Milking

• Supervises milking from paddock to farm dairy as required. Implements routine maintenance schedules, including the milking plant, identifying and fixing faults as needed. Maintains hygiene and cleanliness around dairy.
  • Manages milk harvesting to optimise quality, efficiency and yield
  • Manages and updates all herd records, and maintains the dairy company policy manual, ensuring requirements are met
  • Identifies and fixes faults in the milking plant and farm dairy equipment

Animals

• Implements and monitors health, calving and mating plans and reports progress. Identifies and treats animal health problems.
• Implements and monitors the animal health plan, and records and reports on this. Diagnoses and treats all animal health issues and demonstrates best practice in the areas of animal handling, health and welfare. Supports and trains junior staff in their development.
• Monitors all calving mobs and calf rearing on farm. Diagnoses and manages all calving-related health issues, and records and tags young stock.
• Implements the mating management plan, and monitors and reports progress

Feed

• Develops, implements and monitors the feed budget using seasonal feed requirements.
  • Determines the feed values of crops, and sets appropriate feeding levels
  • Implements the feed plan on-farm and develops the feed budget. Monitors pasture covers, feed intakes and cow condition, and discusses appropriate management with senior staff
  • Monitors residuals and measures and analyses pasture/feed intakes to ensure correct feeding levels. Understands pasture production, fertility and sustainable soil management
  • Calculates appropriate feed for stage of lactation, and resolves any feeding issues

Environment

• Meets environmental regulations through management of soil, nutrients, effluent and water efficiently.
  • Implements the farm plan for effluent management in line with regional council requirements and consent conditions, and monitors the farm's dairy effluent system
  • Ensures the farm environment plan is adhered to, and assists with managing the environmental impacts of the farm
  • Ensures good management practice around land cultivation, and that land management regulations are adhered to on-farm by all staff
  • Understands the policies that are required to manage soil types and risks for the property, and ensures good management practice around nutrient usage is followed by staff
  • Sets up, runs and maintains an irrigation system, if appropriate

People

• Supports and trains junior employees in their development. Communicates clearly and openly.
  • Conducts planning to achieve their personal and career goals, including identifying training opportunities, and supports juniors to develop and pursue their career goals
  • Communicates any issues around employment compliance to superiors or the farm owner, both regarding the team or self
  • Fosters a team that has clear direction and vision and regular constructive feedback, and supports staff to get their best performance
  • Contributes to ensuring balanced and productive work times and workloads for both self and the team, and suggests improved ways of working efficiently to reduce hours worked on-farm

Machine, vehicles & technology

• Safely uses and maintains vehicles on farm as directed by on farm policy.
  • Manages installation and maintenance of fences
  • Monitors the irrigation and pumping system, and repairs minor faults and troubleshoots problems
  • Knows how to interpret data to gain insights and aid decision-making, and teaches others how to use smartphones, computers, and other technology-based systems, and the different tools and products available to collect data
  • Implements a routine maintenance schedule of vehicles, plant, machinery and equipment, and trains staff on the importance of vehicle hygiene to avoid biosecurity risks

Health, safety & wellbeing

• Actively models a H, S & W culture and is aware of others in the workplace.
  • Models to others how to maintain good health on-farm, and how to manage adverse conditions
  • Teaches and models physically safe behaviours in the workplace to others
  • Ensures and models best practice in wellbeing
  • Monitors the nutritional, physical, emotional and social needs of all staff, and communicates any issues around work/life balance to the farm owner

Financial

• Understands and assists with development and monitors throughout season; assists with developing farm budget.
  • Knows how to benchmark the farm’s physical performance against others
  • Understands and assists with farm budgets, and in the absence of the farm manager monitors and reports on these
  • Understands the financial systems and processes used within the farm business

Strategic planning

• Benchmarks appropriate KPIs and goals.
  • Understands industry metrics, production targets and KPIs for operational activities on-farm
  • Helps manage the daily running of the farm, and produces regular management reports on routine farming activities

PrimaryITO

• Production Management – For people with several years’ experience looking to move into more responsible positions on farm with a focus on farm production
• Effective Leadership Level 3 – For aspiring and current supervisors, managers or employers responsible for staff.

PrimaryITO website

• Budget templates and guides – Simple budget templates and guides
• SmartSAMM – Tools and resources to help dairy farmers and advisers better manage mastitis and milk quality
• Milksmart