Dayna Rowe runner-up in regional dairy farmer awards

Dayne Rowe is farm manager for her parents on their 286ha, 920-cow property. Photo / Paul Sutherland

The 2023 Bay of Plenty Dairy Industry Awards were held at the weekend with Pongakawa’s Dayna Rowe named runner-up in the dairy manager category.

She won $3800 and two merit awards.

Dayna is farm manager for her parents, Grant and Ngaire Rowe, on their 286ha, 920-cow property.

She was the 2021 Bay of Plenty Dairy Trainee of the Year and national runner-up, and says entering the awards was an easy choice to make.

“I’ve always entered for judging and feedback, and the dairy trainee experience was about personal development for me, and this year I entered for the feedback and advice as we head into our first season contract milking.”

Dayna is involved with environmental projects within her community and is also part of the Dairy Environment Leaders group.

“I see a clear pathway for myself and my partner to continue to farm this land for the rest of my life, and hopefully have a family on this land that get to call our farm home too.”

Dayna is embracing new technology on the farm.

“It’s rapidly enhancing how sustainable and future-forward farming can be for our environment and our people.”

The 24-year-old says the weather has been a massive management challenge this season.

“I have been so lucky to have worked in pretty incredible conditions and warm winters, so this has been a massive learning curve of farm management, and putting to use my ‘circles of management’, where I categorise the situation into the circle in my control or out of my control.

“The weather is not in my control, but how I manage my pasture and people is.”

Dayna says being awarded runner-up on a national level in the awards programme is one of her biggest achievements.

“Being nationally recognised gave me a platform to begin speaking about farming and why I’m passionate about it, and encouraging positive media around farming.”

She identifies her farm owners and parents as the biggest strength of the business.

“Ngaire and Grant aren’t stuck with their heads in a hole — they are willing to try new things to benefit our environment, our people, our cows and their business.”

Dayna also won the Pioneer Brand Products Pasture and Feed Management and Stem Rural Accountants Personal Planning and Financial Management awards.

Cameron and Jessica Lea, of Ōpōtiki, won the region’s Share Farmer of the Year category while Chihiro Hanyuda from Galatea was named 2023 Dairy Manager of the Year.