A lineage of leadership

Tahuna dairy farmer Annabelle Scherer is hoping to continue the legacy her mother has handed down to her: one that represents strong female role models in the New Zealand dairy industry. 

Annabelle, a HFNZ Board Director, cites her mum Dyanne Osborne as being a huge inspiration to her as a female not only working, but leading in the dairy industry. 

“In addition to being a consultant for World Wide Sires for over 30 years, I can still remember Mum helping Dad on farm, and being a mum as well,” Annabelle says. 

“She has had a huge influence on my role in the industry; one that I hope to demonstrate to my daughter as well. I’m following in Mum’s footsteps.”  

Annabelle’s parents Dyanne and Wayne founded the Charbelle stud almost 40 years ago, and Annabelle grew up deeply involved in the New Zealand dairy industry, and with a passion for the Holstein Friesian breed. “As a young girl I helped my parents show Charbelle animals, and I attended many Holstein Friesian youth camps and had the privilege of being awarded the Arapeta Trophy in 1993,” Annabelle says. 

After studying, Annabelle went into the dairy industry and with husband Stephen, they have worked their way up to 50/50 sharemilking 400 cows on 180ha at Tahuna for the Matijasevich family. 

The herd is made up of 300 registered Holstein Friesian, 70 Jerseys and 50 crossbred cattle in two herds, milked through a 40-aside herringbone shed, and targeting just over 400kgMS/cow as a System 2 farm. 

This is the Scherers’ second season on the Tahuna farm, having consolidated two sharemilking jobs in Gordonton in the 2023/24 season. Stephen works on the farm fulltime, and they have one fulltime staff member; Annabelle helps out as needed, around her family responsibilities, HFNZ Board schedule and consultancy role with World Wide Sires. 

“There has been a lot of changes in the way we farm since we moved to Tahuna,” Annabelle says.  “This farm is a lot steeper than our previous farms, and it is a different soil type – we were on peat. 

“We no longer feed maize; just a little bit of baleage we make on farm. It is challenging, but we are getting there. Hopefully production will increase next year when the cows are more settled.” 

They have also seen big changes in their mating.  

“We are no longer split calving: we extended the lactation on our autumn calving cows and now they are all spring calving,” Annabelle says. 

One thing that has stayed the same is the traits they are breeding for. 

“We want a nice, moderately-sized cow,” Annabelle says. “Fertility remains important, as does udders, feet and legs; they are walking a bit further on this farm.  

“At the end of the day, we want to milk moderately-sized cows who put milk in the vat. A functional dairy cow has always been our aim with good, well-attached udders. Longevity is the key for us.” 

Annabelle says they have used the World Wide Sires mating programme for many years now. 

“It helps with deciding which sires go to which dams, much like TOP cows are assessed for traits and mated to suitable bulls accordingly,” she says. “We are also moving toward using more sexed semen and beef genetics.”  

Annabelle says influential sires in the Charbelle herd include Seagull-Bay Supersire-ET, Long-Langs Oman Oman-ET, and more recently Mapel Wood Brewmaster, Duckett-Crush Tatoo-ET, Ensenada Taboo Planet-ET, Sandy-Valley J Pharo-ET, No-Fla Capital, Deleberge Salt and Welcome Silver Griff-ET. 

Charbelle is proving its genetic choices are sound as it produces some notable families, including the ‘P’ family. 

Starting with Charbelle MWB Prancer S3F EX2 – who was All Breeds Intermediate Champion at the 2020 Stratford A&P Show, All Breeds Intermediate Champion and Holstein Intermediate Champion at the 2020 Waikato A&P Show, and Overall Best Intermediate Udder at the 2021 NZ DairyEvent – the ‘P’ family has made waves on the show circuit in the past five years. 

“Prancer was the cow that got us back into showing,” Annabelle says. “We attended NZDE for the first time with three calves, one of which was Prancer, and it escalated from there.”  

But it has been Prancer’s daughter, Charbelle Tatoo Pix EX, that has been the most decorated to date. Pix was All Breeds Junior Champion at the 2020 Stratford A&P Show, and All Breeds Junior Champion and Holstein Junior Champion at the 2021 NZ DairyEvent.  

She was Supreme Intermediate Champion (and Best Intermediate Udder) in 2022 at NZDE, 2022 HFNZ Semex On-Farm Competition Champion 2-year-old, and Champion Junior Cow in the 2022 HFNZ DeLaval All NZ Photo Competition. 

She was crowned Supreme Holstein North Island Champion in 2022 and 2023, and Supreme Stratford Show Champion in 2023 and 2024.  

In 2024, she won the coveted Beledene Premier Dairy Cow at the Stratford A&P Show, and was the 2024 Waikato A&P Show Holstein Friesian Supreme Champion. 

She has also won her regional class in the Semex On-Farm competition five years in a row, and placed in the top three nationally for four years running. 

This year, her daughter, Charbelle Hero Popcorn S3F, was 2025 NZDE Junior Interbreed Reserve Champion and Junior Champion Holstein at NZDE, exhibited by Annabelle’s daughter Gabrielle. 

And Pix’s full sister, Charbelle Tatoo Promise, won the Holstein Junior Calf class at 2025 NZDE, pulling out for Junior Champion lineup. 

With the quality of cows at hand, it is no wonder that Annabelle and Stephen’s children have become very enthusiastic on the show circuit. At the 2025 NZDE, all four kids exhibited animals: Gabrielle won the title of Supreme Youth, and Henry won Junior Youth Show Champion Handler. Henry also won Reserve Junior Champion Holstein behind Gabrielle, with Charbelle Pharo Flipper. 

“They all did so well,” Annabelle says. 

While Annabelle is still very active on the farm when needed – particularly over calving and calf rearing – she gets great joy from her role as World Wide Sires consultant for North Waikato/Thames Valley, which she has held since 2019. 

“I love my job, because it gives me the freedom to remain on farm when I need to be,” she says. “I love going out to visit other farmers; I can talk cows and breeding all day, every day. I get the best of both worlds.” 

Annabelle is also in her second term on the HFNZ Board, an experience she has loved. 

“I enjoy being a custodian of the breed,” she says. “I’m still learning all the time, and I relish the knowledge of others on the Board. I like bridging the gap for farmers to understand that pedigree Holsteins are not a bad thing!” 

As a mother of four – Charlie (18), Gabrielle (16), Henry (12) and Archer (8) – Annabelle has plenty to keep herself occupied outside of the farm. In addition to “playing taxi driver”, she coaches her daughter’s top netball team at Morrinsville College. 

However, the farm remains central to their family and lifestyle. 

“I can’t image bringing them up any differently than on farm,” Annabelle says. “It is a great lifestyle, and we work hard to achieve a good work-life balance. We try to have more time off these days, which sometimes happens; we’re hoping that the more seasonal nature of this farm will help.” 

The children are all involved on farm, and are involved in HFNZ Black & White Youth activities. Charlie has worked for Annabelle and Stephen and will seek work as a dairy farmer going forward. 

“I’m super proud of all of them,” Annabelle says. “I hope I’m instilling some of my values in them.” 

Having grown up with strong female role models who were active in the dairy industry, Annabelle is relieved that the male dominated dairy industry of the past is all but gone.  

“I think more and more women are taking leadership roles on farm now – and for some, their husbands or partners might even work off farm,” she says. “The landscape is definitely changing. The gap is closing, not only in dairy farming, but the dairy industry as a whole.” 

Annabelle and Stephen’s goal is still to own their own farm – a goal they will no doubt achieve due to a strong work ethic and working as a team. 

“I’m very lucky to have the support of Stephen – it’s a big deal,” Annabelle says. “Being away for work and HFNZ Board commitments means Stephen keeps the wheels rolling at home while I’m away.” 

She says when they first met, Stephen wasn’t overly passionate about pedigree cattle – but he has learned to be over time. 

“He has developed a love for it too,” she says. “And all my kids have the bug… how could they not, with a mother like me!”