Since arriving they have worked in herd manager roles in Cambridge milking up to 420 cows before moving to Reporoa with a 50/50 sharemilking position for three seasons.
They have been on the Whirinaki Valley Rd property, owned by Ron and Jan Hall, for one season as 50/50 sharemilkers milking 275 cows.
Johan describes himself as a "one-man band" on the farm, while his wife Theona is the "number cruncher".
Every fortnight he walks the 97-effective-hectare farm with his "cow dog" Pepsi, and a pencil and piece of cardboard for company.
Johan jots down figures at each paddock to evaluate pasture growth and compare to the previous figures.
The walks, together with regular meetings with owners, are crucial to the efficient running of the farm.
Theona's meticulous accounting background helps to analyse the figures from Johan's walks, compiling detailed graphs to show where the farm production is heading.
The number crunching is the key in the successful partnership, and impressed the NZDIA judging panel.
"We do a lot of budgets, which we regard as living documents, as we keep monitoring to know our break-even points, and how much milk solids to produce to make money for the farm," Theona says.
"The key is to collect and analyse accurate data to find the best methods and solutions."
"Growing grass is the cheapest way of putting milk in the vat, and it is important to link growth rate with what's happening in the paddock," says Johan.
"My motto is a short pencil is always better than a long memory.
"What I see on my walks and what I write down on the piece of cardboard is what is actually happening with grass growth and when to put cows into graze on each paddock."
The production "break-even point" for the current season is 99,919 kg/milksolids.
Last season farm production was 1290 MS/kg from a 2.8 cow/ha stocking rate, producing an operating profit of $2.27 kg/MS.
The couple are targeting harvest of 12.5 tonnes this season, or 35kg/ha, from pastures which are a mix of 51 per cent ryegrass and 20 per cent cocksfoot, with red and white clover, and plantain.
The couple's goals are to work hard to enable their family to gain a good education, as they build equity towards owning their own farm.
"Set your goals, break them down and go hard to achieve them," says Theona.
-Johan and Theona Blom will join Central Plateau regional award winners, Nathan and Elri Levin, (Farm Managers of the Year), and Gerard van der Mark (Farm Trainee of the Year), at the national finals in Auckland on May 2.
