What started as a side hustle for Kali Rangiawha, has grown into a fully-fledged contract milking business with partner Will Hinton, and on May 10, the pair were named share farmers of the year at the National Dairy Industry Awards (DIA).

Rangiawha began her dairy farming career over in Tasmania while studying nursing. She soon realised that nursing wasn’t for her, taking her relief milking to full-time dairy farming. After 3 years dairy farming in Australia, she moved back home to New Zealand and started working on a 950-cow dairy farm in Tokoroa.

“That’s where I picked up my most of my knowledge on dairy farming,” Rangiawha said.

United Kingdom-born Hinton began his agricultural career away from the milking shed, obtaining university qualifications in agriculture in the UK. Soon after, he built a farming partnership with his father, overseeing 500 sheep and 50 cows.

Swapping the books and farming in his home-country for the handpiece, Hinton began travelling around the world as a shearer before landing in New Zealand.

With two weeks left before his visa expired, Hinton asked Rangiawha to join him back in the UK, to which she replied, “Why not?”.

Rangiawha and Hinton now aim to start 50/50 sharemilking on a 500-cow property. With their previous production increase records, they are confident they can deliver.
NATIONAL DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS/SUPPLIED

“I sold everything I owned and we moved back to the UK. We were there for six months and then we both decided that New Zealand was where it’s at, so we moved back home,” Rangiawha said.

It was tough for Hinton to leave the UK and the partnership with his father, as his surname links back to UK farming heritage.

“It’s in the blood, and there’s a huge drive to put that surname to justice … It was quite hard to turn around to mum and dad and say, look it’s greener halfway across the world, I’ve gotta go. But they were real supportive.”

Back on Kiwi soil, the pair returned to their dairy farming and shearing jobs until Rangiawha fell pregnant. Hinton then began farm consulting and after their first baby boy Rylan was born in 2018, Rangiawha was itching to get back to work.

As Hinton continued farm consulting, Rangiawha got stuck into contract milking, starting off with 160 cows. Hinton also leant a hand.

Three children and a few contract farms later, the pair are now contract milking on a 350-cow, 113 hectare Halcombe farm.

If Rangiawha could sum up what earned them the accolade of share farmer of the year, it would be teamwork. It was a case of opposites attract, with each working to the other’s strengths.

“Kali doesn’t really do herself justice. After she had our second child, the next day she was out bagging a down-cow. She’s got no kill switch this girl, it’s quite inspiring really.”

Rangiawha and Hinton with their three children; (L-R) Rylan (5), Blake (1) and Billy (2).
NATIONAL DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS/SUPPLIED

Hinton’s pasture presentation for the awards left one judge with learnings he didn’t know he needed.

“Will really smashed that presentation on another level. One of the judges mentioned that he considers himself to know a lot about pasture and dairy farming, but he actually learned stuff from the spreadsheet Will gave on pasture and environment. It was amazing to watch to be honest,” Rangiawha said.

Looking ahead, Rangiawha and Hinton are on the look-out for a 500-cow property to go 50/50 share milking on in a year’s time.

There was strong competition amongst all of the national dairy award finalists, whose knowledge extended from greenhouse gases to pasture nutrients.

The other award winners were Kieran McCahon from Northland took out the Dairy Manager of the Year, Waikato-based Kirwyn Ellis, Dairy Trainee of the Year, and another James and Debbie Stewart who claimed the Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award.

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