Pongakawa farm manager Andre Meier, 28, placed third in the Dairy Manager competition in the Bay of Plenty Dairy Industry Awards along with taking out merit awards for leadership and financial management and planning.
Employed by Ao Marama Farms Ltd on directors Ann and Will Nettleingham’s 250ha farm, milking 750 cows, Andre says this has been a key part of his successful dairy career.
The opportunity to progress with Ao Marama Farms is something Andre is grateful for and it’s a favour he’s tried to return helping others get ahead.
“If someone is motivated and keen to take a crack, I’m keen to give them an opportunity. Most of the staff here are young and I try to bring them through the system and give them a chance to flourish and succeed,” he says.
He first met the Nettleinghams through family friends and when he heard they were looking for a herd manager on their 350 cow farm at Allport Road the opportunity was too good to pass up.
Andre was working for an agricultural contractor and had grown tired of “driving around a paddock”.
One and a half seasons later he moved to the company’s larger 750 cow unit at Bush Road, managing that for a couple of years when the opportunity arose to take on an overall management position on both units. The two herd managers are a case in point for the opportunities Ao Marama Farms provides those willing to work hard.
Lindsay Williams, herd manager on the Allport Road farm, was an old school mate who lost his job at the timber mill. Andre offered him the opportunity to get into dairying.
“I told him he could work here for a couple of weeks to see if he liked it. This is now his fifth season,” says Andre. Willie Akuhata has the junior herd manager role on the Bush Road unit, has completed AgITO courses and is gradually getting more responsibilities each day.
Andre, who is the vice chair of the Te Puke Young Farmers Club, says it is gratifying to see other people getting ahead. It’s no surprise that once staff start working there they tend to stay.
“They know they will have opportunities to succeed and grow through the various farms the compan y operates. Ann and Will really enjoy seeing people succeed too.”
Andre says he is always trying to improve and part of this is a focus on fine tuning systems to maximise efficiencies. For example he shuts down one of the two 36 aside herringbone sheds on the Bush Road unit over summer as the cows go on once a day. This means one person can complete the milking giving the others a chance for a sleep in.
Before Andre arrived three people were milking year round and it was only saving 15 minutes off the total milking time. Farm running costs across the units have also reduced since Andre arrived due to continuous improvement.
For example, palm kernel costs have reduced by two thirds as he’s been able to make more supplement on farm by keeping a better handle on pasture management.
Training is another focus. By teaching staff about good milking technique combined with herd testing and milk sampling, somatic cell count has significantly reduced.
It’s a real feather in his cap that he placed second in the region for low somatic cell counts in an annual competition run by the Te Puke Veterinary Centre.
Andre doesn’t come from a farming family so his achievements are all the more remarkable. He grew up on a lifestyle block but with dairy farms nearby it wasn’t long before he tried his hand at dairying.
He did weekend work on farms while at high school and at age 17 and started a full time job as a farm assistant on a 200 cow unit progressing to herd manager after just a year.
His overall goal is to keep progressing. “Ann and Will are really good to go to for advice – they have been farming a long time and offer a wealth of knowledge.
“I’m always picking their brains and trying to follow in their footsteps. Within Ao Marama Farms there are various options to progress so it’s just a matter of deciding what is and when to take the next step.”
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Awards success reward for Andre
