Cameron Mitchell - Inaugural winner of Dairy Trainee of the Year Northland assistant farm manager Cameron Mitchell is still fizzing after winning the first national Dairy Trainee of the Year competition. Cameron was named top among the 12 winners studying with Agriculture ITO who were at the Dairy Industry Awards in Christchurch. Seven hundred people celebrated "New Zealand's NASA" as Agriculture minister Jim Anderton put it. But it wasn't the prizes - worth over $5,000 and including a 40-inch TV - or even the title that really had Cameron stoked. "We had a chat in the van, the guys, talking about what we got out of it all. It was the whole experience, the networking, meeting a whole lot of successful farmers. "I've got a cellphone full of contacts, work and social." For three days prior to the final, Cameron and his fellow regional winners travelled around Canterbury with farm educator Grant Taylor, part of the package supported by AgITO. "The tour was intense - meeting highflying farmers. Grant was really motivational - I came out of it fully pumped." Cameron had trained for the Navy before getting into dairying. He said his AgITO studies and his employers - former Sharemilker of the Year Bruce and Julie Paton - had really turned him and wife Sacha onto the possibilities it offers. Northland Agriculture ITO Training Adviser Jewel Matheson also paid tribute to Bruce's role. "He's a very progressive and supportive mentor. It makes a real difference." Taking part in the Dairy Trainee competition had lifted things to a new level for Cameron "It was a life-changing experience. "It's totally changed my outlook on dairying. My family's in dairying, my father's a dairy farmer, my grandfather's a dairy farmer - they were totally impressed by the depth of talent and what was done to recognise it. "He went away buzzing." Cameron urged anyone eligible to have a go at the competition "I'd definitely recommend it for anyone. It takes you away from the daily grind. You come away with a renewed appreciation for the work you do. "If you think you're not worthy or whatever - Just do it. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain. There's no reason not to do it." Back to Press Releases