NZ Dairy Winter 2021

48 | nz dairy DAIRY AWARDS » Rachel Lind Women ‘need to back themselves’ Dianna Malcolm SUTHERLAND T Y R E S L T D STOCKISTS OF CENTURY BATTERIES • WOFS ANDWOF REPAIRWORK • BRAKE PADS AND DISC BRAKE MACHINING • SERVICING AND SUSPENSION • TIMING BELTS ANDWATER PUMPS • TYRES OF ALL SIZES SUTHERLAND TYRES LTD info@suthtyres.co.nz • 4 ADDERLEY STREET WESTPORT • Ready Mix Concrete • Earthworks • Aggregates • Coal and Garden Supplies SUPPLIERS OF Phone: (03) 789 8505 or Steven 027 438 0825 Email: pearsons@outlook.co.nz TRANSPORT FOR ALL YOUR RURAL AND BULK TRANSPORT We are proud to support Rachel Lind Ph: (03) 789 7609 | e: despatch@jbt.co.nz N atural self-confidence does not come easily for 37-year-old Rachael Lind, but the 2021 West Coast/Top of the South Dairy Manager of the year has a strong message for her female colleagues. “They need to back themselves,” she says. Rachael recently collected $6250 in prizes and four merit awardsat regional level, before going on to win the National Leadership Merit award (within the manager’s section) of the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards. She is the farm manager for Bassets Dairy Unit for P mu Farms of New Zealand (formerly Landcorp), on a “geographically isolated” 460 hectares at Cape Foulwind. She says it more than lives up to its name. They endure two metres of annual rainfall on this demanding coastal property, which milks 1080 cows. It is sodden in the winter, and dries out rapidly through the summer. Rachael’s pedigree isn’t in dairy. She was born in Blenheim and reared on Arapawa Island within a farming and fishing family. She entered the dairy industry two decades ago as a dairy assistant – when she was filling in time before university – and never left. Her husband, Murray, is a rural engineer/ technician who recently established his own busi- ness, All Ag Services. With two children in the mix, Ayla 11, and Brayden, 4, this is a busy and committed household. Rachael is the first to say that her mother-in-law, Robyn Cairns, makes it possible for them to juggle their career choices. Dairy by chance Rachael says she may have fallen into the dairy industry by chance, but she stayed because she loved it. She has four full time staff within her team, in addition to one fixed-term dairy assistant, and a casual staff member at calving. “Farming includes a lot of different aspects that I really enjoy,” she said. “Working with animals, and producing food for our plate. We’re outside in all weather and, to be fair, we’ve got the best office in the world – even on the worst days.” She says being naturally quiet meant it took time for her to find her place with regards to a leadership role atP mu Farms, which last season produced 407,000kg Milk Solids (MS) – a farm record (at 386kg MS per cow). After a tough, wet spring, the Kiwicross and Friesian and Jersey-cross herd’s empty rate challenged another farm record at 93% pregnancy tested in-calf after 11 weeks of mating. This season it is projected to produce 410,000KgMS off grass, with the support of silage, and 300kg of barley (per cow annually) fed in-shed. The dairy is a 60-bale rotary with an in-shed feed system, which includes Milk Hub automation. Walking the walk Proving herself has been a part of the package,Rachael readily accepted. “It has been a lot of hard work, if I’m honest,” Rachael said. “Earlier on it was quite tricky because I was the youngest one in our team on the farm. But, once you gain your team’s respect, and you get out there with them, working alongside them on those awful days you quickly gain their respect and they become more engaged from there. “As far as women in dairy or management posi- tions, one of the things which is often brought up is that “confidence” and “competence” don’t always go together. “You can have a really competent person, but without confidence, it’s harder to show your skills. I’d like to help where I can, so that other young women can see their potential, and know that: ‘Yes, they can do it’.” This year was her third tilt at the manager’s title. She has been twice runner-up, while collecting several merit awards along the way. She says the journey has been full of lessons and connections she is grateful for. “For me, I’ve always been fairly quiet and not overly confident,so entering these awards has increased my confidence in my own ability. It’s also been an amazing thing to be involved with, because of the networks I’ve made that I know will be my life-time friends,” she said. “That, and you’re mixing with the cream of the crop. “Another one of the other rewarding things for me is the people development these awards en- courage. I look back to when I started, when I had no idea, and now I’m in a position where I can teach other people what I know, and watch them grow.” She takes that responsibility seriously. “Every week a student comes out from Buller High School which is part of a gateway pro- gramme,” she said.“They come on-farm for a day and learn the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of dairy farming. “We’ve had about six of them go on to find full time employment in the dairy industry, including a young woman, Charlotte Jennings, who I have included in our team. “It’s been a really successful programme for us and a positive initiative to be part of.” “I’d like to help where I can, so that other young women can see their potential, and know that: ‘Yes, they can do it’.” West Coast/Top of the South Dairy Manager of the Year Rachel Lind urges her fellow colleagues to “back themselves”. Inset: Rachel with her husband, Murray, and their daughter Ayla, 11 at the awards presentation.