The Morrinsville sharemilker heading to the top

Monday, 13 July 2026

Danielle Homvand has been named this year’s top emerging primary industries leader.

Morrinsville dairy farmer Danielle Hovmand has been named the primary sector’s top emerging leader this month and has her eyes on farm ownership next.

Hovmand, 29, was awarded top emerging leader at the Primary Industries Summit, beating fellow finalists James Robertson, chief of staff at Fonterra, and dairy farm manager Ben Purua, the 2024 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer of the Year.

“It was really nice to meet both James and Ben and the work they’re doing in communities to encourage and inspire other people is incredible, so that was a big honour to be named alongside them as a finalist and it was a surprise to win,” Hovmand said.

Danielle Homvand is a 50/50 sharemilker just outside of Morrinsville.

Growing up, Hovmand spent a lot of time at her grandparent’s Hereford stud in Katikati, where they did all of the stock work on horseback, and her parents had previously owned a dairy farm. Her path was always clear, it just came down to deciding dairy or beef.

“I did an agricultural science degree at uni and we had to do summer placements, and I got a placement on the next door neighbour’s dairy farm and I really enjoyed it. They offered me a full-time job when I left university, so I stayed and loved it.

Danielle Homvand and her partner would like to buy their own farm in the next five years. Pictured is her farm companion Millie.

“It’s a challenging but very rewarding job. I’m learning so many different skills and I love being outside on a beautiful sunny day. There’s certainly bits I don’t enjoy but every job has that and it makes you learn to be resilient and persevere.”

After working as a farm manager, she decided to move to Morrinsville and started contract milking. Her and her partner, Harry Phipps, a builder, then went 50/50 sharemilking.

Danielle Homvand and her partner Harry Phipps have taken on a second sharemilking job this season to increase their equity.

They are into their fourth season now and milk 250 cows on the property, but eager to get ahead, they also took on a second sharemilking job with 200 cows this season on the other side of Morrinsville, where a manager takes care of the day-to-day work.

“The goal is to buy our own farm in the next five years, which I suppose is a big goal, but we’re trying to make the most of the industry being really strong at the moment.

“Having the second sharemilking job is just building equity and allowing us to pay off the second herd faster. It’s certainly not a quick thing. It takes a lot of time and financial discipline to get there.”

Danielle Homvand has been heavily involved in Young Farmers and Federated Farmers over the years.

They’d like to buy a farm around the 80ha and 250 cow mark, and while she hoped it could be in the same area, she noted that Morrinsville was prime dairy country. She said they had bought their cows at a good time about four years ago when prices were under $2000, but now the average cow was more like $3000.

“It’s certainly a challenge now for you people to get into sharemilking, which is a bit concerning, but at the same time the payout is also high, so if you can get in that ensures you’re able to pay off the cows.

“While the industry is really strong I think people need to be ensuring that their contract milkers are getting paid fairly as well … I think it’s important that those people on the other end of farm ownership help support a young person with some guidance into opportunities.”

With cow prices and payouts strong, it also lessened the gap between sharemilkers and farm owners, meaning more young sharemilkers could be looking to buy farms.

Hovmand has been heavily involved in the Morrinsville Ngarua Young Farmers club over the years and is also the sharemilker chair for the Waikato Federated Farmers.

She’s been involved in numerous community and rural events including leading the 2021 Morrinsville Ngarua Young Farmers naked calendar fundraiser, the 2023 community quiz Night, which generated $30,000 for local causes, local parades as well as speaking at schools and A&P shows.

She also encouraged Federated Farmers to campaign for young farmers being able to use their Kiwisavers to buy their first homes or farms.

The list of achievements continues: she was also named Auckland-Hauraki Share Farmer of the Year in 2022, received the New Zealand Young Farmers Contiki Local Legend Award in 2024 and was a finalist in this year’s ASB Alumni of the Year Award.

“I joined Young Farmers because I didn’t know a single person when I moved here … and it’s been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. At the start it was to look after me, but once I met all of these people it became ‘how can we improve other people’s lives’.”