Celebrities To Milk Cows In City

For Immediate Release
11 May 2009

Celebrities To Milk Cows In City

A couple of prize Holstein Friesian cows are coming to Wellington’s Civic Square to take centre stage in the Great Meridian Milk Off – a contest between some champion dairy farmers and a bunch of celebrities.

The contest will require a team of sharemilkers, farm managers and dairy trainees and a team of celebrities to first hand milk the cows, separate the milk and cream, then turn the cream into butter.

Organiser and New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards National Convenor Chris Keeping says the cows are experienced show cows, but will still challenge both the farmers and celebrities.

“Everyone will get some expert advice on how to hand milk the cows, but we’re still expecting the cows to provide some ‘difficult moments’ for our participants.”

Former Wellington Mayor and MP Mark Blumsky, former All Black Mark ‘Bull’ Allen, mountain runner Melissa Moon and adventurer and Swazi clothing owner Davey Hughes are among those in the celebrity team. A pupil from Mt Cook School will also participate, while their school mates look on.

“We really want to use this event to help educate people about what happens on a dairy farm and the value of milk and milk products to our economy.

“Sharemilkers are in charge of harvesting about one-third of the milk produced in New Zealand, so they’re a major player in what is the country’s largest industry. Sometimes in the city it is easy to forget how valuable these cows and the people working with them are to our country’s economic wellbeing.”

The Milk Off is part of a range of activities being held in Wellington to promote the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, incorporating the New Zealand Sharemilker of the Year, New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year and New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year competitions.

The national winners from the three competitions will be announced at a gala dinner at the TSB Events Centre on May 16 and collect prizes worth more than $100,000.

The Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, Honda, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown and RD1, along with industry partner Agriculture ITO.

Other celebrities participating in the Great Meridian Milk Off, which begins at midday on Friday May 15, are: MP for Otaki Nathan Guy, Westpac economist Doug Steel, TVNZ breakfast reporter Matt McLean and Westpac Rescue Helicopter Crewman Dave Greenberg.

Visit www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz to find out more about the 36 regional winners and national finalists competing for the three titles on offer.

ENDS

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