Kirsty Sharp

Growing up on a Taranaki dairy farm, dairying’s remained deep in the hearts and working lives of Kirsty and husband Ben.

“Dairy farming’s always been an important part of my life,” says Kirsty. “It’s where my true passion lies. I think farmers are under-rated for what they contribute to our communities and our country. So that motivates me to support them where I can.”

A move back to Kirsty’s home turf of Oakura in 2024 tied in with taking up her current DairyNZ role, and with Ben working on a nearby dairy farm. They and their children are enjoying being near family again, and Kirsty’s reactivated her love of horse riding.

Having previously worked as contract milkers and lower-order sharemilkers on a dairy goat farm over nine seasons, Kirsty says she and Ben know firsthand that farming takes resilience, hard work, good planning and a lot of different skills.

“It’s great that our regional teams can use Dairybase benchmarking to help farmers see which areas they’re strong in, and potential ways they might want to improve their farm systems. We can also partner up with rural professionals and farmers and bring them together, to share sector specific knowledge and support.”

Sometimes, though, farmers just need to know someone’s there to listen, say Kirsty.

“So I’d say to them, we’re here for you, to support you in any way we can. Please don’t be afraid to reach out to us for anything you might need. If we don’t know the answer personally, with our network of connections, we will point you in the direction of someone that can help.”

• Find out more about DairyNZ’s other Lower North Island regional team members.
• Check out our nationwide regional teams.