Farm ownership is the ultimate goal for Mark Ready, who grew up in the Gloriavale Christian Community and never imagined he would one day win a national dairy title.
But the Maruia dairy farm manager has done just that – taking out the Dairy Trainee of the Year title at the Dairy Industry Awards in Rotorua.
“When I won the award, I was pinching myself that night to make sure I was actually there!” he says. “I hoped that I might get second or third place. Then someone got third and someone got second and I was like, oh well, cheers to whoever won. Then they called my name and yeah, it was pretty crazy.
“I think I jumped up and let out a hoot!”
The 23-year-old is milking 250 cows for Michael Shearer on the Inch family’s 130ha farm at Maruia. Mark and his wife Lily have now made their first step towards building equity for a farm of their own with the purchase of 30 in-calf heifers that will be milked with the herd this coming season through a lease agreement.
At $2,000 each – around $1,000 a head cheaper than top heifers – the couple plan to grow their herd to between 250 and 300 cows within three to five years and buy their farm within a decade.
“We definitely want to own our own farm one day and we’re taking steps towards that goal and we’re pretty much trying to be ready for any opportunity that will get us there quicker.”
At the awards he also won the Ecolab Personal Growth and Development Award, which he attributes to his clear plans and goals for the future.
The annual awards recognise top farmers, including share farmers, managers and trainees, who compete through on-farm judging, interviews and practical assessments at regional level. Mark won the Top of the South-West Coast competition before competing with the country’s best dairy trainees at national level. His win comes with more than $10,000 in prizes.
He credits much of his success to the employers and mentors who have guided his career and encouraged him to enter the awards. This was his second attempt at the competition and he says his first experience was an invaluable learning curve that also led to his current employer.
“One of the good things about the awards is people always ask you: ‘how do you find the right people?’ Well, you don’t find them by staying at home that’s for sure. Putting yourself out there, having a go, and opportunities will start coming along.”
