The major winners in the 2025 Waikato Dairy Industry Awards left corporate life and have embraced dairy farming and the opportunities it provides.
Fiona and Thomas Langford were announced winners of the region’s Share Farmer of the Year category at the Waikato Dairy Industry Awards dinner held at Claudelands Event Centre on March 13. The other big winners were Zac van Dorsten, who became the 2025 Waikato Dairy Manager of the Year, and Alex Diprose, the 2025 Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year.
The Langfords are equity partners and contract milkers for Marian and Jos van Loon on their 262ha, 1090-cow farm.
The first-time entrants have been interested in the awards programme for a while, and with their youngest child now two years old, it felt like the right time to enter.
Fiona (34) holds a Masters in Dietetics and Tom (33) a Bachelor of Food Science (Hons). They both began work in the Fonterra Technical Graduate Programme, with Fiona moving to Melbourne to work in the Nutritional’s team and Tom working with the Fonterra Nutrient Management team. Both have a Masters in Dairy Science and Technology which they completed during their time in the Fonterra programme.
“Tom had never been on a farm before we met,” explains Fiona.
“In June 2017, after a three-week crash course on-farm, I began managing our family farm, with Tom joining me in 2019.”
The couple say they chose farming because it provides great flexibility for family life and provides opportunities to grow equity quickly to meet their financial goals.
“We’re also passionate about training people into the dairy industry and providing a career path for them.”
The Langfords are involved in several roles in the community, including Putaruru Athletics Club, Puketurua Hall Committee, Putaruru Rangers FC, South Waikato Environment Initiative, their local playcentre and Te Waotu SSG.
The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors ASB, CowManager, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda, LIC, and Trelleborg, along with industry partners DairyNZ and MediaWorks.
Nicholas and Kirsty Verhoek were named runners-up in the Waikato Share Farmer category. Nicholas was the 2013 Manawatū/Rangitikei/Horowhenua Dairy Trainee of the Year and 2019 Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Manager of the Year category.
Nicholas and Kirsty are 50/50 sharemilkers on Hans Geessink’s 158ha Waitoa property, milking 720 cows.
Elizabeth Wilding placed third in the Share Farmer category and is in an equity partnership with Tony and Sally Wilding on a 140ha Tirau property, milking 465 cows.
This year, the Fonterra Emerging Talent Share Farmer Merit Award recipient, Sicelo Nene, received the Jeff Bolstad Memorial Trophy to honour the commitment Jeff gave to the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards and his community.
The winner of the 2025 Waikato Dairy Manager of the Year category is Zac van Dorsten. He is the farm manager for Louise and Tony Collingwood on their 165ha Otorohanga farm, milking 455 cows, and placed third in the same category in 2024.
Otorohanga farm manager Oliver Vincent was runner-up in the Dairy Manager category, working on Garry and Angela Vincent’s 95ha, 261-cow property. Farm manager Benjamin Schilt who placed third, works on Chris, Emma, John and Anne Poole’s 180ha, 401-cow farm at Pirongia.
The 2025 Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year is Alex Diprose who is 2IC on Colin and Jackie Dixon on their 167ha Horotiu property milking 460 cows.
Growing up on a dairy farm, Alex was determined not to follow in his dad’s farming footsteps and obtained a Diploma in Audio Engineering while co-founding a software company to support himself during study.
Alex returned home to try his hand at farming and quickly realised he loved it.
“I haven’t looked back since. No day ever feels wasted when you’ve spent it outside,” Alex says.
The 25-year-old has a strong passion for innovative technologies and environmental sustainability and believes the New Zealand dairy industry has significant potential for improvement in these areas.
Runner-up in the Dairy Trainee category was 19-year-old Levi Wesford who is 2IC on Matthew Weatherhead’s 100ha, 210-cow Maungakawa property. Future farming goals include progressing to a contract milking position with an end goal of farm ownership.
Third place in the Dairy Trainee category went to 24-year-old herd manager Danielle Brown, who works on Stephanie and Lance Kay’s 56ha, 200-cow Te Puninga farm.
The Waikato Dairy Industry Awards winners’ field day will be held on March 27 at 10am at 693 Huihuitaha Road, RD1 Putaruru 3481, S/N Fonterra 77860 where Fiona and Thomas Langford contract milk. Also presenting at the field day will be Zac van Dorsten and Alex Diprose. Further details on the winners and the field day can be found at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.
Share Farmer Merit Awards
- DairyNZ – People and Culture Award, Fiona and Thomas Langford
- Ecolab Total Farm Hygiene & Innovation Award, Nicholas and Kirsty Verhoek
- Federated Farmers Leadership Award, Fiona and Thomas Langford
- Honda Farm Safety, Health and Biosecurity Award, Fiona and Thomas Langford
- LIC – Animal Wellbeing, Recording and Productivity Award, Fiona and Thomas Langford
- Bluegrass Contracting Environmental Sustainability Award, Fiona and Thomas Langford
- Trelleborg Sustainable Pasture Award, Nicholas and Kirsty Verhoek
- ASB Business Performance Award, Elizabeth Wilding
- Fonterra Emerging Talent Award, Sicelo Nene
Dairy Manager Merit Awards
- CowManager Livestock Management Award, Benjamin Schilt
- Fonterra Dairy Management Award, Zac van Dorsten
- DeLaval Pasture & Feed Management Award, Zac van Dorsten
- Pioneer Brand Products Environmental Sustainability Award, Oliver Vincent
- Dairy Training Ltd People & Leadership Award, Oliver Vincent
- CooperAitken Accountants Personal Planning & Financial Management Award, Zac van Dorsten
- Figured Emerging Talent Award, Petra Randall
Dairy Trainee Merit Awards
- DairyNZ Practical Skills Award, Sam Stewart
- Waikato Farmers Trust Emerging Talent Award, Michelle Crawford
- Trinity Lands Ltd Farming Knowledge Award, Levi Wesford
- BlackmanSpargo Rural Law Ltd Communication & Industry Involvement Award, Danielle Brown
