Ashburton Courier: September 24, 2020

www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
RURAL/LIFESTYLE
Ashburton Courier, September 24, 2020
15
People first in Miller ‘farmily’
TONI.WILLIAMS
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz
Dairy farmerRebecca Miller
likes to keep her finger on the
pulse of thedairy industry.
Keepingherself up to date
with industry knowledge helps
not only her farm business, but
also helps others.
Shehas been involved with
the DairyWomen’s Network
(DWN) for thepast 12 yearsas
aconvenerand facilitator and
is now businessgroup leader
of Ashburton. Sheisalso
Federated Farmers Mid
Canterburysharemilker
section chair and has done
Good Boss campaign project
work with DairyNZ as wellas
other projects.
Sheset up the district’s
DWN while living in South
Canterbury.
Just four peopleturned up to
the first sessionbut numbers
have growntoaround50.
‘‘I felt it was just whatwas
needed,’’she said,ofthe
connectionsthe group gave to
rural women.
Rebecca is the eldest of four
siblings,and enjoys being an
organiser, especially of events.
Shesaid shehad been on
some formofcouncil sinceshe
was 11.
Rebecca has notalways lived
arural life, she was born in
Aucklandand raised on farms;
her parents were contract
milkersfor many years and she
spent time working in
corporate national and
international sales, marketing
and analystroles.
There were multiple shifts
around theNorth Island from
year to year as theyfollowed
the dairyseason.
The longesttime spent in any
one place wasfiveyears.
LookingbackRebecca,42,
found thosemoves difficult,
especially as the eldest child.
There were household jobsto
get donewhileMum andDad
were out on the farm.
Manyofthose learnings have
shaped thewayshe,and
husband Brent, 40, have raised
their ownthree children,
Blake, 15, Blair,12and
Rhianna, 10, andrun their
farm businesses and treated
staff.
Rebecca and Brenthave
known each other since they
were in theirlate teens and
share asimilarlifephilosophy
Brent and Rebecca Miller on farm.
so workwelltogether.
‘‘I’m extremelylucky he has
my back through everything,’’
she said.
They are big on ‘‘farmily’’, a
balance between working/
living on farm and family.
‘‘Everypersondeserves to be
protected in aworking
environment –not only their
physical but psychological
being as well. With farmily we
wouldlove to create a
movement, at all levelsof
primary industry to connect,
collaborate, andcommunicate.
‘‘Having aconnected
working environment with
everyoneonboard is where the
magic starts. It’s not only more
productive andhealthy but
profitable because your team
is on board andengaged.’’
The couple, under their
company name MilkIQ, are
sharemilkers on two farms.
River TerraceDairy, is 336
hectares effective on Withells
Roads, Ealing, milking 1150
friesian/jersey crossherd, in a
60 bail rotary, and homefor six
years.
NearbyEalingPasturesfarm
is around400 hectares from
Maronan Ealingroadto
Withells Road (it spans across
fourroads in Ealing), milking
1450 cows withsix full­time
staff. The Millers are in their
second season on Ealing
Pastures.
Thefarms supply Fonterra
and across both farmsthey
have amix of newand
seasoned staff, somewho had
been with the couplefor many
years.
Rebecca says retaining staff
is important, especiallythose
with young families,and they
had awork practice to have
everyone on farmlearning all
processes on farm.
It meantthere were few
knowledge gapswhen people
weresickorneededtime away.
It also helped them run asix
days­on, two days­off roster,
with staffworking an average
42­hour week.
Thekey was daily
communication and nipping
issuesinthe bud, shesaid.
‘‘This team has been really
resilient. We live wherewe
workand everyone has value,’’
she said.
MilkIQ was away to put more
intelligence into their
businesses.
TheMilkIQ website is
constantly being updated and
plansare in place for anew
project, Land Events. It’s an
information platform to
benefitother farmers and
primary industrygroups.
It will focus on events being
heldbygroups, organisations
andpeopleworking in the
PHOTO: NATWICK STUDIOS
primary industriesand give
people one place they can
access theinformation,
Rebecca says.
She is hopingitwill stop
double­up events beingheld by
industry members andallow
more collaboration.
The couple‘‘threw their hat
in the ring’’ to see how they
were tracking on theRiver
Terrace farm(with owners
Andrewand RacheleMorris)
and enteredthe Dairy
Business of the Year in 2019.
They placedrunner­up,and
won best Canterbury farm
performance, best people
performanceand leadership,
and business resilience lowest
cost of productionper kg/ms.
In 2020, theywon the same
award categories and also won
the mediuminputwith best
financials.
‘‘Our passion is people. We
have ideas how to developand
engage ateam.’’
Peoplewereone of the most
important aspect of their
business modelusinga
septuple bottomline.
‘‘If everything elseis
working(withyour staff), profit
will happen anyway,’’ she said.
They were looking, in the
future,topackage their
processes to others through
their website and various
online channels.
IN BRIEF
MUSTERERSRUGBY
Rakaia Gorge Musterers willtake
on Methven Binacharity rugby
matchatthe Methven rugby
grounds this Saturday. Acollection
bucketwill be on site for donations
and there will also be acharity
auction after thegame. All proceeds
raisedwill go to St John ambulance.
Theannual eventhas beenrun
for the past 63 years, althoughnot
consecutively, andtraditionally
played at the end of the autumn
muster.
Musterers team manager Paul
Ensor said aUnder 8s and 9s
curtain raiserwould begin at
1.30pm with the maingamefrom
2.30pm.
GOODYARN
WORKSHOP
RuralSupport Trust is hosting afree
Goodyarn WorkshoponNovember
9atAshburtonSeniors Centre, on
Cameron Street, from 11amto2pm.
It’s designed to help people
recognise and respondtofriends,
family, colleagues or customers
suffering fromstressormental
illness. It is aimedatanyone living
or working in the ruralcommunity.
Anyone interested canRSVPtorst.
midcanterbury@gmail.comor027
6488379 by November4.
INSPIRATIONAL
SPEAKER
Rural Support Trust Mid Canterbury
haveorganisedmotivational
speaker TonyChristiansentospeak
at the Hinds CommunityHall on
November16.
Tony is aworld-leading
motivational andinspirational
speaker who is humorous, bold and
straighttalkingasheshareshis life
story. He hasnolegs,the result of a
horrific train accidentwhenhewas
nine,yet has aremarkable life. The
free ticketscan be bookedvia
https://www.trybooking.com
FARM SALES UP
Datafrom theRealEstate Institute
of NewZealand(REINZ) shows
therewere 121 more farmsalesfor
the three months ended August
2020than forthe sameperiod in
2019.
Overall,therewere 386 farm
salesinthe threemonths ended
August, compared to 341for the
threemonths ended July 2020.
The median price per hectare for
all farms sold in the three months to
August 2020 was$25,657
compared to $25,346in2019.
MindPlus
Wherelike-minds grow together
MindPlus is aprogramme forgifted 6-13 year olds that provides intellectual,creative, social and emotional learning and support.
Children come together,with aspecialistteacher,for one day eachweek to engage in differentiated,strength-based learning experiences to further develop
their talents and agreaterunderstanding of themselves.
Operating forall State and integrated primaryand intermediate schools within the Canterburyregion at Ashburton Christian Schooland
Riccarton High School, Christchurch.Both teacher and parent referrals arewelcome.
Nowtaking referralsfor the2021 year.
REQUESTAREFERRAL PACK TODAY.
0800 769 243 |mindplus@nzcge.co.nz |www.nzcge.co.nz
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