Craigmore Farming Services was named the 2022 Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award winners at the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards last month, receiving the John Wilson Memorial Trophy.
Spread out from Culverden to Oamaru, along with a dry stock unit in Middlemarch, the group employs more than 120 staff and each farm has something different from the next.
“We work hard to do things a bit differently, all the farm teams have their own focus but it all comes together to farm as one group,” agri relationship partner Caroline Amyes said.
“The award is a really nice recognition of all the hard work our teams are doing and we are really pleased they are all being recognised.”
Aymes said it is the farm and farmers’ different personalities that make the difference to how the group operates.
“Where the farm and farmers’ personalities overlap, that is where we find the sweet spot and achieve some amazing results,” she said.
“One of the fundamental reasons why this group was set up was to allow the farmers to own their farming systems. Understanding the individual passion of the farmer and how we can work with them to meet individual goals and aspirations is how we help them to succeed.”
With the farms spread out, each has its own challenges but there are pockets of farms that collaborate to see what works and what could work on their own farm.
“It’s all about farmers learning from each other, but recognising the differences in farming systems to see what works,” she said.
“We have the scale to do trials and if successful, we can take it and share with the wider industry to help other farmers.”
She said the team at Craigmore wishes to recognise the other finalists in the Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award, as well as the judges.
“We were up against two other operations that were quite different, each doing really good things in their business. The judges’ decision would not have been easy,” she said.
Head judge Conall Buchanan said it was a privilege to engage with all three finalists and the quality of the presentations was exceptional.
Fellow judge Charlotte Rutherford, from Fonterra, agreed, saying “the future of the industry feels in such good hands when you are able to spend time with people like our finalists”.
“It’s encouraging and motivating and you wish you could send them out around the country to speak to all farmers because we left the room energised by what they had to say.”
Judges said while all the finalists were impressive, the winning entry represented by Stuart Taylor, general manager of farming and Amyes stood out due to Craigmore’s focus on adapting individual farm systems to the land, resources and the people involved.
“This is a strength that our industry will increasingly use in the years ahead,” they said.
One of Craigmore’s philosophies is that there is no single perfect system.
“Craigmore begins with the people that are going to be on the land and their motivations and goals for the land and animals.” judge Melissa Slattery said.
“People influence the system that the farms adopt because the passion and drive was linked to the people that were running the farms.”
The judges were impressed at Craigmore’s philosophy of adapting the farm system on each one of their 22 farms to suit the environment and the people.
The judges said Craigmore is demonstrating and implementing new technology that’s proven to work in a way that is achievable and realistic for other farmers.
“Craigmore is leading change and using different innovations on different farms to help create solutions that other farmers could then use, including dung beetles, working on their significant natural areas, a composting barn, boluses and are trialling Halter on one of their farms,” the judges said.
“Just like every farmer, Craigmore is on a journey and are continually seeking ways to grow and challenge themselves.”
The prestigious award was introduced by the NZ Dairy Industry Awards and Fonterra to recognise dairy farmers who demonstrate leadership in their approach to sustainability and who are respected by their fellow farmers and their community for their attitude and role in sustainable dairying.
