NZ Dairy Winter 2021

| 35 nz dairy DAIRY AWARDS » Christopher Vila ‘Simple guy’ hopes to inspire others Richard Loader W aikato Farm Manager Chris Vila says he still feels a little overwhelmed by his success at this year’s dairy industry awards. Winning the Waikato region’s Dairy Manager of the year, Chris went on to win the National title. Extremely humble about his achievements, Chris says if through his success he can inspire one or two people then he will be really happy. “You know this is very new to me; the media, the awards. I’m 37-years-old and it’s still daunting. I’m just sharing my experiences and hoping that someone can be inspired. Not just Filipinos, but inspiring all migrants, even Kiwis who might lack the confidence, to give it a go. “Some people are quite afraid to step outside of their box and try new things. If at a certain point you can help someone improve themselves, then that is the basis of success. It is giving people inspiration that even a simple guy like me can win.” Chris says he entered the awards to benchmark what he has been doing on the dairy farm that he has managed for the last seven years. “I wanted to see if I was up to the standards of others and to know that I am doing the right thing. And of course, through the judges’ feedback, you get to know your strengths and weaknesses. I told the judges that I put my heart and soul and all my learnings of the past 13 years into this farm.” Chris says networking with other likeminded farmers and industry professionals was another key benefit of going through the awards process. Reflecting on his farming journey, Chris says he has the drive and determination to improve and reach his goals. “Passion is a big word but I think you need it to reach your goals. Without passion you can’t progress that much. Passion in what you do is really important. It will drive you to strive harder to make steps to reach your goals. When you are in the right place, the right farm, dairy farming is very open in terms of opportunities.” Having completed a double degree in Veteri- nary Medicine and Bachelor of Science in Animal Husbandry in the Philippines, Chris worked for a number of years as a licensed veterinarian for a large multinational company. Chris fell in love with New Zealand in 2008 when he visited family who were living here. “My family suggested I try working here and being single at the time I thought if I could find a job why not. Fortunately, New Zealand had a shortage of dairy farm workers and so I applied for a dairy farm assistant job in Reporoa.” Chris has never looked back, progressing to 2IC on another farm and then accepting the Farm Managers job on his current farm in Ohaupo, 20 kilometres south of Hamilton. Now in his eighth season as Farm Manager, Chris, one full time staff member and a relief milker look after 343 cows on the 104-hectare effective farm owned by the JA BE Turnwald Trust. Chris says dairy farming also provides the op- portunity to spend time with your family, that other career choices do not. “Yes, it gets very busy during calving and mating, but you can go home for breakfast and lunch to interact with your family during the day especially when you have small kids.” Looking to the future, Chris aspires to sharemilk- ing opportunities and says he hopes that will be his next big step. “It is giving people inspiration that even a simple guy like me can win.” Dairy Manager of the Year Chris Vila with wife Jonah and daughter Lily.