A young man who originally did not want to be a farmer is reaching new heights in the industry.

Alex Diprose, the 2025 Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year at the New Zealand Dairy Awards, has gone from trainee to contract milker in the past year.

Before last year’s awards, the 26-year-old worked for two seasons on Colin and Jackie Dixon’s 167ha Horotiu property milking 460 cows.

On June 1, he took up a new position – 15 minutes away – as a contract milker on a 68ha farm, milking 210 cows in an 18-a-side herringbone shed, owned by Colm and Gaynor Tierney.

Growing up on a dairy farm in Southland, Disprose said he never contemplated entering the industry but was “obliged” to help out on occasion.

“I actually learnt a lot of skills which put me in good stead for where I am today.”

The 305ha (276ha effective) family property at Riverton, which his parents still own, runs 800 cows.

This was a far cry from his initial career thoughts.

After attending Riverton Primary School and James Hargest College in Invercargill, Diprose studied towards a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in chemistry, at the University of Canterbury.

However, Covid halted his studies and he and a group of university friends turned their attention to software development and entered a national coding competition.

The university heard about this and they were signed up to a summer start-up programme, during which the five-strong team developed an app rewarding those who used alternative transport from cars when commuting to and from work.

At the same time, Diprose completed a one-year audio engineering diploma.

His mother, Joanna Diprose, is a talented singer and he has always had a passion for music.

Music-maker

In his spare time now, Diprose – who sings and plays guitar – produces digital pieces, which he publishes online.

He also regularly performs at a Hamilton venue and is vice-chairman of the Hamilton Young Farmers Club.

After a year with the software company, he started to feel “a little burnt-out”.

The second Covid lockdown added to this, and he returned to the family farm.

“I helped Dad out, and it brought light to my eyes of what we had.”

The following year, Diprose started working as a trainee on a neighbour’s dairy farm, milking 800 cows.

After spending some time overseas, he came to his first job at Horotiu.

Family connections – his uncle was a 50/50 sharemilker on the Dixon property – helped him land the role as 2IC.

New sharemilkers Brad and Abby Silvester retained Diprose for the following season.

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.

“My goal is to pioneer future advancements on the farm while maintaining a profitable and efficient business.

“With the help of emerging technology, I believe the future of dairy farming can offer a better lifestyle than town-based jobs.”

The environment is another passion.

Waterway protection

“We take pride in planting native trees to protect our waterways, fostering biodiversity both in the water and on the land.”

Diprose identifies taking responsibility for pasture management as a game-changer for him.

“It transformed farming into a dynamic, living puzzle that is both challenging and highly rewarding when done correctly.”

Training new staff and helping them develop their skills has reinforced how much he has learned over the past few years.

Diprose entered the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards for the first time last year after attending a Dairy Training course on contract milking, led by Gaynor Tierney.

Regional competitions involve an initial practical stage, with the top six going on to an interview to decide the winner.

He admits to doing “no prep” going into the event and “wasn’t extremely hopeful” of making the final six, let alone winning.

He had not won a single merit award along the way but found out after the scores were released that he was “second in everything”.

“I had admitted defeat when the first two placegetters were announced.”

He said he felt no indication he might be going up as a placegetter.

Diprose said he had to do a double-take when he was announced as the regional winner in the dairy trainee section.

“It was a complete surprise.”

Winning the award confirmed he had chosen the right career path, he said.

His future goals include buying a herd and entering sharemilking, ultimately owning his own farm.

He hasn’t ruled out a return to his parents’ Riverton property at some time in the future.