Will Green is a 34% sharemilker for the 270ha Dairy Holdings farm in Hinds which milks 1060 cows.
His latest success in the Dairy Industry Awards follows being named the dairy manager of the year for the region in 2018 and going on to become the national runner-up.
He became the Share Farmer of the Year at an awards function in Ashburton earlier the month.
Runners-up were Kerry and Aimee Burt, 50/50 sharemilkers for Gary and Lynda Burgess on their 148ha Leeston property, milking 550 cows.
Mr Green (34) credited the awards for providing networking opportunities and the chance to make new like-minded friends.
"The programme makes me focus on goals and the direction I want to be heading."
He won $10,000 in prizes as well as three merit awards.
He graduated with an agriculture degree from Harper Adams University in the United Kingdom.
He said he enjoyed farming as it gave him the opportunity to work outdoors and with livestock.
His future farming aims included working towards his goal of farm ownership in seven years, and building a family home with his partner Sally.
The Burts have also identified future growth and opportunities in the dairy industry and want to be business owners.
Aimee, a dairy farmer’s daughter who, told everyone when she was 15 years old that that there was no way she would be a farmer and went on to gain a bachelor’s degree in fashion design.
Then she realised farming came naturally to her and became a qualified AI technician.
Third place went to first-time entrants Johno and Tania Burrows who come from farming families and always wanted to be farmers. They are 21% sharemilkers for Ian Hopping on his 255ha Ashburton property, milking 980 cows.
Other major winners were Jaspal Singh, who was named the dairy manager of the year, and Peter O’Connor won the dairy trainee of the year title.
Mr Singh won $6000 in prizes plus three merit awards. He is a farm manager at Mark and Carmen Hurst’s 220ha, 800-cow property at Waimate.
The 31-year-old was an information technology student in India, then came to New Zealand to further his studies and joined the dairy industry after 2015 as a farm assistant in Mossburn.
"My love for animals and the land led me to choosing farming as a career. Every day is a new challenge in dairy farming and I like challenges."
He was proud of lowering mastitis in the herd from 32% to 9.5% this season and increasing the production target by 15kg of milksolids per cow to 487kgMS.
Darfield farm manager Jaspreet Singh was second and Lauriston farm manager Blake Gordon placed third.
Mr O’Connor won $5250 in prizes and two merit awards. He is second-in-charge at Leighton and Michelle Pye’s 242ha, 900-cow Mayfield property.
The 23-year-old grew up on a dairy farm new Westport and graduated from Lincoln University with a bachelor of agricultural science with first class honours.
He believed new technology would make dairy farming more efficient and even more competitive on a global scale.
Next season he would be managing a 400-cow farm near Lauriston.
Runner-up was Ashburton assistant manager Leilani Lobb and third was Lincoln 2IC George Lysaght-Dodson.
The Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Industry Awards field day will be held at the Hinds farm where Mr Green sharemilks on April 12.
