Building trust with farmers a priority for new King Country rep

18 May 2022

As Liz Grayling drives her ute up the driveways of King Country dairy farmers, she wants to put a smile on their faces.

“I want to be the rural professional that farmers look for and are happy to see driving up their track,” says Liz, who is CRV’s new field consultant for the region.

“For me, that’s all about building relationships with farmers based on trust. That takes time.”

Growing up in Oropi in rural Tauranga, Liz’s passion for the dairy industry began as a 17-year-old when she put cups on cows for the first time.

“I first learned to milk as a teenager on a friend’s farm. Since then, I have continued to build my career in the industry in a variety of roles,” says Liz.

Liz holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from Massey University. Her career has involved working as a fertiliser rep and as a tutor with Dairy Training Ltd. She has also spent time in dairy research, including working on a project involving early robotics in the dairy industry.

Liz’s experience as a contract milker has also given her a good handle on the importance of genetics in breeding the best herd.

“Good genetics can help farmers breed heathy and efficient animals that last in the herd for longer. We can now breed our herds to combat animal health issues like mastitis and facial eczema. We can even breed cows that have less nitrogen in their milk,” says Liz.

Liz understands that farmers need good data on which to base their breeding decisions, so she encourages farmers to maintain good herd records.

“Farmers can use the data captured on farm from herd testing, DNA testing and herd recording to identify the elite animals that have the traits we want in our future dairy herds.

“Herd management tools like CRV’s myHERD mean all this data can be captured in one place and used to help breed efficient, more sustainable cows.”

Liz is likely to be a familiar voice to many CRV customers after she spent time working in customer support for myHERD.

“It’s great to be getting out from behind the desk and seeing farmers in person. I’m confident my hands-on farming experience and industry knowledge can add real value.

“We used CRV genetics on the farms I worked on, and I love the animals we bred. They have the type, capacity and the strong body that lasts.

“The New Zealand dairy industry has so much scope for growth. I’m excited to be out and about working with King Country farmers to help them get the best out of their herds.”