National Herd Development Southwest sales representative and breeding advisor Dylan Jewell from Hawkesdale, Victoria has been recognised by the National Herd Improvement Association of Australia (NHIA), winning its young achiever award.
30-year-old Dylan was presented with his award following the NHIA annual general meeting held in Camperdown, Victoria.
“I think it’s really important that the herd improvement industry invests in young people and focuses on encouraging and bringing the next generation through. It’s an honour to be recognised by the industry, particularly by people who have been around for a long time. I couldn’t be happier,” says Dylan.
National Herd Development’s Maree Condon, who presented Dylan with the award, said his passion for the breeding side of the industry and doing the right thing by his customers were two standout qualities that led to him being nominated.
“Dylan was a town boy with a love of animals who took an agricultural course and led him to the dairying side of the industry and artificial insemination (AI). He’s a great example to other young people coming up through the industry,” says Maree.
Dylan started working at National Herd Development in 2018 and has focused on the sales side of the business most recently.
A typical workday for Dylan would include a lot of time on farm, evaluating people’s herds for mating programs, artificial insemination and even taking blood serums from cows.
Dylan said he would use the $2,500 NHIA prize to further develop his management skills.
“I know I’m working in the right industry and I’m here for the long haul. I might be a young achiever but I’m also getting older so a management course should help set me up for the next stage of my career,” says Dylan.
“When I first got interested in dairying and the industry it was a teacher at my high school who encouraged me to stick at it and I went from milking to showing at the Melbourne Royal and then getting interested in genetics. If you’ve got a passion for cows, the HI industry is a great place to build a career,” says Dylan.
Dylan was nominated for the Young Achiever Award by NHD Marketing Manager, Christian Hickey.
NHIA CEO, Sara Merckel says: “It’s a tremendous initiative that NHIA has developed this award for young people who are building a long-term career in our industry and stand out due to their work ethic, commitment and achievements.
“Looking forward to the future is key to the success of the herd improvement sector and I encourage people in our industry to think who in their team deserves this recognition and ensure they are nominated.”
NHIA’s Young Achiever Award nominations for this year close on 30th November 2022. Further information is available at https://www.nhia.org.au/nhia-awards.
Pictured L-R are Maree Condon, Phil Wren, CEO National Herd Development (NHD), Dylan Jewell, Paul Weller NHD Chair and Con Glennen NHD director.