36 | nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Mitchell Dairy Farms Ltd - High Road Farm Karen Phelps Conor Attrill-Mundt has had quite a year. The 24-year-old Hawke’s Bay dairy trainee swept four awards for the Hawkes Bay/Wairarapa region at the 2026 Dairy Industry Awards, placing third nationally in the Dairy Trainee of the Year competition. It was a result that surprised even him at the regional level, though perhaps less so by the time nationals came around. “For nationals I put high expectations on myself. I knew I could do well and wanted to do well. Top three was my goal and I achieved it.” Alongside his third-place national finish, Conor collected three Merit Awards at the regionals: the DairyNZ Practical Skills Award, the VetServices Farming Knowledge Award and the MacDougalls Communication and Industry Involvement Award - a near clean sweep that reflects both his technical grounding and his growing confidence as a communicator and industry participant. Dairy farming is in his blood. Conor grew up just outside Stratford in Taranaki on his parents’ 350cow dairy farm, spending school holidays working on neighbouring properties near his boarding school. After completing a three-year Agribusiness Farm Management degree he enrolled in the Grassroots Graduate Dairy Management programme in Canterbury, a year-long scheme that places graduates on working farms. He was assigned to Hamish Kidd, a manager only a few years his senior. When Hamish secured a contract milking position in Hawke’s Bay in mid-2025, Conor followed. He now works as second in charge on an 845-cow operation under farm owners Greg and Gail Mitchell. Notably, the graduate programme allowed him to bypass the farm assistant rung of the career ladder entirely, a step he acknowledges was significant. Had he not completed the qualification Conor says that pathway simply would not have existed. “It’s good to be able to work for Hamish as he’s where I want to be in a couple of years,” says Conor. “It’s shown me what’s possible and I’ve learned a lot from him. My farm owners Greg and Gail Mitchell have also been good mentors. Greg is where I aim to be in the future and they’ve taught me to run a sustainable farm and business.” Entering the Dairy Trainee of the Year was, he says, a natural progression. Everyone he had worked for had done it, including Hamish, and he could see the industry advancement it afforded people. The experience has since proved its worth. “Definitely important have been the connections Award-winner eyes herd ownership by 2030 Conor grew up just outside Stratford in Taranaki on his parents’ 350-cow dairy farm, I’ve made and the people I’ve met,” says Conor. “I’ve grown my network more by entering the awards than I have since leaving university so that says a lot about the value of the industry awards.” The process has also shifted something in how he approaches his day-to-day work. “It’s helped me slow down a bit and think about what I’m doing, why, and how I can do it better,” says Conor. “People management has also come into sharper focus such as learning to communicate with staff, to understand what motivates them and to get the best out of myself as a leader.” Conor’s goals are clear. By 2030 he wants to have saved enough for a deposit on a herd of cows. In the shorter term he is focused on steady career progression, taking on more responsibility and remaining open to opportunity. Ultimately, says Conor, it all comes back to farm ownership and to recreating for his own children the rural upbringing he was fortunate enough to have. AGRICULTURAL CONTRACTOR EARTHMOVING • AGGREGATE CARTAGE SPREADING ON FARMS • FORESTRY CIVIL PROJECTS ALL OVER HAWKES BAY 027 368 4802 | matt@fryerag.com “For nationals I put high expectations on myself. I knew I could do well and wanted to do well. Top three was my goal and I achieved it.” We keep you growing We’re proud to support Mitchell Dairy Farms Ltd proudly locally owned and operated Power Farming Hawke’s Bay | 06 879 9998
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