Winners Announced at 2026 Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Industry Awards

Marc and Megan Lalich were awarded the title of Farmers of the Year at the 2026 Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Industry Awards. They are 50/50 sharemilking 680 cows on a 173-hectare farm in Christchurch. This was their first time entering the awards, and they won a prize package worth $8,190, alongside four merit awards.

The couple has been involved in farming for several years, initially working on contract milking before transitioning to sharemilking three years ago. Their future goals include breeding better cows to expand their operations and eventually achieving farm ownership.

Lauren McConnachie was named Dairy Manager of the Year. She manages 2,170 cows on a 563-hectare farm for Theland Farm Group. Lauren transitioned from the tourism industry into dairy farming during the Covid pandemic and has swiftly advanced in her career. Her notable achievements include maintaining an empty rate under 10%.

Sam O'Neill, aged 23, received the Dairy Trainee of the Year award. As herd manager for Trevor Manson, he oversees 850 cows on a 231-hectare farm. Sam has pursued a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at Lincoln University and aims to own multiple dairy farms in the future.

The awards are supported by national sponsors such as ASB, CowManager, and Ecolab, along with industry partners like Fonterra and DairyNZ.