management Merit Award, the judges noting her skill, understanding and depth of knowledge in that area. This latest win adds to her title of Runner Up Dairy Trainee of the Year in 2021 and 2022. Annie’s dad was a pedigree Holstein breeder, as are Fonterra-suppliers Doug and Lorraine Courtman, who she currently works for. Annie has a real passion for genetics and breeding cows. Many years ago, Annie purchased a heifer from local farmer Doug, who also allowed her to keep it on his farm. As Annie acquired more animals, Doug kept accommodating them on his farm and Annie also started showing some of Doug’s animals at various events. “I was working as herd manager for Dan Brice (herd of 800), when Doug had a health scare and he was considering what to do next and how he was going to maintain the farm and that’s when we came up with this arrangement I started working for Doug,” Annie explains. “I now get to milk my own animals, which is lovely and it allows Doug to have more time away from the farm. The calves that we’ve shown through the year stay home, so we show them as in-calf heifers as well. Because we are a pedigree farm, also rely on stock sales to a degree.” “We breed mostly overseas Holstein cows - mainly North American genetics, however we do also use one or two New Zealand Holsteins Genetics Leaders bulls every year - to support the breed and other breeders.” 83 Kio Kio Station Rd, RD4, Otorohanga Ph: 07 873 1800 Mob: 029 833 0011 Email: johnclarkcontracting@xtra.co.nz 67 High Street, PO Box 141 Hawera 4640 Phone 06 278 5058 Proudly Supporting Carse-O-Fern Holsteins
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=