Here are just a few of the media pieces covering the impact of Rural Leaders’ Programme Alumni in industries and communities across the sector.
Tracy Brown
Tracy Brown (2020 Nuffield).
Tracy wrote an article for DairyNews recently. It discussed the rising input costs, feed, fuel and fertiliser, faced by dairy farmers. The article discussed ways farmers manage risks; through pasture efficiency, spending and planning.
Geoff Crawford
Geoff Crawford (Kellogg 2025).
Geoff featured in a Beef Country article (pages 52-53) last Alumni in the Spotlight. This month his Kellogg research report has received more coverage, this time in Farmers Weekly. In an article titled ‘Processors urged to account for guts and glands’, that delves into the valuable non-prime parts of a carcass, or ‘fifth quarter’.
Take a read of the article here.
Another Farmers Weekly article covered Geoff and Jo Crawford’s efforts to deal with flooding on their Northland dairy farms.
Hinehou Timutimu
Hinehou Timutimu (Kellogg 2026).
Hinehou Timutimu has been named the 2026 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year, recognised for her down-to-earth leadership and impact in dairy and Māori agribusiness.
Hinehou blends cultural knowledge with science, champions sustainability, and supports communities. Her work, values, and global perspective are helping shape a more resilient future for farming.
Amber Carpenter
Amber Carpenter (2019 Kellogg).
Amber is the owner of digital marketing company Grass Roots Media and recently featured in a Farmers Weekly article covering social media’s importance in bridging the gap between farmers and the public, building transparency and trust.
Read more here.
Andrew Watters
Andrew Watters (2004 Nuffield).
MyFarm founder Andrew Watters featured in an article on shifting land use recently. He says, “If you think about New Zealand’s land use history, forestry planting is really just one part of it and we are only now back to the forest plantings we had almost 20 years ago.”
Natasha Cave
Natasha Cave (2025 Kellogg).
Natasha’s Kellogg research report on wearables for hill country farming was featured in a recent article. In the article Natasha said that intensive rotational grazing of hill country with wearables delivers a shift in the performance and sustainability of hill country farming.
Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins (2023 Kellogg).
Richard (Federated Farmers meat and wool chair) spoke to Farmers Weekly about something we’re all noticing – the rising number of feral deer across the motu. The Department of Conservation (DOC) estimates the feral deer population is growing at about 30% a year, far outstripping current control efforts.
