Region

Manawatu

Job

Kirsty is currently doing her BSc Honours, and has research project investigating the difference between milk yield and mastitis levels of organic and conventionally-farmed cows. The reason this is being investigated is that Fonterra (New Zealand’s largest milk factory) pays more for organic milk than conventional milk. However, no-one has yet done any formal research on pasture-based organic systems to find out if it is a good option for New Zealand farmers or not.

A lot of research has been conducted overseas, but with cows housed indoors and eating mainly supplements, which would result in different milk-yields and mastitis levels than with pasture-based farming. Milk yields and mastitis levels are two factors that have a big impact on the viability of any dairy farming system. Initially Fonterra funded the research, but now Dairy Insight is funding it (Dairy Insight is an organisation owned by all dairy farmers).

Career Pathway

Kirsty spent her early childhood on a farm at South Head (North of Auckland), moving to Pukekohe with her family when she was at Intermediate School. She wanted to work with animals when she finished High School, so decided to go to Massey University to study to be a vet. However, the tough selection process at vet school meant that she changed her degree half way through her first year to a Bachelor of Science (BSc), majoring in Agricultural Science, and a Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS), majoring in Agribusiness.

She chose these degrees because she thought they would go well together, and because it was something different that would set her apart from other graduates. Kirsty also felt that it was a good opportunity to be able to obtain 2 degrees in only 4 years of study. Now Kirsty is doing her Honours, which is her 1st year of post-graduate study. She would like to carry on and do her PhD next year and finally become a research scientist in the dairy industry focusing on the areas of reproduction and lactation.

To financially support her studies, Kirsty has a New Zealand Dairy Industry Undergraduate Scholarship (NZDIUGS) and is in her third year on the scholarship.

Interests

Social netball but there’s not time for much else while she is at Uni because Kirsty is also relief milking on the farm that her partner will be working on next season.