Former 50/50 sharemilker Elaine Cook, from Hamilton, along with Grant Wills, a dairy farmer and Fonterra Shareholders councillor from the Waikato, will each sit for six-month consecutive terms in the newly created non-voting position.
''I am rapt to be chosen and looking forward to the learning process,'' Mrs Cook said.
Mrs Cook and her late husband Wayne won the national New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year title in 2006, when they were farming in Southland. She is also on the board of the Southland demonstration farm and has been an awards judge.
Mr Cook died in 2008 and she and her three daughters, now aged 10, 12 and 14,
moved to the Waikato in 2009 where her family was based.
Now a business coach, she is raising her children on a 9ha lifestyle block outside Hamilton.
As a business coach, she encourages farming people to identify goals and work out pathways and processes to achieving them.
She started her role on September 1 and Mr Wills takes over in February next year.
She sees it as a way to develop her business network, use her passion and knowledge of the industry and also grow her governance skills as a way of contributing to the industry.
''It is part of my values and vision.''
She is also involved in the Fonterra Governance Development Programme.
She said some of the key issues facing the dairy industry included sustainability and addressing the sometimes negative public perception of the industry. DairyNZ chair John Luxton said the associate director position was aimed at building governance and leadership skills in the industry.
''We wanted to give aspiring directors the chance to build up experience and confidence, learn from others and ensure that we have a pipeline of people who can step up to be on boards,'' Mr Luxton said.
''Elaine and Grant will be great additions to our eight-member board.
''They are both award-winning farmers who have already served in governance roles in the sector and in their communities.''
Mr Wills was supreme winner of the Ballance Farm Environment Awards for 2013 and is a former Piako Sharemilker of the Year winner and Dairy Farmer of the Year finalist.