18 | nzdairy DAIRY AWARDS » Isabella Pannettiere: Thornton Park ‘Little-ol’ townie’ wins big at awards Richard Loader For a townie growing up in Tauranga, winning the 2024 Dairy Trainee of the Year award for the Manawatu region, and being named third place getter at the National event was a huge shock but enormously exciting for Izzi Pannettiere. Success was even sweeter when Izzi received the Practical Skills Merit Award at both the Regional and National events. Regional merit was also received for Farming Knowledge Award. “I was competing against men who had grown up on dairy farms, and here’s little-ol’ townie Izzi taking out the practical skills award. It was a very rewarding moment for me.” Networking and benchmarking herself against others at the same level within the industry were key drivers for entering the dairy industry awards, says Izzi. “Developing and building a network is going to help me in my career, and I got to meet some incredible people both regionally and nationally. Both the Regional and National awards definitely helped my confidence levels. Knowing where I sat helped me feel better about the decisions I make and how I am progressing through my farming journey. “Gaining that confidence tells me that I’m in the right place doing what I love and that I’m good at that. It’s a really good motivator to keep on going. Starting my dairy farming from being a townie, I’m quite driven to succeed and I want to progress quite quickly. I think that’s also a benefit of working for Fonterra. I’m offered a lot of support in every area that I choose to focus on.” After completing a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Animal Science, in 2021, Izzi wanted practical on-farm skills to complement the theoretical skills, to become well rounded and dairy farming presented the best option. After a brief period farming on the outskirts of Whanganui, Izzi commenced with Fonterra’s Longburn Farms, just out of Palmerston North, in late 2021. “The first season I was farm assistant, then resigned in the second season for six months, and returned as a herd manager. Two months ago I became a 2IC with four staff under me. Managing people has been quite a change for me, because I’m young and female. I definitely had to work to earn my respect within the team, which came with challenges. “I had to assert that I was capable of doing my job, and have got to where I am by being good at my job. There was a huge learning curve for me, particularly around how to delegate and have confidence in the team’s skills. Learning to manage the people rather than the work has been key. Now, we get on amazingly and work well as a team.” Having made a few speeches in recent times, Izzi tells people that she came for the cows, but really did stay for the people. “Whilst I’ve learned my practical skills in terms of farming, I love my team, how we work together, and what we do. It’s really good having everyone’s back in the middle of calving. It’s the people that I am here for. For the next two seasons I will continue to develop my leadership skills and then move into a farm management type role.” “Whilst I’ve learned my practical skills in terms of farming, I love my team, how we work together, and what we do. It’s really good having everyone’s back in the middle of calving. It’s the people that I am here for.” Proud to support Thornton Park & Isabella Pannettiere SHED BUILDINGS & FENCING HONEST & RELIABLE Phone Ross McLean 0274 520 766 countryconstruction.co.nz 06 329 0991 MCDERMOTT CONTRACTING LTD Maize planting Direct drilling Roller drilling Round bale services Ground work Digger Work Mark 021 273 7805 Kairanga, Manawatu of ce@mcdermottcontracting.co.nz Izzi Pannettiere holds the silveware after being named 2024 Dairy Trainee of the Year award for the Manawatu region.
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