Tarewa Farms Ltd | Aria, King Country
At Tarewa Farms, we don't mind whether you're a Farm Manager or a Contract Milker. We're far more interested in who you are than how you're paid.
As our business continues to invest in our land, our people, and technology, we're looking for an exceptional farming professional who wants to lead a high-performing dairy operation and be part of a business focused on achieving true potential.
The Farm
- 470 effective grass hectares
- 170ha milking hills
- 300ha flats
- 1,400 Jersey-cross cows transitioning to an all-Jersey herd
- 350,000-400,000kgMS production
- 60-bale rotary dairy with automatic cup removers
- Excellent water system and race network
- Two calf-rearing sheds
- Five-bedroom main house plus five additional staff houses
- Significant capital investment programme underway, resulting in continual improvements in pasture growth, infrastructure, and farm productivity
- Halter technology could be installed before the start of the 2027/28 season
Our Farming System
We operate a simple, pasture-focused System 2 model with supplementary feed primarily used for wintering dry cows.
- Young cows milked OAD year-round
- Whole herd OAD after Christmas
- Minimal machinery use
- Strong focus on pasture utilisation and growing more feed from home-grown resources
Our Business Strategy
Everything we do centres around four key areas:
Our People
- Home safe every day
- Zero injuries
- Positive team culture
Our Pastures
- Lift pasture harvested by 15%
Our Cows
- More than 95% of cows wintered peak milked
- High animal health and welfare standards
Our Assets
- Proactive maintenance programmes
- Targeted development and infrastructure investment
The Role
This is a genuine leadership role with full operational control of the dairy platform.
You will be responsible for:
- Leading and developing an established farm team
- Farm planning and day-to-day operations
- Delivering pasture and production targets
- Animal health and herd performance
- Financial management of the farm operating budget
- Health, safety and environmental performance
- Driving continuous improvement through technology and innovation
Who We're Looking For
You will:
- Have proven experience leading and developing people
- Understand the disciplines required to successfully operate a pasture only dairy system
- Have strong financial acumen and be comfortable managing expenditure on a farm of this scale
- Be enthusiastic about technology adoption and continual improvement
- Value community involvement and building positive local relationships
- Lead by example and create a positive team culture
- Also – if you don’t have all this experience – we are prepared to invest both time and $ to help you develop.
What We Offer
Option 1: Farm Manager
- Salary package of circa $140,000 + bonus
- Opportunity to progress into a future Contract Milking role
- Supportive ownership structure focused on long-term success
Option 2: Contract Milker
- Contract rate of circa $1.75/kgMS
- Calf rearing income
- Co-operative difference sharing arrangement
The Team
A stable and experienced team is already in place, with staff having completed between two and four seasons on the farm. The team enjoys working on Tarewa Farms and we would like to retain them – noting that this decision will be a two-way decision between new leader and staff.
The Area
Located near Aria in the King Country, the district offers an outstanding rural lifestyle and strong community spirit.
- Primary schooling in Aria
- Secondary schooling in Piopio
- School bus at the farm gate
- Convenient access to Piopio and Te Kuiti for services and amenities
Interested?
If you're an ambitious dairy professional who enjoys developing people, growing pasture, embracing technology, and building great farming businesses, we'd love to hear from you.
Applications and enquiries welcome in confidence. Phone Kent on 0275368267.