After only five years in dairy farming, Cheyenne Wilson has been appointed to manage a 600-cow farm in North Canterbury.
It's been a tough ride for one young farmer and clearly she's not afraid of hard work.
Cheyenne Wilson says, "There's the misconception that females can't do what males can do and I'm a big believer of 'work smarter not harder'."
Wilson not only likes all aspects of dairy farming, but she can also handle the big farm machinery.
Wilson says, "There's a bit of tractor work on a farm and that's always entertaining. It's always good to just go out and do some feeding out in the paddocks."
But farming can present its own dangers and never taking your work environment for granted has its rewards.
Wilson says, "I studied at Primary RTO pretty much from when I started farming. I was runner-up for dairy trainee of the year in Canterbury and North Otago last year and that was probably one of the biggest achievements so far in my career."
She is now the manager of a farm in North Canterbury.
Wilson has been named among the top three finalists in this year's Ahuwhenua Young Farmers Awards.
"I'm really really proud and I'm extremely humbled. I think it's amazing to be celebrating Māori excellence in farming, it's great," she says.
The winner of the Te Ahuwhenua Young Farmer awards will be announced at the dinner function in Christchurch tomorrow night.