22 | nzdairy DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS » Park Hill Farms Ltd Already opened doors and advanced his career Alexia Johnston A win at the 2025 NZ Dairy Industry Awards is an “unexpected honour” for Cameron George, who is now reaping the rewards. Cameron was named Dairy Trainee of the Year for the Central Plateau, an accolade which has already opened doors and advanced his career as he works towards the goal of farm ownership. Cameron, who is formerly of Auckland, had no background in farming when he first set foot on a dairy farm. “After finishing Year 13, I did what seemed sensible at the time and went to university to study business, but it wasn’t really for me,” he said. “A friend who had gone dairy farming after high school really recommended it, so I thought I would give it a go. After about a week on the farm, I knew I’d made the right decision and I’ve loved it ever since.” Cameron is a farm assistant at Park Hill Farm, where his day-to-day responsibilities include milking, feeding out, fencing, feed allocation, and animal health treatments. His boss, Richard Webber, encouraged him to enter the NZ Dairy Industry Awards this year, seeing it as an opportunity to challenge himself and grow professionally. “He thought it would be a good way for me to benchmark myself against others and to gain additional knowledge and skills.” While winning was a high point, the process came with its own challenges. “I’m not very experienced in public speaking, so my acceptance speech was a bit of a challenge. But I had a lot of people to thank, so that made it easier.” Among those people were Richard, as well as other mentors and supporters. “Richard has been instrumental in my growth and development as a dairy farmer. I admire his commitment to animal health and welfare, and the technological efficiency with which he runs the farm. I also hope to emulate the way in which he fosters a sense of collegiality in the team on Park Hill Farm, which he does through his sense of humour and team-building activities,” Cameron said. “I have also had the benefit of being mentored by Mark Seymour, and supported in my Primary ITO by Elri Levin.” Cameron, who is formerly of Auckland, had no background in farming when he first set foot on a dairy farm. He also acknowledged Vicki Wallace’s support throughout his career, another person who backed him to enter the NZ Dairy Industry Awards. Listening to those who supported him along the way has paid off, ultimately cementing his chosen career path. As he looks to the future, Cameron is focused on building his skills in feed budgeting and animal health, with an eye on progressing toward farm ownership. He encourages other young people to explore what dairy farming has to offer. “Don’t be afraid to give it a go,” he said. Proud to support Park Hill Farm For all your silage, hay, cultivation, cartage and earth moving needs Tony McLaren 027 244 9023 Celebrating the best of the NZ Dairy Industry Vetora Waikato are proud sponsors of the NZ Dairy Industry Awards TE AWAMUTU Mahoe St 07 872 0004 HAMILTON Collins Rd 07 843 8822 OTOROHANGA Wahanui Cres 07 873 7089 PUTARURU Kensington St 07 883 7392 CAMBRIDGE Shakespeare St 07 823 0037 TOKOROA Campbell St 07 886 6119 WHAKAMARU Tihoi Rd 07 882 8094 TAUPO VET CENTRE Spa Rd 07 378 5433 “It’s such a great industry to be a part of and there is a lot of support and guidance available, and a career path to move up to farm ownership. If you like animals and the outdoors, and being part of a team and a community, [a career in dairy farming is] a no-brainer!”
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