Waikato Dairy Manager of the Year Matthew Macdonald.
A past Dairy Industry Awards winner and cancer survivor is helping organise this year’s event.
Matt Macdonald, the 2024 Waikato Dairy Manager of the Year, has been busy as a “team leader” in the same category for the 2025 edition.
This has involved getting entrants “on board” and helping them with their required presentations.
“It’s journeying with them,” Macdonald said.
He is also serving on the Waikato Dairy Industry Awards organising committee, which has run events for entrants, including a recent quiz night in Cambridge.
The 26-year-old manages his parents’ 74ha dairy farm, running 255 cows at Gordonton, near Hamilton.
Macdonald said the Dairy Industry Awards programme saw him thoroughly analyse his farm management and financial practices.
“I was able to delve deeper into information on production and pasture figures.”
This resulted in changes to aspects of his role relating to spring pasture management and supplements while also identifying a soil problem solved via a fertiliser plan, resulting in increased pasture growth.
Macdonald also pursued a greater use of technology on the farm, using Datamars smart collars to monitor heat and health events, which helped him achieve better mating performance and conception rates.
Growing up on the family farm, he was hands-on from the outset.
Plans to start farming were initially halted after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma while still at secondary school.
Macdonald said the blood cancer in his chest and neck required a stem cell transplant and radiation treatment, leaving him with significant fatigue and needing recovery time.
Despite these setbacks, he went on to complete a Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree at Massey University, majoring in agriculture, supported by a three-year DairyNZ scholarship.
“I figured that the degree provided a safety net in case I couldn’t continue with farming,” he said.
After finishing his degree, he regained the strength and energy for farm work.
He spent two seasons at DairyNZ’s Scott Farm, near Hamilton, before returning to manage the family farm owned by his parents, David and Jenny Macdonald.
“I liaise with Dad over all the decisions such as pasture, breeding, feeding and other day-to-day activities,” he said.
“I always have lots of ideas, and he’s really good at letting me try new things.”
Macdonald said he “didn’t know much” about the Dairy Industry Awards but was encouraged to enter by a former Waikato winner, Andrew Macky.
For his entry, Macdonald had to prepare a presentation to the judges on-farm, including pasture and feed; livestock; people and personnel; environmental; and innovation.
He also had to cover past achievements, farm history, key farm facts about the business, and both farm and personal goals.
Next came a tour of the cowshed, the herd, a paddock and the effluent system.
“Each topic had to be discussed in depth with the judges on how I was managing each aspect of the farm system and how my decisions were influencing outcomes,” he said.
He was also questioned about any environmental and technological innovations on the farm.
While claiming the Waikato Dairy Manager of the Year title, Macdonald also took home the DeLaval Livestock Management Award, the Trinity Lands Environmental Sustainability Award, and the Cow Manager, Personal Planning and Financial Management Award.
Judges praised his attention to detail and comprehensive approach to farm management.
Comments included:
Livestock: “The extensive reporting documentation you provided for your herd clearly demonstrated superior management practices.”
People and personal: “You clearly have well thought-out goals for your future. This was an impressive presentation of clearly defined strengths and opportunities and budgets to support your goals and future aspirations.”
Environment and sustainability: “Well-thought opinions of climate change were well articulated to judges. Once again, your response was impressive.”
With his Waikato win, Macdonald qualified for the National Dairy Industry Awards in Queenstown.
This saw him go through a further round of on-farm judging and another presentation.
“It was a great learning experience.”
Macdonald said he thoroughly enjoyed both the physical aspect of working outside with animals and the science behind pasture and getting milk into the vat.
“Being part of the backbone of New Zealand and providing food and fibre to the world is awesome.”
Read more Coast & Country News stories here.
He also values working with knowledgeable people in the industry and learning from them.
He sees technology as an important part of the future of dairy farming but believes that the success of the industry depends on its affordability and keeping past and future farmers upskilled.
The next step for Macdonald would be to bring in a manager on the home property while he oversees its operations and takes up a sharemilking opportunity on another farm.
With his personal health to consider, he said, ultimately, he would like to pursue a career as a farm adviser.