Kaitāia’s Jesse and Sharon Bagley are Northland share farmers of the year

Kaitāia’s Jesse and Sharon Bagley are the 2025 Northland Share Farmers of the Year.

No two days in the Far North are the same, and that ability to deal with the unexpected, while making the work days enjoyable and rewarding, is the mantra of Northland’s latest share farmers of the year.

Kaitāia’s Jesse and Sharon Bagley were named winners of the 2025 Northland Share Farmer of the Year at the region’s annual awards dinner held at Copthorne Hotel and Resort Bay of Islands in Waitangi on Saturday night.

The other major winners were Courtney West, the 2025 Northland Dairy Manager of the Year, with Saffrin Sutcliffe named the region’s Dairy Trainee of the Year.

Due to the minimum number of finalists not being reached, Northland Share Farmer entrants’ scores were benchmarked against the national average, with data collated from the 10 other regions. This also means merit awards are given if the entrant achieved at the right level.

The Bagleys are first-time entrants who were both born and bred on dairy farms and began their careers in the industry at 15.

“Sharon began as a fulltime milk harvester and I was a farm assistant,” Jesse said.

“We are proud we’ve worked our way up to be contract milkers and 50/50 equity partners.“

The couple work on the Te Rarawa Farming Ltd 330ha Kaitāia property, milking 1150 cows. They won $5495 in prizes and three merit awards.

The Bagleys would like to see steady milk prices and an improvement in water consumption. The couple identify low staff numbers, terrible winters, and “days where everything you touch breaks” as challenges they have worked through.

“You just have to remember that it all gets easier at some point,” Sharon said. “Just take one day at a time.”

The couple identify their farming general knowledge as a strength, along with the ability to keep costs down by being able fix machinery through DIY and Kiwi ingenuity. Future farming goals include farm ownership in the near future.

Runners-up in the category were Zarnie Fergusson and William Richards who are 50/50 sharemilking on Keith Willis’ 124ha farm at Kaukapakapa, milking 290 cows. They won $1595 in prizes and three merit awards.

The first-time entrants believe that the future dairy farmer needs to be a conscientious farmer, focusing on positive outcomes not just in production but in sustainability, all while prioritising animal welfare.

“Every day we are working for growth – growth of the business, of the herd, of the grass,” say the couple. “There’s no better way to see the impact you’re achieving than to be out there every day, taking in the tiny changes which add up to so much more.”

The 2025 Northland Dairy Manager of the Year is Courtney West

The 2025 Northland Dairy Manager of the Year is Courtney West, who won $4198 and five merit awards. She was runner-up in the same category last year and placed third in the Manawatū Dairy Trainee category in 2023.

The 26-year-old is farm manager on Greg Partington and Nicola Murray’s 147ha, 350-cow Tomarata farm. She placed third in the 2023 Manawatū Dairy Trainee category.

She holds a diploma in Adventure Tourism Management and has completed Primary ITO courses in milk harvesting, livestock husbandry, and pastoral livestock production.

Future farming goals include continuing to gain more knowledge and skills in her current role with plans for future study to become a dairy cow nutritionist.

Runner-up was Michaela McCracken who won $1298 in prizes and one merit award.

The 25-year-old is farm manager for Greg and Ingrid McCracken on their 175ha Wellsford property, milking 375 cows. She was runner-up in the 2024 Northland dairy trainee category.

Aidan Clark, 23, placed third and won $1255. He works on Scott Parker and Anna Mahy’s 90ha Kaiwaka farm, milking 233 cows.

Saffrin Sutcliffe is Northland’s Dairy Trainee of the Year

The Northland Dairy Trainee of the Year is Saffrin Sutcliffe who is farm assistant on Harry de Jong’s 320-cow, 185ha property at Waiotira. She won $4705 in prizes and one merit award.

“I just love farming, and I want to go far in the industry,” she says. “I always want to always ask ‘why’.”

Saffrin acknowledges her dyslexia as a challenge but is proud it has not stopped her from completing the Whangārei A&P Society’s Farm Intern Programme, in conjunction with Land Based Training courses.

“I’m gaining confidence, and in four years I want to be confidently managing and saving to be a contract milker.”

The 19-year-old cites receiving the Emerging Talent merit award last year as one of her biggest successes.

“Even on the hard days I don’t want to be doing anything else.”

Runner-up was Amelia Mitchell who is farm assistant on Fonterra’s 474ha, 250-cow Hikurangi property. She won $1252 in prizes and one merit award.

Third placegetter was Holly Cook, a farm assistant on Luke Oud’s 190ha Ruawai property, milking 450 cows. She won $1250 in prizes.

Further details on the winners can be found at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.