“Tom and I sat down together, discussed what we were doing well and where we wanted to improve.”
She said three experts also assessed them and gave valuable feedback.
“It’s not often that you get experts from different areas of your business come together and give you that feedback.”
Tom grew up in town and hadn’t set foot on a dairy farm until meeting Fiona.
“I was very much green,” he said.
“It was certainly a surprise for Fiona’s parents when I introduced myself and told them I’d never been on a dairy farm.”
He said entering the awards helped benchmark their performance against others in the sector.
“We didn’t expect to win,” he said.
“We [saw] it as an opportunity to look at ourselves and where we could improve our business, and so we were really surprised with the result that we were able to achieve.”
Both Fiona and Tom hold science degrees–Fiona, a Master’s in Dietetics and Tom, a Bachelor of Food Science (Hons).
They met during Fonterra’s Graduate Technical Programme and both have a Master’s in Dairy Science and Technology, which they completed during their time in this programme.
Eventually, they leapt from corporate careers to farming, a move which Tom said was financially and personally rewarding.
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Even though Tom had no experience on a dairy farm, he said a redundancy offer spurred his decision to take the plunge.
“We never looked back after that,” he said.
Fiona said the awards offered far more than a trophy.
“There are so many other things that you get out of the process as well.
“The industry connections, the networking, even just meeting the judges, people that you may otherwise not have met, and it just opens other doors as well.”
She said the awards enabled them to meet trainees and managers who had also applied, therefore opening up a potential staffing talent pool.
“I think along the way you learn a lot about yourself, too, and you might surprise yourself,” she said.
Tom agreed.
“The dairy industry has been amazing for us and the opportunities that we have in the future.”
He said the couple had taken on a second farm this season, something he didn’t consider an option previously.
“We’re running two farms, nearly 2000 cows; I certainly didn’t think we’d be doing that six years ago.
“That’s the trajectory that you can achieve in the dairy industry, and I think the Dairy Industry Awards have certainly helped us along that journey.”
Entries for the 2026 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are open now and close on December 5.
Early bird entries are eligible for prizes if submitted before October 27.
Tom encouraged those considering entering to get in touch.
“If you’re thinking about it, if you’re on the fence, if you need someone to talk to, you can reach out to us, or anyone in the regions.
“There’s plenty of information on the Dairy Industry Awards website.”
Now, as well as share farming, the couple also share parenting duties for their three young sons, aged six, four and two.
Overall, farming life is the life for the Langford family, and being named Share Farmers of the Year is the icing on the cake.
“We’re very pleased with the decision to move away from the corporate world and onto the farm,” Tom said.
For more information or to enter, visit dairyindustryawards.co.nz
