Rural Leaders Newsletter Archives | Page 5 of 15

Rural Leaders deliver food security programme for US Gilman Scholarship alumni.

Key food security programme delivered in US-NZ partnership.

‘Mission New Zealand – Navigating Geopolitical Tensions and Climate Change as an Agri-based Economy’, was a week-long programme delivered by Rural Leaders in Christchurch.

Facilitated by Dr Scott Champion, the programme was designed to give a group of 25 visiting Gilman Scholarship alumni a deep dive into global food security.

Participants gained insights into the policies, technologies, and adaptation measures that aim to secure the New Zealand agricultural sector and reduce environmental impacts.

The programme was an opportunity to explore New Zealand’s innovation and initiatives towards food security. It included modules on global food security, trade, food and fibre value chains, a NZ Government perspective on food security, a Te Ao Māori perspective, food safety, precision agriculture, as well as presentations from supply chain, biosecurity, regulatory, and sustainability leaders.

For Rural Leaders the programme represented the strengthening of an important relationship between both enterprises, and more broadly, between the US and NZ.

Lisa Rogers, Rural Leaders’ CEO said, “We were pleased to be asked to host and deliver this Global Food Security focussed programme for the Benjamin A Gillman Scholarship from the US.

The week provided the opportunity to showcase NZ Food and Fibre’s innovative and entrepreneurial approach to food production.

With presenters to the group including politicians, officials and innovative producers, the group of scholars had an immersive week within our Food and Fibre sector.

The opportunity to hear external view points about our sector and its food production systems was as invaluable as it was refreshing.”

For the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program and the US Department of State, ‘Mission New Zealand’ has been a valuable cross-pollination of ideas and knowledge sharing, for food security and for the platform it has provided for discussing some of the challenges both countries face.

Gilman Scholarship Alum Darrin Vander Plas – REX podcast.

One attending Gilman Scholarship alum, Darrin Vander Plas (pictured above), took time to chat to Dominic George and REX online about what he and his colleagues learned on their trip to NZ, his role with the US Department of Agriculture Farm Loan Program in Maui and his time helping farmers in The Gambia and Uganda.

Darrin Vander Plas, from the US Department of Agriculture, is one of these people who has ventured over and he explains further what the goal of the trip is as well as some of the highlights so far.

Vander Plas, who manages the USDA Farm Loan Program in Maui County, Hawaii, highlights the resilience of Kiwi farmers despite the absence of government subsidies.

Additionally, he discusses his experiences in The Gambia and Uganda, where he supported local farmers through various agricultural initiatives and his experiences during last year’s wildfires in Hawaii.

Lisa Rogers – Leadership Programmes and Pathways.

If we believe the Food and Fibre sector has a Leadership challenge versus a Productivity challenge, then developing our sector’s leadership capability needs to be a priority.

In this podcast, Lisa Rogers, CEO, Rural Leaders talks to Bryan Gibson, Managing Editor, Farmers Weekly about the recently released report ‘A Path to Realising Leadership Potential in Aotearoa NZ’s Food and Fibre Sector’, along with its leadership development framework, and the leadership programmes serving as key tools for building more and ever greater leaders for our country.

Listen to Lisa’s podcast here or read the transcript below.

Bryan Gibson – Managing Editor of Farmer’s Weekly.
You’ve joined Rural Leaders’ Ideas That Grow podcast. In this series, we’ll be drawing on insights from innovative rural leaders to help plant ideas that grow so our regions can flourish. Ideas that Grow is presented in association with Farmers Weekly.

Bryan Gibson, Managing Editor of Farmers Weekly.
You’re with Ideas That Grow, the Rural Leaders podcast. I am Farmers Weekly Managing Editor, Bryan Gibson, and with me today is Lisa Rogers, Chief Executive of Rural Leaders. G’day Lisa, how’s it going?

Lisa Rogers, CEO, Rural Leaders
Great. Thanks, Bryan. It’s good to be here.

BG: Now, as we know, Rural Leaders is in the business of creating people who are primed to go into leadership roles. But recently, you’ve been involved in a big report on the state of leadership pathways in New Zealand is and how they might be improved. Can you tell me a little bit about that?

A new report that aims to help solve an old challenge.

LR: Yeah, sure. We’ve recently released a significant report in developing leaders in the Sector. It’s called a Path to Realising Leadership Potential in Aotearoa, New Zealand’s Food and Fibre Sector. We’re very proud of this piece of work that the authorship team has taken almost two years to bring together.

It was originally commissioned and supported by Food and Fibre CoVE – the Centre of Vocational Excellence. They commissioned Rural Leaders to conduct research into the state of leadership development in the sector and to also create a principles-based model towards leadership development. This report is now out. The report covers three main areas: Why we lead, how we lead, and how we are going to continue to grow leadership.

The idea is for this work to become a user guide, for want of a better word. And there is a framework that sits around it as well for people to be able to identify where they are on their leadership journey and to then look at what programmes and what a pathway might look like for their development, depending on where they are in their journey and their age and stage.

So, yeah, it’s a great piece of work.

BG: Obviously, when we think about leadership in the Food and Fibre sector, there are the likes of the Kellogg and Nuffield Programmes. There are other programmes out there, AgriWomen’s Development Trust, and there are various associate board member roles that various processes play. Do we have the infrastructure in place to succeed in building new leaders?

Leadership development programmes and pathways.

LR: I think there’s a great range of exemplars and programmes that are out there. The structure is the thing that’s been missing up until now. A lot of organisations and people have considered this over the years, and this is a foundational piece of work to be able to start creating an ecosystem system that we’re going to have.

It’s not going to necessarily be all about New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust. We want to be part of this, along with everyone else. So, what we’re wanting to do is get a great range of programmes that are there from early days or vocational type programmes. So, from first steps on their leadership development right through operations teams and into that strategic level of leadership as well, which traditionally, Kellogg and the Nuffield Scholarship have been in that later stage.

But we’re also developing and delivering new programmes as well. We’re very proud to be also involved in the Horticulture New Zealand Leadership Programme, which is in that operational space, and looking now at team leadership programme as well. Rural Leaders has got a lot of great programmes to be as exemplars of this leadership journey, but we also want to bring other organisations in to have their programmes there for delivery as well. They’ll obviously still belong to those organisations, but we want everyone to play in this space.

Horticulture New Zealand Leadership Programme, the Value Chain Programme and Engage.

BG: You mentioned the Horticulture New Zealand Leadership Programme, and of course, we know about Kellogg and Nuffield. What are some of the other programmes that Rural Leaders specifically has?

LR: Traditionally, we’re about leadership, and we still absolutely are. That’s our core purpose. But we are also increasingly moving into the capability space now and development of those leaders in the sector. We have the Value Chain Innovation Programme, which runs every year. It’s seven days going through to our iconic four big value chains.

It’s an amazing opportunity to do deep dives into the sheep and beef, the dairy, horticulture, and kiwi fruit industries, and understanding why they are such an important part of our sector, along with all the moving parts that go with that. There are always new changes, and that’s an incredible week with Professor Hamish Gow and Phil Morrison from down in Southland.

We also run a new programme called Engage, which is really starting to pick up a head of steam now. It started off as a joint venture with Lincoln University and Ministry for the Environment. It’s for people coming into this sector who have got great transferable skills but weren’t necessarily brought up in a farming or food and fibre environment. So, they have a three-day immersive programme with us, and we’re finding that that is becoming quite a go-to programme for us as well.

Rural Leaders is starting to build a real stable of programmes and become known as a leader development organisation more than anything else, which is so exciting.

BG: Obviously, the programmes that are out there and the support for people is a key aspect. But leadership is built in the workplace, isn’t it? In the relationships you have and the opportunities you’re given, maybe even when you’re just starting out in your career. We’ve mentioned the report. Are there other tools in the toolbox that can help workplace places develop their staff?

Rural Leaders provides tools for leadership development.

LR: Absolutely. So, the report is all about identifying that pathway. There’s a capability framework there. So, we want people to come in and have a look at this in a way that is accessible. So very shortly, we’re building a microsite, for want of a better word, so it’ll be mobile friendly.

It’s a way of having a look at where they are now on their journey. So, we assess, am I at the beginning of my leadership development? Have I been doing this for a while? Am I looking for a change? If I’ve been doing something for a while? And then actually ask a few more questions around that. And then this framework will give them some suggestions on programmes that they can be involved in now, some stuff they might like to look at in another year or two’s time, and then further out from there as well.

Again, it’s an independent assessment, so we’re not necessarily pushing them into all our programmes, although there’s some great opportunities there. But it might be that other organisations have got some great programmes around for them as well. And we certainly include the like of Muka Tangata as well and some of the WDC programmes that are out there – the Workforce Development Councils.

So, we’re also looking at how these can be micro-credentialed, so they give true value for the people who are undertaking them as well. We’re also looking at developing a high-performing teams programme. We see that as a real gap in the availability about being able to create an environment for thriving and high-performing teams.

BG: Identifying the people who have leadership potential and working with them is one thing. I guess Food and Fibre has often struggled to attract some of the talent to the sector from schools and that sort of thing; traditionally pushing people towards medicine, and law. How do we shift the dial there? Because the Food and Fibre sector is so important to New Zealand. It’s so big, in a sense. It really needs to have the best and brightest there, doesn’t it?

With good leadership, people stay.

LR: It sure does. When you think that there’s almost 360,000 people working in this sector now, and it’s worth over $55 billion a year in export income, it’s an incredibly important part of New Zealand’s economy. And up until now, one of the statistics that’s come out of this research is that the churn rate through the sector is something like 71% after three years. Now, that’s extraordinary. Even if you take into consideration seasonal workers, RSC workers coming into the country to work, particularly in horticulture, that’s just mind boggling to think that 71% of people are gone after three years.

The cost to the economy of that, for each time somebody turns over out of a job is just extraordinary. What we need to do is make sure that we can address this and have people who come into the sector and want to stay. To feel like they’ve got some path to grow and develop in there, and that there is a long-term view for them.

Now, it can be in all sorts of aspects of the sector. It doesn’t have to be necessarily a path towards farm ownership, because we want this report, and the framework, to apply to people working in the Food and Fibre service industries as well as on farm or on an orchard.

It’s as applicable to anybody who is an owner or an employer as it is to someone who’s a worker. We want everyone to be able to see themselves in here and look at this framework that we’re putting forward and say, this is where I see myself now, these are the things I’d like to think about developing myself, in particular, my leadership. Once we’ve got people who are feeling as though they have got a purpose and a pathway in front of them, we’re more likely to see a more settled and productive workforce sitting there. We see that this has got huge economic as well as social benefits for the sector.

For more information on Rural Leaders, the Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarships, the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme, the Engage Programme, or the Value Chain Innovation Programme, please visit ruralleaders.co.nz

Rachel Baker – Insights (from an insider) on the Nuffield Global Focus Programme.

In this podcast, Rachel Baker, 2024 Nuffield Scholar talks to Bryan Gibson, Managing Editor, Farmers Weekly, and gives a unique perspective from inside Nuffield.

Rachel speaks about about some of the similarities and differences between the farming systems in the countries she has visited with New Zealand’s.

Rachel discusses insights from Indonesia’s primary industries, France’s love of food, Denmark entering an emissions scheme, California’s water challenges and Chile’s low rates of Research and Development.

This is a must listen for anyone considering a Nuffield Scholarship in 2025 or beyond.

Listen to Rachel’s podcast here or read the transcript below.

Bryan Gibson, Managing Editor of Farmers Weekly.
Welcome to Ideas That Grow, a podcast from Rural Leaders. I’m your host, Bryan Gibson, the Managing Editor of Farmers Weekly. We’ve got a very special guest today, a current Nuffield Scholar, Rachel Baker. G’day, Rachel, how are you?

Rachel Baker, 2024 Nuffield Scholar
Yeah, good. Thanks, Bryan. Thanks for having me.

BG:
Now, where are you calling in from? Where’s home for you?

A Nuffield Scholar with a background in many industries.

RB: Home for me is Central Hawkes Bay, tucked up near the Ruahine Ranges. My husband and I graze just under 500 dairy heifers. I guess in my day job, I’m portfolio manager for pit fruit for my farm investments. And also with a dairy background, I do some consulting with dairy farmers.

BG: Quite a range of farming industries involved there.

RB: Yeah, life isn’t a straight line. It’s a wiggly line. There are a few stories behind those changes. But I’ve been fortunate. I’ve got a foot in agriculture, and I guess a foot in horticulture as well. So, it keeps me busy and keeps life interesting.

BG: Was that always going to be the path for you? Did you grow up on a farm or was it something you found?

RB: I grew up on a small farm, but my mother was from a large sheep and farming family here in Hawkes Bay. So, I’ve always been involved in farming, but I actually did a veterinary degree. So, I worked as a veterinarian for a short period of time and then morphed into dairy consulting. Then my husband and I took an opportunity to go share milking. So that’s how we entered the dairy sector and had some really good experiences there and actually sold our cows and bought a dry stock farm. That’s how we ended up grazing dairy heifers.

The transition to horticulture really came about through dairy connections within my farm investments. Because I live in Hawkes Bay, I said yes to an opportunity to oversee some of those early apple developments. That was seven years ago and still involved, yeah, still learning and enjoying it along the way with the dairy.

BG: Attracting more investment into food production sectors is pretty vital. So, you’ve got a big job.

RB: It is a good story because it’s bringing capital into the agriculture and horticultural sector, largely from New Zealanders, which is a really positive story. So, yeah, I’m really pleased to be involved in managing their investments.

Halfway through a Nuffield Scholarship.

BG: Now, you’re smack bang in the middle, I guess, of your Nuffield Scholarship Programme. How’s it going for a start, and what subject area are you looking at?

RB: Yes, I am part way through my scholarship at the moment. I’m interested in looking at New Zealand’s global proposition in terms of being a food exporter. In terms of Nuffield itself, the programme really is comprised of three parts. The third part is that research project and doing individual research, which I’m yet to do.

The Nuffield Contemporary Scholars Conference (CSC).

The first part is a conference where all the scholars from that year from around the globe meet together in a country, which changes every year. It’s a conference looking at global issues as well as the host country itself. We were fortunate that Brazil was the host country for 2024.

We went to Brazil in March and had our global scholars conference there. The second part to Nuffield is a global focus programme, and I’ve just come back in early July from that, which is a small group travelling together through five countries in five and a half weeks looking at food production.

The Nuffield Global Focus Programme (GFC).

BG: Can you tell us more about the Global Focus Programme?

RB: There are a number of different Global Focus Programmes based on different times of the year to try and give an opportunity to fit within your own farming and work calendar, and also different countries as well. The countries our group visited were: Indonesia, France, Denmark.

We also went to California and to Chile. The group was made up of 12. They were a good representation of countries as well. We had six Australians, two from Ireland, a Brazilian, a Chilean, and a Zimbabwean. We all travelled together through that time, and obviously got to know each other really well, as well as looking at the challenges and opportunities in all of those countries.

BG: First up, I mean, having that range of people from diverse farming-related backgrounds must be really cool to just talk while you’re travelling and understand how other people think about things.

RB: It was a really diverse group not only in terms of the countries but also what sectors people were involved in. We had tulip grower from Tasmania through to a pig farmer from Zimbabwe. Also, people involved in international fertiliser and the food trade. We had a really nice cross-section, good conversations, and learning together as a group.

That farmer, peer-to-peer learning, you just can’t beat it. When you’re on the road together for that time, you get to know each other well. You learn a lot from each other as well as, obviously, who you’re meeting day to day.

GFC - first stop Indonesia.

BG: Tell us a little about Indonesia. We forget that it’s one of the most populous countries on Earth. It’s not that far away, but when you think of it, you think of some beaches and things like that. But what food production facilities or operations did you take a look at?

RB: Indonesia was our first country, and it was fascinating. A huge population, well over 200 million. So compared to New Zealand, you couldn’t get a better contrast to start. We were hosted by an Australian who had set up cattle feed lots there over 30 years ago.

We’re really fortunate that we got good insights into a lot of different food sectors as well. We did see cattle feed lots, imported cattle from Australia being finished there in Indonesia, through to spice and pepper processing.

We went out on fishing boats with some local fishermen, right through to seeing pineapple plantations being harvested by hand in 40 plus degree heat and 90 % humidity. So, we got a really good range of scale, but also some real subsistence farming as well – from a single man climbing up trees and harvesting palm sugar and making a living out of that.

BG: And where did you head next? Scandinavia?

Nuffield GFC – France.

RB: So, from Indonesia, we headed to France. We spent our time in Normandy, in the north. And again, we got some good insight into French farming. France is just a wonderful food culture. They really celebrate food and they’re really proud of what they produce. A lot of it is artisan. It’s got provenance associated with it. And so, we got a real feel for that.

French farming is in a challenging place at the moment. They feel they’re under threat from imported food products coming in at a cheaper cost to what they can produce. That’s a challenging time for them. But by the same token, there are a lot of strong cooperatives in France. We got a good insight into some cooperative models, which, of course, having a number of strong cooperatives in New Zealand was really interesting.

BG: Yeah, what you were saying about the narrative that goes along with French food, it is so strong. A lot of people think this is something we could try to emulate here. I guess, put some real culture around our food production. I mean, is that something you see as worthwhile?

RB: As a New Zealand food producer, I think we produce high-quality food. It’s safe food from a food security viewpoint. So, any opportunity I had, I was looking for New Zealand produce in the countries we were visiting. There’s quite a buzz when you actually find New Zealand produce in a store or a supermarket when you’re travelling. So, I think from that regard, the food that I saw, the quality that was in front of the consumer was largely very good.

As food producers, we need to be high quality. There’s a lot of challenge coming to us or at us from countries with lower costs of production. I think quality is paramount and I think we should be proud of that. The provenance of New Zealand, it came up-time and time again. New Zealand was mentioned a lot – that it’s a beautiful country and we produce lovely food. So, we should leverage off that.

BG: Yeah. Now, where did it head next?

Nuffield GFC – Denmark.

RB: Next, we went to Denmark. So, it was an interesting time actually being there because not long after we left Denmark, they announced that agriculture would have an emissions tax from 2030. It was great timing for us. I think while I was away, New Zealand pushed pause on agriculture entering emissions trading scheme. So, the timing to be there in Denmark when they were deciding, they’d made the commitment they were going to go. It was just the uncertainty for farmers around what it actually looked like.

I found Denmark very similar to New Zealand in many ways. So, that was quite a good insight. They have a very high wages, and a high tax rate in Denmark, but obviously they have a very strong education, health, welfare system as well. In terms of trying to make a profit, it was a challenge for Danish farmers at this time.

BG: I’ve read a little about the plan that Denmark has to introduce that emissions levy. I know the agreement was nutted out by the government with stakeholders, and that includes some industry groups from the farming sector, so they did get to help mould it. On the ground there, were there farmers you spoke to? How were they feeling about it? Uncertain, I guess?

RB: I think they just wanted to have some certainty. There’s a great quote that uncertainty is the cancer of business. I think they just wanted to be certain about what the plan and the future looked like for them.

I think from a Danish farmer perspective, they do get good support, and they’ve got some excellent programmes in place around, say, a green accelerator programme. This is where they can get up to 70% rebate on any investment in technology that’s going to advance them towards sustainability and a green future.

It was clear that even though they were going to be entering an emissions tax, there was no doubt they wanted to maintain their food production and their productivity. In terms of entering the scheme was – it was not to reduce the amount of food that they were going to produce. It was just that they were going to produce it in a more environmentally sustainable way. From that perspective, I think that they felt there was support available to them to make the transition, and that’s quite refreshing.

BG: That’s really interesting. When I think about incentives for more sustainable production, you often think of planting and retiring land and that sort of thing. But having subsidies for technology, which is a completely different proposition, seems a bit more enticing to both sides of the equation.

RB: I think they’re looking at multiple solutions. They’re going to pump billions into retiring some peat lands in Denmark to help with their emissions transition. I also think biodiversity came up a lot in most of the countries we visited. And again, that’s a real opportunity for New Zealand, because if you look at the land area that we have in native forest and also in farmed land, what area has actually been retired or riparian planted?

We really need to map that and leverage off that because I believe it’s going to be a global food currency – biodiversity in the future. So, we have it and we’re making really good progress. I think we need to leverage that to our advantage.

Nuffield GFC – California.

BG: Now, California, a big state, a food basket in many ways for the United States. That must have been fun.

RB: Yeah, it was really interesting. It’s the fifth largest economy in the world, if it was to be treated as though it was a country. So, we spent time in California, in Fresno, up through to Sacramento.

It was very hot. We had a heatwave while we were there, which was uncomfortable for most of us. But the big story there is water and really getting a good insight into the water challenges they’ve got in California. With less ice melt out of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, more rain, more precipitation, more growing cities, all demanding more water.

California - the water scarcity challenge.

Their sources of water are surface with allocation rights for deep-water, groundwater takes. They’ve got real challenges around a six-inch rainfall in Fresno County. Maybe they get 50% of their allocated volume from surface water. They’re needing to take groundwater as well. So, there are big recharging programmes in place. One farm we went to had spent $15 million USD on a recharge system, which may only be used every three or four years.

Then further up, closer to the Delta, the Government’s proposing putting in a $25 billion USD pipeline in to pump water through to Los Angeles and San Francisco. So, you’ve got real contention around water rights and water use and what priorities should be in place.

So, it was really good for us to see that. But also, you do wonder what areas may not be in horticulture in California in the future. So, there’s some real challenges there for them around not only the infrastructure, but just the allocation of water as well.

BG: Yeah, the last few years, they’ve been focusing on some pretty thirsty crops there, haven’t they?

RB: They have. I guess also the challenge is they’ve had real success growing almonds and selling almonds. But again, they’re almost running the risk of commoditising their own value product by planting more and more hectares. So, it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out.

Nuffield GFC – Chile.

BG: And further down the Coast of Americas, Chile, it always amazes me that place. I’ve not been there, but it’s so long and thin.

RB: It is the longest and thinnest country in the world. Narrow, I think, in diameter than New Zealand, from border to border. So, that was our last country. We left 40 plus degree heat in California and went into the single-digit temperatures in Chile, which was a bit of a shock for us all. But hey, what a great country.

We had some really good insight into Chile and, I guess, in policy to start with. Also, looking at Chile as a country that is open to foreign investment. We saw examples of that in Chile. But again, similar challenges, less ice melt, more precipitation, lack of infrastructure, investment, a slow consenting process.

On-farm storage of water was not really progressing very quickly at all. It’s a low-wage economy. We went to an avocado plantation on very steep country that in New Zealand would be sheep and beef or planted in forestry. Their staff were harvesting with football boots, with sprigs, because it’s so steep. So, they were harvesting avocados by hand. Just to see that on that steep country was quite mind-blowing. They’re a real powerhouse of cherry production and apple production too.

I’m involved in the apple industry with the work that I do so, it was really interesting. Just the scale of some of their operations was really significant. One thing I found interesting was that levy-funded R&D didn’t appear to exist in Chile. That’s a real challenge for them in terms of keeping pace with, say, countries like New Zealand. We could fund more, of course, but we have a real focus on research and development and advancement of varieties, et cetera. So, I felt we certainly had a competitive advantage there.

What’s next on the Nuffield Scholarship Programme?

BG: So, you’re back in Aotearoa, and you’ve got a lot to digest from all that, I guess. Next up for you in the Nuffield Programme is putting pen to paper?

RB: Yeah, that third part of the Nuffield Scholarship is individual travel. So, I’m starting to develop my travel and research plans. I plan to spend some more time away looking, as I said before, that value proposition for New Zealand into the future. So, visiting countries that maybe operate in the same markets as us or maybe they’re customers of ours, and really drilling deeper into that.

BG: Sounds really exciting. Thanks for that, Rachel. All the best for the rest of your Nuffield journey.

The 2025 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarship applications close 18 August.

RB: Thank you. And for those that are thinking about applying for Nuffield, I’d really encourage them to really think strongly about applying because from my perspective, this is filling that global piece I really wanted to develop, being involved in food production.

This really is unparalleled. It’s an amazing opportunity. For those people that are thinking about applying for a Nuffield Scholarship, put that imposter-syndrome to the side and put your best foot forward because it really is an amazing opportunity.

BG: Thanks for listening to Ideas That Grow, a Rural Leaders podcast presented in Association with Farmers Weekly. For more information on Rural Leaders, the Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarship, the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme, and the Value Chain Innovation Programme, please visit ruralleaders.co.nz

Alumni in the Spotlight – Julian Raine, Tracy Brown, Anna Gower-James and more.

It’s been another busy month or two for alumni in the news. Here are just a few of the media pieces covering the impact of Rural Leaders’ Programme Alumni in industries and communities across the sector.

Julian Raine, 1997 Nuffield Scholar.

As you may well have heard, Julian Raine, 1997 Nuffield Scholar, won the Outstanding Contribution Award at the Federated Farmers’ Primary Industries Awards on July 2nd.

Julian is a former Chair of the NZ Rural Leadership Trust and has also chaired the Apple Futures Programme. He has been a trustee of the Massey Lincoln Agricultural Industry Trust, he has co-chaired the Nelson Tasman Climate Forum, and is a member of the Primary Sector Council.

Judges noted that he is, and continues to be, an innovator and leading entrepreneur in horticulture and dairy. His leadership and commitment to giving back, both nationally and in the Nelson community, including involvement in the Waimea Community Dam project, has spanned three decades.

This article gave a strong account of the win.

Take a read of the Farmers Weekly article.

Jason Te Brake, 2014 Kellogg Scholar.

Jason Te Brake’s appointment as Zespri’s new Chief Executive hit the headlines several weeks back. On his appointment Jason said,

“My focus will be on leading the Zespri team to capture the significant demand opportunities in the market, on strengthening our supply chain and operational performance to maximise value in the market, and on ensuring we return as much of that value back to growers as possible.”

Take a read of this Waikato news article on Jason’s background and his plans for the Kiwifruit marketer.

Kate Scott, 2018 Nuffield Scholar.

In June’s ‘The Journal’ (From NZIPIM, Vol 28, No 2), Kate Scott, 2018 Nuffield Scholar shares her findings from her time in Brazil on the Nuffield Global Focus Programme (GFP).

Kate’s article explores the idea that Brazil might be a little more than its stereotype –
a large-scale, beef-producing, Amazon deforesting nation in the South Americas.

The article goes into some ideas that potentially paint an alternative picture.

You can download and read the article here.

Image below: Julian Raine with his ‘Outstanding Contribution Award’ at July’s
Primary Industries Awards.

Tracy Brown, 2020 Nuffield Scholar.

In late June, it was announced Tracy Brown will take over as board chair of DairyNZ in October. Tracy replaces Jim van der Poel, 2002 Nuffield Scholar, who has been chair of DairyNZ since 2017.

DairyNZ has a governing board of eight members. Five directors are elected by farmers and three are independent and appointed by the board. Congratulations to Jim on his exceptional service and to Tracy on her election. This article from Rural News Group had it covered.

Anna Gower-James, 2023 Kellogg Scholar.

An article in the Spring edition of the New Zealand Dairy Exporter by Anna Gower-James explores the growth of Nigerian dairy consumption and looks at its potential from a New Zealand trade perspective.

The article is based on Anna’s Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme report and is available in the latest issue (Spring 2024) of New Zealand Dairy Exporter.

Anna’s full report is available here.

Dan Eb, David Eade, John Foley, 2021 Nuffield Scholars.

On a regular basis (generally once a week) one of four Nuffield Scholars, Dan Eb, David Eade, Phil Weir, or Ben Anderson, pen an article for Farmers Weekly’s ‘Eating the Elephant’.

Here is the now substantial archive which includes recent additions from Dan and David, as well as Phil Weir.

This month, guest writer John Foley added his learned touch to the group’s efforts. John’s article ‘The courage to be a pragmatist’, proposes that we just might have been better at getting things done in the past. John writes,

“Kennedy was a pragmatist. He fundamentally changed his politics to reflect the reality of American society and wasn’t afraid to lose political capital. For modern New Zealand, the pragmatism to build infrastructure and create enduring government policies is hard to find. As a result, things aren’t done.”

Take a read of John’s article here.

Another article from the archive well worth a read is Dan Eb’s June 19 piece on his Nuffield travel. The Global Focus Programme (GFP) is a key piece of the Nuffield Scholarship, placing small groups of about a dozen international scholars together on a tour of several continents and many countries.

“May-June 2023, my Nuffield Farming Scholarship sling-shotted me and 11 other scholars across Singapore, Japan, Israel, the Netherlands and the United States.”

For anyone considering a 2025 Nuffield Scholarship, this article gives you some real insight into what it means to develop a global view.

Applications for 2025 Nuffield Scholarships are open until 18 October.

Cheyenne Wilson, 2024 Kellogg Scholar.

Cheyenne Wilson is currently on the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme and will graduate in November.

Cheyenne’s Kellogg research focuses on identifying the tools and mechanisms needed for rangatahi to thrive in the Food and Fibre sector.

Take a read of this Farmer’s Weekly article ‘Bridging tradition and innovation in NZ farming’ covers the journey so far of this busy and community-minded Kellogger.

Kylie Leonard, 2023 Nuffield Scholar.

The 2023 Nuffield Scholars, Kylie Leonard, Kerry Worsnop, Matt Iremonger and James Allen were each interviewed on the CountryWide or Dairy Exporter podcasts.

The most recent of these was Kylie Leonard’s coverage of her Nuffield report ‘Boots on the ground are part of the solution. Transitioning agriculture towards sustainability together.’

Interviewed by Sarah Perriam-Lampp, the podcast determines that farmers to need to be at the table when it comes to fostering sustainable practices in the agriculture sector.

Kylie says that the best uptake is when farmers have had the choice to change, and lead by example within their community.

Take a listen to Kylie’s podcast here.

You can also find the remaining 2023 Nuffield Scholar podcasts below.

James Allen, Matt Iremonger and Kerry Worsnop.

A big thank you to Sarah and her team for these fantastic podcasts.

Image below: Emma Crutchley at the launch of the KPMG Agri-business agenda. Fieldays.

Emma Crutchley, 2018 Kellogg Scholar.

Emma was asked to contribute to the launch of the KPMG New Zealand Agribusiness Agenda at Mystery Creek Field days.

Take a read of Emma’s LinkedIn post covering her participation on the panel, together with Jason Te Brake, Jason Doherty, Ian Proudfoot and others.

The search for our 2025 Nuffield Scholars begins.

Just 189 Scholars in nearly 75 years.

The Nuffield network in New Zealand is a small group, doing big things, humbly. We’re looking for our bold, grounded and community-minded to step up as Nuffield Scholar 190, 191, 192, 193 and possibly 194.

If you’re ready to undertake a truly unique learning experience. If you are ready to give back to your community, industry and sector, Nuffield is for you.

Nuffield is a unique learning experience.

A Nuffield Farming Scholarship is one of the most valued and prestigious awards in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Food and Fibre sector. Nuffield is part of a global food network promoting global vision, leadership and innovation.

The Nuffield global network provides scholars with access to international leaders and the best production, management and marketing systems around the globe.

You can read more about the Scholarship by downloading the 2025 Brochure here.

Six attributes of a Nuffield Scholar.

The scholar selection process will look for evidence that these attributes exist or have the potential to emerge in an applicant.

Bold

The will to step forward, to challenge conventional thinking, to act, to make decisions with confidence.

Innovative

Someone who can develop and express original thinking and ideas.

Motivated

Driven to go above and beyond to accomplish a goal. Someone who can find the energy and confidence needed to do so.

Perceptive

Possesses the cognitive, observational, and critical thinking abilities to assess challenges and generate usable insights.

Community-minded

Motivated to contribute to community by collaborating and sharing skills, knowledge, experience, and ideas, forging ever-stronger connections with people and place.

Grounded

The practical, pragmatic and down-to-earth people in the Sector, ready to get things done.

Sound like you – or some you may know?

Apply by 18 August here, or refer someone in your network below.

Alumni in the Spotlight – Michael Tayler, Tessa Appleby and more.

It has been a busy time for alumni. This selection of news items is a nowhere near adequate summary – possibly a good problem to have. For now the Spotlight is on Michael Tayler, Tess Appleby, Lucie Douma, Matt Iremonger, James Allen, and Carlos Bagrie.

Michael Tayler, 2012 Nuffield Scholar.

Michael featured in Farmers Weekly recently in an article covering both he and his brother’s work in Japan. In the article Michael said there are a small number of Canterbury growers supplying carrots to Juice Products New Zealand for health-conscious consumers in Japan.

“It is an interesting story, and really satisfying to see New Zealand carrot juice on the supermarket shelves in Japan,” says Michael Tayler.

T ake a read of the Farmers Weekly article.

Lucie Douma, 2022 Nuffield Scholar.

Lucie Douma will be speaking at E Tipu 2024. Another great reason to attend, either in-person or online. Lucie’s report ‘Data sharing to achieve data interoperability’ discusses the need to find a better way of collecting, managing, and using information on our farms as part of the decision-making process – and for this we need data interoperability and data sharing of systems.

Lucie is Head of Client Strategy and Advice at FMG Lucie has been instrumental in shaping strategies that resonate with the needs of the modern farmer, focusing on innovation and resilience in the face of changing agricultural landscapes.

See Lucie’s full bio for E Tipu here.

Get your tickets for E Tipu 2024 here.

Matt Iremonger, 2023 Nuffield Scholar.

Matt was interviewed a couple of weeks ago on the CountryWide Podcast. Where his Nuffield report ‘What’s the beef? Opportunities for beef on dairy in New Zealand’, was discussed, specifically the issue of non-replacements (1.8 million calves are slaughtered annually at 4-7 days).

Listen to the podcast here.

Matt’s Nuffield report looks at the opportunity for beef on dairy to shift the value chain from dysfunctional to functional.

In a supporting article by Sarah Perriam-Lampp, he also featured in CountryWide, Beef Country Autumn, pages 15-18. Check the article, ‘World’s best grass-fed steak’. To partially quote the article flavour text, ‘Handpicked genetics, farm systems and top-notch grading to be crowned the best…’

You can read the article here.

James Parsons also features in this issue on the use of Halter in hill country. Nick Jolly, 2023 Kellogg Scholar lends his expertise with an article on page 13. Upcoming 2024 Kellogg Programme Two Scholar and John Daniell Memorial Trust Scholarship winner, Rachel Joblin has written an article on integrated farm planning (pages 20 and 21).

James Allen, 2023 Nuffield Scholar.

James was also interviewed on the CountryWide Podcast where he discussed his report, ‘Redefining excellence in agribusiness advisory. The role of the rural advisor in the modern world’.

You can listen to this podcast here.

James’ report explores the challenges faced by the rural advisor in a farming world striving to feed an ever-increasing population whilst also reducing its environmental footprint. This report gives guidance as to how the rural advisor might continue to add value to farmers in this fast-changing context.

Tessa Appleby, 2023 Kellogg Scholar.

Tessa features in several recent articles, including Farmers Weekly. This piece covers the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle and the loss of her home.

The article also covers Tessa’s Kellogg research which aimed to review and analyse the current understanding and perception of Bovine TB among farmers and industry professionals.

The research report explored aspects of BovineTB management strategy and a human-centred approach to its eradication.

One significant aspect of the findings was the importance of storytelling in creating empathy and understanding.

“Sharing people-centered stories and case studies can complement technical information and foster a deeper understanding of disease management strategies,” Tessa said.

You can read Tessa’s Kellogg report ‘Eradicating complacency’ here.

Carlos Bagrie, 2024 Nuffield Scholar.

Most readers will know about Royalburn’s new beer Swifty. Carlos Bagrie worked closely with Garage Project to produce a refreshing and highly accessible beer, made from the Station’s own barley. You can read the article here (scroll to page 34).

Nuffield featured on an episode of Nadia’s Farm recently Season 2, Episode 6. If you are all signed up for TV3 OnDemand, check it out. (Image is on the steps of the Beehive just prior to the Nuffield Awards, November 2023).

Realising Leadership Potential in New Zealand’s Food and Fibre Sector.

From a concept that originated nearly two and a half years ago, a new leadership report draws on extensive research and from hundreds of perspectives of people working in food and fibre.

‘A Path to Realising Leadership Potential in Aotearoa NZ’s Food and Fibre Sector’ is the result of a collaboration between Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) and the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust (Rural Leaders).

The report, enriched by the concepts of Te Ao Māori and of Pacific cultures, does not claim to provide a definitive answer to leadership, but instead offers a principles-centred model for leading in the Sector, encouraging leaders to find their personal leadership approach and to embark on their own path.

Recognising that leadership development is not a linear path and acknowledging the diversity and complexity of the sector, the research proposes a dynamic, living ecosystem. An ecosystem that can be interacted with, leveraged, adapted, shared, and yet retain a common essence that can be spread across the way we work, interact with others, and envision the future.

“A sustained flow of capable and self-aware leaders is critical to the Food and Fibre sector remaining vital and vibrant into the future. The Sector needs leaders that are continuously developing themselves and the teams they work with”, said Lisa Rogers, CEO, Rural Leaders.

This latest report follows previous research which looked at the state of leadership development in NZ, and also proposed a principles-centred leadership model for the Sector.

The report synthesises the thinking from the first two reports and provides a framework for the Sector to develop a flow of prepared leaders to step into ever more impactful roles.

“This work is an important step in the pathway to providing a tangible framework for leadership development for the whole of the Food and Fibre sector, which will not only be for the betterment of our sector’s people but for the betterment of the country,” said Kate Scott, Chair, NZ Rural Leadership Trust.

Dr Lilla du Toit, Portfolio Manager, Food and Fibre CoVE commented, “This research project holds immense importance for the Food and Fibre sector, significantly shaping the development of leadership roles across all the industries it serves. It will also play a crucial role in fortifying two other key leadership initiatives, namely the Horticulture NZ Leadership Programme redesign by Rural Leaders, and the Food and Fibre CoVE and Muka Tangata backed Food and Fibre Māori Leadership Development Framework.”

Rural Leaders wish to sincerely acknowledge the authors for their tireless work on this report, and acknowledge too, project collaboration partners, Food and Fibre CoVE, and the generous support of Strategic Partners DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, FMG, AGMARDT, Mackenzie Charitable Foundation, and Programme Partners LIC, Farmlands Co-operative, Zespri, MPI, FAR, Horticulture NZ, and Rabobank.

You can download the latest report here.

Campbell Parker – Leading with authenticity in a fast-changing sector.

Farmers Weekly Managing Editor Bryan Gibson speaks to Campbell Parker, Chief Executive Officer at DairyNZ.

Campbell discusses his involvement with the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme and how leading with authenticity can go a long way to helping us achieve big things in a time of rapid change.

Listen to Campbell’s podcast here or read the transcript below.

Bryan Gibson – Managing Editor of Farmer’s Weekly.

Kia Ora, you’ve joined the Ideas That Grow podcast, brought to you by Rural Leaders. In this series, we’ll be drawing on insights from innovative rural leaders to help plant ideas that grow so our regions can flourish. Ideas that Grow is presented in association with Farmers Weekly.

Bryan Gibson, Managing Editor of Farmers Weekly.
You’re with Ideas That Grow, the Rural Leaders podcast. I am Farmers Weekly Managing Editor, Bryan Gibson, and with me today is Campbell Parker, Chief Executive of DairyNZ. G’day Campbell, how’s it going?

Campbell Parker, CEO DairyNZ
How are you, Bryan? Yeah, I’m pretty good, thanks.

BG: Now, you’re not an alumnus of the Kellogg or the Nuffield Programmes, but you have been called upon to work with some of the Kellogg cohorts, to talk to them about leadership. What does that involve?

Sharing leadership experiences with Kellogg scholars.

Image: Campbell Parker with 2024 Programme One Kellogg Scholars (K51).

CP: I had the opportunity in the end of January to go down and talk to the most current cohort. They were looking for a view around the dairy industry. Obviously, I’m CEO of DairyNZ, but that was where it started.

Ultimately, what you find in those conversations is that you start talking about the Sector, but then you start talking about leadership. The conversation with them ended up in a very interesting space around what are some of the challenges the sector has and where does leadership fit in.

What I also find interesting with a group like that is they’re interested in your own personal leadership journey and where they are in their own journey. How do we learn together and what is the role of leadership? You always find those sessions really stimulating; when you get to talk about what that is and what are we all trying to achieve from a leadership perspective.

BG: Leadership is an interesting thing. For myself, I hold a leadership position in our business. But to tell you the truth, a while back, I wouldn’t have thought leadership was for me. I’m a quiet person. I’m a listener, like journalists often are.

You quite often don’t marry that to what you stereotypically look for in a leader. What do you think about how leadership has evolved over time and what qualities are important?

Leading well starts with understanding yourself.

CP: I think leadership is an evolving subject, and it continues to evolve. But one of the things I’ve seen, I think people have a frame around what they think leadership is. I personally believe everyone can be a leader. First of all, you’ve got to lead yourself. That’s where it starts.

Some of the best leaders I’ve worked with aren’t necessarily the gregarious and outgoing people. But to sum it up, I think one of the most important traits around leadership is authenticity and being really clear about who you are as a person, what your impact on others is, and how you try and lead people.

It does start with having a good understanding of yourself, what motivates you, what drives you, how you react to certain circumstances, and then ultimately, how do you lead people to be the best that they can be. To me, that authenticity is not necessarily about corporate messages, because the people that have the ability to take people with them are the people that are trusted and are authentic. They have very honest conversations around where things need to be.

If I had to put it down to one thing and one word, I would say authenticity is one of the most important things.

BG: Yeah, I guess people are more likely to believe in and get in behind someone who they feel personally, or in a business sense, has their back, that you’ll be listened to, and that you have the chance to thrive on your own as well as within a collective. That’s really important, isn’t it?

Authenticity is key in a sector with little appetite for BS.

CP: It is. I think I was asked a question by the board when I was going through the interview process for this role. They asked me a question around what are the things you’re most proud of in your career. I said to them, and I was very genuine around this, it’s not an event or something, there’s been lots of those. But what I’m most proud of is the people I’ve had the opportunity to work with and the things that we’ve been able to achieve together. To me, that’s the important part of leadership, because when you work with teams and people, and you achieve something you didn’t think was possible, that’s inspirational.

I remember one person that I worked with externally who used to often say, the biggest limitations are those that we put on ourselves. I think we’re all a lot more capable of things from a leadership perspective than what we think we are. It’s through time and experience that you gage those things and you learn from them. If you’re a continuous learner, you want to continue to grow as a human being – I think if you can do that and do that well, then leadership can be really enjoyed and enjoyable

BG: You don’t know what you’re capable of until you give it a go, I guess. That lifelong learning thing.

CP: And sometimes you’re put into situations that are really challenging. Ultimately, you have to be prepared to make a decision and then live with those decisions, but you also need to be, I think, open enough to reflect on and admit when you didn’t get things right or be vulnerable enough to then change. Because, again, back to that point around authenticity and trust, that gives people the ability to trust you and then come with you.

The one thing I would say in our sector, in agriculture, and particularly with farmers, they’re pretty good at reading the ‘BS’ barometer, and that level of authenticity is incredibly important.

Remaining positive about the Sector’s future.

BG: Now, you mentioned you talked to the Kellogg cohort earlier in the year about some of the issues in our food production sector at the moment. Obviously, it’s been a time of rapid change. We’ve had global events, pandemics, that sort of thing, and also lots of regulation come down from government in the previous term. What do you think is the path going forward? How do we align ourselves to make sure we’re doing the best we can do for our sector?

CP: I think one of the things that we really need to make sure that we continue to do is respect all the really good work that have been done by farmers. This is something that’s really important. It’s not just dairy farmers, that’s all farmers. When I look across the Sector and I look at the progress that farmers have made over the last 10 years, we’re in a very different place today than what we were 10 years ago, particularly when you go to things like on-farm practices, and in the environmental space. You get into animal welfare, all those really important, which are quite big global topics and are not going to go away.

It’s really important that as a sector, we continue to have progress around that because it’s expected, whether it be from global players who buy our products or consumers, ultimately. But equally, when you talk to farmers, farmers care deeply about animals on the land, and they ultimately want to leave it better than what they found it. I think hope around that is really important. This sector contributes so strongly to New Zealand from a GDP, but it’s not just that. It’s not just the financial, it’s the communities.

When farming is doing well, communities thrive, and when communities thrive, towns do well. The whole impact on our nation is incredibly important. Yes, we’ve had some tough times. We’ll go through cycles, and we always have in terms of economic cycles and political cycles. But I think we’ve got to have the courage to continue to be passionate and positive about what our future is, because the world needs high-quality food produced in a way that’s sustainable for the environment.

Our farmers ultimately also need economic returns for that to remain viable themselves. It’s an industry that I certainly find not hard to get out of bed every day and get excited about because it’s got a really, really important role to play.

BG: Just a year or two back, it seemed we had a bit of a flash point, I guess, in terms of rural leadership. It was over the emissions pricing process. A lot of farmers and people in rural communities got the feeling that they hadn’t been communicated to well enough by the people who were advocating for them inside the beltway. That led to changes in leadership in various places. That communication and gaining and representing a mandate, that seems to be really important as you go and represent your community outside of it, if you know what I mean.

Learning from the past.

CP: I agree, and I think it is. I think the reality is if you’re talking around things like He Waka Eke Noa processes and things like that. Look, a lot of people put a lot of effort into those processes and tried to communicate things. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a void, and I think it’s important we learn from that because out of that comes this distrust and this concern around what are we advocating for.

It’s interesting because since being in the role, I’ve talked to a lot of dairy farmers, and a lot of farmers have raised that issue with me. When you reflect back on it and say, well, the alternative was we went straight into the ETS, we ended up with pricing, and we didn’t end up with a split gas approach, do you think we should have played that role? They unequivocally say, Absolutely, you should have. Somehow it got lost in translation. I think we do have to learn and reflect on that. I think we do have a role, particularly as industry good organisations to stand up and be clear about what we do stand for and be prepared to take a leadership position.

I know that from my predecessors and people in the business, that absolutely was the case. Somehow that got lost.

Getting the mojo back.

BG: You mentioned farming being not just a driver of economic wealth, but of social well-being. Often when you hear about farming, though, outside of the likes of the Farmer’s Weekly or that sort of thing, it seems to be always on the defensive, if you know what I mean? Farmers have been accused of this and here’s such-and-such from Federated Farmers to defend themselves. It seems we need to maybe front foot things a bit more and believe in what we are and what we bring and that sort of thing and change the conversation a little bit?

CP: I think as farmers and the industry, should be incredibly proud of what we do as a sector. Also, and look, times are tough. When you look directionally through and not just at the financial, the impact that the sector has on communities, people growing, schools, all those things should not be lost sight of.

If I cast my mind forward, I’m 54, if I go back to when I left school in 1987, post the share market crash, everyone said the agricultural sector was a sunset industry. It has certainly not played out that way, and it’s been really, really important for New Zealand. If I cast my mind then forward, I go, absolutely, will it be important in 15- or 20-years’ time? Absolutely. Can we balance both environmental and profitable outcomes? Absolutely. Lots of farmers are doing that. But somehow, we have to try and have a positive voice and get our mojo back.

BG: It does relate to a top-down approach with the likes of Government regulation, that leaves farmers in a place where they don’t feel in control of their own destiny. They’re being given rules with no contextual meaning. Whereas if, say, the likes of the current process of driven plans around scope-three emissions, they lead to premiums. There’s information from customers around the ‘why’. That seems to be a better way to do things in some ways.

CP: I think you’ve always got to understand the context of what you’re trying to drive in. Self-regulation is always better than regulation. I think as an industry, we’ve got to take responsibility for our role to play in those pieces. We’re signed up to things like the Paris Accord. That’s all okay. We’ve just got to make sure that we are contributing and take ownership for our issues.

I think one of the observations I would make, Bryan, in talking with politicians, whether it be regionally or centrally now, is they don’t only want to know what the problems are, they want to know what the solutions are.

We see ourselves as being part of those solutions. But to your point, when people are uncertain, and that’s why we need enduring policy, that’s fear and pragmatic and can be implemented. We did get too much complexity into some of that space. Some of that’s got to be undone. But we need enduring policy that also gives farmers confidence to invest in the things that they need and to continue the direction of travel. If we don’t have that, then it becomes very hard. Confidence is a really important part of anyone’s psyche.

When you feel good about what you’re doing and you’re upbeat about where things are going, you’re more likely to have a positive mindset.

Kellogg - for leaders who want to make a difference.

BG: Just going back to your work with the Kellogg Programme, that must have been… I’ve been to a couple of their alumni events, and they’re amazing events because they’re just full of a wide range of people from all different backgrounds, all different professions. But they’re all just incredibly excited about the Programme, about being with each other and what they’re doing. How did you find it?

CP: They’re always energising. You get in a room with this year’s intake. In January, there was probably 20 people in the room. They’re all passionate about what they do. They ask good questions, which is good and challenging. But they’re there for a reason because they want to make a difference, ultimately.

They also want to challenge themselves to grow as leaders. I think any of those programmes that galvanise people towards that, but more importantly, that self-reflection around where you are and how do you grow and how do you learn from others, is a really good thing to be part of.

The alumni piece around how they continue to connect themselves up; I talked with one of our directors, Tracy Brown, and she remembers doing Kellogg 20 years ago, when she was in her early 20s, and the people she went through at that point. She’s gone on to do a Nuffield and sits on our board, and sits on a number of boards. Some of that started with Kellogg. I think that’s where sometimes the passion gets ignited, but they get drawn to do the Programme, generally, because they’re drawn towards doing it for a deeper personal reason.

BG: Thanks for listening to Ideas that Grow, a Rural Leaders podcast in partnership with Massey and Lincoln Universities, AGMARDT, and FoodHQ. This podcast was presented by Farmers Weekly.

Hamish Murray podcast - Building stronger on-farm teams

Hamish Murray: Building stronger on-farm teams by getting out of the way.

(Image. Left to right: Kerry Worsnop, Kylie Leonard, Matt Iremonger, James Allen).

After over a year of immersion within the global Nuffield network; whether that be on the key programme milestones such as the GFP, CSC or on research travel, the 2023 Nuffield Scholars’ have completed their reports.

A brilliant group of people, a pleasure to spend time with and all great at what they do. Check out the report titles/summaries below or take a closer look at their reports here.

—–

Here are the report summaries.

Kerry Worsnop – The mountain we need to climb. Designing agricultural policy for a future in farming.

Kerry’s report addresses those in leadership, agricultural policy makers and others with an interest in how we deliver better outcomes for those on the land and for the land itself. Kerry’s report hopes to bring into focus what we need to comprehend about our operating environment if we are to navigate agricultural policy well.

Go to Kerry’s report.

James Allen – Redefining excellence in agribusiness advisory. The role of the rural advisor in the modern world.

James’ report explores the challenges faced by the rural advisor in a farming world striving to feed an ever-increasing population whilst also reducing its environmental footprint. This report gives guidance as to how the rural advisor might continue to add value to farmers in this fast-changing context.

Go to James’ report.

Matt Iremonger – What’s the beef? Opportunities for beef on dairy in New Zealand.

Over 1.8 million non-replacement calves are slaughtered annually at 4-7 days.
Matt’s report looks at the opportunity for beef on dairy to shift the value chain from dysfunctional to functional.

Go to Matt’s report.

Kylie Leonard – Boots on the ground are part of the solution. Transitioning agriculture towards sustainability together.

A reduction of Greenhouse gases is being demanded through our value chains. Kylie’s report focuses on the need for farmers to be at the table of this change (not on the menu) in order to steer agriculture toward greater sustainability outcomes.

Go to Kylie’s report.

The Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme has been developing leaders for the rural and agri-food sector since 1979.

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The Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarship is one of the most valued awards in New Zealand’s primary sector.

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Fast-track your food and fibre skills, knowledge, and confidence.

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A new report that aims to help solve an old challenge.

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Horticulture New Zealand Leadership Programme, the Value Chain Programme and Engage.

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What’s next on the Nuffield Scholarship Programme?

The 2025 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarship applications close 18 August.

Julian Raine, 1997 Nuffield Scholar.

Jason Te Brake, 2014 Kellogg Scholar.

Kate Scott, 2018 Nuffield Scholar.

Tracy Brown, 2020 Nuffield Scholar.

Anna Gower-James, 2023 Kellogg Scholar.

Dan Eb, David Eade, John Foley, 2021 Nuffield Scholars.

Cheyenne Wilson, 2024 Kellogg Scholar.

Kylie Leonard, 2023 Nuffield Scholar.

Emma Crutchley, 2018 Kellogg Scholar.

Michael Tayler, 2012 Nuffield Scholar.

Lucie Douma, 2022 Nuffield Scholar.

Matt Iremonger, 2023 Nuffield Scholar.

James Allen, 2023 Nuffield Scholar.

Tessa Appleby, 2023 Kellogg Scholar.

Carlos Bagrie, 2024 Nuffield Scholar.

Sharing leadership experiences with Kellogg scholars.

Leading well starts with understanding yourself.

Authenticity is key in a sector with little appetite for BS.

Remaining positive about the Sector’s future.

Learning from the past.

Getting the mojo back.

Kellogg - for leaders who want to make a difference.

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