42 | nzdairy Share-milking pathway a huge advantage Surfcasting with brother Arthur and father Ben King on the Matata coast. (Below ) George King and the dairy cows on the farm in New Zealand. Hugh de Lacy He grew up in a dairy-farming family in Dorset, England, but the way his parents do it was modelled on the New Zealand pastoral system – even the cows were kiwi-cross - and now son George King has proven himself a master of the technique. George, 26, this year won the Bay of Plenty Farm Manager of the Year Award, as well as nationallevel Merit Awards for Livestock Management, and Personal Planning and Financial Management. It was the enthusiasm of his parents, Sarah and Ben King, for the New Zealand way of grass-based dairying that led George in 2019 to spend a year as second-in-charge milking a 1000-cow herd near Balclutha, Otago. “Having read and watched videos on large-scale grass-based systems I wanted to get over here and see it for myself,” George says. “My parents started their dairying journey leasing small farms from Dorset County Council, and worked their way up with me and my siblings, Alice and Arthur, helping where we could. “They got into farm ownership by converting a grazing block in Somerset to a dairy farm, where we milked 350 kiwi-cross cows.” The couple has since moved to Wiltshire and converted an arable farm to a 500-cow dairy unit with a 50-bale Waikato rotary. George went back to England for a time to support his now-fiance Hannah Lukins, who was completing her studies at the Royal Agricultural University on her way to becoming a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Under a reciprocal agreement between RICS and the NZ Institute of Valuers, Hannah is applying for New Zealand registration early next year, allowing her to work as a rural valuer. DAIRY PEOPLE » RLW Ltd George and Hannah, who had originally met in Dunedin, returned to New Zealand because “We saw the share-milking pathway as a huge advantage over the UK. “We wanted to farm amongst other passionate producers utilising grass to produce quality milk in a country where the climate and soils are well-suited to the system,” George says. The couple’s connections and a reference from a previous South Island employer led to George securing his current position as manager of a 500-cow herd of kiwi-crosses, milked in a 30-a- 027 312 5082 or 07 307 0704 11 Te Tahi St, Whakatane office@milkingandwater.co.nz “Proud to support RLW Ltd” FARM MACHINERY AND ENGINEERING SPECIALISTS PROUD TO SUPPORT RLW LTD M 027 263 3322 25 Tuhoe Street, Taneatua 3123 P 07 312 9248 W wjdippie.co.nz E admin@wjdippie.co.nz side herringbone shed on 161ha for the Watkins family, about 10km from Wjakatane. George says he’s grateful for having won the Manager of the Year Award because “this recognises the hard work I’ve put in, and what I’m passionate about. “Picking up the Personal Planning and Financial Management Awards at the nationals was a really proud moment, as Hannah and I are always looking at the financial viability of opportunities, and preparing ourselves for the next step towards our goals.” George is currently on the lookout for a share-milking position for the 2025-2026 season. “We recently purchased some in-calf lease heifers to bring into our future herd. “Farm ownership is a long-term goal, but along the way I’m focused on creating a successful business with attention to details that will benefit the cows, land, people and business,” he says.
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