| 25 nzdairy DAIRY AWARDS » Tegan Gray Achievement an inspiration for women Karen Phelps Winner of the Dairy Manager of the Year for the Auckland/ Hauraki Region and runner up for the National Farm Manager at the 2024 NZ Dairy Industry Awards Teagan Gray hopes her achievement will encourage other women. “I hope it gives women the confidence that they can do it as well and that they are good enough to follow their goals within the industry,” she says. Teagan, who manages her parents’ 160-hectare farm at Thames, has progressed quickly from a farm assistant in 2016 to managing the milking of 478 cows after completing her Bachelor of Agricultural Science. She says one of the farm’s past contract milkers Kylie Evans, who won the Regional Farm Manager of the Year at the competition in 2013, provided inspiration in Teagan’s own journey. The farm comprises two herds: 480 commercial crossbred cows, which Teagan manages, and a small mob of 20 cows that supply raw milk to the public under the brand Buttercup Dairies through a self-service vending machine on the farm. Teagan’s father Neil takes care of this smaller yet important aspect of the business where the cows are milked through a separate 12 aside herringbone shed and grazed on 10ha around that shed. “It’s about telling a positive story,” says Teagan. “Cows are always close to where the people come to buy the milk. They can lean over the fence and give them a pat or see the calves, depending on the time of year. And they can view the milking taking place through a window in the milking shed, which gives full transparency as to where the milk has come from and modern day farming.” Teagan manages a second in charge and two part time staff with parents Neil and Glenda involved in big picture decision making and helping out as needed. She says the farm is a strongly grass-focused system. “We want first and foremost to be a pasture based farming operation with strategic inputs at various times of the year to maintain herd health. That means we really prioritise pasture quality to maximise production with weekly pasture walks during peak season, allocating pasture correctly, hitting pre and post grazing residuals etc. A big challenge is ketosis so this strategy helps with that as well.” The biggest take away for Teagan from entering the awards was gaining a better understanding of the farm and the numbers behind the business as well as mapping her own path forward with set goals and timelines. She also won five merit awards: DeLaval Livestock Management, Fonterra Dairy Management, Pioneer Pasture & Feed Management, Brandt People & Leadership Teagan Gray with dad Neil. Teagan took out the Dairy Manager of the Year for the Auckland/ Hauraki Region and was runner for the national award. and CowManager Personal Planning & Financial Management. “I’m the fifth generation to manage our family farm and the goal is to continue that success for another generation. “The short-term goal in the next five years is to be 50:50 sharemilking on the farm. I will lease the cows and slowly purchase them to grow equity in stock numbers so I have enough security to purchase the herd from my parents. It’s been a pretty cool journey and I’m proud of the result I’ve achieved.” “I hope it gives women the confidence that they can do it as well and that they are good enough to follow their goals within the industry.” SIMMENTALS 027 280 6148 glenanthony1@yahoo.co.nz Cross Breed to Simmental for: CHARTER D ACCOUNTANT E P. 07 862 9090 www.hoogeveen.co.nz | office@hoogeveen.co.nz Specialists in Farm Accounting • Cashflow Budgeting • Fonterra Shareholding Advice • Farm Sale & Purchase Advice • Equity Partnerships • GST • Livestock Valuation Options • Income Equalisation
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=