Shannon Munro's bringing her love for dairy farming into homes all over the country.
Early this year, DairyNZ launched its Join Us campaign, which aims to give Kiwis a better understanding of what it means to be a dairy farmer.
Fronting the campaign is Shannon Munro, an eastern Bay of Plenty farmer who wants to share her love of rural New Zealand and encourage other Kiwis to join the sector.
Shannon and her husband Steve have been dairy farming for about 10 years, having left the city to provide a different upbringing for their young family.
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After starting in farm assistant and calf rearing roles, the couple shifted into farm manager and 2IC positions, and later into contract milking, moving around the country as opportunities arose.
"We're now in our first year leasing a 66ha dairy block, previously leased by Steve's parents. We bought their 170-cow herd," says Shannon Munro.
"The kids enjoy a lot of freedom on the farm. They have lots to keep them busy and they're learning life skills they may not have otherwise learned in the city."
The couple have three children and are planning to stay on their farm for the next few years but, ultimately, want to own their own small farm.
Munro says that, as a young Maori woman, she's proud to be presenting a different face to dairy farming and showing some of the things dairy farming has to offer.
"Dairy farming offers really great opportunities and a great lifestyle. There are lots of opportunities for people to progress quickly and it's very rewarding."
Join Us looks into daily life on a farm, from working with machinery and technology to caring for animals and the land in a way that's open and fun. It's about showing young Kiwis that dairying offers a rewarding career and lifestyle.
DairyNZ is inviting people to visit GoDairy.co.nz, where they can complete a quiz to see if they have what it takes to be a dairy farmer, and look at pathways into the sector.
The campaign is part of a wider Here for the Long Game project, which aims to help communities understand dairy farmers and how they're working to provide a better future for their families, the land, their communities and New Zealand.Ś -Inside Dairy
