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Rural Leaders Newsletter

Two Te Puni Kōkiri Scholarships available for Kellogg Whanganui.

Te Puni Kōkiri is generously sponsoring two places on Whanganui’s Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme, May start.

This is an extraordinary scholarship opportunity, covering programme fees and giving applicants the chance to develop leadership skills closer to home.  
These scholarships are open to passionate Māori as part of their leadership journey in the Food and Fibre Sector.

Those wishing to apply for a scholarship, should include a cover letter with their application indicating why they should be selected. 

In the cover letter, evidence should be shown of leadership in Māori Food and Fibre, along with discussing how the scholarship will contribute to personal leadership development.

How to apply.

To get an application underway, prospective applicants should register their interest through the link below. They’ll receive an application form to complete. When they return this form, include a cover letter indicating intention to apply for the scholarship, at the top. 

For any questions about the scholarship please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Lisa Rogers, Programme Manager, at lisarogers@ruralleaders.co.nz 

Apply now

FMG Young Farmer of the Year – Tasman Regional Final. 

Meet you Saturday night at Springston Hall.

Did you know Mary Bumby introduced honeybees to New Zealand in 1839? No? Incredibly, her name has nothing to do with the naming of Bumble Bees, or any bees. Quite possibly history’s greatest example of a surname impacting the course of a life.  

The seven Tasman Region finalists for the FMG Young farmer of the Year hadn’t heard of Mary’s exploits either. Though they had answers to other questions during the four quiz rounds at Springston Hall, Saturday evening, 19th February.  

Rural Leaders were fortunate to be invited by our strategic investing partner FMG to catch this thrilling conclusion to several days of competition, to find the Tasman Regional Winner. Competitors had given their all in three components of competition: Agri-business, Agri-skills, and Agri-Sports. They crafted a ‘chair’ from a wood palette, filleted (in some cases butchered) a salmon, they did the maths on the application of fertiliser, and competed in fencing too.  

And so, it all came down to the Springston Hall for the fourth Agri-Knowledge component, to determine the winner and finalists for the national competition later this year. 

Te Radar sounds the alarm.

After a BBQ dinner and some masked, socially-distanced mixing, long-time host Te Radar kicked off the evening with the housekeeping, which included the obligatory fire evacuation notice – and at that exact moment an actual fire alarm sounded. We all evacuated. The rural fire brigade eventually gave the all-clear and the seven finalists took their places.

The finalists were: Archie Woodhouse and Phoebe Smailes of Lincoln University Young Farmers, Andrew Allan and George Dodson of Lincoln Young Farmers, Jonny Brown of Dunsandel Young Farmers, Ash Foley of Waimakariri Young Farmers, and Blair Anglesey of Renwick Young Farmers. 
 
Entering this final evening, Jonny Brown had the lead, with Andrew Allan in second.  

Fingers on buzzers please.

The first round ‘Photo ID’ asked contestants to identify everything from a specific arable crop to a breed of pig, through to filling in a missing element on a familiar sector logo. 

Round two ‘Rapid Fire’ gave each contestant 30 seconds of questions. Performances here were strong, with the highlight being an ability to anticipate the answer to a question cut-off by the timer. Contestants were allowed to answer despite not having the full question.  

Best anticipation efforts were Archie Woodhouse’s ‘Marlborough’ to the cut question “What region…?” (What region is the mainstay of New Zealand mussel farming?”) And Phoebe Smaile’s ‘Four,’ to the cut question “What is the minimum clearance…?” (“What is the minimum clearance for equipment from overhead powerlines?”)  

Round three was an observation round. Here a video was played with questions following. A hard round, though had this not been a dry event, it would have been harder still. 

And the winner of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year, Tasman is...

The final round was a ‘quick buzzer,’ here big movers were Phoebe Smailes and Ash Foley, but not enough to break into the top three. After a focussed period of calculation from the judges, the final places were awarded.  

The top female competitor’s prize went to Ash Foley. Third place, by just one point, went to Archie Woodhouse, second was Andrew Allan, and seasoned competitor Jonny Brown took the overall win, after missing out last year. 

FMG Young Farmer of the Year Tasman Regional Winner

This was an expertly organised event and a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Thank you to FMG’s Michelle Stephenson for the invite. 
 
The Contest series Grand Final is scheduled for Whangarei in July. 
 
Keep an eye out for details here.

Changing the narrative – an online Kellogg session.

Kellogg has had to adapt during the Pandemic, to a hybrid model, working both online with tools like Zoom, and in-person when it is safe to do so.

One positive thing about video calls, and for some one might be a stretch, is being able to sit on the side-lines occasionally, with mute on and video off. You get all the benefits of the call, without needing to worry about asking clever questions.

So, muted and invisible we joined Scholars on Phase Two of the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme, to listen to Sam Halstead of Latitude Strategy and Communication. Sam works in Public Relations, focussing on the primary production sector.

Phase Two is important for Kellogg Scholars. It gives an economic, political, and environmental context. It zeroes in on how to engage and influence decision making at a local, regional, industry and central government level. And engaging means communicating effectively. Enter Sam.

The most scrutiny in a generation for the primary sector.

Sam began his presentation with a slide headed ‘The most scrutiny and pressure in a generation.’ Discussion moved easily from one example substantiating this, after another.

The next slide, ‘It’s not all bad,’ presented positive sector perception statistics, based on recent polls from UMR Market Research. The pendulum has been moving in the other direction through Covid – with a public realising New Zealand now has big bills to pay and that the primary sector might be the one to help. The numbers make interesting reading:

  • New Zealanders have a positive view of the primary sector.
  • New Zealanders remain strongly positive about horticulture (67% positive, 29% neutral, 4% negative).
  • Sheep and beef farming (58% positive, 29% neutral, 13% negative).
  • And dairy farming (55% positive, 29% neutral, 16% negative).

Changing primary sector narratives with human connection.

While sentiment is on the up, the big challenges remain. Challenges that continue to impact the way the public views the primary sector. Sam took scholars through how public relations is utilised to help address some of these.

‘Changing the narrative,’ Sam explained, is about human connection and building trust over time – to change the narrative over time. Briefly, that might mean:

  • Avoiding the echo chamber – telling our stories outside of the sector.
  • Enlisting champions, or advocates.
  • Collaborating – avoiding confrontation.
  • Better leverage of the sector’s points of difference.
  • Owning issues and improving performance – sharing those improvements.
  • Building high quality relationships.
  • Most importantly – strive for human connection.

These sessions, delivered both online and in-person, help scholars build a critical awareness mindset, build confidence, and empower scholars to create change – public relations is just one tool in the toolbox that can help.

Madison Pannett on GenZ in the primary sector.

Madison Pannett is a 2021 Kellogg Scholar who recently made the news with her Kellogg research on attracting Generation Z into the primary industries.  

You can review her report here, Generation Z and the environment – how can we use their passion to attract them into food and fibre sector careers?

In a nutshell the report takes a close look at how and why the sector’s careers need to be more aligned with this influential generation’s values. 

The interview with Radio New Zealand’s Jesse Mulligan is short and to the point. For anyone looking to bring new talent into their operation, it’s well worth the five-minute investment.  

Madison speaks about the way the primary sector’s economic performance is the most common messaging theme in media, something GenZ are not generally interested in or motivated by.  

According to her research, GenZ are motivated by environmental issues and their ability to make a bigger difference to them. She concludes, a job should be spoken about in terms of how it fits into the bigger picture, particularly regarding global warming – rather than in financial or economic terms.  

Listen to Jesse Mulligan interview Madison below. 

Radio New Zealand: Summer Times 2021/22: How to get Gen Z into our Primary Industries

You can also read an earlier article published in the Waikato Herald. In this article Madison also talks about how we might inspire young people into the primary sector. 

Follow the link to read the article on nzherald.co.nz website.

Click here to go back to the Rural Leader.

Ben Todhunter: Observations from a high-country station.

Ben Todhunter is a 2006 Nuffield Scholar and High Country Farmer. He farms Cleardale Station with his family in the Rakaia Gorge, Canterbury.  

Below are the closing lines from Jim Morris’s poem ‘Rewards’. They capture the spirit of the high country farmer and as such are personal to Todd. Jim Morris was from neighbouring Manuka Point Station, and is now retired.

The ranges vast are here to stay 
And he’s content to spend his day, 
Working in their rugged grip 
His recompense – the love of it.

This is a compilation of some of Ben’s LinkedIn posts from 2021.

#1. Pressure and release.

#2. Pondering geology.

#3. Embracing technology.

#4. Perspective. 

#5. Pushing too hard. 

#6. Filling your soul.

#7. A river runs through it.

 

#1. Pressure and release

December 2021 

A young calf got caught away from the main mob. Rather than applying pressure to the calf, Ben backs off, mum doubles back to bring the calf back to the mob herself. 

Quoting Monty Roberts, Ben writes:

Pressure and release. It’s a fundamental tenet of moving livestock. It also applies to humans as well. As a leader, working with tension or pressure to grow someone is a balance. How do you learn to get the judgement right?

Lesley Prior, Tellenby Merino Stud, Commented:  
Great example of good stock handling. Quiet, patient and ‘going with the flow,’ but with gentle direction where necessary.  

Back to the start

#2. Pondering geology

October 2021 

Ben observes that the rocks and stones scattered on his farm have ancient stories to tell.

Ben writes:
A collection of photos of some terminal and lateral moraine boulders. The greywacke rocks have fallen onto glacial ice and were carried up to 70km before being deposited in-situ approximately 18,000 years ago. 

The greywacke was formed over a 200-million-year period as tens of thousands of metres of sediments built up off the edge of Gondwana. The sediments were eventually buried, deformed, hardened, and uplifted to become the rocks that formed the Southern Alps. 

Link to ‘Te Ara – building a continent.’ 

It’s useful therapy to ponder the stories of these rocks when considering your significance, or lack of, in the world. 


Victoria Harvey, Climate change PHD researcher, commented: 
A great reminder of our place and time in this world. Plus, very clean air judging by that lichen. 

Back to the start

#3. Embracing technology

November 2021 

To reduce the time intensive process of matching dam with lamb, and at the same time increasing the quality of pedigree data, Ben introduced smart collars to Cleardale.  

Ben writes:
Our current master shepherd (my father) is proving difficult to replicate and scale. These collars have Bluetooth technology and record proximity to other tags. If they are worn for 48 hours they provide an accurate record of the lambs and their mothers. 

This is the same technology that can be used for some of the proposed contact tracing systems for disease management.  

Helen Thoday, Solutions and Development at DairyNZ, commented: 
That’s so much better than binoculars and spray-painted numbers.

Back to the start

#4. Perspective

May 2021 

Ben observed an interesting play of light and perspective. 

Ben writes:
Fascinating light on a frosty evening. They say the best time to show off livestock is in the afternoon light, but this may be taking it to extremes. 

Gordon Ray, Lecturer at Grenoble Ecole de Management, commented: 
On first impression, almost looks like a bubbly lava flow; when I noticed it’s sheep moving. I’ve worked with a large herd of sheep (1600) and the movement is so fluid as to almost look like slow motion water. Very cool video – thanks for sharing! 

Ben comments:
Gordon Ray, large groups of animals can have real flow. 

Back to the start

#5. Pushing too hard

November 2021 

Curiosity or greed? A heifer gets caught in farm equipment looking for the lush grass beneath it. (the heifer was freed unharmed!)

Ben writes:
You know that time when you just go a little further than you should’ve? 

Peter Stannack commented: 
Boundaries are for testing. How else do you find out who you really are? 

Back to the start

#6. Filling your soul

January 2021 

Concepts of mindfulness, wellbeing, and connection to nature are explored in this post.  

Ben writes:
There’s something deeply therapeutic, listening to and watching water. 

This Awa or river, the Rakaia, is a big part of our lives and has many moods. Here it is flowing at 145 cumecs (cubic metres per second). The highest peak flow ever recorded was 5594 cumecs at midnight on January 9th, 1994.  

We are involved with two groups protecting the special landscapes, flora, and fauna of The Rakaia from the gorge to the main divide. I’d like to extend that to the Coast as well. In a recent assessment the Rakaia scored the highest of all the braided Canterbury rivers to be proposed for World Heritage status. 

The Whanganui River has been granted the status of a legal person. “I am the river; the river is me” affirms the deep connection of the Māori tribes of Whanganui to their ancestral river. 

My connection to the Rakaia is not in that form. It is in the form of wonder, and respect, and love, and a place I can go to fill my soul. Where do you go to fill your soul? 

Sam Martin, Exterior Architecture UK, commented:  
Anywhere I can walk under trees works for me. Which is lucky given the situation here in London and our living so close to many commons and parks. 

Back to the start

#7. A river runs through it

October 2021 

“You have my full attention.” Was Mac’s response to a text last year. 

This is a story about the power of story. The story of a table with a story that tells a story. 

We live beside the Rakaia River. Our Awa originates in the heart of the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana from the Ramsey and Lyell Glaciers. It is a braided river coloured blue from the glacial flour at its origin. Occasionally Totara logs are carried down river from the mountains and are deposited in front of our farm. 

Now Mac who was a neighbour and a top ad man, has now retired and become an accomplished luthier. He’d made me a stunning guitar from a previous piece of Totara and had expressed interest in working again with the special wood. So, when I found a suitable log, I sent a photo and immediately received the above reply. 

Half an hour later he was on site thinking of possibilities. In his words “You are being trusted with an absolute gem of a tree, and you prepare it with the full respect and care that its mana demand. It was an absolute privilege to be asked to give this tree a new life.” 

We then carved out a small bit suitable for guitars and kept the remainder. Maybe to build a table… 

A few weeks later Mac asked if we’d like him to make a kitchen table for us. 

Yes! Yes, was the response.

Mac enlisted the help of another neighbour and master wood whisperer Rob, to craft something special. 

We had a few other pieces of wood from the replaced decking and guardrails of the historic Rakaia Gorge bridge and knowing the talents of these two we provided dimensions for our house and for my frame and left them to it. 

Now for those who know about farm tables, a lot of business gets done around them, people are hosted, discussions are held and family times are lived around these tables. Being a storyteller Mac knew this and wondered if the table could tell a story? “Could it become a centre-piece, not just physically, but also emotionally and attitudinally? Could it have personality?” 

The idea of a river table was born. A table with whakapapa. 
“The idea was to re-create the tree’s relationship with the Rakaia River, representing its journey to Cleardale and the farm’s relationship with the river.” 

And that is what we’ve got. Timber from the mountains, carried and battered by the river, inlaid with a representation of that braided river and held up by timbers from a bridge to the past, repurposed to create memories into the future for a family whose lives are intertwined with that Awa. 

A special Taonga, which has a story, tells a story and will be part of many more stories. Thanks so much gents. 

Partha Ghosal, Clean Energy, commented:  
“You had my full attention.” So much so I read it twice! Never knew of Totara, let alone that it could make a stunning guitar/table. Something to do with your storytelling flair and a Luthier giving full respect maybe? Just love what you, he, and your wood whisperer achieved in the end. Your special Taonga. 

Back to the start

A typical day on the Value Chain Innovation Study Tour.

Craigmore Farming Horticulture Study Trip

The Value Chain Innovation Programme is made up of three phases spanning six weeks from May 9 to June 19. You can find out more about the programme and its core elements here.

Probably the most involved point of the five-week experience is the industry immersion study tour (Phase Two).

What will a typical day on the tour look like?

A fair description would be “busy”. But here’s more about what to expect.

We should note first that this ‘typical day’ may be subject to pandemic or scheduling related changes. 

Day five. In summary, there will be horticulture, food science and much more on the day. Generally, no one day will be dedicated to a particular value chain, but rather each piece of a value chain will be spread across several days.

You’ll be waking up in Central Hawke’s Bay. It’s an early start with breakfast at 06:30, and on the bus by 08:00.

On this particular day, the first destination is scheduled to be Craigmore’s Springhill Horticulture operation. You’ll arrive by 09:00.

Craigmore Springhill.

Craigmore manages farm and forest investments and was established in 2009 by two New Zealand family farmers, Forbes Elworthy and Mark Cox. Craigmore has an experienced team managing 18,000 hectares of dairy, grazing, forestry, and horticultural properties, that includes Springhill. 

You can preview Craigmore’s Springhill operation in this video. 

At around 11:00 the bus will depart for Massey University campus in Palmerston North, where you’ll be visiting several units. You should get there by 13:00.

The Riddet Institute.

First stop on campus is the Riddet Institute.

The Riddet Institute aims to build the knowledge and skills to tackle the challenges facing our fast-changing food sector, through discovery-led research at the frontier of food materials science. 

To learn more about Riddet, watch this interview with the Institute’s Deputy Director, Professor Warren McNabb. Scroll to the section beginning 3:15sec and ending 7:40sec for some insight into their work. 

Next is Massey Food Experience and Sensory Testing Laboratory (Feast). 

Feast, Food Pilot, and MAF Digital Lab – Massey University.

To gain a clearer picture about the type of work Feast conduct, look at this short video covering research on the use of a holo-lens. This work was done to determine what impacts mixed-reality technology could have on a consumer’s enjoyment of food. 

Still on the Massey University campus, the next stop is Massey Food Pilot. 

The Food Pilot at Massey includes the largest collection of food processing equipment in the southern hemisphere. They work with innovators and organisations to provide solutions to food-related challenges. 

Food Pilot is part of the New Zealand Food Innovation Network (NZFIN), it provides the facilities and the expertise to develop new products and processes, from idea to commercial success. Services can include evaporating and drying, chopping, mincing, cooking and process control, extrusion and puffing. 

While the this video isn’t on Food Pilot specifically, it does give some indication as to how Food Pilot fits into the FoodHQ ecosystem. There’s also plenty of footage from inside the Food Pilot testing areas. 

The next destination is the Fitzherbert Science Centre, where you will visit the Massey AgriFood Digital Lab. 

The MAF Digital Lab is a solution focussed research centre developing applications in advanced technology within the primary production, agricultural and food supply chain. MAF leverages Massey University’s wide capability in precision agriculture, primary production science and horticulture supply chains, sensor technology, robotics, AI, and data science.

Massey Univeristy Lab

Later in the afternoon, you are scheduled to visit Fonterra’s Research and Development Centre (FRDC). 

Home to 130 PhDs and 350 dairy patents, innovation is a key part of New Zealand Milk Products’ (NZMP), and ultimately Fonterra’s reason for being. Within NZMP, the FRDC is dedicated to dairy innovation and research. 

This video gives a good introduction to NZMP and the FRDC. 

Wharerata – BBQ dinner.

The next stop is your final destination for the day – Wharerata, where casual drinks and a BBQ dinner will be organised for the group. A quick week one tour review will take place before dinner at this historic homestead.  

By 20:00 you’ll be at your accommodation, where you can enjoy some free time or an early night as you are up at 06:00 the next morning to hit the road again.

The schedule is intense – but it will be worth it!

If you haven’t checked out yet the following podcasts, take the time to listen to Professor Hamish Gow’s Podcast ‘Value chain thinking’, and James Parson’s Podcast ‘When value-add doesn’t add up’. They’re both excellent for further context.  

Contact us with any questions, we’re ready to help. 
If you would like to find out more about the programme, contact Lisa Rogers today. Either call on 021 139 6881, or email at lisarogers@ruralleaders.co.nz.

Ready to register your interest in the Value Chain Innovation Programme?

Click here

From the Mackenzie Study: The Case for Kellogg.

Otago University

Work on the Mackenzie study continues with Professor Nathan Berg of the Otago Business School and the Department of Economics made possible with the support of the Mackenzie Charitable Foundation.

Since receiving the results on the gains attributable to participation in the Nuffield Scholarship, collation of results from the Kellogg Alumni survey has now begun.  

While more work needs to be done to present the data, we thought we would share a series of long-form responses from the Kellogg survey. These in themselves begin to paint a picture of the value of the programme to alumni, in terms of personal development, career advancement and industry influence.  

The responses have been left anonymous and any information that might reveal a respondent’s identity has been removed. 

Nearly one hundred Kellogg Alumni completed the survey. 

Searching for further motivation to complete your Kellogg Lincoln or Kellogg Whanganui application? You may find it here. 

What have been your most important accomplishments and did Kellogg play a role?

“Critical analysis of all situations. Kellogg helped solidify this process.” 

“Kellogg taught me how to deal with problem situations and be able to answer questions from media reps. Kellogg also gave me confidence to address open meetings of farmers and Iwi reps.”

“Employment positions held. Community roles held (school board, parish, sport, and service clubs). Kellogg played a role – Yes. Improved skill base particularly around communication and leadership.”

“The course helped with critical thinking and confidence.”

“My leadership career and influence. Helped me think strategically and made me match fit.” 

“Understanding myself better, how I affect others. The development of networks and doors opened by the programme. Personal brand building.” 

“Contributing to strengthening capability and capacity in the agricultural sector.”

“Start-up with two fellow Kelloggers – definitely a result of Kellogg.” 

“Leadership roles on boards of industry specific, or primary sector education boards plus NSO boards… Had creditability and capability having done a recognised course like Kellogg. Throughout the years the networks you form with either people who did it with you or had done it at other times was helpful to open doors and connections.” 

“Underway with a new company starting a new value chain. I completed my Kellogg project on this topic, so it very much helped.” 

“Since being a Kellogger I went onto become a Nuffield Scholar which I regard as a real accomplishment. Following that, I have started a new farm business and [have] become more involved with local industry. Kellogg… opened a lot of doors.” 

“Forming a people and training team and ensuring the business had a successful part to play in sector upskilling. My Kellogg project and the learnings around it were the catalyst for this.”

“Moving from hands-on farming to a corporate role. Kellogg gave me the networks and confidence to make the move.” 

“…Enjoyed widening my social and professional network and learning of other like-minded people. Having the mix across food production was great – everything from grapes to sheep to kiwifruit to Ag IT.”

“Kellogg helped with development of governance skills and gave me confidence to get involved in a large number of initiatives.”

“Confidence and experiencing others’ opinions and ideas, and great fellowship with others on the course.” 

“Kellogg helped me particularly in improving my leadership and social skillsets…”

“Networking and connecting. Having a sound understanding of the basics about how Wellington works was a highlight which I could not have done without the doors that Kellogg opened during that part of the course.” 

“I have played a significant role in building biosecurity preparedness for the primary sector and being a Kellogger has contributed to this, in part by exposing me to some inspirational people – and understanding the habits that lead to success.” 

“It helped me see that the people I viewed as leaders were not that different from me. It gave me confidence in who I am and whetted my appetite for more.” 

“I learned a great deal as a Kellogger, and that has contributed to all I have done…It made me a better person, better equipped with insights and with the ability to consider decisions. But I wasn’t completely hopeless before!” 

“Before the programme, I ran hard and fast at everything I did. This generally worked but came at a huge cost to my family life, my personal life, and my mental health. 

I still push myself every day to be better, but after hearing ways others in my cohort dealt with stress, I was able to learn to keep my mind on the rails. Mainly – I don’t need to do everything on my own. My cohort was the best – heaps of us are still in touch, helping each other along the way.”

“Respect from others for having completed Kellogg and respect between alumni.” 

Register your interest

Horticulture: When a road trip bears fruit.

Central Otago Horticulture - Engagement with industry to find ways to build capability

Lincoln University and the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust (Rural Leaders), hit the road last week, travelling throughout South and Mid Canterbury and Central Otago.

Professor Hamish Gow of Lincoln University and Chris Parsons, Rural leaders’ CEO, have successfully established stronger links with the horticulture sector and in particular, growers from the pip and stone fruit industries.  

The series of visits were expertly organised, attended, and hosted by Chelsea Donnelly, GoHort Career Progression Manager for Central Otago. The road trip was designed to gain a better understanding of the opportunities for collaboration between Lincoln University, Rural Leaders, and the horticulture sector. 

Also joining the group was Dr. Clive Kaiser, Associate Professor at Lincoln University. Clive is a legend of the cherry fruit industry, and it seemed this status was clear when growers produced Clive’s co-authored book, Sweet Cherries, also known as ‘The International Bible of Cherry Fruit Production.’ “The book would appear from bookshelves, top drawers, and coffee tables, with Clive humbly signing more than a few on request,” said Hamish Gow. 

Professor Gow went on to say,

“This was a real bonus on the trip. To have Clive Kaiser and Chris Parsons there connecting with the sector in such an authentic way, created an atmosphere where the prospect of further collaboration just seemed inevitable.”

The visits included numerous growers, orchards and packhouses, with each discussing the technical production challenges, competency requirements, and opportunities for Rural Leaders and Lincoln University to collaborate in the co-design and development of capability building programmes. 

“Everyone we met was as excited as we were to see both Lincoln University and Rural Leaders engaging with industry. It was a highly productive research trip likely to have exponential benefits for all involved,” enthused Professor Gow. 

Growers and grower groups also expressed interest in exploring the idea of ‘field-labs’ on their farms, as way to further increase productivity and capability, “That’s something we’re extremely excited about exploring”, said Hamish Gow, “If anyone would like to talk more on that idea, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.” 

Professor Gow can be contacted at Hamish.Gow@lincoln.ac.nz 

December 2021: Southland Alumni Connect

The Invercargill Workingmen’s Club saw plenty of Rural Leaders action last week, as the venue for two Thriving Southland Workshops and a get together for Southland’s Nuffield and Kellogg alumni. 

The event was conveniently held next door to the workshops, allowing some to attend both. The get together was hosted by Rural Leaders’ CEO Chris Parsons and Operations and Events Manager Annie Chant and was attended by nearly twenty alumni who listened to Guest Speakers, Steve Wilkins, and Catherine Dickson share their programme stories. 

Stephen (Steve) Wilkins was a 2013 Nuffield Scholarship recipient, who researched the synergies between arable and dairy farming with a focus on effluent and nutrients. Steve spoke about his Nuffield journey, including how he received a call driving home from the Scholarship interview, and was told ‘you’re in’.  

Catherine Dickson completed her Kellogg in 2020. Her research report was National Treasure: Native biodiversity on-farm. Catherine spoke about how important her connection with her cohort is to her.  

We’d like to thank the speakers for their time and thank you to the alumni that managed to make the event.   

Doing better by our people.

There are figures on our primary sector’s labour transience that make for alarming reading. They’re remarkably high. In case you missed them, only 29% of those entering the primary sector remain after three years.  

While factors behind the statistics are complicated, one of the simpler, often cited reasons for leaving the sector is poor workplace culture. That falls strongly into the preventable turnover basket. And preventable turnover equates to 78% of total dairy transience, meaning four out of five people who have left the sector, might’ve stayed, had we done better by them.  

Bad news, old news, good news.

It’s not just farm workplaces buckling culturally under today’s stresses either, it’s large agri-businesses too, with allegations of poor management, and unaddressed toxic cultures more common than they should be. 

In both small farms and in larger business, failure to fix a problem culture can lead to performance issues and the destruction of the relationships with the people and teams helping those operations succeed. That’s the bad news. It’s also old news and too big to wrestle with here. So, we’ll offer a couple of pieces of good news about a few people trying to make a difference instead. 

Individual farms are now leading change, enthusiastically embracing management thinking from other industries. Farm owners, exposed to high performance ideas and practises bring their learning back home, to the farm. Couple this with a wider acceptance of wellbeing philosophies (previously known as ‘that touchy-feely-stuff’) and you have individual farming operations reporting much needed decreases in staff turnover. 

Rebecca and Brent Miller: Kellogg Scholars making changes. 

At the heart of what Rebecca and Brent Miller do lies a simple idea, if you work on yourself before you work on your team, good things will follow.  

Rebecca has just won ‘Emerging Leader’ at the 2021 Westpac Champion Business Awards. It’s an award that recognises performance across all industries, not just the primary. The award blurb states, ‘recognising a leader who is ambitious in outlook and vision, one who embraces innovation, shows resilience, and who inspires and invests in others.’ All good things, so it’s worth taking a closer look for ideas worth sharing. 

“What we stand for, our values, our negotiables, and non-negotiables, are all important for us, our team, and our farm. Everything comes down to knowing our strengths, weaknesses, and how we’re likely to contribute within a collaborative framework.” 

The school of hard knocks. 

Fifteen years ago, sharemilkers Rebecca, Brent, and their young children, were at a crossroads. It’s a familiar dairying family story, 2:30am to 7:30pm, 28 days on, two days off, moving between farming positions constantly and far too many tricky experiences with farm owners – their employers. They were on the brink of breakdown. All bets were on leaving farming forever.  

“We thought something had to give. But then you realise all your skills are in dairying. It was all we knew. So, we decided to stay and really reflect on what it was we needed from our next employer.”  

“We researched farm owners who supported, coached, and mentored their staff. We knew that if we were to stay in dairying and grow, we had to find the right environment for that to happen. Sadly, at the time, they weren’t easy to find – but eventually we did.” 

“We’d put business first at all costs in the past and that approach wasn’t working for us. We now knew it had to be family first.”  

Building the trust.

The Millers found an employer who opened their books, allowing them to benchmark against over a dozen farms in the owner’s network. The power of knowing ‘the numbers’ meant better decisions could be made, and efficiencies found by gently applying the right pressure at the right time. This sharing quickly built trust between themselves and the owners.  

“Passing that on and taking care of our team, seeing them grow and succeed, became a priority for us too. We have learned that as leaders of a team, the environment we provide on the farm, the behaviour, the way we share, interact, the words we use, the decisions made, and by who, are just a few of the factors in a high trust, high-performing and connected team.”  

The Millers strongly believe in the idea of sharing what they can to help others improve their on-farm methods and culture too.  

“MilkIQ is a platform for achieving that. It’s fuelled by a passion for people and driven by a desire to help them succeed.”  

With MilkIQ the Millers have just gone out and said ‘hey, this is who we are.’ “It’s a wellbeing tool, hopefully demonstrating trust in practise.” 

Hamish Murray Bluff Station Nuffield

Hamish Murray: A Nuffielder making changes. 

In a Farmstrong article from earlier this year, Nuffield Scholar and high-country sheep and beef farmer, Hamish Murray, also acknowledged the importance of his own journey. He spent a year on his Nuffield scholarship studying businesses with high-performing team cultures, including time in Silicon Valley, and in Christchurch with the Crusaders Rugby Team. He observed their continued focus on ‘soft skills,’ and shared values. 

“Soft skills are things like the way you communicate, make decisions, reflect and feedback. If you understand each other [other’s styles], you can combine to make good decisions.” 

“We’ve also done an exercise with our team to agree on what values will drive the decisions in our business. It’s empowering everyone to move forward, and it allows me to stand back and let the others lead.” 

The results speak for themselves.

Hamish is confident this approach is paying off. One good indicator has been a reduced staff turnover. Hamish acknowledges how important it is to create an environment that allows others to flourish and one that attracts and keeps great people. A big part of that he says, is letting your ego go, getting out of people’s way and asking the questions that help others do an excellent job. To do that he says, you have to work on yourself first. 

“Sometimes it’s not until you get to breaking point that your own learning and reflection kicks in. The journey for me started at a real low, but now I look back and think I’m incredibly lucky to have had that experience.”  

Hamish is referring to the stresses created by the Marlborough and Canterbury drought of 2014/15.  

“Trying to keep everyone going when you had no control over anything was so draining … we ended up with stock on fourteen different properties. The support I’ve had from my family and my team, the groundwork we’ve done together has really given me the confidence to keep learning and growing our business.” 

It starts in your own back paddock. 

Rebecca, Brent, and Hamish have shown that one small, first step toward keeping people in primary sector, in a ‘start in your own backyard kind of way’ has to be toward yourself, then to your own ‘FarmilyTM,’ your rural community, and beyond to industry. Rebecca adds, “What we can control first is our own behaviour. When our behaviours are good, we allow others to be the same and we start creating that change.” 

Rebecca Miller did the Kellogg Rural leadership Programme in 2018. Her study topic was: Is there a need for an information platform to collaborate primary sector events? 

Brent Miller, Rebecca’s husband, did the Kellogg Programme in 2020. His study topic was: What is the true cost of transience to the New Zealand dairy industry? 

Hamish Murray is a 2019 Nuffield Scholar. Hamish’s research was Future farm workplaces. It investigated the work environment needed to attract and retain people in the primary sector.