| 67 nzdairy New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards » Lummys Ltd Tom and Samantha Lumsden also took out the LIC Animal Wellbeing, Recording and Productivity Award for the Taranaki region. Emma Bailey They have been working on dairy farms since they were both just 15 – all their hard work and experience has seen them be recognised in March at the 2026 Taranaki Dairy Industry Awards where Samantha and Tom Lumsden were named the region’s Share Farmers of the Year. On the night they also took out six merit awards and won $11,600. Samantha, 35, has been dairy farming for the past 20 years, contract milking for the past six seasons and runs the farm, with Tom, 35, managing a quarry and helping with human resources and maintenance work on the farm. The couple are contract milking for Tom Lance, milking 330 cows on 121ha at Waverly. The judges commented Samantha and Tom were “authentic, credible and full of heart, they are outstanding emerging leaders in our industry”. Sam said the win was amazing. “It’s not just my win, it reflects the support of my family, our team, and the people who’ve backed me along the way. It was a moment where we could really appreciate everything we’ve worked for and a tribute to everyone who has helped us along the way.” “We were particularly proud of winning the ASB Business performance award. When we started out contract milking and the big money coming in and the big bills coming out it scared us, our first two or three years we worked our arse off and made no money.” Sam did the Business by numbers course through DairyNZ and her Diploma in Primary Industry Business management, which helped the couple immensely with the financial side. “We are also very proud of the People and Cultures and Leadership awards, we really thrive on creating a place where people can learn and grow, our worker Anika is a prime example of that,” Tom said. It’s a balancing act with family and work on and off the farm. The family have three girls, Mercedes 15, Shelby 9 and Kendall 12. “Our time together and with the family is precious to us and also our own time is important.” Tom is a keen shooter and member at the Whanganui pistol club and plays squash at Whanganui squash club while Sam goes to the Mentality Fitness Gym. “Sam is definitely passionate about cows, to her each cow is her baby,” Tom joked. Two decades of hard work recognised Starting in the industry at 15, it was a steep learning curve. “We were very naive at such a young age and learning that not everyone has your best interest at heart. But we also had some very good supportive bosses along the way,’ Sam said. The farm is very much a family operation. “Our older two are learning the value of the farm and working, Mercedes wants to go to Canada on a student exchange program and Kendall wants to race stock cars so we have told them if they want the money they have to get in the cowshed milking to earn it,” Sam said. “As for Shelby, our youngest, she loves the farm, she loves coming out and getting the cows in, she is much the same as Sam and would bring them home if she had a chance,” Tom said. TALK TO YOUR LOCAL EXPERTS TODAY. ASB Rural banking 0800 787 252 GOOD THINGS START WITH A CHAT
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