| 135 nzdairy ON FARM » Carlos Delos Santos Mutual respect and a shared commitment Hugh de Lacy After progressing from entry-level farm roles to farm ownership, Carlos Delos Santos has achieved what many in the dairy industry aspire to – yet the Rotorua farmer is continuing as sharemilker for the Rotorua-based Maori trust he has worked with for the past four years, while also running his newly purchased 106ha farm at Ngakuru. In June this year, Carlos and wife Bernice and their 5 kids took over ownership of their own farm, but rather than stepping away from his existing sharemilking role, Carlos has employed a manager and farm assistant on the home farm while continuing to oversee Waerenga Farms Ltd’s 1,000-cow operation on a 500ha block near Hamurana. Carlos describes his relationship with the trust as one built on mutual respect and a shared commitment to helping each other achieve their goals. “When we were interviewed for our current job, we told them that our end goal was to buy our own farm,” Carlos says. “When the opportunity came up we communicated this to them, and they were supportive about it. “It was important for us to reassure the trust that our commitment to our sharemilking job doesn’t change now that we have our own farm.” That level of trust has enabled Carlos to continue working alongside the trust while embarking on the next chapter of his family’s farming journey. “I’ve got five full-time staff here, plus the two on the home farm and casual staff, and this is the first time I’ve run a multiple operation: it’s going to be quite busy for us, but we have really good staff working for us and I have the help of a farm consultant for both farms.” Both farms supply Fonterra year-round, with the home farm expected to produce around 130,000kgMS this season from twice-a-day milking. The property is predominantly flat with some rolling country and was already operating as a dairy farm when Carlos and Bernice purchased it. The farm came with a 32-aside herringbone shed that requires some upgrading, with improvements already being planned. “There are a few things we would like to do to make it easier for my staff to work on the farm, and the next few weeks will be spent getting to know the farm and doing a bit of repairs and maintenance.” Carlos and Bernice’s story is a testament to the opportunities available within New Zealand’s dairy industry for those willing to work their way through the ranks. Farm Manager Nathan Palanca with the new herd for the farm. The couple immigrated to New Zealand from the Philippines in 2001, with farming the furthest thing from their minds. Carlos initially took a job on a dairy farm simply to save enough money to buy a car, but instead discovered a passion for the industry that would shape the next 25 years of his life. Over the years he progressed from relief milker, lower-order sharemilker and eventually 50/50 sharemilker, earning industry recognition along the way with him and Bernice named 2017 Central Plateau Sharefarmers of the year, and national runners-up. Working with Farmers for Farmers Michael Conwell Your Local Agent 027 226 1611 michael.conwell@nzfll.co.nz NZ Farmers Livestock is proud to support Carlos Delos Santos. UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP
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