Weekender: Filipino couple loving farm life

Ngakuru farm managers Angela and Mike Sales have their future mapped out in the dairying industry after migrating from the Philippines in 2007. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER

It has been a long journey from the humid Cagayan Valley in northern Philippines to a milking shed on the Central Plateau for farm managers Mike and Angela Sales.

The couple, both 37, had no trouble passing dairying qualifications but it was the rural Kiwi slang which often caught them out, Mike says.

The first few months were a struggle coming to grips with the down-to-earth vernacular as well as understand farming.

They would take the literal meaning when asked to "jump on the bike", or "shoot down to the shed", he says.

When their son, Maximilian, was asked to bring a plate to a school function, Angela packed him a plate, plus knife and fork - only to find out food was required as well.

They now laugh about their baptism working in a new country.

"It only made us more determined to succeed," Mike says. "We came from a third world economy where one job vacancy attracts 5000 applicants - we were grateful for work."

The university graduates, who worked as managers in Manila, arrived in Rotorua in June 2007 on six-month working visas under Immigration New Zealand's Skilled Migrants Scheme.

Neither Mike, an agricultural science masters graduate, or Angela, a biological science graduate majoring in microbiology, had any rural background.

"We knew the theory but had no practical farming knowledge," Mike says.

Within two weeks they were milking 1000 cows twice a day on Richard Maxwell's 330 hectare farm at Reporoa.

They have managed Greenacres Farm, owned by Mark Keaney, in Ngakuru, milking 640 cows for four seasons and in June will shift to Napier to milk 1200 cows on another farm owned by Mark.

"We got experience the hard way," Angela says. "Our first day was pretty rough. We didn't really have proper clothing and arrived with new boots and fleeces - we both froze and the boots needed to be replaced after the first week."

The RD1 store became a popular destination, she says.

In spite of the obvious cultural and employment hiccups, the pair, together with their two young children Maximilian and Francine, persevered.

They applied for Primary ITO farm training courses to build up their knowledge. "We upgraded our skills at every point, learning the Kiwi way of doing things as we went."

The former office workers also found farming a physical activity with Mike losing 10kg in three months.

The support from employers, farming discussion groups and other migrants helped them to understand farming was a business, not just milking cows, Mike says.

"Our first aim was to work on the farm until we got our residency and then seek other employment more suited to our qualifications. But the more we learnt, the more we enjoyed it."

They have invested their life in the dairy industry to provide for their children, he says.

"We have a good balance between family and work.
"We feel there is so much future in dairying, there are so many opportunities, and the world needs feeding."

The couple's Baptist faith also plays a role.

"Mark (Keaney) is our employer but He (God) is the big boss who looks over us."

There are approximately 1100 Filipino farm workers in New Zealand (half of all migrant farm workers).
Filipinos are sought after by farm owners for their work ethic and skills.
Farm manager salaries range between $60,000 - $120,000.- Statistics NZ