Two Hauraki farmers have taken home second and third place awards at the National Dairy Industry Awards on May 13.
Patetonga-born Aleisha Broomfield was announced the runner-up for the Share Farmer of the Year award and Mangatāwhiri farm manager Finja Philips placed third in the Dairy Manager of the Year category.
Share Farmer category head judge, John Numan, said Aleisha, who is currently a 50-50 herd-owning share milker on an 86 hectare Te Aroha farm, was a “powerhouse”.
“She is full of energy and positivity and is very passionate about helping people,” he said.
Judge Michele Cranfield said Aleisha was “off-the-scale” from a financial perspective.
“She’s made a conscious effort to upskill in an important area and has a phenomenal ability to interpret her financial position,” she said.
“Her appetite for knowledge in all areas is strong, and she has educated herself in multiple areas of farming.”
The judges were also impressed with Aleisha’s desire to ensure clear communication and transfer of information and noted she had an excellent understanding of environmental regulations.
Aleisha holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Science with first class honours from Lincoln University and a New Zealand Diploma in Agri-business.
Aleisha also won the DairyNZ People & Culture Award, the Federated Farmers Leadership Award, Trelleborg Business Performance Award, the Meridian Environmental Sustainability Award and more than $37,000 in total prizes.
The judges in the Dairy Manager of the Year category said Finja Philips, who also won close to $8,000 in prizes, was an “asset” to the dairy industry.
“She’s very personable and has a great depth of knowledge which she shares with her team,” the judges said.
Head judge Renee Rooney noted Finja “loved” animals from her vet background.
“She really cares for and loves the cows and it’s a priority for her that she has healthy animals who are fed well and have good body condition,” she said.
Judge Janine Swansson also noted Finja had an “excellent understanding of financials”.
“She understands the importance of profitability and the operation and doing things well for her employers, and getting the basics right,” she said.
The judges believed Finja would also be “brilliant” to speak at schools and to groups and would be a “great” dairy industry ambassador.
