The new 4300 square metre loafing barn on Bruce and Judy Wood's Edgecumbe farm was built to keep cows off pasture in winter, but farm manager Chris Mexted says it's proved extremely valuable as a source of shelter during this summer's drought.

'The barn means cows are spending less time in the paddocks and more under the shade of the barn, where we can feed them supplements. They love it and are sometimes hard to move out,” says Chris, who is the 2013 Bay of Plenty Farm Manager of the Year.

Chris Mexted is the 2013 Bay of Plenty Farm Manager of the Year.

Bruce, who encouraged Chris to enter the awards and is delighted with his success, says even on still days there's a breeze inside the barn and he believes its use has helped towards the farm's 20 per cent rise in production this season. The barn, the roof of which was constructed by Aztech Buildings, was completed late last year, which proved very timely given how dry and hot the summer has been.
An eight per cent increase in cow numbers (the herd is now 432) and irrigation have also contributed, as has the management of Chris, who has a Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture from Lincoln.
As part of his Lincoln studies, Chris spent time working on Bruce and Judy's farm and when the farm manager left, was offered the full-time position.
Called Dreamfields, the 151ha farm is flat, prone to drying out in summer and getting very wet in winter.
'The farm is 142ha effective, 75 ha irrigated from bore and the remaining area receives no irrigation,” says Chris, who is an avid user of rural professionals and advisers to help achieve his goals for improved farm performance.
Cows have been spending four to five hours a day in the barn, relieving the pressure on pasture and reducing impacts of the heat on their production. The Jersey herd, which is fed palm kernel in the barn, is still milking twice a day in the adjacent 16-a-side, double-cup shed with automatic cup removers and teat sprayers. This is Chris' first full year in the industry and it's been one of the driest in decades but that didn't put him off entering the awards.
'The best outcome or goal was to take the top award but I was really interested in the dairy awards to challenge myself, progress, build reputation, have fun and network with other farmers and rural professionals.”
There was never any doubt that dairy farming was what Chris wanted to do. Growing up on his parents' dairy farm, just down the road from where he now works, gave Chris a love of the land and enjoyment in working with animals.

He attended Edgecumbe Primary School and Trident High School in Whakatane before heading to Lincoln.
'I enjoy the flexibility, lifestyle, challenges and both personal and financial rewards that farming brings. It feels great to see a tanker load of milk drive out the gate knowing that your decisions have had an influence on the amount sent.
Farming allows me to reach my goals while giving me the opportunity to compete in motorcycling and be a normal 23 year-old and spend time fishing and hunting with mates.”
The eventual aim is farm ownership but the next big step for Chris will be to sharemilking.
He won $10,700 in prizes for taking the Bay of Plenty award and will now contest the national title in Wellington in May.
Chris will host a field day on the Whakatane farm he manages on April 3. Further details about the field day can be found at:
www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz