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www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
Maria loves NZ dairy lifestyle<br />
TONI.WILLIAMS<br />
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
Maria Alvarez is breathing a<br />
sigh of relief after havingthe<br />
NewZealand Dairy Industry<br />
Awardsnational judgingpanel<br />
on farm earlier this week.<br />
She is anational finalist in<br />
theDairy Manager of the Year<br />
awards, after winning the<br />
Canterbury/NorthOtago<br />
regional title. National<br />
winners will be announced in<br />
Hamilton on <strong>May</strong>15.<br />
Maria wasdrawn to New<br />
Zealandbyphotographs of a<br />
friend’sworking holiday.<br />
Those photographs started<br />
her on ajourney across the<br />
world to work in the dairy<br />
industry.<br />
She arrivedin NewZealand<br />
in 2013and initially worked in<br />
an apple orchard in Hawkes<br />
Bay.But she was raised on a<br />
medium sized 580hectare beef<br />
farm in Argentinaand was<br />
keentoget back to animal<br />
farming.<br />
It led her to dairying and an<br />
entry levelrole with Scott and<br />
HelenSearle at Rakaia.<br />
Scott was afarm supervisor<br />
withDairy Holdings at the<br />
time and Maria quickly moved<br />
up the ranks from farm<br />
assistantto 2IC then manager.<br />
Over afourand ahalf year<br />
period she alsoworked on a<br />
dairyfarm in Australia,<br />
returned to Argentina fora<br />
Maria Alvarez, with 10monthold Joe, enjoys working outside<br />
and with animals.<br />
PHOTO TONI WILLIAMS<br />
short stint and cameback to<br />
NewZealandtoworkat<br />
<strong>May</strong>field, alongside the<br />
Searles on their familyowned<br />
farm. By the timecovid<br />
lockdownhit she wassettled<br />
working as afarm manager for<br />
Dairy Holdings’Vervet<br />
Holdings farm, near<br />
Coldstream.<br />
It’s a180ha property milking<br />
660 cows in a40baleinternal<br />
rotary with automatic cup<br />
removers.<br />
Untilcovid hit in early2020<br />
shehad regular visitsoffamily<br />
from Argentina each year.<br />
Herolder brother Juan, who<br />
was holidaying in New<br />
Zealand at the time, got stuck<br />
on thefarm for three months<br />
with Maria,whichshe loved.<br />
And he was abletowork<br />
online; hisemployer in<br />
Argentina arranged for a<br />
computer to be senttohim<br />
from Auckland.<br />
Maria has astrong<br />
connectionwith theLatina<br />
community in Mid Canterbury<br />
who have regular gatherings<br />
andsocial events. Sheis a<br />
member of the Dairy Women’s<br />
Network,whichruns industry<br />
eventsand conferences to<br />
encourage and support women<br />
in the industry.<br />
Maria has an agricultural<br />
engineering degree from<br />
Argentina butisplanning on<br />
completingaDiplomain<br />
Agribusiness once her New<br />
Zealand residency application<br />
is accepted.<br />
It’s beenabit of awaiting<br />
game. She appliedin<br />
September 2019 and is still on<br />
awork visa,sponsored by<br />
Dairy Holdings.<br />
In her timeatthe helmshe<br />
has improvedon last year’s<br />
reproductionperformance.<br />
She wouldalsoliketobecome<br />
acontract milker andhaveher<br />
own herd.<br />
“I love farming because<br />
every day is different,and I<br />
reallyenjoyworking outside<br />
andwith animals.”<br />
Maria credits her team with<br />
helping get through last year’s<br />
busy calvingseason.She has<br />
three fulltimestaff and a<br />
supportive supervisor at Dairy<br />
Holdings.<br />
“One of my biggest successes<br />
is being able to go to work<br />
every morning withasmile on<br />
my facebecause Ilovewhat I<br />
do. I’vegot an awesome team.”<br />
Farmers optimistic over water plan<br />
Mid Canterburyfarming leaders say high<br />
leveldiscussions havebeenheld to<br />
incorporateexisting landand water rules<br />
for the Hinds plainscatchment intothe<br />
National Policy Statement for Freshwater<br />
Management.<br />
Farming,civic and business leaders<br />
havebeen lobbying Environment Minister<br />
David Parkerfor timetomeetnew<br />
freshwater managementtargetsimposed<br />
last year.Theysay farmers arealready on<br />
astepchange path to improvement, as<br />
dictated by Plan Change 2inEnvironment<br />
Canterbury’s land and waterplan.<br />
Hinds farmer Peter Lowe was partofthe<br />
communitygroupthat metMrParker over<br />
reforms considered unachievableinsome<br />
parts of his district.<br />
Mr Lowe said the ministerwas well<br />
aware of the district’s historical water<br />
quality issuesand whatfarmers were<br />
doingtorectify the problemofnitrates<br />
leachingintogroundwater. But the onesizefitsall<br />
national targets wereunlikely<br />
to change.<br />
The ministry has, however, provided<br />
guidance to Ecanabout the<br />
implementationofthe freshwater<br />
regulations in its patch.<br />
Mr Lowe said Ecanwas committed to<br />
workingwith farmers, recognised the<br />
6.9mg/l nitrate in PC2 wasambitious and<br />
aware of needingtocontinue to engage<br />
withfarmers and keepthe momentum<br />
going.<br />
At ahigh level,they wanted to include<br />
PC2 intothe national freshwater<br />
regulations, he said.<br />
Farmers in the HindsPlainsareahave<br />
beenchanging farm practices,reducing<br />
nitrogen fertiliser use and implementing<br />
farm environment plans to reduce nitrate<br />
leaching.<br />
They are also been partofamanaged<br />
aquifer recharge network thattakes<br />
stockwater sourced from the Rangitata<br />
River andallowed to filter downinto<br />
undergroundaquifers through ‘‘leaky’’<br />
ponds.<br />
Mr Lowe saidEcanhad led the country<br />
with water rules but had beentold the<br />
regional council would notbeamong the<br />
first to do aplan under the newfreshwater<br />
management policy.<br />
‘‘I congratulatethem for that. Ithink it is<br />
timefor themtostepback and see how it<br />
is going to playout.’’<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong>mayorNeilBrown waspart<br />
of the <strong>Ashburton</strong> District Council team<br />
making submissions to Ecanthis week on<br />
its longterm plan.Council does not<br />
support Ecan’s proposedbig rate rise, in<br />
which millions will be spentrewriting<br />
landand water planstogiveeffect to the<br />
new freshwaterpolicy, which has a<br />
blanket nitrate in freshwatertarget of 2.4.<br />
RURAL<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> <strong>Courier</strong>, <strong>May</strong> 6, <strong>2021</strong><br />
23<br />
Spending<br />
family time<br />
off farm<br />
Evening quiz nights and arural<br />
community ball have been<br />
organised by Farming Families<br />
to encouragerural families in<br />
Mid Canterbury to spend some<br />
quality time off farm.<br />
The Farming Families group<br />
is made up of farmersand rural<br />
professionals.<br />
Members Craig Wiggins,<br />
Bruce Taylor, Frances Beeston,<br />
George Lumsden, Jayne<br />
Openshaw and RebeccaMiller<br />
are keen to see the rural<br />
community get together for<br />
some fun, family friendly<br />
events.<br />
They wanttounite and<br />
support people in their rural<br />
community with events that will<br />
uplift and createstronger<br />
relationships.<br />
They had also set up a<br />
Farming Families Facebook<br />
pagetokeeppeople up to date<br />
withtheir events.<br />
Mr Taylor said the rural<br />
community was facing afew<br />
issues at themoment andthe<br />
upcoming events were achance<br />
for those dealing with those<br />
issues to spend timeaway from<br />
daytoday operations with<br />
others.<br />
Eachquiz has its own theme<br />
and is for teams offour to six<br />
people.<br />
Entrycosts $10 perperson.<br />
The firstquiz, at Methven<br />
Racecourselast week, hada<br />
duckshooting theme, and the<br />
second,atSouthern Rugby Club<br />
in Hinds on <strong>May</strong> 7, asports<br />
theme.<br />
Numbersfor both quiz nights<br />
were limited to 120people and<br />
there weresomegreat prizes up<br />
for grabs, Mr Taylor said.<br />
The MidCanterbury Rural<br />
Community Ball, touted as a<br />
glamorous affair,isbeing held<br />
at the Hotel<strong>Ashburton</strong>onJune<br />
12.<br />
Earlybird tickets, costing $65<br />
each, werelimited to people<br />
withrural addresses and,<br />
dependingonnumbers, would<br />
beopenedup to the general<br />
public for $75eachafter<strong>May</strong>1.<br />
The evening includes the<br />
entertainment of country singer<br />
JodyDireen and asilent charity<br />
auctionwith somegenerous<br />
donationsfrom sponsorsofthe<br />
event,including Farm Source,<br />
Quigley Contracting and<br />
Ravensdown, Mr Taylor said.<br />
• DairyNZ accredited<br />
EffluentPondDesign<br />
andConstruction<br />
• Pond Constructionand<br />
Irrigation Development<br />
• Hedgeand Stump<br />
Removal<br />
• Farm Conversions<br />
• DairyTracks–<br />
Lime or Gravel<br />
• PumpHire<br />
• Wellsand Galleries<br />
• Bulk Earthworks<br />
• Subdivisions<br />
• Site Works<br />
• Tree Shear<br />
• Transportation<br />
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