62 | nzdairy TASMAN FMG YOUNG FARMER OF THE YEAR » George Dodson Tasman Young Farmer award a thrill Randall Johnston George Dodson, 2IC at Omana Farms near Dunsandel, is rapt after winning the 2024 Tasman FMG Young Farmer of the Year Award. Omana Farms is run by owner-operator Andrew and Hayley Slater and staffed by a herd manager and a relief milker (at certain times) rounding out the team. The farm is 113ha effective, with 435 cows. “Our milk production target is about 500 kilograms of milk solids per cow, which is a pretty big target but we are achieving pretty close to that,” George explains. The next stage of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Award is the Grand Final, which will be held mid-July. While keen to see just how far he can go, George is thrilled to have won the title for his (huge) geographical area of Tasman. “My expectations weren’t that high, but I certainly worked hard for it. What they tested us on during the practical day really suited my skill set, so that was helpful. It’s just really good to get that recognition and encouragement from the judges that I’m on the right track and doing all the right things.” There is a mix of theory (exams, quizzes etc) and practical work where competitors go head-to-head including fencing, identifying fertiliser and seeds and a knowledge of the sponsors farm vehicles and machinery. George enjoys the variety that comes with farming, from business management, to accounting, to soil and animal health, to plumbing, electrical work and building – it’s all there and no two days are exactly the same. “I just love the problem solving aspect of farming and being outside doing a physical job.” George grew up on a dairy farm in Southland and the family moved to Canterbury when he was 11 years old. He was working in his father’s engineering business and they were building a silo in the school holidays for a dairy farmer who then asked George if he was interested in heavy rolling his paddocks. He was and that job evolved into relief milking and he hasn’t looked back since. The high output per cow model is something George wasn’t all that familiar with before starting at Omana Farms, but says he has learned a huge amount from farm-owner Andrew and it’s been great to see what can be achieved with the right farming model and more of a focus on pasture management. “I was more used to the stock standard Canterbury system of palm kernel and grass, but here we are using a lot of grain instead and getting that higher production out of the cows. George Dodson on the cups at Omana Farms near Dunsandel. It just means you need to be more on the ball in terms of your 1 per centers and that sort of thing. Your pasture management has to be a bit better to achieve that really.” Water on the farm is sourced from wells and the weather was very dry in back in March, so the RotoRainer irrigators had to be switched on and the herd was culled a little in April. “That’s why we get the relief milker in, in irrigation season, because it takes about three hours of irrigation each day when you are by yourself.” In the years ahead, George is keen to keep sharpening his skills and take up more of a leadership position, when the opportunity arises. If this recent success is anything to go by, he’s set for a bright future in the industry. “My expectations weren’t that high, but I certainly worked hard for it. What they tested us on during the practical day really suited my skill set, so that was helpful. It’s just really good to get that recognition and encouragement from the judges that I’m on the right track and doing all the right things.” GEORGE DODSON FERTILISER SPREADING | FARM MAPPING GPS TRACKING | VARIABLE RATE SPREADING LIVESTOCK CARTAGE | DAILY FREIGHT CONCRETE SUPPLIES | GRAIN CARTAGE SHINGLE SUPPLIES | FERTILISER SUPPLIES Leeston: 03 3248 070 | Dunsandel: 03 3254 039 reception@ellesmere.co.nz
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