| 27 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Kahikatea Meadows 2018 Ltd Aristotle came to New Zealand just four years ago on a student visa, and took up a nine-weeks dairying course at the National Trade Academy in Christchurch. Hugh de Lacy From a rice farm in the Philippines to runner-up in the Dairy Manager of the Year title at this year’s Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Industry Awards, it’s been a rapid rise for Aristotle Sadinas, Herd Manager for Kahikatea Meadows’ 1050 cows on 340ha of flats near Paeroa in the Waikato. With his farming background, Aristotle came to New Zealand just four years ago on a student visa, and took up a nine-weeks dairying course at the National Trade Academy in Christchurch. With the help of the Christchurch and Hamilton based agency Greenstone Recruitment, Aristotle in September 2022 landed a position as farm assistant on Kahikatea Meadows. “I did three years here as a farm assistant, then worked my way up to Herd Manager this year, and it was my sharemilker boss Craig Zydenbos who encouraged me to enter the awards,” Aristotle says. “There’s a lot to be learned from the process – and that was something Craig was keen on me doing because he’d done it himself years ago.” Craig is one of several equity partners in Kahikatea Meadows – the others are Linda and Mike Peters, and Craig’s parents, Gary and Karen Ztdenbos – and he is otherwise a lower order sharemilker. The farm milks year-round in a 50-bale rotary shed, supplying Fonterra. It was Craig who took Greenstone Recruitment up on their recommendation of Aristotle for a vacant farm assistant role. Greenstone Recruitment finds skilled staff throughout New Zealand, and from South Africa, the Philippines, India and the United Kingdom, handling the immigration processes under the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) of the Resident Visa pathways. Dairying is a regular beneficiary of the company’s services, as are a variety of trades and technical industries. “Aristotle just fitted into the team – we’ve got five staff here – from the start, and he was one of those people you don’t have to give a whole lot of detailed instructions to: he learns by watching,” Craig says. “I’ve had a lot to do with the Auckland/Hauraki Dairy Awards – my wife Kelsey and I had a go ourselves a few years ago, and while we never made the podium we learned a huge amount in the process. “This award will be a big boost to Aristotle’s career, and it goes without saying that he thoroughly deserves it. Nine-week dairying course the spring board WE ARE PROUD TO WORK WITH KAHIKATEA MEADOWS 2018 LTD. SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITIES . ormandy Road, Paeroa | 07 862 8263 paeroafarmservices.co.nz | “We also have another worker from overseas in our crew, Promood Bagale, who’s Nepalese, and we’re encouraging him to get into the awards too.” For Aristotle there’s particular significance to his award: it’s going to look mighty good on his application papers when he and his wife Jahziel Keith Sadinas are able to apply for permanent residency next year. “We’ve got two children staying with relatives back in the Philippines, but we’ll all be back together again after that,” Aristotle says. Once united the family intends staying permanently in New Zealand, climbing the dairy industry ladder. “Next step might be sharemilking on a small farm, then a bigger one, then eventually to the longterm goal of farm ownership,” he says. “I did three years here as a farm assistant, then worked my way up to Herd Manager this year.”
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