A newbie’s perspectives on dairy farming | Ep. 47

05/04/2023 25 min
A newbie’s perspectives on dairy farming | Ep. 47

Listen "A newbie’s perspectives on dairy farming | Ep. 47"

Episode Synopsis

What’s it like coming into the dairy sector with no experience? How can farm employers make it a softer landing for newbies and increase our chances of them succeeding and remaining in farming? What can we learn from seeing dairy farming through the eyes of a new employee? Step on up John Gibson, who’s in his second season and has just taken on a 2IC role in Te Pahu, west of Hamilton. Hear John's story of leaving behind Government and retail work in Wellington for a new career in dairy farming. You’ll hear the good, the bad and the funny, as well as why he decided to make the lifestyle change. He shares his views on how we can make it a smoother transition for other newcomers. NotesRecruitment - DairyNZGoDairy - DairyNZChapters1.33 – John’s non-farming background2.33 – Persuaded to go dairy farming3.55 – First impressions, early mistakes, ‘farm common sense’7.37 – Discovering a love for farming9.03 – Biggest challenges: physical demands, new lifestyle, internet12.04 – Why he stayed14.59 – Thoughts on rural internet connectivity16.53 – Another ‘newbie’ moment18.18 – Goals, upskilling, working towards herd ownership20.17 – Advice for farm employers23.19 – Advice for people starting out in dairy farming Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected] Connect with DairyNZ Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected