Jai aiming for farm glory

Jai aiming for farm glory

Plain hard work and passion has seen a young Shannon dairy farmer in contention for a major prize at the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards this week.

Right now Jai Spalding, 25, is at the national finals in Tauranga having won the right to represent the Manawatū region at the preliminary final stage. He placed first overall in the Manawatū competition, also receiving merit awards for personal planning and farm financial management, and livestock management.”

Jai says entering the awards is a chance to learn more and “dive deeper” to improve daily practices and performance.

“I entered to benchmark where I am at and to learn from and connect with other industry professionals, and to have that critique so that I am able to grow myself as well,” he says.

Jai wasn’t brought up on a farm, nor is he from a farming background, but got a taste of farm life putting the cups on his first cow helping out on the farm of a family friend when he was 12.

He stuck at it, which led to part-time jobs relief milking at different farms at weekends while a student at Manawatū College. On wanting to leave school at 17, his mother gave him an ultimatum – he could leave on the proviso he had a fulltime job.

“So I applied for every farming job I could find,” he says.

He worked for a family-owned farm in Manawatū for two years before taking a post as farm assistant at a Pamū-owned farm in the Foxton/Shannon basin in 2019. He hasn’t looked back.

Jai took every opportunity to learn and before long was promoted to a 2IC position, then two years ago took the post as farm manager at an organic farm Tasman Dairy Organics.

Farming a herd of 330 cows organically on a 155-hectare farm was a real eye-opener.

“It’s rewarding, especially when you see the success and what the cows are able to produce, and the pasture we are able to grow,” he says. “There is a bit of a difference between us and the conventional system, but it will always come down to the way you manage your farm.”

Whatever happens at the national competition, just being involved in the dairy industry was hugely satisfying and a great career choice.

“I had a goal that I wanted to be a farm manager by the time I was 25,” he says. “I would recommend it to anyone. It’s a primo industry to be involved in but you have to go into it with your eyes wide open. If you are passionate about it there are so many things you can achieve.

“There are so many benefits. We’re lucky enough to live on the farm as a family.

“The ones that carry on with it are the ones that are there for the animals, the land, and to benefit themselves, their families, and the people they work with.

“As a farm manager you realise the biggest asset, especially in this industry, is people. It’s all about teamwork and as a team you can achieve good things,” he says, praising the help he has from 2IC Jacob Seymour and farm assistant Quentin Hakaraia.

Jai says times have changed for the better with more flexibility around rosters to create a work/life balance, which allows for a realistic amount of rostered time off.

“And good wages attract good people, too.”

The final part of the competition involved three national judges visiting the farm last week to hear him give a two-hour presentation on six key parts of dairy farming, while he had another interview with judges in Tauranga yesterday.