2026 Archives | Rural Leaders

Alumni in the Spotlight – James Allen, Corrigan Sowman, Kate Scott, Charles Yule, Parmindar Singh, Sonja Vreugdenhil, and more.

Here are just a few of the media pieces covering the impact of Rural Leaders’ Programme Alumni in industries and communities across the sector.

James Allen

Nuffield 2023

James has been made a Life Member of the Institute of Rural Professionals, recognising 30 years in rural consultancy, agribusiness and industry leadership. He told Rural News he was surprised, humbled and quite thrilled, and that being honoured by your peers is probably the highest accolade anyone can receive.
The AgFirst chief executive and founding partner has served as National President of New Zealand Young Farmers, President of NZIPIM, President of the National Fieldays Society and Associate Director of AGMARDT. His Nuffield research looked at artificial intelligence and the future of agricultural advisory services.
Thirty years on, James says the job has grown more complex. It was once about feeding animals and growing grass. Now rural professionals carry governance, environmental and social responsibilities as well, and he expects AI to reshape the work again within five years.

Take a read of the Rural News article: James Allen Named Life Member of Rural Professionals Body.

Corrigan Sowman

Nuffield 2019, Kellogg 2016

LIC board chair Corrigan Sowman used his address at the co-operative’s annual meeting in Invercargill this week to argue that herd improvement compounds the way mating decisions do: the cost falls now, the value lands in cows not yet born.
Genomics was his clearest example. The rate of genetic gain has lifted 50% over the past decade, worth around $200 million a year to the sector, and LIC now holds more than two million genotypes.
He closed with a Southland example, quantifying what a quarter century of breeding decisions has delivered behind the farm gate.

See NZX’s LIC Annual Meeting Presentation page for the Annual Meeting presentation and the Chair and Chief Executive address.

Kate Scott

Nuffield 2018

HortNZ chief executive Kate Scott is urging Parliament to pass reforms speeding up growers’ access to crop protection products before the general election.
The Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Amendment Bill, reported back from select committee on 3 September, would cut duplication in approvals. A key change requires decision-makers to take international assessments into account, rather than merely have regard to them.
Kate says this sends a stronger signal that New Zealand should make effective use of robust assessments by trusted overseas regulators, supporting faster approvals without lowering standards.

Take a read of the Farmers Weekly article: Growers push for faster access to crop protection tools.

Charles Yule

Kellogg 2023

Charles is the subject of a CountryWide profile titled ‘Farming at pace’, following his and wife Mandy’s win as Hawke’s Bay Farmers of the Year for 2026 at the Napier Port Hawke’s Bay Primary Sector Awards. The profile finds Charles having barely had time to get his boots dirty as manager of Whakamarumaru Station before he was heading up an intensive development programme on the 1,000ha Crownthorpe finishing property. The judges recognised a sheep and beef operation built on strong strategy and disciplined execution.

Take a read of the Farming at Pace profile in the Spring 2026 edition of CountryWide magazine, or the subscriber-only digital copy.

Luke Doyle

Kellogg 2026

Luke featured last Alumni in the Spotlight for a Farmers Weekly article on his Kellogg research. This month the report has received more coverage, with Luke appearing on CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson.
His research found 86% of young farmers see financial risk as a barrier to progression. The main hurdle on the dairy pathway isn’t technical skill, it’s financial literacy.
“We have the best dairy farmers technically in the world and it’s just making sure that the financial literacy is being taught alongside the farming side of things,” he says.
Luke wants a clearer template for the move from employee to employer, along with more mentorship for those going into their first contract.

Watch or listen to the CountryWide Connect episode: Financial skills the next hurdle on the dairy progression path.

Parmindar Singh

Nuffield 2022

Congratulations to Parmindar on her appointment to the Veterinary Council of New Zealand, made by the Minister of Agriculture earlier this year.
A fourth-generation Waikato dairy farmer, Parmindar lectures in agribusiness at the University of Waikato’s Waikato Management School, alongside international consumer food research focused on dairy and primary sector market engagement. She also manages the family dairy farming business in the Waikato.
Between that and her governance track record, she brings a great breadth of experience to the Council.

Read the LinkedIn post by the Vet Council: Welcome, Parmindar! It’s great to have you on board.

Clare Bradley

Nuffield 2026

Clare wrote an opinion piece for Farmers Weekly recently, reflecting on something she noticed partway through her Nuffield travels.
Moving between countries, she began paying less attention to what farmers told her about their operations and more to the language they used. Each place had its own way of framing farming, shaped by its landscape, its history and what it had to worry about. Returning home, the contrast was hard to miss.
Clare’s argument is that the words we choose end up shaping what we measure and where we invest. Lean too heavily on one description of farming and the rest of what the sector does risks slipping out of view.

Read the Farmers Weekly article: Narrow view of agriculture misses vital connections.

Sonja Vreugdenhil

Kellogg 2022

Sonja’s Kellogg research on whether open source is the best way to manage and share agricultural data was picked up by Farmers Weekly, in an article on who profits from data generated on farm.
She says raw farm data should in principle stay with the farmer. But once a provider analyses it or runs it through their own models, the insights that come out of that may justifiably belong to them, so long as the agreement spells it out. Building those models takes serious investment and expertise.
Whether farmers should be paid for their data is less clear-cut. Sonja reckons the more useful question is whether farmers understand what they’re signing in the first place: how their data will be collected, used, shared and stored, and who ends up owning what comes out of it.

Read the Farmers Weekly article: Who profits from data generated on farm?

Beyond the farm gate: Rethinking how we create value

By Anna Seccombe for AWDT.

When we sat down with Professor Hamish Gow, one thing became clear almost immediately: New Zealand’s food and fibre sector holds far more value and opportunity than we may realise.

For more than 35 years, Hamish has worked across the world helping producers, processors, and agribusiness leaders understand how value is truly created and captured. Yet the patterns he saw 30 years ago are still showing up today. As he told us, “Most people talk about value-add, but they don’t actually understand how value is created in the final marketplace.”

And if we don’t understand how value is created, how can we position ourselves to benefit from it?

So, what is a value chain, really?

Before we can rethink value, we need to be clear about what the definition of a value chain is.

A value chain is the full pathway your product travels; from farm to consumer, and the way every step along that pathway adds (or erodes) value. It includes the people, decisions, systems, and relationships that transform what you grow or produce into something a customer ultimately chooses to buy.

Importantly, a value chain is not just a supply chain.
A supply chain moves product.
A value chain creates value and determines who captures it.

As Hamish puts it, every farm business is part of a value chain whether we acknowledge it or not. Our challenge as leaders is to understand the discipline of the chain we’re selling into, and whether it aligns with where we want to take our business.

Three ways value is created

Hamish frames value creation through three core models, providing a clear and accessible framework for agribusinesses:

Operational Excellence
Built on scale, efficiency, and consistency. The classic commodity model: the truck arrives, product leaves, and price is set by the market.
Product Leadership
Where superior genetics, IP, or technical performance set a business apart. Zespri is an example everyone knows: a world-leading product that customers actively seek out, leaving retailers with no choice but to stock it.
Customer Intimacy
Where value lies in solving a very specific problem for a very specific customer. Rocket Apples didn’t just sell fruit, they sold a healthy, safe, portable snack into places where good fresh food was hard to find.

Each model is valid. Each can be successful. But each requires its own discipline, investment, and alignment. The problem, as Hamish sees it, is when farmers, processors, marketers, and policymakers all assume they’re playing the same game, when they’re not.

Seeing the whole chain, not just our own parts

As we talked with Hamish, he spoke passionately about the programme he and the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust have developed: the Value Chain Innovation Programme.

It’s a week-long, immersive experience designed to help producers, processors, sector leaders and emerging leaders truly understand how different value chains create, capture, and return value.

Participants don’t just hear about value chains, they walk them. They visit dairy, red meat, horticulture and niche customer-focused models, seeing firsthand how decisions flow and where value is created along the way.

But the real learning doesn’t happen in the factory or the packhouse.
It happens on the bus.

On the bus, people test assumptions, and debate. They connect the dots between industries. They wrestle with discomfort as they let go of long-held beliefs. And as Hamish told us, some even consider walking off on day one, only to have breakthrough moments on subsequent days.

Because when you finally see how another sector creates value, you cannot unsee it in your own.

And that’s why this programme is so powerful.

Leadership is alignment

At AWDT, we often talk about leadership as clarity and self-awareness; knowing what matters, what you stand for, and where you want to go. Hamish’s work reinforces this at a sector level.

Understanding your value chain is ultimately about alignment:

Aligning your business with how your value chain creates and captures value.
Aligning your investments (time, money, energy) with the model that fits your goals.
Aligning your relationships with business partners whose disciplines reflect your own values.
And, for leaders, aligning your organisation around a shared understanding of “the game we are playing.”

A challenge for every producer and leader

Whether you’re farming, processing, advising, or shaping policy, you’re part of a value chain. And you deserve to understand the forces shaping your place in it.

So, we leave you with the most important question to ask, and one Hamish poses on every programme:

Do you know how your value chain creates value, captures value, and returns it to you?

If the answer is “not fully,” you’re not alone. Most people discover how much they don’t know only once they start asking.

But that’s also where the opportunity lives.

Because once you see the whole chain – not just your part in it – you gain the clarity, confidence, and strategic insight to lead with purpose in a sector that desperately needs it.

John Daniell Memorial Trust – supporting Kellogg.

The John Daniell Memorial Trust has kindly agreed to support two Kellogg Rural Leadership course participants annually.

This support comes in the form of two scholarships per year of $5,000.

Successful applicants will be expected to present to the trust either in person or online within three months of the conclusion of their Kellogg research project.

Learn more about the Trust and applicant eligibility below.

Aims of the trust.
To perpetuate John Daniell’s enthusiasm, love and philosophy in all aspects of pastoral farming.

To further promote and assist in achieving his long-held objective of increasing research effort into hill country and pastoral farming.

To recognise John Daniell’s significant contribution to the NZ farming industry.

Objectives of the trust.
To encourage or promote any idea, activity or project that is seen as capable of furthering understanding, knowledge or appreciation of any aspect of farming practice.

To encourage places of learning, person, organisations or government departments to participate in research and demonstration associated with specific farming projects.

To provide and/or assist in the provision of scholarships, bursaries, lectures, seminars, trophies and other benefits of incentives.

To promote research and demonstration of means of achieving the maximum volume and value of products consistent with the maintenance of a high standard of animal and pasture management.

To promote research and the demonstration of management systems to enable pastoral farmers to achieve optimum production and profitability on an ongoing basis.

The advancement of education in the farming of pastoral property.

To invest in any farming resource which will enable the research and demonstration of modern farming practices.

Eligibility.
1). Scholarships will be awarded to those who are focused on practical pastoral livestock farming or leadership in the pastoral livestock farming

2). Preference is be given to participants from the Wairarapa region in the first instance

3). Applicants must be NZ citizens

4). Applications to be lodged with the intended start date of the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme

5). The scholarship will be paid by the trust direct into the applicants nominated bank account at the commencement of the course.

Applications.
Applications for a John Daniell Memorial Trust Scholarship to attend Kellogg Programme One 2027, will need to be submitted to Delwyn Pringle at the email below by Sunday 4 October 2026.

NB. You will need to submit your Kellogg application by this date as well. Please indicate on your application that you are applying for this scholarship.

To start the process please email Trust Secretary Delwyn Pringle for an application form at delwyn@bakerag.co.nz

The governance challenge facing New Zealand’s catchment groups.

Listen to this episode of Ideas that Grow, or click on one of the platform icons below to listen on your favourite player:

In this Ideas that Grow Podcast. What happens when grassroots catchment groups suddenly find themselves responsible for millions of dollars, complex governance and growing expectations? Di Roadley, 2026 Kellogg Scholar, explores the leadership challenges facing New Zealand’s catchment groups, from succession and funding to trust, capability and the importance of playing the long game.

Di Roadley was a recipient of the B+LNZ Rural Advancement Scholarship.

Episode Transcript

Bryan Gibson, Managing Editor, Farmers Weekly, 2026 Kellogg Scholar.
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.

Welcome to another episode of Ideas That Grow, the Rural Leaders Podcast. I’m Farmers Weekly managing editor Bryan Gibson, and our guest this week is 2026 Kellogg Scholar, Di Roadley. G’day, Di, how’s it going?

Di Roadley, Hawke’s Bay Regional Councillor, 2026 Kellogg Scholar.
Good morning, Bryan, and thanks so much for having me on your show.

BG: You’re a sheep and beef farmer in northern Hawke’s Bay?

DR: That’s correct. We farm what is classified as predominantly steep, hard hill country, and we are about 40 minutes north of Wairoa, inland. So most people would consider us pretty remote.

BG: You’re also involved in local governance.

DR: I am. So I have the very dubious honour of being a regional councillor for the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.

BG: Now, of course Rural Leaders and the Kellogg Programme is interested in solving the big issues or looking at the big challenges we face in New Zealand’s food and fibre sector. You’ve taken a look at how our catchment groups are governed.

DR: I have, and that’s actually born out of a, not only a deep interest in governance and the role of governance, but actually a really deep belief that good governance drives good outcomes. And what I’m really interested in, along with probably all my fellow rural folk, including farmers, is those outcomes and getting good outcomes for both our farming businesses, but also for the environment that we farm within.

BG: I guess the challenge within the catchment groups around the country is that, you know, while they’ve started out as grassroots communities, sort of self-actualised, with the need for funding and the growing interest in them, and I guess even the growing demands, you know, regulators are often placing on them, getting the governance right and having it be able to grow into an effective structure, that’s a real challenge, isn’t it?

When community leadership becomes complex governance.
DR: Well, it certainly is. And it’s actually one that’s potentially up there with one of our wicked problems, because what we have is community groups that are driven by the outcomes and actions they want to see on ground, thrust into these roles through necessity. And often the governance structure stands up at the point where the group goes for funding, because at the point where you go for funding, you have to have certain things in place.

You have to have a chair. You have to have someone who’s taking minutes and organising meetings. You have to have a bank account. You have to be recognised as a structure, whether that be a trust or a charity or whatever the group chooses to go through. But until you have those things in play, you actually cannot receive funding.

And so often what happens in reality is the community looks around and finger points at those who are already in governance roles. So what it might look like is one moment you are on the committee for the local hall or the dog trial group, or you were on the board of trustees or some other small group, maybe it’s the kids’ dance or swimming groups. And the next thing the community goes, well, you’re obviously good at governance, so you’ve got the job.

Most of those people are in those roles already because they do have a real passion for their community and they can see the need and they generally sort of go, you know, yeah, okay, I’ll help out. What is actually the issue with catchment groups or the difference between catchment groups and those other groups is often those other groups are around community coordination. They’re just organising, you know, the working bee at the hall or who washes the jerseys for the rugby team.

When they get into the catchment group space, very, very quickly, in fact, you’d say suddenly, they’re in these complex governance positions. And they hold considerable power. both professionally and personally to the people who are within them. And that risk involves everything from health and safety to employment obligations, to expectations from the community around how we engage with them, with mana whenua, with Crown agencies, how they’re represented.

And actually not the least is the quantum of money. Most local halls or football clubs, they might be lucky to have a few thousand dollars. Many of our catchment groups are handling funds in the multimillion-dollar bracket, and that brings its own complexities as well.

The succession problem nobody saw coming.
And so what we have is these volunteers who are thrust into these roles almost unwittingly without realising what they’re putting their hand up for. And then the real kicker is, is once they get in these roles, it’s really hard to get out of them because the rest of the community looks at the role and goes, heck no.

So succession becomes a real problem. And whilst they start off with a hiss and a roar and you end up in this wonderful honeymoon phase where everybody’s enthusiastic and things are happening and it’s all great, as time goes by and the energy wanes a little, perhaps a few projects have completed, it’s really hard to get people to take up the reins and continue on the good work that’s been started. So to me, that is one of the key differences and the key issues that catchment groups are facing.

BG: It seems to come back to one of the big issues that we face in a lot of areas of life is that, you know, we often don’t know what we don’t know. And, um, that kind of, um, getting into the job and then having your eyes opened by what it actually entails. If at all possible, we want to avoid that kind of scary aha kind of moment.

DR: Absolutely. And I think that’s why succession becomes so incredibly difficult because remember, we’re talking to many of these groups are only are very new. The majority are 5 years, less than 5 years. There’s a few that are sort of around the 7, 8 years, and there’s a few older ones, of course, like Thriving Southland, etc, have been around for a long time, and they’re quite different as they mature. But the newer groups, the vast majority are less than 5 years old.

A perfect storm of funding and fatigue.
There’s a lot facing this problem right about now. And one of the key triggers has been that what started in a landscape of plenty of money. There was quite a lolly scramble post-COVID, and many groups stood up in that time. And so they’ve only known a world where money is freely available. And we all know that money makes things so much easier. You just employ someone when you need to.

That landscape has shifted considerably. And so now most groups are finding funding very challenging. Many groups are, having to relook at processes that have worked previously by paying people to do some jobs they can no longer do. And it sort of collides with this time where many of those key volunteers are actually really fatigued.

And so we have this sort of almost perfect storm of the money drying up, so the ability to employ people is colliding with people’s lack of energy or reduced energy.

BG: Irony in all this is that, you know, you’ve got everyone from politicians, industry group leaders. I’ve even talked about this in the Farmers Weekly, saying that ground-up catchment model is the way to achieve the sustainability outcomes we want. So they’re almost being given more to do, more weight is put on these groups, yet here we are in this kind of crisis of governance.

Trust is catchment groups’ greatest strength and their greatest risk.
DR: It is almost an irony, but actually when you step back, it was inevitable. I think the core issue is then when you phrased that the government and government agencies and everybody from politicians to councils recognising the power of catchment groups and their ability to engage and get people engaged.

But the reason that that works is because they are highly trusted by their community. They are the community. So there is no gap between them and the aspirations. So when a catchment group calls the willing to a hui at the local hall, generally you get a pretty good turnout.

When the council or the Crown calls a hui at the local hall, you’re lucky to find someone to make the tea. So the problem, of course, is that there is a real risk that ability for catchment groups to draw the people together, to build on that trust or lean on that trust, and to use it for their own aspirations is actually a real risk to catchment groups.

And I think it’s one of the things we are going to see coming, particularly in the next 2 months or so as we move through the election cycle, of how many politicians we are going to see looking for photo ops and handshaking opportunities to reflect their connectedness to the rural communities.

However, actually that is really counterproductive because I think I’d speak for all rural people that we can smell a rat a fair way off. And that lack of authenticity of turning up with your clean red bands and freshly minted Swandri, actually does not make you a community member and it does not guarantee you a warm reception. Particularly if we think you’re coming to use us for your own ends. In fact, you could end up with a perverse outcome.

BG: You’ve obviously taken a really hard look at various governance models around our catchment groups, with groups at various stages of maturity. You’ve got a long background in community and local governance yourself. I mean, what do you think we need to do? How do we lay the foundation for success?

Learning from those who have gone before.
DR: The opportunity exists within the catchment group sector, if you like. It’s not a sector, but the Kaupapa, let’s say. where we can see in real time groups at different stages. I mean, it’s human nature to learn from our mistakes, right?

But if we can somehow leverage and learn off the mistakes of others who are similar to us and also learn off their successes so that we can create a bit of a win-win, so that would be really helpful.

I think the core issue for me is around understanding and learning and shaping what the structures need to be those structures and frameworks for good governance, some bottom lines that could be freely available for catchment groups to utilise and to shape. So, not a rubber stamp, but maybe some core principles that need to be considered and shaped to fit into the uniqueness of every catchment group.

Then some absolute upskilling and learning opportunities for the people who are going to step into those roles so that they really understand how to leverage the frameworks that are available, to leverage the opportunities around them and build strength on strength through their good governance so that they continue to move forward and continue to survive the storms.

I think what we see through these more mature groups, not just in catchment group spaces, but more mature community groups, is that they have a deep understanding that things come in cycles and that there is an absolute need to have a strong purpose. If your purpose is deeply held and resonates with your community and all your work is framed by achieving that purpose, then the little bits in between, the ebbs and flows, the changing of personalities, the changing landscape of funding or government preferences actually becomes somewhat irrelevant and you can keep striving towards that long purpose.

I draw on the Māori worldview and there’s a, plan that was done by, called Te Pai Tawhiri, which was done by the Iwi around the top of the South Island. And theirs is a 500-year plan. And so when you start thinking in 500 years, actually the people who are currently there, the work streams, the funding, the personality clashes, they become really irrelevant.

Play the long game.
I like the analogy of, you know, there’s a really strong waka that you’re moving towards your purpose and the paddlers will get on and off the waka. The paddles themselves will change, but actually the trajectory continues on towards achieving that purpose.

And there will be some deviations and there’ll be some failures, and there’ll be some times when things are going really fast and fabulous, and other times where they’re not so much. But actually it becomes irrelevant if you’re looking long-term.

There was some great work done by New Zealand Landcare Trust, and it was called Lasting the Long Game. So that’s a great piece of work that people can dig into. It’s freely available. And it just sets out some ideas of how you set that purpose, and then how you shape up your action plans so that they become the mini steps heading towards that longer vision.

But another thing that I’m thinking about is how we address equity, because that’s the other thing across the catchment space. It’s particularly around funding, but also around capability and access to people and skills.

So, how we look at equity across the whole of Aotearoa New Zealand, support groups that are still at kitchen table thinking this might be an idea and how we address them to get what they need. Equally, groups such as Thriving Southland, which are a force in themselves. So how do we find equity?

And, you know, like the boats in the harbour, how do we bring the tide up so that everybody is floating, everybody is moving forward, everybody is getting what they need? And I’m not saying that equity is equal, but how do we support groups at their different stages.

So, that brings me very quickly to where the Crown needs to step in because actually as groups of volunteers, it’s a crazy notion that groups of volunteers would be able to see what they can’t see and know what they don’t know. That’s literally asking the impossible. So how do we do that? And so that’s a really big question that I think it’s probably as an industry, but also as Catchment Groups Inc., how do we actually address that? And I don’t think that piece can come from the ground up.

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

Kate Scott: Front footing the fast-moving regulatory environment.

Rural Leaders is pleased to announce the renewal of its Strategic Partnership with DairyNZ, extending a relationship that has supported leadership development across New Zealand’s dairy sector since 2017.

The renewed partnership will continue to help develop capable and confident dairy leaders, contributing to a sector that is productive, future-focused and sustainable.

For Rural Leaders, the partnership is about more than supporting programmes. It is about connecting people, ideas and opportunities across the food and fibre sector, and helping leaders turn new knowledge and perspectives into meaningful impact.

There are strong connections between the two organisations. One example is Campbell Parker, DairyNZ CEO, is a regular contributor to the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme, where scholars get the opportunity to learn from some of Campbell’s leadership experiences and insights.

The partnership will continue to create opportunities to share the ideas and insights generated by dairy leaders. It also helps dairy farmers build connections across the wider food and fibre sector, supporting a two-way flow of knowledge that strengthens the primary sector overall. Podcasts, articles, social content and Nuffield research can take those conversations beyond the programme room and make them accessible to a much wider audience.

Jane Muir, DairyNZ Senior People Specialist, has played an important role in building the relationship in recent years.

“DairyNZ is delighted to continue its partnership with Rural Leaders. Strong leadership is critical to the future of our sector, particularly as dairy farmers and the wider industry navigate a rapidly changing environment.
The leadership programmes that Rural Leaders deliver gives people the opportunity to step back from the day-to-day, challenge their thinking, build their networks and develop the confidence to lead change. That benefits not only the individuals involved, but the businesses, communities and wider sector they return to.”

James Ryan, Rural Leaders CEO, says the value of the partnership extends beyond the programmes themselves.

“The future of dairy will be shaped by the people who lead it. This partnership brings together our collective strengths to help build the leadership capability and confidence to meet what comes next.”

Image shows: Jane Muir, DairyNZ and James Ryan, Rural Leaders.

A year at the NZRLT board table: Katie Rodwell.

After a year at the Rural Leaders Board table, Katie Rodwell is signing off as our Associate Trustee, taking with her a better understanding of governance, and a healthy appreciation for the people who help Rural Leaders continue on its mission to grow world-class leaders for our country.

Katie, a 2019 Kellogg Scholar, joined the Board with two things in mind: to learn from the considerable experience around the table, and to give something back to an organisation that had played an important role in her own career.

“I think the depth of experience on the Board was really interesting for me,” Katie says. “As an associate, you set out to learn as much as you can while you have that privileged time.”

That opportunity that was valuable as Katie has continued to build a career at the intersection of agriculture, sustainability and business. She joined Rabobank in 2022 after eight years with Farmlands, where she was Head of Sustainability and Land Use, and has worked with farmers and businesses on the increasingly complex sustainability challenges facing the food and fibre sector.

She has also brought that perspective to the wider sector through her work as a host of Rabobank’s Growing Our Future podcast, exploring everything from agri-tech and soil health to catchment communities and the future of farming.

But it was the opportunity to see governance firsthand that Katie says has been one of the biggest benefits of her year.

“You just don’t see it when you’re presenting to boards,” she says. “When you’re on the other end of the table, you’ve got such a different lens, the things they’re considering, weighing up and looking at through a risk lens.”

The experience has also reinforced for Katie the value of the relationships created through Rural Leaders programmes. Katie sees huge potential in the organisation’s alumni network and believes keeping those connections alive can help encourage the many leaders who have come through Rural Leaders to continue making a difference across the sector.

Her advice to the next generation? Take the opportunities. Give it a go. And make the most of the people you meet along the way.

That is, in many ways, exactly what the Associate Trustee opportunity is designed to do: provide emerging leaders with the chance to contribute to Board discussions while gaining first-hand experience of governance alongside an experienced Board.

Katie has made the most of it. She leaves the role with a deeper understanding of governance, an even stronger connection to Rural Leaders, and a few more people she can pick up the phone to.

The search for a new Associate Trustee will begin in November.

If you are an alum of Rural Leaders’ programmes between 2020 and 2026 inclusive, keep an eye on our Rural Leader newsletter and website for more details in the coming months.

Alumni in the Spotlight – Clare Bradley, Lisa Portas, Mat Hocken, Julia Hardwick-Smith, Di Roadley, Luke Doyle, and more.

Here are just a few of the media pieces covering the impact of Rural Leaders’ Programme Alumni in industries and communities across the sector.

Clare Bradley

Clare Bradley (Nuffield 2026).
AgriSea chief executive Clare Bradley is halfway through her scholarship and her question has moved. She started on whether modular and mobile processing helps new sectors scale, and is now looking at how countries talk about agriculture. For example, in Japan, agriculture is framed as nature. In New Zealand it’s framed as money, the backbone of the economy. Clare’s argument is that our economic frame is too narrow and fails to recognise the hospitality, the communities and the landscapes the sector supports. Her next six weeks of travel take her through Europe, the US and Australia, looking at where new industries scaled and where they failed.

Have a listen to the Rex podcast episode: Beyond the ‘engine room’; why NZ farming needs a new story.

Simon Cook

Simon Cook (Nuffield 2018).
Simon featured in Farmers Weekly on how his scholarship reshaped his view of leadership and biosecurity. The Te Puke kiwifruit and avocado grower lived a kilometre from where Psa disease was first detected and worked the frontline of the response, which settled his research topic.

During his scholarship, he visited fish farms in Dubai and dairy farms in France, but Florida left the strongest impression, with orchards cut to stumps by citrus greening. It made him appreciate how well the kiwifruit industry recovered here. Now on the HortNZ board, Simon calls Nuffield “a fantastic way of taking the blinkers off.”

Take a read of the Farmers Weekly article: Taking in the big picture changes grower’s view.

Matt Iremonger

Matt Iremonger (Nuffield 2023).
Matt is the cover story in the latest Irrigation Leader. He is general manager of Willesden Farms and Kaimoo Farms in Canterbury, 6,500 hectares of sheep, beef and dairy across irrigated and dryland country.

The interview covers Matt’s circumspect approach to new technology. Variable-rate irrigation took two to three years of consideration before rollout. Composting barns took nearly three years and farm visits across three countries. But where the return is proven, he moves fast. Matt also argues waste and inefficiency cost money as well as damaging the receiving environment.

Take a read of the Irrigation Leader article: Diversification and Technology Adoption.

Lisa Portas

Lisa Portas (Nuffield 2025, Kellogg 2019).
Lisa featured on RNZ’s Country Life on why strong wool has struggled to capture value despite being a sustainable fibre. Her Nuffield travels took her through the US, UK and Europe on around 50 flights last year. She calls the scholarship “a heck of an experience.”

Lisa found businesses taking their own clip right through to a finished product, but says that this path is closed to most farmers. What she went looking for instead were things a farmer could act on from the smoko table: wool sold alongside carbon credits, and procurement offices asking for soil testing and biodiversity metrics that New Zealand farmers already capture. Her message is to align what you already do with what the market values.

Have a listen to the Country Life podcast episode: Wonderful Wool: Nuffield scholar sees bright future for natural fibre.

Tracy Brown

Tracy Brown (Nuffield 2020).
On DairyNZ’s Talking Dairy, board chair Tracy Brown ran through the six priorities DairyNZ has set for the incoming government: resource management and freshwater, biosecurity funding, workforce, science and technology uptake, low-emissions technology and rural infrastructure, and animal welfare.

Her view is that election year gives the sector a rare window to shape the agenda, and that what farmers want is long-term certainty rather than short-term wins. Tracy also makes the case that environmental protection and productive farming aren’t competing goals: “a profitable farm provides a really good platform for excellent environmental progress.”

Have a listen to the Talking Dairy podcast episode #131: What farmers need from the next Government.

Julia Hardwick-Smith

Julia Hardwick-Smith (Kellogg 2026).
Julia featured on Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Scene + Heard podcast recently, discussing the Kellogg programme she completed as a 2026 Rural Advancement Scholarship recipient. Farming sheep and beef in Central Taranaki, she chose triplet lamb survivability as her research topic after her first year back on the family farm, where scanning hit 202% this season.

Her findings point to artificial rearing and indoor lambing as genuinely effective, with more farmer interest in both than she expected. She also found lower survivability weighing on farmers’ mental health, and recommends a national benchmark so farmers know what good actually looks like.

Have a listen to the Scene + Heard podcast episode: Kellogg conversations: triplet lamb survivability.

Jen Corkran

Jen Corkran (Kellogg 2023).
Rabobank’s senior animal protein analyst has been across rural media this month. On The Country with Jamie Mackay she covered beef mince at around $24/kg and households shifting to chicken and pork.

Have a listen to The Country: Rabobank’s Jen Corkran on the price of beef mince.

In Farmers Weekly’s coverage of the bank’s monthly analysis, she points to China’s management of its beef quota as the key variable for the rest of the year. Restrictions cut Australian exports to China from 28,000 tonnes in May to 9,000 in June. Chinese demand is still subdued, but New Zealand prices strengthened through July and June exports reached 51,344 tonnes. “NZ remains well positioned in a world where beef is increasingly scarce.”

Take a read of the Farmers Weekly article: Dairy Milk flowing strongly again from US dairy.

Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins (Kellogg 2023).
Two appearances this month. On RNZ’s Nine to Noon, the Marlborough farmer and Federated Farmers meat and wool chair discussed farm succession: Rabobank puts 17,000 farm and orchard owners at pensionable age within the decade, and a $150 billion intergenerational transfer. Young farmers are showing renewed interest and banks are more willing to lend.

Have a listen to Richard: Nine to Noon (the 9:05am item).

Wearing his pest animal and weed spokesperson hat, Richard is also calling for a rethink on wilding conifers. A further $3 million of International Visitor Levy revenue for the control programme is welcome but won’t touch the problem, he says, describing the spread as “a ticking time bomb that’s about to blow.” Marlborough’s Branch and Leatham catchments, from a single seed source, are expected to cost more than $150 million to control. His fix is grazing concessions that put farmers back on the land.

Take a read here: Federated Farmers release.

James Parsons

James Parsons (Nuffield 2008).
James talked to Jo Grigg on Rex about SmartGraze, the virtual fencing consultancy he founded after leasing out his Kaipara farm and dispersing the Matauri Angus stud.

He rates virtual fencing the biggest change for hill country since topdressing and the electric fence, and still tells farmers to slow down. Water infrastructure has to be in the right places and stocking rate high enough to use the extra grass. James also talks about strong pasture gains, having grown an extra 1.45 tonnes of dry matter on a steep hill country paddock over eight months.

Have a listen to James on the Rex podcast episode: Should you get wearables for your beef cattle?

Di Roadley

Di Roadley (Kellogg 2026).
Di wrote for Farmers Weekly on her Kellogg research into catchment groups. The Wairoa sheep and beef farmer and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council member argues the greatest risk facing these groups is that governance expectations have outgrown the systems supporting them, with volunteer governors carrying professional-level responsibilities without professional-level support.

Take a read of the Farmers Weekly article: Catchment groups: goodwill isn’t enough anymore.

Luke Doyle

Luke Doyle (Kellogg 2026).
Luke Doyle was interviewed by Farmers Weekly about his Kellogg report on dairy progression pathways, in which he argues that too many farmers move into contract milking and sharemilking without the financial literacy or mentoring to succeed, and calls for an industry-recognised roadmap setting out the steps in advance.

Take a read of the Farmers Weekly article: Why dairy’s next generation needs more than farming skills.

Mat & Jana Hocken

Mat Hocken (Nuffield 2017).
Grassmere Dairy, the Manawatū operation Mat runs with Jana, featured in NZ Dairy’s Winter 2026 edition on returning sector confidence. The business now spans three dairy farms and a young stock unit after another property was added last year.

Production targets were exceeded across the farms. The new farm lifted production 61% and cut both SCC and lameness by 70%, enough to pay down debt and still reinvest in infrastructure and automation. Jana says the focus is a model that works in good years and bad, with a 2030/2090 strategy covering solar, riparian planting and soil health monitoring.

Take a read of the NZ Dairy article: Grassmere Dairy continue to expand their operation.

Jenna Smith

Jenna Smith (Nuffield 2024, Kellogg 2021).
Jenna featured in NZ Dairy Winter 2026, on the peatland research that took her through Europe, Asia and the Americas. A self-described “peat geek,” she is chief executive of Pouarua Farms on the Hauraki Plains, where drained peat is subsiding around 2cm a year.
Jenna’s finding is that while there’s no cookie-cutter solution to borrow from overseas, New Zealand’s peatlands were drained recently enough that rehabilitation may be more achievable here.

Take a read of the NZ Dairy article: Jenna Smith pursues passion project focusing on NZ’s peatland farming.

Sophie Henderson

Sophie Henderson (Kellogg 2017).
Sophie wrote an opinion piece for Rural News on the primary sector’s need for a director pipeline. People build local governance experience on school boards and community trusts, she writes, then find nothing at the next level. In 2024 she won a two-year associate directorship with Ovis Management Ltd, which promotes the control of sheep measles – exactly the sort of step she argues is missing.

Take a read of the Rural News article: Primary Sector Needs A Pipeline of Directors.

2026 Kellogg Graduates

Jacqui Hawtin, Leo Pekar, Kaylene Bennett, Robbie O’Brien.
Several of our Kellogg Programme 55 graduates have appeared on the CountryWide Connect show, discussing their areas of specialisation with Andy Thompson.

Jacqui Hawtin – One Stop Profitability Shop and the tools farmers can use to better understand their farm’s performance. Watch video.
Leo Pekar – Wearable technology on-farm and the strategy behind using cow bites as a management tool. Watch video.
Kaylene Bennett – Invisible mental load a significant issue for rural women. Watch video.
Robbie O’Brien – Varroa management planning among New Zealand beekeepers. Watch video.

From Science to the Farm. Helping Good Ideas Grow.

Listen to this episode of Ideas that Grow, or click on one of the platform icons below to listen on your favourite player:

In this Ideas that Grow Podcast Grace McLeay, 2023 Kellogg Scholar, farmer and Bioeconomy Science Institute commercialisation specialist, discusses turning science into practical outcomes for farmers. She explores climate adaptation, farm resilience, diversification and the challenge of getting research into the hands of farmers. Grace also reflects on leadership, self-awareness and the lasting impact of Kellogg.

Episode Transcript

Bryan Gibson, Managing Editor Farmers Weekly, 2025 Kellogg Scholar.
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. Welcome to Ideas That Grow, the Rural Leaders podcast. I’m Bryan Gibson, your host. I’m Managing Editor of The Farmers Weekly, and this week our guest is Grace McLeay. Hello, Grace, how are you?

Grace McLeay, 2023 Kellogg Scholar, Farmer, Bioeconomy Science Institute.

Good, thanks, Bryan. Glad to join you.

Bryan Gibson, Managing Editor Farmers Weekly, 2025 Kellogg Scholar.
Yeah, good. I’m in Manawatu at the moment in Fielding. You’re just up the road, aren’t you?

GM: I sure am. I am in the Turakina Valley, just on our farm, joining this podcast today. So thanks for having me.

BG: You were a Kellogg Scholar a couple of years ago, 2023?

GM: Yes, 2023. I was part of the K49 cohort.

BG: Very good. What’s your day job at the moment?

GM: I have recently joined the newly formed Bioeconomy Science Institute, formerly known as AgResearch. That’s four Crown Research Institutes that have just recently merged. So part of my role is working with wonderful scientists and helping support their ideas and identifying commercial opportunities. It’s a really rewarding job.

BG: Right. So you’re right at the coalface of tech transfer, knowledge transfer, that sort of thing from researchers to the actual farm businesses.

GM: Yeah, absolutely. It’s a role that is a connector of sorts, Bryan. So understanding scientists and what they do and bringing my commercial and farm knowledge and connecting that with industry and commercial partners.

BG: You mentioned the family farm, your fourth generation on the farm there.

GM: Yeah, that’s right, Bryan. So my husband and I came back to the family farm in May 2024. So we’ve just started our third season. So it’s been a really great time to come back to the family farm.

From the family farm to the science sector.

BG: Could you just tell us a little bit about the operation you’ve got there?

GM: So it’s a sheep and beef farm. We currently run just under 3,000 stock units on 330 hectares. Sheep and beef, we’re breeder finishers. We’ve got 120-odd weaners on at the moment, and we’re looking to finish about 2,200 lambs this season.

BG: And the Turakina Valley can be quite tough country, can it?

GM: We’re very lucky. We have about 100 hectares of flats, so that’s flats that we can get a tractor on, and then the rest is sort of rolling to steep hill country.

BG: Those valleys are in recent history been known to have some weather issues, that sort of thing. I remember going up there and being covering cutoff communities up that way, that sort of thing.

GM: Yeah, absolutely. You know, one reason why I chose to study what I’ve studied at Kellogg, actually.

BG: We’ll get into that in a tick. Could you just tell us a little bit about your career path?

GM: I went on a bit of an academic career, really. Out of high school, I went to Telford Polytechnic down in Balclutha. I went to high school in Feilding. Yeah. And I just couldn’t wait to kind of explore the world. And so I started my academic, agricultural career at Telford. And then subsequently went to Lincoln University for a few years and came into the corporate farming space. So multi-farm, large-scale farming. And so I was involved in that kind of sector for a decade. You know, supporting multi-farm operations, whether through rural servicing. And then, just recently joined the science industry that underpins the primary sector.

Turning science into something farmers can use.

BG: In your job now, what is a typical day like?

GM: Gosh, it could be anywhere. It’s just removing barriers, basically. So a big part of that is just, is building relationships with our scientists and industry and clients, understanding it is what they do, and then identifying commercial opportunities and helping see those opportunities turn into projects and then just removing the barriers for scientists to get that work underway.

So contracting for work and making sure that their ideas get out there to the world and what that actually means for the end user. And I always come back to the, the so what, you know, from a farmer perspective, how will farmers implement this in the future? Yeah, helping support in that sort of space.

BG: Because that is, you know, one of the longstanding challenges in the farming world I guess. There’s often a lot of good research that goes on. Outside of that, there’s a lot of innovation and technological advancement, and farmers have a lot of stuff pitched to them as the next big thing or the silver bullet or the thing that’s going to change their lives. And quite often, either that’s a misguided claim or the ROI doesn’t stack up or, you know, the opportunity cost is hard to judge. And so getting the good stuff to the good people can often be a challenge.

GM: It absolutely can, Bryan, and it’s been quite a learning curve the last 12 months and really understanding how the science industry works, understanding the breadth and capability within the Bioeconomy Science Institute, and understanding or trying to support how we get those ideas to implementation, right?

Because a lot of the stuff, it takes a long time to commercialise. It takes a long time to get it into the hands of farmers. So it’s, yeah, it’s something that is very rewarding

BG: And I guess, you know, as is often the case, you have the sort of first movers who are always engaged in this type of thing. And if you can get them on board with their catchment groups or discussion groups or that sort of thing, because farmers like to learn from farmers, don’t they?

GM: They absolutely do. They want to know what works and how it works. How that might work for me.

What climate adaptation really means on-farm.

BG: Now, just going back to your time at the Kellogg Programme, as we said, it was 2023, and you looked at climate adaptation in your own district.

GM: That’s right. Climate change, climate adaptation, they were really keywords that were getting banded around at the time. And I was quite curious as to what this looks like in our future and how do we future-proof our land to prepare for climate adaptation.

BG: How did you gather information on that?

GM: It was a challenge. There’s so much information and misinformation out there. One of the learnings that I came away from it was actually trying to find credible and trusted information and drawing conclusions or opinions from that. And so I looked at several significant reports and I thought, oh my goodness, like these are hundreds of pages long. Farmers are time poor already. They’re not going to read significant research projects. So I tried to kind of translate of sorts and significantly summarise what I felt was relevant, and I put it in my Kellogg report.

What I found was that we could potentially be looking at an increase of more hot days over 25 degrees, the frequency and intensity of compounding weather events, You know, an increase of the exacerbated natural cycles like El Niño and La Niña, which is a hot topic at the moment, as we know. So it was really fascinating stuff.

BG: You mentioned those big reports, you know, and the difficulty they have in getting cut through into people’s lives. I guess the other thing is that, you know, even if you put individual farmers’ views on climate change aside, they are actually like, they get up every day and, look out the window and take care of their stock and pastures and that sort of thing, and things are changing for them, isn’t it?

GM: Yeah, totally. And look, making decisions on the weather forecast is nothing new for farmers. We’re making decisions every day based on what the weather is doing. So what I did find was that farmers are already doing significant things to future-proof their land, whether that’s by implementing learnings from previous adverse weather events like the 2004 floods, for example. And really building that capacity to withstand future events and just building financial resiliency as well.

So, using our really good years, like we have recently been experiencing and building a bit of a buffer on how might I build financial resilience to withstand future adverse weather events? Or, how might I react to an increase of more hotter days? I need to increase my storage capacity. What might that look like over the next few years for me?

Building resilience through diversification and better land use.

BG: I’ve seen a kind of recent change in the way people talk about their farms, which is quite heartening in that, you know, it used to be the fact that if you retired some country into, say, riparian or native planting or that sort of thing, you know, then it was a loss from your productive platform. But people are sort of switching that to say, well, no, it’s actually an enabler of the best productive platform I have.

It helps build resilience into that physical system. And, you know, it’ll protect the good bits so the hill won’t slide down or the water won’t rise so high, that sort of thing. Do you think that’s sort of catching on?

GM: Absolutely, Bryan. I think we’ve always talked about the right tree in the right place and using that as a tool to adapt to a changing climate. You know, how might I put some extra shelter in place for my stock to combat heat stress? That’s really, really important. And we can also use it as an income diversifier. You know, if I might have some manuka that could potentially be used for making honey, having some bees on the place, for example.

BG: That diversification is front of mind for a lot of people, whether it is those different types of food production or whether it’s, agritourism or even forestry blocks, that sort of thing, in the right place. It really does help insulate you from the ups and downs of the commodity markets.

Why leadership starts with knowing yourself.

BG Cont’d: Of course, the Kellogg Programme, it gives you a lot more than just a sort of specific research insight. It’s, you know, it’s about leadership, it’s about networks, that sort of thing. How did you find that whole process?

GM: It was incredible. You’ve just recently done Kellogg as well, Bryan, so you’ll definitely relate. It was just a fantastic opportunity to spend six months doing a deep dive on who I am as a person, who I am as a leader. It gave me time to pick a topic that I was quite interested in and have that time available to me to be able to really come away with some tangible stuff that I could implement myself, but I could also talk to other people about.

I did find that you learn a lot about yourself. You do a lot of self-reflection, a lot of understanding your personality and what drives you. How do you handle some of your stronger personality drivers and values as well.

It’s a great opportunity if people haven’t done that before, to really understand what are my underlying values, what helps me, you know, make decisions in life, and what’s my sort of North Star. Yeah, it’s just a really, really great personal development opportunity, and I got so much from it.

BG: The thing you find is that you don’t have to be the person who kind of fits the bill of what you think a leader looks like, because there are many ways to approach things. And as long as you are self-aware and know what you are good at and not so good at, then you can tackle anything, can’t you?

GM: Totally. And I love what you touched on there, Bryan, that I do feel that leadership isn’t necessarily a formal title. You can be a leader and have significant influence on the people around you. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a hierarchical position. You come away with so many tools to be able to be that influence.

BG: You know, the Kellogg Programme, something that you’d recommend to others if they’re curious about the world, curious about themselves, seeing what they’re capable of?

GM: Absolutely. Just dive in would be my recommendation. Don’t wait till the time is right because you’ll potentially always find an excuse to, to say, oh, I don’t have the time for that. But I guarantee you’ll make the time and you’ll get so much from it.

BG: Excellent. Thanks so much for that, Grace.

GM: Thanks, Bryan. It’s been a pleasure.

BG: Thanks for listening to Ideas That Grow, a Rural Leaders podcast presented in 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, the Horticulture New Zealand Leadership Programme and the Value Chain Innovation Programme, please visit ruralleaders.co.nz

Kate Scott: Front footing the fast-moving regulatory environment.

Hamish Murray podcast - Building stronger on-farm teams

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

When deciding on whether to undertake a Kellogg, the words of others can be one of the strongest lines of information you can gather.

The Ideas that Grow podcasts often feature Kellogg Scholars discussing their backgrounds, work and their Kellogg Programme experiences.

We have done some of the information gathering work for you with twelve podcasts on Kellogg alumni – a key Kellogg quote shown next to each Kellogg alum interviewed.

Quotes and podcasts in order of image, left to right.

1. Richard Dawkins (2023) – Sheep and beef

“The timing for me was perfect, in that I’d done a lot of industry stuff by that point. I had a few connections and a reasonable understanding of the bigger picture. But look, to go into Kellogg, it just really supercharged that foundation I had.”

Go to Richard’s podcast.

2. Alice Rule (2019) – Viticulture

“Something that really stood out for me is the amount of confidence that I got out of the programme. It just equips you with so many tools…You get that confidence when you are surrounded by such amazing people…”

Go to Alice’s podcast.

3. Dame Alison Stewart (Kellogg presenter) – Arable

“I think that’s what the Kellogg Leadership Programme does. It makes you realise that what you thought you knew and what you thought was a valid belief, there may actually be alternative viewpoints. You have to open your mind to different ways of thinking and different people’s perceptions of agriculture…”

Go to Dame Alison’s podcast.

4. Campbell Parker (Kellogg presenter) – Dairy, Leadership

“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 – they want to make a difference…”

Go to Campbell’s podcast.

5. Tim Orlando-Reep (2025) – Sheep and beef

“…and the crew you end up with in your cohort. Such a wide range of people from the north to the south, and not just beef farmers! …we’ve got dairy, we’ve got horticulture, we’ve got the wine industry, we’ve got everything going on. It’s just a great opportunity to be able to get someone else’s point of view.”

Go to Tim’s podcast.

6. Dave Nuku (2024) – Māori agribusiness

“I can absolutely say without any word of a lie or doubt that it was the best leadership programme that I’ve ever done. The most complete and thorough. The quality of the information from the presenters that you’re exposed to is really world-class.”

Go to Dave’s podcast.

7. Esther Donkersloot (2024) – Dairy, Genetics

“You walk in that room the first day and you get bad imposter syndrome. Being a scientist, I’m like, wow, there’s all these leaders…what am I doing here? But I think the beauty of Kellogg is not just the content and the speakers you get, but it is the cohort.”

Go to Esther’s podcast.

8. Jack Cocks (2021) – Resilience, Meat and Wool

“It was a fantastic programme. It’s well structured, it’s well organised…great speakers, great content, a peer group that you go through with. So, for me, it was a life-changing experience…”

Go to Jack’s podcast.

9. Jen Corkran (2023) – Agribusiness, Red Meat

“You’re on this journey together so those networks you make with the people in your cohort, you can’t put any value on it because it’s golden. You’re doing the journey together, you’re in this challenging but stimulating environment. And that network is for life now with those people.”

Go to Jen’s podcast.

10. Thomas Holmes (2024) – Arable

“I think the big part of it is actually just the networking, the talking to industry leaders in the Chatham House rules sense, where you can get some real open discussions, where you don’t get that in the real world.”

Go to Thomas’ podcast.

11. Kate Tomlinson (2026) – Dairy, Agribusiness

“This is a structured programme that has given me access to things and people that I would never ever have had access to.”

Go to Kate’s podcast.

12. Lisa Lunn (2024) – Genetic technology

“…I absolutely loved it…it was just unreal. The scope of people that were in the cohort, the knowledge they had, the questions they asked, just a wonderful cross-section of people from across the industry. The main thing we all had in common was we were passionate about the industry and the future of the sector.”

Go to Lisa’s podcast.

Partners in leadership – new agreement signed with LIC.

Partners in Leadership.

The future of New Zealand’s food and fibre sector will depend not only on innovation, technology and market access, but on the quality of the people who lead it.

That shared belief underpins the newly signed partnership agreement between LIC and New Zealand Rural Leaders. Together, the two organisations are investing in leaders who can help New Zealand navigate an increasingly complex future. Rapid advances in technology, changing consumer expectations, climate adaptation and shifting global markets are reshaping the sector, creating both challenges and opportunity.

LIC’s contribution extends well beyond financial support. Over many years, LIC’s people have participated on programmes such as Kellogg and Nuffield, as presenters, and as mentors – sharing expertise that enriches the learning experience.

From genetics and breeding technologies to international markets, innovation and co-operative leadership, LIC’s contribution broadens participants’ understanding of New Zealand’s food and fibre sector while strengthening connections across the industry.

“Our partnership with Rural Leaders is about much more than sponsorship. It’s an opportunity to connect with emerging leaders and invest in the long-term capability of New Zealand’s agriculture sector. We’re excited to continue building on that over the next three years.”
Geoff Corbett, GM NZ Markets, LIC

Image shows: Geoff Corbett, GM NZ Markets, LIC (right) and James Ryan, CEO, Rural Leaders.

LIC and Rural Leaders are developing leadership pathways from emerging professionals to future directors and industry leaders. Rural Leaders alumni now serve on company boards, lead organisations, influence policy and strengthen rural communities throughout New Zealand.

“The challenges facing our sector are too significant for any one organisation to tackle alone. Partnerships like the one we share with LIC allow us to combine expertise, develop and deliver exceptional leadership programmes and create lasting value for the food and fibre sector.”
James Ryan, CEO, Rural Leaders

For nearly 50 years, the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme has developed emerging leaders with the confidence, networks and capability to influence their businesses, organisations and communities. For nearly 80 years, the Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarships have broadened horizons through international learning, equipping scholars with the insight and foresight to help shape the future of New Zealand agriculture.

Leadership capability lift is a long-term investment. Together, LIC and New Zealand Rural Leaders are helping grow the people who will shape the future of New Zealand’s food and fibre sector, leading resilient businesses, stronger rural communities and a globally competitive industry.

Hopkins family’s long history of support for Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholars.

One of the most memorable moments of the Nuffield New Zealand 75th Anniversary Dinner, held in Wellington last year, was a heartfelt announcement from the Hopkins family, reaffirming a long history of generosity that has supported the programme and its scholars for decades.

John Hopkins, a 1979 Nuffield Scholar, often spoke of the life-changing impact the scholarship had on him. Together with his wife, Elaine (both pictured above), he became a longstanding supporter of Nuffield, giving generously to ensure others could benefit from the same opportunity.

John passed away in 2022, and Elaine, who continued to champion the programme following his death, sadly passed away in September 2025 after a short illness. Their generosity has already helped shape the journeys of future leaders, including through the scholarship they funded for Ben Anderson’s Nuffield experience in 2021.

Representing the family at the anniversary dinner were John and Elaine’s son, Andrew Hopkins, and granddaughter, Chelsea Hopkins. In a moving address, Chelsea announced that the Hopkins family would once again support a Nuffield Scholar, continuing the family’s commitment to developing New Zealand’s future agricultural leaders.

That generous gift was awarded to Canterbury dairy farmer Jared Clarke, who is currently completing his 2026 Nuffield Scholarship.

(2026 Nuffield Scholars Clare Bradley, Kelly Heckler, Tracey Perkins, and Jared Clarke pictured below).

Reflecting on the evening following the celebration, Chelsea said:

“My grandfather, John Hopkins, was a proud Nuffield Scholar. I have fond memories of him telling me how the scholarship transformed him and the lasting impact it had on his life.

To give back to the programme that gave us so much, we are pleased to have provided a scholarship for 2026 Nuffield Scholars to support the next generation of agricultural leaders.

Being a part of the Nuffield 75th celebration was super special for Dad and I. It was a reminder that life’s moments, although sometimes small, can have big impacts.”

Chelsea’s announcement was warmly received by those gathered in Wellington and served as a fitting tribute to John and Elaine’s enduring belief in the power of leadership, learning and giving back.

Through their generosity, the Hopkins family have helped scholars such as Ben Anderson and Jared Clarke pursue opportunities that will benefit not only their own leadership journeys, but also New Zealand’s food and fibre sector for years to come.

(Chelsea Hopkins with father, Andrew Hopkins at last years’ 75th Nuffield dinner, Wellington).

Nuffield and the global perspective.

Our four 2026 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholars are gaining first-hand insights into the future of global food and fibre systems as they travel through Europe, Asia and Africa as part of the Nuffield Global Focus Programme (GFP) and their independent study tours.

For Jared Clarke, Clare Bradley, Kelly Heckler and Tracey Perkins, the journey has been far more than a study tour. It has challenged assumptions, expanded global networks and exposed them to the opportunities and pressures shaping agriculture worldwide.

Seeing agriculture through a global lens.
Although each scholar is following a different research pathway, several common themes are emerging.

In Indonesia, Kelly Heckler and Tracey Perkins reflected on the importance of understanding the people behind agricultural systems. Rather than viewing countries simply as export markets, they described gaining a deeper appreciation of the cultures and communities that shape food production.

Kelly was struck by an intensive food system focused on feeding a large population, where efficiency and minimising waste are essential. Tracey too, observed that understanding people is as important as understanding production systems.

Innovation driving change.
Innovation has been a consistent theme throughout the tours. Jared Clarke’s independent travel has focused on energy and technology. Across Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Spain and France he explored renewable energy systems, hydrogen projects, anaerobic digestion, large-scale horticulture and highly automated farming businesses.

His visits demonstrated both the rapid pace of technological change and the influence of government policy on investment decisions. Declining solar costs, advances in automation and increasing energy independence are reshaping many farming businesses.

Germany offered similar lessons for Tracey Perkins, who visited regenerative forestry operations, research farms, machinery manufacturers, biofuel facilities and globally recognised food companies. She described the diversity of innovation as a reminder of what is possible when businesses continuously adapt and invest.

Jared also highlighted several New Zealand companies developing world-leading hydrogen and electric transport technologies, reinforcing that innovation is equally strong at home.

Different systems, shared challenges.
Travelling through countries with vastly different production systems highlighted that there are many successful ways to farm.

In Zimbabwe, Clare Bradley said the experience challenged many of her assumptions. She was impressed by the collective impact of thousands of smallholder farmers and by innovative, low-capital farming systems designed to improve resilience while working alongside natural ecosystems.

In Ireland, Kelly Heckler explored advances in genetics, methane-reducing forage research and practical use of farm data. She also reflected on Ireland’s confidence as a premium food-exporting nation, suggesting there are valuable lessons for New Zealand.

Beyond the farm gate.
Across Belgium, Ireland and the United Kingdom, discussions regularly extended beyond farming itself.

Meetings with agricultural organisations, universities and policy leaders examined trade, gene editing, environmental regulation, traceability and the future of food production.

Tracey Perkins described the Nuffield Ireland Triennial and AgriSummit as valuable opportunities to explore agriculture through the lens of geopolitics and changing global economics.

Kelly Heckler also noted warnings from international leaders about emerging global food security pressures, reinforcing the importance of long-term planning and collaboration.

The strength of the Nuffield network.
Throughout their travels, each scholar highlighted the generosity of hosts and the strength of the international Nuffield network.

From family farms and research institutions to agribusinesses and New Zealand embassies, the willingness to openly share ideas and experiences continues to be one of the programme’s defining strengths.

Emerging insights.
While each scholar is pursuing a different research topic, several themes are already becoming clear:

Innovation is accelerating, with technology transforming agriculture across energy, genetics, automation and food production.
Local context matters, with successful farming systems reflecting each country’s unique climate, culture and policy settings.
Resilience is built through diversity, with flexible businesses and healthy ecosystems better equipped to manage future challenges.
Global policy increasingly influences local farming, shaping competitiveness through trade, regulation and environmental standards.
Strong relationships remain agriculture’s greatest asset, with knowledge sharing and international collaboration driving better outcomes.

The four 2026 scholars have been on their GFP’s at different times, but here is the latest update:

Tracey – Has just visited France, Italy and Belgium and is on a plane 17 July to Ireland. Then home until October before heading to Italy.

Kelly – Currently back in NZ. Heads away again in September and back home early November. Away again in November.

Jared – Back in NZ as of 16 July after being in the US for the last ten days.

Clare – Currently in Queensland, but back in NZ 17 July.

Beyond the orchard: Simon Cook on biosecurity, leadership and seeing the bigger picture.

Listen to this episode of Ideas that Grow, or click on one of the platform icons below to listen on your favourite player:

In this Ideas that Grow Podcast. From surviving PSA to studying biosecurity around the world, Simon Cook, 2018 Nuffield Scholar, shares how stepping beyond the farm gate broadened his perspective, strengthened his leadership, and reinforced the importance of preparing industries for tomorrow’s challenges.

Episode Transcript

Ideas That Grow is presented in association with Farmers Weekly. Welcome to Ideas That Grow, the Rural Leaders podcast. I’m your host, Bryan Gibson, Managing Editor of the Farmers Weekly, and this week on the show, we are joined by 2018 Nuffield Scholar, Simon Cook. G’day, Simon, how are you?

Simon Cook, Nuffield Scholar (2018), Grower, Horticulture NZ Board member.
Good, thanks, Bryan. Glad to join you.

BG: So you’re, in the horticulture industry growing avocados and kiwifruit up in the Bay of Plenty.

SC: My family have been on this property since 1950, so I’m third generation in my family growing kiwifruit. On this orchard and yeah, also grow a small area of avocados.

BG: You know, if we think about how you got into this game, you were kind of born into it.

SC: Yeah, the family been involved in it long term through my dad. We didn’t actually live on the property when I was young. I grew up elsewhere with dad having commercial roles. So I went through university, did a business degree and spent 4 years working in food industry primarily in Auckland. And yeah, then had an opportunity to get out of Auckland and go back to rural life and jumped at it.

BG: Tell us a little bit about the growing operation you have at the moment.

SC: We have 5 hectares of kiwifruit. There’s half a hectare of the gold variety, 4.5 of the green variety, and 0.3 hectares of avocado. So just a small size operation.

From Family Orchard to Industry Leadership

BG: Your time is also taken up by a fair bit of governance and industry body administration.

SC: Yeah, I think it came from, I guess, having that commercial background to start with. And so I’ve always been interested in what happens past the farm gate, the industry as a whole, and particularly this supply chain. And so yeah, I always had an interest in being involved in the wider industry and what happens beyond the farm gate in particular. So that kind of got me started on that path of governance, I guess, a long time ago.

BG: At the moment you’re on the Horticulture New Zealand board?

SC: Yeah, joined Horticulture New Zealand’s board about a year ago. I’d spent 10 years on Kiwifruit Industries equivalent KGI. So spent a lot of time in living organisations that that work on behalf of growers or farmers doing advocacy roles.

BG: Those levy bodies, they play a really important role in, you know, driving a sector forward, advocating on behalf of, you know, growers and processors, that sort of thing.

SC: Oh, they’re absolutely critical. And yeah, just every industry has some sort of advocacy body that works on behalf of farmers or growers. So yeah, I’ve had the opportunity to sit on a couple of them now.

Why Nuffield? Broadening Perspectives Beyond the Farm Gate

BG: You went through the Nuffield Programme in 2018. What interested you in committing to that?

SC: That’s going back a wee way now. I’m just trying to think what it was that really got me going. I think it was an opportunity that had been discussed within the industry. So the industry had talked about Nuffield in the past, and I guess I was at a time of my life where it was a good opportunity to look at something like Nuffield.

We were, as an industry, just starting to grow again. You know, we’ve been through some bad times with PSA, with the biosecurity incursion in our industry, and we’ve kind of evolved through that, had got through that, and we’re just starting to build again. And yeah, it just was a good time for me to look at something different. And Nuffield was an opportunity to travel the world and look at different practices.

It’s an opportunity to get outside of your industry as well. So, I mean, we get so hemmed in with our own industry, with what’s happening day to day, and you know, you kind of sit there with a lens which doesn’t go beyond your own industry a lot of the time.

Nuffield was really a chance to, I guess, break out of that and to look at, um, different agriculture industries and really see, you know, where we fit in the world and what we can learn from other people.

BG: And you mentioned the big challenge the kiwifruit sector had with the PSA incursion. You chose to take a look at biosecurity as your topic.

Lessons from PSA and Global Biosecurity

SC: Yeah, so when PSA hit our industry, I actually lived about a kilometre from where it started here in Te Puke. So we were kind of right in the middle of it, right from the start. And at that stage we were spraying contractors. So we were, I guess, one of the front lines for helping people and supporting people. So we got dragged in very early, very early on by MPI to work on their behalf and the response.

I guess that was my first introduction to biosecurity, being part of it, being on the front line of it. So it, that I guess really triggered an interest for me and It developed from there. It knocked our industry heavily and it was gutting to see, you know, a lot of the customers we’ve had, a lot of the guys we worked with very closely taking chainsaws to their orchards and you’d go around and what used to be a lovely flourishing orchard, um, was just stumps because it had all been chain sawed off. And in those days you were kind of wondering whether there was a future in our industry. That was that bad for a while.

And so looking at it as a spray contractor in the kiwifruit industry, I was a very good spray contractor in a kiwifruit industry, but if there’s no kiwifruit industry, then you don’t have much of a business plan. So looked at it and decided, well, you know, you can focus on yourself and focus on your own business and be the best, you know, at your own business.

But if your industry fails, then you’re done for. Or you can try and support industry, grow industry, and make sure the industry’s still there. And then as a portion of it, you know, your own business will carry on. And so that was kind of where I stepped outside of our contracting business. I put in a manager and went to work for KVH, which was the biosecurity body and did tech transfer for them and worked for them for a couple of years on the ground effectively.

BG: And during that year of the Nuffield program, you know, where did you go? What sort of things caught your eye?

SC: I mean, there’s two components to it really. There’s the travel that you do as a group, which is the global, you know, eye-opening one where you get to see all kinds of fascinating things. And, you know, one day you’re somewhere like, uh, Dubai looking at a fish farm in the middle of a desert, you know, and the next day you’re on a dairy farm in France and then, you know, a potato field in Alabama.

It’s just all kinds of really different things, different ways of, what people are doing all around agriculture, but really does open your eyes up to the breadth of what our industry is.

It does take you away from your own little world. And yeah, it gives you that opportunity to look much wider. And then later on you do your focus travel. That gave me the opportunity to go and look at a number of different biosecurity incursions around the world and study what had happened there and what had gone wrong and how they were recovering from it. And that was really eye-opening. The one I really remember was going through Florida.

The citrus industry in Florida has been devastated by citrus greening. It’s one of their worst pests. And going back into seeing orchards over there that all that’s left is a stump. You know, that always took me back to the days of PSA back here in Te Puke and how devastating that was.

Seeing an industry that, you know, this was 10 years after it had hit that area, they were still at the stage of trying to get stumps to grow again. And so it was really reinforcing me how lucky we were as a Kiwifruit industry to have recovered as well as we did. We were extremely lucky.

We had a tolerant variety that enabled us to get through PSA, but it was sheer luck built on a fantastic breeding programme, but it was sheer luck that we had this tolerant variety and we could recover. But yeah, you go and visit an industry like that that just hasn’t been able to recover. And it really brought home to me just how lucky we were, how privileged we were.

BG: A lot of people I talk to for this podcast, you know, going away, they kind of have these You mentioned the widening of the horizon of your experience through the programme. And a lot of people have these, you know, light bulb moments. And it seems to me that might be one for you.

Just people face the same things, you know, whether it’s the oranges in Florida or the PSA here, and everyone wants to recover as quickly as possible, but the way people do it can be very different.

SC: You look at Florida, there used to be 100 post-harvest facilities. There’s 10 left. This whole industry, it was a $9 billion industry that’s about a tenth of what it used to be. And so if our industry had not recovered the way we would, we wouldn’t have a kiwifruit industry in New Zealand. We pretty much would have disappeared as well. Instead we’re now, about $6 billion turnover and leading horticulture within New Zealand. And so, you know, fantastic success story, but it could have easily been the opposite.

It does really wake you up and remind you, you know, just how much of a risk biosecurity is and how quickly things like that can turn.

BG: And of course, you know, while PSA was a massive challenge here, you know, the next version of PSA could just be around the corner, couldn’t it?

SC: That was probably one of the strengths of the kiwifruit industry now with KVH, Kiwifruit Vine Health, is that we start to look at what’s next. Most of these other organisations I’ve looked at, or industries, they’re still facing the threat that they had to start with and they haven’t ever been able to get past that. Because we were able to get on top of and live with PSA to an extent, it still causes problems and we still have to manage it, but we can live with it.

But it then got us into that situation as an industry where we could look ahead and say, alright, we’ve kind of got past this. What’s next? What could the next thing be? And we’d been caught horribly with our pants down as an industry when PSA arrived. We weren’t prepared at all for it.

Now we’ve actually got a specialist organisation whose role it is to look ahead, look at what the threats are, and to prepare plans. So if something does arrive, at least we know how we’re going to react and what we’re going to do about it.

BG: It’s almost a case of you get wounded, the wound heals, and that scar tissue makes you a bit stronger for next time around.

SC: Absolutely, yeah. And it’s one of the few industries that actually has got into that space of looking ahead and, you know, thinking what’s next and preparing plans. And it does make it a much stronger industry for that.

The Lasting Value of the Nuffield Alumni Network

BG: Just more broadly about the Nuffield programme, obviously both personally you get a lot out of it, your industry learns a lot from what you discover, but there’s also, I guess, the cohort you’re with, the people you meet along the way, that’s a big part of what makes Nuffield so rewarding.

SC: So, you know, I still have probably 3 or 4 different scholars from all around the world come and visit and stay with me every year wanting to understand the Kiwifruit industry. And I get the opportunity to introduce these people to my industry and show them around. It’s really rewarding for me because, you know, I love my industry.

I’m extremely proud of what we have and what we’ve achieved as an industry. And so the opportunity to share that with people from all around the world, you know, to me is fantastic. And I get to meet scholars from all kinds of different walks of life and just, once again, talking with them, learning from them, understanding what they’re going through.

It’s a fascinating part of it. It’s just that ongoing relationships that you do have within Nuffield New Zealand, within Horticulture New Zealand. Our current (HortNZ) CE is Kate Scott, who was a 2018 Nuffield Scholar with me. So, you know, that was actually part of what attracted me to wanting to be a director there was the opportunity to work with Kate again, because I’ve got a huge amount of respect for her.

BG: It seems evident that the Nuffield programme seemed to have been, in part at least, a catalyst from you moving from that sort of micro, within the fences of your own block of land sort of thinking, to that more macro, good of the industry, go and see the world, let’s solve the big problems together. That seems to have been part of, you know, what kicked that off for you.

SC: Yeah, it’s a big part of it Bryan. And you need something like Nuffield to actually kick you out of your comfort zone and kick you out of what you’re doing. It’s a fantastic way of taking the blinkers off and showing you the opportunities and where you fit in. It was fantastic for that.

Stepping Back to Lead Better

BG: The Nuffield programme, it’s a big ask of people. You know, you kind of take a year off work. There’s probably a lot of people out there who maybe people have, you know, tapped them on the shoulder and thought, maybe give this a thought. And, you know, most people probably think ‘oh, I’m not ready’. What would you say to them?

SC: I think it’s one of the common sayings, isn’t it? If you’re too busy to do a Nuffield, then you’re the person that we want. If you’re heavily involved in what you’re doing and you’ve got a passion for what you’re doing, then those are the people that really are the ones that should do Nuffield.

It does take a lot of planning and a lot of support from other people. So for me, I left 3 young kids at home with my wife while I was travelling, had an orchard that I had to put manager into, a contracting business that I had to put a manager into.

There’s a lot of stuff you’ve got to do to be able to step back yourself. But it’s also a good thing to do because by being able to step back, you can actually then look at your own businesses and work out what you’re doing.

When you’re in a business and you’re firefighting every day, you don’t get to see the big picture and you don’t get to kind of look at the opportunities – and wider. You know, my dad and I, when we had our contracting business, we were so focused on our business and it was, you know, everything that we were doing.

We were so involved in it. And eventually we actually got an industry consultant, Mike Miller, who was a huge part of our industry for a long time. And we actually got him in for some coaching for the two of us. And he sat my dad down and basically Mike was very blunt with people. So you either liked Mike or you didn’t, because he told it to you exactly what he thought. And he was great.

He told us that that’s exactly what we needed to do – was to step back from our business. And actually take the opportunity to organise it, to plan it, you know, to see what was happening, to look at opportunities rather than just being in it firefighting every day. And so we’d had that kick in the ass, you know, 20 years ago from Mike. And that was, yeah, kind of reinforced.

So we started to put a few structures in, like getting a manager in to take some of the load off us. And that kind of really built on with Nuffield being able to step back for that long. It is something that people do need coaching on and probably do need support on when they start that Nuffield journey is how to step back.

And it’s probably something as a Nuffield cohort, we probably could be doing more of to support new Nuffielders into how to do that. It is a big part of what you’re doing because we all have farms, orchards, et cetera, that we’re all flat out running. And to be able to step out of that for a year is not easy.

BG: Part of being a good leader though is knowing, being able to see that big picture and also being able to trust people to do that firefighting for you.

SC: And it’s probably why a lot of us ended up with better organisations after we’ve done something like Nuffield, because of those structures that we’ve kind of been pushed into doing.

Alumni in the Spotlight – Jon Pemberton, Nick Pridgeon, Sandra Faulkner, James Allen and more.

Here are just a few of the media pieces covering the impact of Rural Leaders’ Programme Alumni in industries and communities across the sector.

Jon Pemberton

Jon Pemberton (2025 Nuffield).
Southland dairy farmers Birgit and Jon Pemberton are converting a neighbouring sheep farm to expand their dairy platform, aiming for a simpler, more resilient and environmentally responsible system.

The project includes new infrastructure, larger herd capacity and improved wintering facilities, while reducing operational risk and supporting long-term productivity, sustainability and confidence in the future of dairying.

Separately, the Pemberton’s opened their farm recently hosting a major on-farm DairyNZ field day and showcase in Southland. Their field day covered the practicalities of dairy farm conversion, expansion, and system redesign.

Take a read of the Rural Life article here.

James Allen

James Allen (2023 Nuffield).
AgFirst Chief Executive James Allen is urging dairy farmers not to base this season’s plans on last year’s exceptional growing conditions. Instead, he recommends budgeting feed for an average season, securing supplements early and reassessing conditions by December 1 using soil moisture as a key indicator.

With El Niño increasing drought risk, particularly in Canterbury and eastern regions, Allen says farmers should have contingency plans ready and make early decisions if conditions deteriorate.

Take a read of the full article here from Rural News this week.

Sandra Faulkner

Sandra Faulkner (2012 Nuffield).
Newly elected Federated Farmers Vice President Sandra Faulkner says sweeping government reforms must provide certainty for farmers and reflect rural communities’ needs.

She stresses the importance of rural input into changes affecting local government, freshwater and resource management, saying long-term certainty is essential for farm businesses.

Faulkner also calls for cross-party support on emergency management and infrastructure, highlighting reliable roads, telecommunications and connectivity as critical for rural resilience, safety and productivity.

Take a read of the full article here in Rural News this week.

Harriet Bremner and Ed Pinckney

Harriet Bremner and Ed Pinckney (2020 Nuffield).
Ed Pinckney and Harriet Bremner appeared on Country Calendar in mid-June. Ed and Harriet run the 1500ha Jericho Station in Blackmount, Western Southland.

Andy Thompson says ‘…it’s a great piece of television.” If you’re signed up for TVNZ+, you can watch the episode here.

Harriet also appeared on CountryWide Connect with Sarah Perriam-Lampp and Andy Thompson on July 8. Harriet discussed, among other things, what it was like for her and Ed to appear on Country Calendar.

On the experience Harriet said, “I think a lot of people don’t realise that you don’t get to pre-watch the episode, so when the rest of the country sees it for the first time, you also see it for the first time,” she says.

“We were really pleasantly surprised, and felt that they delivered a really balanced programme.”

You can view the CountryWide Connect episode here.

Nick Pridgeon

Nick Pridgeon (Current Kellogg Scholar)
Bay of Plenty horticulture professional Nick Pridgeon has joined the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme, supported by a Zespri scholarship.

The senior orchard manager with Pivot Hort hopes to strengthen his leadership skills, broaden his perspective beyond the kiwifruit industry and build valuable rural networks.

Nick plans to apply the programme’s learning to support colleagues, improve orchard performance and contribute to New Zealand’s horticulture sector.

Take a read of the July 16 Sunlive article here.

Kate Tomlinson

Kate Tomlinson (2026 Kellogg).
Kate Tomlinson, 2025 Mackenzie Charitable Foundation Scholarship winner, spoke to Bryan Gibson Managing Editor at Farmers Weekly for our Ideas that Grow Podcast recently.

Kate shared her journey from a UK farm to New Zealand, where Kate now blends practical farming with sustainability and data insights in her role with Map of Ag.

Take a read of the Farmers Weekly article, or listen to the podcast here.

Jim van der Poel

Jim van der Poel (2002 Nuffield).
The Primary Industries New Zealand Summit and Awards took place several weeks ago, bringing together leading voices from across farming and the wider primary sector.

This year’s Summit focused on the insights, analysis, and debates shaping how we navigate future challenges and opportunities.

The Awards recognised the following Rural Leaders programme alumni (and a few friends of Rural Leaders too):

Congratulations to Jim van der Poel (Nuffield 2002), winner of the Outstanding Contribution to NZ’s Primary Industries Award.

Congratulations also to Kate Acland, Chair of Rural Leaders Programme Partner B+LNZ, on being named Rural Woman of the Year, a well-deserved recognition.

Sandra Faulkner (Nuffield 2012) was a finalist for the award.

Hamish Marr (Nuffield 2019) was a finalist for Agricultural Communicator of the Year, alongside Dom George (Rural Exchange), with Jamie Mackay taking out the award.

The research reports and collective insights from Kellogg Programme One 2026.

Each of The Kellogg Programme One K55 reports represent extraordinary effort from the scholars. Each explores a topical sector challenge or opportunity and in doing so makes a valuable contribution to the sector.

Collectively, they provide an even more compelling perspective on the opportunities, challenges and capabilities required to strengthen New Zealand’s food and fibre sector.

Across diverse topics including artificial intelligence, succession, governance, animal welfare, food security, Māori agribusiness, workforce diversity, technology adoption and sustainability, a consistent message emerges from this Kellogg cohort:

The future competitiveness of New Zealand agriculture will not be determined by technology alone. It will be determined by the capability of people, the strength of relationships, the quality of leadership and the resilience of the systems that support them.

Innovation features strongly throughout the research, but the reports consistently position technology as an enabler rather than an end goal. Artificial intelligence, digital learning, wearable technologies, genetics, automation and data analytics all offer significant opportunities. However, their value depends on the ability of people and organisations to interpret information, make informed decisions, adapt effectively and maintain trust.

The collective Kellogg research also identifies a fundamental shift in how success is defined. The sector is moving beyond a focus on production optimisation towards a broader model of stewardship, one that balances profitability with environmental responsibility, community wellbeing, cultural identity and intergenerational resilience.

Perhaps the strongest collective message is that trust remains New Zealand agriculture’s greatest strategic asset. Trust underpins export reputation, assurance systems, farmer-adviser relationships, workforce engagement, cooperative models and community confidence.

Protecting and strengthening trust must therefore remain central to future sector strategy.

Taken together, the K55 cohort research suggests that the next era of success will be created through:

Capable people + enabling leadership + trusted relationships + resilient systems + purposeful innovation.

New Zealand’s food and fibre sector is entering a new era where competitive advantage will come not from production alone, but from the ability to combine innovation with capable people, trusted relationships, adaptive leadership and resilient systems.

The future challenge is no longer simply how we produce more. It’s how we build a sector capable of creating enduring value for farmers, communities, markets, whenua, and future generations.

Take a look at the ten collective insights from this cohort’s Kellogg reports below.

1. People remain the sector’s greatest competitive advantage.

Across almost every report, the same conclusion emerges: technology will not replace the need for capable people, it will increase it. Future success requires people who can:

Interpret information.
Exercise judgement.
Build relationships.
Lead change.
Collaborate effectively.
Make complex decisions.

The sector’s future productivity gains will come as much from developing people as developing technology.

2. Technology creates value only when people are ready to use it.

AI, automation, digital learning, sensors and data systems appear throughout the research as significant opportunities. However, the reports consistently identify that adoption depends on:

Capability.
Confidence.
Leadership.
Practical implementation.
Trust.

The challenge is not access to technology; it is ensuring the sector has the capability to turn technology into improved outcomes.

3. Leadership is shifting from expertise to enablement.

Traditional agricultural leadership has often been built around technical knowledge and experience. The reports highlight a leadership model based on:

Developing others.
Creating psychological safety.
Facilitating collaboration.
Navigating uncertainty.
Supporting adaptation.

The future leader is not necessarily the person with all the answers, but the person who enables others to succeed.

4. Long-term stewardship is replacing short-term optimisation.

Across succession, Māori agribusiness, governance, food security and environmental research, the reports challenge short-term thinking. They highlight the importance of decisions that consider:

Future generations.
Resilience.
Environmental outcomes.
Community wellbeing.
Business sustainability.

The strongest organisations will optimise not just for today, but for those who follow.

5. Trust is New Zealand’s most valuable rural asset.

Trust appears as a foundation across almost every report. It enables:

International market confidence.
Assurance credibility.
Strong employment relationships.
Effective governance.
Cooperative success.
Community engagement and participation.

New Zealand’s competitive advantage is not based on scale; it is based on confidence in the integrity of the system.

6. Strong systems outperform individual effort.

Many reports identify challenges caused by relying on exceptional individuals rather than building enduring systems. Future resilience requires:

Better governance structures.
Stronger career pathways.
Improved succession planning.
Integrated assurance systems.
Coordinated industry approaches.
Knowledge transfer.

Sustainable success requires systems that continue working beyond individual champions.

7. Financial capability underpins business resilience.

Several reports identify financial literacy as a critical but underdeveloped capability. This affects:

Farm succession.
Ownership transition.
Investment decisions.
Profitability.
Debt management.

The sector needs to increasingly view farming as a business requiring financial capability, not simply an asset-building activity.

8. Diversity will strengthen future performance.

The sector is becoming more diverse:

Culturally.
Generationally.
Professionally.
Through different forms of leadership.

The reports demonstrate that diversity creates value when supported by:

Cultural intelligence.
Inclusive leadership.
Recognition of different contributions.
Flexible participation.

The future workforce will require broader definitions of leadership and contribution.

9. Productivity and sustainability are increasingly aligned.

The reports challenge the assumption that environmental outcomes and commercial outcomes compete. Examples include:

Feed efficiency.
Genetics.
Better grazing management.
Animal welfare improvements.
Food system resilience.
Improved resource use.

The strongest future systems will deliver both productivity and sustainability outcomes.

10. Capability development is the sector’s next competitive advantage.

The strongest recommendation across the entire cohort is investment in capability. Priority areas include:

Leadership development.
Digital capability.
Financial literacy.
Governance skills.
Cultural intelligence.
Mentoring.
Lifelong learning.

The sector’s next breakthrough will come from stronger people making better decisions.

For a closer look at the research of each Kellogg Scholar, head to our cohort landing page here.

Kate Tomlinson – Scholarship winner takes a closer look at the diversity of Canterbury’s dairy workforce.

Kate Tomlinson, Bridging Farming, Sustainability and Leadership.

For Kate Tomlinson, 2025 Mackenzie Charitable Foundation Scholarship winner and 2026 Kellogg Scholar, agriculture has never been just a career, it has been a way of life. Raised on a sheep and beef farm in County Durham, England, farming shaped her upbringing, her interests and ultimately her professional journey.

“Farming has always been part of my life. It’s always been, I’d say, in my blood,” she says. “It’s my family, it’s my friends, it’s my work, it’s what I do on my weekends off.”

Work based on practical farming experience, sustainability expertise and agricultural data analysis.

Now based in Methven, Mid Canterbury, Tomlinson has built a unique career that combines practical farming experience, sustainability expertise and agricultural data analysis.

As an Agricultural Sustainability Analyst Consultant with Map of Ag, she works across New Zealand and Australia, helping connect farm data with meaningful insights that support sustainability, animal welfare and environmental outcomes. Her role draws on a diverse background that includes farming, agricultural consultancy and research.

After studying at Harper Adams University, Tomlinson qualified as a rural chartered surveyor in the UK, advising farming businesses on land use, navigating agricultural, residential and commercial legislation and accessing environmental opportunities

Kellogg, the Mackenzie Charitable Foundation, and research into cultural diversity in Canterbury’s dairy workforce.

Tomlinson has recently graduated as a member of the 55th Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme cohort. As part of her Kellogg research project, Kate explored the growing cultural diversity of Canterbury’s dairy workforce.

You can view Kate’s report ‘Cultural Diversity of Canterbury’s Dairy Workforce’ here.

Having worked alongside colleagues from Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, India, Ireland and the United Kingdom, Kate wanted to paint a picture of the reality of working in Canterbury’s dairy industry. Her research explores – what is the composition of Canterbury’s dairy workforce, what are the pathways to the industry, why do people join and how can we build and lead thriving multicultural dairy teams?

Her research reflects a deep curiosity and passion for people and leadership. “I wanted to start with the facts by understanding what kind of trends we are seeing, then speak to those working in multicultural teams, or who have moved to New Zealand to work in Canterbury’s dairy industry” she says. “In particular, I wanted to explore how we build thriving teams and overcome challenges that might arise from that diversity of team?”

Through Kellogg and the 2025 Mackenzie Charitable Foundation Scholarship, Kate has gained access to influential industry leaders, policymakers and fellow participants who are helping shape the future of Canterbury’s primary sector.

Combining international experience with a passion for farming and sustainability, Kate represents a new generation of rural leaders, one focused on connecting people, data and practical solutions to help agriculture thrive.

Listen to Kate’s recent Ideas that Grow Podcast here.

Morris McFall QSM, 1970 Nuffield Scholar, passes.

Rural Leaders, The Board of Trustees, and Nuffield New Zealand were saddened to learn of the passing of Morris (1970 Nuffield Scholar). We offer our deepest condolences to his family.

Born 7 January 1935, Morris passed away peacefully on 8 June at Tauranga Hospital aged 91.

Born in 1935, Morris grew up on a farm in Te Awamutu and began his working life in dairy farming before building McFall Fuel from a small local operation into one of New Zealand’s leading fuel logistics providers.

Morris completed his Nuffield in 1970, looking into intensive dairying in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Canada, USA.

More on Morris’ work can be read here in Transport Talk (12 June)

Morris’ funeral service was held today at Legacy Tauranga, 383 Pyes Pa Road Tauranga, on Monday, 15 June 2026 at 1.30pm followed by private cremation.

The service can be viewed here.

Printed material from the service is available here.

Tributes may be left below and communications via post addressed to the Morris McFall family, c/- Legacy Funerals, PO Box 3136, Tauranga 3142.

Alumni in the Spotlight – Roger Barton, Kylie Leonard, Rebecca Hyde, Natasha Cave and others.

Here are just a few of the media pieces covering the impact of Rural Leaders’ Programme Alumni in industries and communities across the sector.

Tracy Brown

Tracy Brown (2020 Nuffield, 1997 Kellogg).
Tracy wrote an article for the recent issue of CountryWide. In the article (pages 78 and 79), Tracy argues that New Zealand’s dairy sector has a strong future if it invests in people, skills and sustainability.

Global demand is rising, but farmers face pressure to improve environmental performance and prove transparency.

Tracy (DairyNZ Chair), says attracting capable, adaptable leaders is vital, alongside training the next generation through programmes like NextGen Dairy Farmers.

As traditional family succession is no longer guaranteed, the industry must broaden career pathways and modernise workforce development. Tracy says that with innovation, collaboration and a focus on both profitability and environmental outcomes, dairy can keep growing export value while supporting regional communities.

Roger Barton

Roger Barton (1994 Nuffield Scholar).
Roger Barton, a Wairarapa sheep and beef farmer, also featured in the latest CountryWide (page 127). Roger has been appointed a Safer Farms Regional Champion to promote the Farm Without Harm message in rural communities.

Drawing on his own experience of serious farm injuries, he argues that poor decisions and inadequate preparation often lead to accidents. Roger stresses that the true cost of injuries extends beyond medical expenses to lost productivity, business disruption, and impacts on families and workers.

As a Regional Champion, Roger aims to share practical, real-world safety solutions and encourage open conversations that improve health and safety outcomes on farms.

Kylie Leonard

Kylie Leonard (2023 Nuffield Scholar)
As part of a small delegation of New Zealand Nuffield alumni, Kylie Leonard travelled to Ireland for the 2026 Nuffield Triennial, embracing the opportunity to continue the Nuffield tradition of learning through experience and engagement.

The Triennial explored global agricultural challenges and opportunities, highlighting the importance of soil health, data, knowledge transfer, precision agriculture and innovation in producing more with less.

Kylie gained valuable insights into food security, economic change and agriculture’s role as a stabilising force in an increasingly uncertain world. Visits to leading Irish farming, food and sustainability enterprises showcased farmer-led innovation in action.

Images: Nuffield Scholars in Ireland for the Triennial, and Kylie on a Triennial panel, second from right.

A highlight was representing farmers on an international panel, where Kylie reinforced the importance of farmer voices, concluding: “Farmers need to be at the table, not on the menu.”

Rebecca Hyde

Rebecca Hyde (2017 Nuffield Scholar, 2021 Kellogg Scholar)
Rebecca penned an excellent article recently for Farmers Weekly’s ‘Eating the Elephant’. The article has proven popular with many as it neatly reflects on the chaos and rewards of raising young children while farming.

The article argues that farm kids gain invaluable life lessons through hands-on involvement in daily rural life.

While balancing motherhood, farm work and personal identity can be challenging, Rebecca celebrates the resilience, empathy and sense of belonging children develop on the farm.

Rebecca also highlights the importance of community, leadership and participation, encouraging rural women to back themselves and help shape the future of farming.

Take a read of this article here.

Phil Weir

Phil Weir (2020 Nuffield Scholar)
Phil Weir offered a follow up to Rebecca Hyde’s piece, also in Eating the Elephant that builds on Rebecca reflection that children may be the ones really running the farm.

Phil argues they should also be viewed as the farm’s most important customers. Reflecting on honesty, family and modern farming life, he challenges the tendency to hide behind busyness and operational demands.

Inspired by the idea of “dancing with your customers”, Weir suggests farming, parenting and partnership are best approached as a shared rhythm rather than a checklist, with presence and connection mattering most.

Take a read of the article here.

Natasha Cave

Natasha Cave (2025 Kellogg Scholar).
Natasha Cave joined a panel for How Wearables Are Enabling Pasture Management on Hill Country at Science for Farmers at Fieldays on Thursday.

As a King Country sheep and beef farmer and author of the Kellogg report Beef on the Brink of a Tech Revolution: Wearables on NZ Hill Country, Natasha brought firsthand experience of how emerging technologies are being applied on-farm.

Natasha shared practical insights into the role of wearables and virtual fencing, and what these innovations could mean for the future of hill country farming.

Natasha and fellow panellists provided a thought-provoking discussion on the future of pasture management, sheep and beef systems, and the opportunities technology is creating for New Zealand farmers.

Ethan Gillespie and his journey in horticulture so far.

Listen to this episode of Ideas that Grow, or click on one of the platform icons below to listen on your favourite player:

In this Ideas that Grow Podcast, Ethan Gillespie, 2025 HortNZ Leadership Programme alum, talks to Bryan Gibson, 2025 Kellogg alum, and Farmers Weekly Managing Editor, about his programme experience. Ethan discusses how it broadened his understanding of leadership, advocacy, and strategic decision-making.

Ethan shares insights into his own leadership development, industry collaboration, and the pathways available for emerging leaders in New Zealand’s horticulture sector.

Episode Transcript

Ideas That Grow is presented in Association with Farmers Weekly. Welcome to Ideas That Grow, the Rural Leaders podcast. I’m your host, Bryan Gibson, Managing Editor of the Farmers Weekly.

This week we’re going to talk about the Horticulture New Zealand Leadership Programme, delivered by Rural Leaders. And we’ve got an alumnus of that programme, Ethan Gillespie. Kia ora, Ethan, how are you?

Ethan Gillespie, 2025 Horticulture New Zealand Leadership Programme.
EG: Yeah, very well. And yourself, Bryan?

BG: Yeah, really good, thanks. You’re working in the horticultural sector in Hawke’s Bay at the moment?

EG: Yep. I work for Brownrigg Agriculture. We grow a range of different crops, but primarily squash, pumpkins, onions, and some maize for grain, as well as our livestock side of things. But yeah, so I’m primarily focusing on squash and pumpkins as sort of my area.

Ethan and his role in Horticulture.

BG: What specifically do you bring to growers there?

EG: My official title is agronomist, but I wear a couple of hats throughout the business. I am involved in a lot of the growing side of things, do a lot of our pre-harvest scouts, checking up on crops before we go into harvest, but then also our pumpkin side of things, which is relatively new to us. I manage the post-harvest through to the packhouse side. That’s where I’m mostly involved in nowadays.

BG: Where do those pumpkins and squash end up?

EG: Squash, we export that to primarily Japan and Korea with a little bit of it being kept here in the New Zealand domestic market. But then all of our pumpkins and butternut and those items, they go to supermarkets around New Zealand. So for the domestic market.

From Dairy Farming to Horticulture.

BG: Have you always been working in or interested in horticulture?

EG: No, not quite. I grew up dairy farming in the North Manawatu,, so have always had a farming background and loved the rural lifestyle. I enjoyed milking cows in early mornings throughout the holidays, but then I went to university and studied agriculture, primarily crops and soil and a little bit of animals. Then following that, I decided I was keen to be involved in growing crops and ended up down the horticulture route, involved in vegetable production.

BG: I often think of the Hort and the Arable side of things as a bit more, almost dicey in a way. You know, you can wipe out entire seasons with one bad factor. You’ve got to get it right, don’t you?

EG: Yes, absolutely. A lot riskier business, you might say.

Why pursue the HortNZ Leadership Programme?

BG: Now you’ve been through the HortNZ Leadership Programme. That’s one we don’t cover a lot on the podcast here. When did you go through it?

EG: I was a part of the 2025 cohort, found out about it sort of mid-year, about this time last year probably. We had a week up in Auckland together in September. I think it was last year, and then another few days in Wellington in October. End of 2025 was my sort of time through the course.

BG: What was your thinking behind, you know, pursuing one of these leadership programmes?

EG: A lot went into me deciding whether I wanted to do this or not. I guess I’ve probably been involved in aspects of leadership for a number of years now, but being relatively new into horticulture, I came across it and saw it as a way of learning a bit more about what goes on behind the scenes in the industry, looking at a governance level and all the legislation and submission process, a lot of the work that HortNZ does, but then also the wider general issues that horticulture is facing.

So, I came across it and was like, this is the way I can expand on what I know and what I do, and hopefully bring something new back to Brownrigg as part of my role.

BG: You mentioned you had been involved in some leadership in the food and fibre sector previously. What was that?

EG: Previously, probably not as much been involved in food and fibre, like had a little bit through university. We were part of a few case studies that I was part of at university and a team that I was involved in, we prepared for an international competition that was held in Christchurch.

It was looking at, given a sort of case business, and this was our problem we were trying to solve. So that’s kind of where sort of some of the strategic thinking that I’ve been involved in sort of came from. But then outside of that, I’ve been involved in youth leadership for a number of years. My wife and I, we did a stint over in Canada at a camp which, yeah, we ran leadership development courses for both youth and for companies and adults coming through.

BG: Just getting back to the leadership programme itself, obviously it involves a couple of intense contact course aspects to it. What were some of the things that were perhaps outside your day-to-day work that were really interesting and rewarding?

EG: Erin Simpson was the course facilitator for our cohort, and he brought a wealth of knowledge being in the horticulture industry for a number of years. But on top of that, we also had a few different CEOs from different companies come to speak to us about the running of high-level big companies and what goes into the governance level behind them and their boards and decision-making.

But then we also had a couple people from Horticulture New Zealand come and speak to us about about what’s involved in taking submissions from the growers they represent and taking that to government and figuring out the bigger picture of horticulture.

Understanding governance and industry advocacy.

BG: On both those things, they’re kind of almost, for want of a better word, kind of like the dark arts of how the system works. You don’t hear a lot about what happens around the board table because that is behind the closed doors, obviously. So getting that insight into how these people make decisions, work together, look at the wider world, figure out the strategy and direction. That’s really interesting, eh?

EG: Oh, certainly. it’s definitely like the area that I’m keen to be involved in. It’s not just the on-the-ground operations and running of it. It’s thinking long term. It’s figuring out what is the current path that we’re on. Is it the right path? Are there other avenues we need to be exploring? So yeah, it’s complex, but yeah, certainly interesting stuff.

BG: And then in terms of advocacy work, obviously, in the Farmers Weekly world, that gets quite a bit of airtime, how industry groups react to proposed government regulatory changes, that sort of thing. But, you know, these groups represent a broad spectrum of individual growers or businesses, and they’ve got to collate the hopes and dreams of that wide cohort, put it into a succinct submission. And hope they get their way in some ways. It’s, it’s also very complex.

EG: 100%. There’s so many different opinions in amongst the same food group growers and yeah, trying to kind of keep everyone happy, I’m sure, is a complex beast that a lot of people work very hard to do.

Leadership lessons and career aspirations.

BG: Does having done the programme now give you a new perspective in your
day-to-day role?

EG: I guess I look at some of the higher decision-making now and have a huge amount of respect for what goes into that. Yeah, within our business, looking at the growth that Brownrigg’s had over the decades that it’s been running and the way that the two Brownrigg brothers have grown the company.

BG: Yeah.

EG: Massive respect for them.

BG: Well, you know, these things usually are ever evolving. Do you have a plan for your future in the industry or your career?

EG: Yeah, I love being part of horticulture and see it as an industry that is so, I guess, complex and so many different avenues to it that the world’s my oyster in terms of where I end up within it. I went to university and studied agriculture science and did that with a very open mind in the sense that I was keen to be involved in agriculture. I wanted to stay in the industry, but wasn’t sure where I wanted to end up.

But at the same time, I knew going into that there was so many different avenues that I could explore. Within horticulture, but then also you’ve got so many different sectors of sheep and beef, dairy, horticulture that all sort of make up the sort of agriculture sector of New Zealand. So I’m keen to be involved. I love what I do at Brownrigg. So yeah, I’m pretty happy with what I’m doing and sort of see progression there.

BG: What would you say to someone who is thinking about either broadening their leadership skill base or perhaps is just inquisitive about the way the wider food and fibre sector works? I mean, would the HortNZ Leadership Programme be something you’d recommend to them?

EG: I said to a few different people post the course that, like, I think even without people who don’t necessarily sort of see them as a little itself as a leader or have, like, come from a leadership background, the course was great at opening up key ideas that people may not be used to, along with introducing the cohort to other members of the industry.

I think leadership is not necessarily something that you have to be in a certain position for. The place I worked at over in Canada, their leadership definition as per se was a leader is someone who looks at their own world, like not necessarily the world around them, but their own picture. They say it doesn’t have to be this way and they do something about it. So it was, yeah, even within everyone’s own journey and industry and job, there’s always things that they can see and do and improve on.

‘So yeah, and I would recommend the course for anyone who’s keen to learn more about the industry.

The lasting value of industry networks.

BG: One of the other things that everyone who goes through Rural Leaders programmes reports back to me is that, you know, one of the most rewarding things is the ongoing relationship you have with your cohort and the people who went through on the same journey you did. Is that what you found as well?

EG: Yeah, my wife and I have just had a child and a couple of people from the course have reached out. Congratulating us. And even within our group chat, people have sort of had a few problems that they’ve come across or issues they’ve faced that they haven’t been used to. And like, they’ve just chucked it in the chat and other people from within the industry or within our group have been able to come back and say, oh, I’ve actually already been through that and this is what we did, or this is a person you could talk to about the problem you’re facing.

So yeah, within our cohort, we had different aspects of our industry and each sort of had their own wealth of knowledge that’s been really useful both during the course when we’re in person and then like afterwards. So it’s been cool.

BG: Excellent. And Rural Leaders is currently open to applications for the 2026 programme, and there are 12 scholarships on offer.

Applications close June 28th, and you can find more information at ruralleaders.co.nz/hortnz

Thanks, Ethan.

EG: Awesome. Thank you very much.

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, the Engage Programme, the HortNZ Leadership Programme and the Value Chain Innovation Programme, please visit ruralleaders.co.nz

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

Listen to this episode of Ideas that Grow, or click on one of the platform icons below to listen on your favourite player:

In this Ideas that Grow Podcast, Murray King, 2003 Nuffield Scholar and Rural Leaders Board Board member, talks to Bryan Gibson Managing Editor at Farmers Weekly, and shares his journey from horticulture and the 1980s agricultural downturn, through farm management consultancy in South Canterbury, to running the family farm in Nelson and chairing organisations including LIC.

Now on the selection side of the table two decades after his own scholarship, Murray reflects on what 75 years of Nuffield has meant for New Zealand agribusiness, why stepping away from your business is the point rather than the cost, and the advice he offers anyone weighing it up: the busiest people are the ones who can least afford not to apply.

Episode Transcript

Ideas That Grow is presented in association with Farmers Weekly. Welcome to Ideas That Grow, the Rural Leaders podcast. I’m your host, Bryan Gibson, Managing Editor of the Farmers Weekly. This week we’re focusing on the Nuffield programme, which is open for applications very soon.

Our guest this week is Murray King, a Nuffield Scholar and a current member of the Rural Leaders board. G’day Murray, how are you?

Murray King, Nuffield Scholar (2003), Rural Leaders Board Member.
Good morning, Bryan. I’m well, thank you. When you say former Nuffield Scholar, I’d just correct that — once you’re a Nuffield Scholar, you’re a scholar for life.

BG: It is true. Yeah, such a great group of alumni involved in the programme. That’s kind of part of its appeal, isn’t it?

MK: It really is a prestigious award and one which I’m greatly honoured to have received. And certainly it might sound a bit trite, but it is a life-changing experience.

BG: A lot of our listeners involved in New Zealand’s food and fibre sector will probably know a little bit about you because you’ve been at the top of a number of different organisations, co-ops and companies. Can we just touch a little bit on your career and how you got to where you are now? Have you always been in the farming world?

From horticulture through the 1980s downturn.

MK: No, I haven’t always been in the farming world, although I grew up on a dairy farm and have migrated back here after many, many years. I did a number of other things over the years. Started out in horticulture actually, and then went through the dark days of the 1980s and ’90s when agriculture was seen as the sunset industry. I was at Lincoln College at the time, now Lincoln University. It was a pretty trying time. Basically halfway through, there were no jobs for graduates. So it was a slow process after that. And I guess of my cohort at the time, there’s only really a couple of us that are actually farming today. Most of that generation that went through at that time left the industry for various reasons.

BG: So how did you manage to make your way through?

MK: I was fortunate enough to be employed as a private farm management consultant in a small firm in South Canterbury in the late ’80s. That was at the tail end of Rural Bank discounting and what have you, when farmers were facing significant interest costs. And our job was to either help them get out of business or help them stay in business. So it was quite a demanding and difficult time, especially for a relatively young graduate. After a couple of years of doing that, I realised this was a pretty tough gig and decided I’d take off overseas and see the world.

Why apply for Nuffield?

BG: You applied for, and were accepted into, the Nuffield Scholarship programme for the 2003 year. What made you want to pursue it?

MK: I’m a reasonably curious and nosy person and easily bored. I’d been overseas for a number of years, came back to Nelson to the home farm, and the manager that we had at the time, after a number of years, decided he wanted to do something else. So I said I would look after the farm for the family until they found somebody else. I ended up running the family business for a number of years and just really wanted to do more, wanted to learn more.

I’d read the book, Jim Collins’ Good to Great, which is a fantastic business book. One of the key learnings in there is a thing called sharpen the saw. And I firmly believe that you’ve got to keep investing in your own personal development and looking for new things. I’d been fortunate enough to have done the Kellogg programme 3 or 4 years prior, so had a little bit of a taste, and had always been aware of Nuffield. Never thought that I would be suitable for it, but as usually happens in these situations, someone gives you a nudge — and that’s what happened. Someone said, “you should put your hand up and I’ll support you.” And that was the catalyst that was required. So the rest is history.

The history of Nuffield Scholarships.

BG: And of course, the Nuffield programme sees you head off around the world to see how the farming world works in other places. How was that for you?

MK: Really good. Not easy, I might add. And maybe it’d be useful just to give a little bit of insight into the history of Nuffield. We’ve just celebrated our 75th anniversary here in New Zealand. So 75 years of scholars, and we will this year likely award our 200th scholarship.

It goes back to the 1950s when a chap called William Morris, who later was awarded a lordship and became Lord Nuffield. William Morris was a bicycle repairman who turned into a very successful industrialist, and he was the founder of the Morris Motor Vehicle Company and Nuffield Tractors and such like. He early on learnt that by travelling the world and looking at what was happening in other parts of the world, you could learn a lot. This is post-war, and obviously food security was a big thing. So he established two things. One was the Nuffield Nursing Awards and Scholarships, where they set up nursing homes for convalescence of returned servicemen and the like. The other part was the farming component, which was the Nuffield Farming Scholarships originally in the UK. New Zealand’s had Nuffield Scholars since 1950, and as I say, 197 to date.

When you look through some of the names, you soon see people who have been very influential in New Zealand agribusiness over the years at all levels and in their own communities. So I guess it was just an opportunity to travel the world and see what’s actually happening over there and bring those ideas back, for the benefit of New Zealand agribusiness.

Staffing solutions for primary industries.

BG: And your research project focused on how to manage teams and deal with the constant rate of change and still stay successful.

MK: That’s right. I was looking at staffing solutions for New Zealand’s primary industries. We were faced at the time with really low unemployment and struggled to attract the right sort of talent onto farms and into agribusinesses, and thought, well, this would be a worthy topic. As usually happens, once you get outside and start looking back, you start finding all sorts of other interesting things to study as well. So that’s exactly what happened. And I might add, there’s no real easy solutions out there — it’s a common problem around the world. That’s the other thing that you really do learn and appreciate: whilst farming systems might be different all around the world, farmers all share very similar or the same problems, whether it be access to markets, labour, environmental challenges, regulation, and the like.

BG: And of course, the recruitment and retention of good people into the sector is still a problem in farming today. It’s sort of ongoing.

MK: Yeah, sure. And that people management component is really critical. When you see significant businesses and wonder how they do it, and you see people who you think are exceptional at people management, they’re the first to admit that actually they don’t always get it right either.

Understanding what motivates people.

BG: In terms of that management of teams, often people seem to look at the pay, the hours, and that sort of thing, and kind of think that you’ve got those bare bones in place, you’ve done your job. But of course, it’s about relationships, it’s about ongoing training and giving someone a sense of place to a certain extent.

MK: Absolutely. One of the critical things I see is that the first thing you need to understand is your own leadership style. But secondly, and more importantly, is understanding what it is that pushes people’s buttons, what motivates them, what are the things that they really want? Because often it’s not about pay. It could be any of a number of different things. It could be about more training, it could be about more flexible working conditions, it could be good working conditions, it could be about advancement within the organisation. So until you actually understand what people are looking for, it’s very hard to address what they really need.

BG: Because at the end of the day, while in frank business terms a person is a resource in some sense, they’re more than that. They’re not just something to use and discard — you’re setting them up for the rest of their lives as well, and that carries something, doesn’t it?

MK: It sure does. It’s really important to grow those people as you grow your own business as well. You can’t do it by yourself. One of the things you learn and see in the Nuffield experience is the exposure to agribusiness at scale, particularly in places like Brazil, the US, Australia. By comparison, we are relatively small, and the bigger those businesses get, the more people you need.

Confidence, connections, and leadership roles.

BG: You’ve gone on to hold some pretty big positions yourself in the New Zealand food and fibre sector. You’re chair of LIC, and you were director and chair of Waimea Irrigators Limited, among various other roles. The Nuffield experience would have given you the tools to navigate those?

MK: Yes, it sure does. One of the things that Nuffield does is it gives you confidence — confidence and connections. And I think they’re both really useful, especially when you need to have perspective as to what’s happening in the greater landscape, particularly internationally.

So with the likes of LIC, it was really useful to understand what’s happening in genetics globally. With respect to the likes of Waimea Irrigators, that was really interesting. One of the key insights I had from Nuffield was the exposure to the influence of water and water storage and what it does to transform agriculture. And it is really a lost opportunity in New Zealand if we don’t exploit it more.

We are one of the most water-abundant nations in the world — I think we’re second, actually. So that was a key highlight from my studies and my travels: just seeing the influence and the power of water.

An “aha” moment in the Idaho desert.

BG: While harnessing that resource better is obviously vital to the food and fibre sector, it’s still sometimes a fraught conversation we have nationally about water storage and that sort of thing. So you need a fair bit of experience and conviction to navigate all of that.

MK: Yes, you do. One of the learnings for me — and there was a key aha moment, I guess, in my travels — was on a Sunday afternoon driving along through the high desert in Idaho. If you can picture it, it’s just like the Wild West with tumbleweeds and things blowing across the road. And then all of a sudden we came across a centre pivot irrigator in a field of potatoes — probably, I don’t know, a couple of hundred hectares of potatoes. I just looked at it and thought, this is amazing. This is the middle of the desert and they’re growing this crop of healthy potatoes. And all it was about was sunshine and water. And I thought, man, that just shows you the power of those two resources. If you put them together carefully, just shows you what you can do.

That really was a key learning for me and one which I still remember. Our whole farming business has actually been built around that insight, and that is about managing to control the controllables. Farming is so diametrically opposed to making money in many ways. There are so many forces which you have no control over, whether it be the markets, the exchange rate, interest rates, regulation, weather. But one part of weather you can control is the application of water. So that’s what our business has since been founded on.

Why Nuffield still matters.

BG: You still are involved with the Rural Leaders organisation on the board of trustees. Nuffield is still the hero programme for Rural Leaders, and it still seems to attract the best and brightest and still be really relevant in today’s farming world.

MK: Yes, Nuffield certainly is the flagship for Rural Leaders — not taking away from the other programmes, but it is the ultimate challenge for people and the one that carries the most prestige. We give it that prestige as well by the size of the scholarship and the limited number of scholars which we select every year.

Compared to some of the other countries, we only usually award somewhere between 2 and 5 scholarships a year, whereas Australia and the UK, for example, are in excess of 20. We like to think of it as quality over quantity, so we are reasonably selective. But it’s one of the highlights of my year actually going through those 2 days of interviews because you get exposed to some really good people, and it gives you real hope for the future. These are people who are keen to learn, keen to contribute, and I’m sure they’ll keep popping up over the years.

Doors, networks, and credibility.

BG: Having the benefit of hindsight — you went through the programme earlier this century, you’ve gone on to some amazing leadership roles — having the Nuffield Scholarship in the back pocket is part of the reason for your success?

MK: It’s hard to know, but certainly it should not be understated that it does open doors. Nuffield gets you into places you would never get otherwise, particularly overseas. If you can show your credentials as a Nuffield Scholar, particularly in Europe and the UK, people understand what it is. Places like the States, you just have to say that you’ve been awarded a scholarship and they say, “wow, well done. What can I do for you?” So it does certainly open doors and expose you to some really interesting people who are only too pleased to share their experiences and how they run their businesses. They’re often the best and brightest around, really resourceful and successful people, which is great.

That network grows over time. Nuffield has the largest independent network of farmers globally, so you develop friendships with people all over the place from different backgrounds and doing some really amazing things. What’s been quite cool is, in our case, our kids have even ended up working for some of those people in foreign countries, which has been great. Back at home, of course, it’s well recognised and certainly helps with your CV. I think it adds some credibility when it comes to dealing with banks and such like. It certainly helped us to grow our business.

“You probably can’t afford not to do it.”

BG: And just lastly — you mentioned earlier that when you were thinking about Nuffield, you wondered whether you were the right sort of person for it. I guess a lot of people might think that. What would your advice to anyone having those same thoughts be?

MK: The first thing that people say is, “I’m not up to it,” or “I’m too busy.” And most people who are successful are too busy and say, “look, I can’t afford the time. I can’t afford to be away.” I would turn around and say, “you probably can’t afford not to do it.”

To put it into perspective, I travelled in 2003. It was at the time of the Iraq War, as it happened. I left Sarah, my wife, at home with a 2-year-old and pregnant and shot away for 24 weeks continuous. You talk to people about that now and they think, “Really? How did you get away with that?” Gratefully Sarah was supportive. But in earlier years, it was nothing for the original scholars to go on a boat to the UK and be away for a significant amount of time. I think that’s one of the things which Lord Nuffield really encouraged — the fact that you got away from your business. You couldn’t be hands-on, you couldn’t interfere, and you had to learn that it could survive without you. So that was one of the key things that Nuffield does: it makes you get out of your comfort zone, get out of your daily grind.

I would highly encourage anybody, no matter how busy you are. The doors that it opens, the opportunities, and just the learnings that you gain by looking back at New Zealand from the other side is really insightful.

BG: Excellent. Thanks, Murray.

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

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

Here are just a few of the media pieces covering the impact of Rural Leaders’ Programme Alumni in industries and communities across the sector.

Tracy Brown

Tracy Brown (2020 Nuffield).
Tracy wrote an article for DairyNews recently. It discussed the rising input costs, feed, fuel and fertiliser, faced by dairy farmers. The article discussed ways farmers manage risks; through pasture efficiency, spending and planning.

You can read more here.

Geoff Crawford

Geoff Crawford (Kellogg 2025).
Geoff featured in a Beef Country article (pages 52-53) last Alumni in the Spotlight. This month his Kellogg research report has received more coverage, this time in Farmers Weekly. In an article titled ‘Processors urged to account for guts and glands’, that delves into the valuable non-prime parts of a carcass, or ‘fifth quarter’.

Take a read of the article here.

Another Farmers Weekly article covered Geoff and Jo Crawford’s efforts to deal with flooding on their Northland dairy farms.

You can read more here.

Hinehou Timutimu

Hinehou Timutimu (Kellogg 2026).
Hinehou Timutimu has been named the 2026 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year, recognised for her down-to-earth leadership and impact in dairy and Māori agribusiness.

Hinehou blends cultural knowledge with science, champions sustainability, and supports communities. Her work, values, and global perspective are helping shape a more resilient future for farming.

Amber Carpenter

Amber Carpenter (2019 Kellogg).
Amber is the owner of digital marketing company Grass Roots Media and recently featured in a Farmers Weekly article covering social media’s importance in bridging the gap between farmers and the public, building transparency and trust.

Read more here.

Andrew Watters

Andrew Watters (2004 Nuffield).
MyFarm founder Andrew Watters featured in an article on shifting land use recently. He says, “If you think about New Zealand’s land use history, forestry planting is really just one part of it and we are only now back to the forest plantings we had almost 20 years ago.”

You can read more here.

Natasha Cave

Natasha Cave (2025 Kellogg).
Natasha’s Kellogg research report on wearables for hill country farming was featured in a recent article. In the article Natasha said that intensive rotational grazing of hill country with wearables delivers a shift in the performance and sustainability of hill country farming.

Read more here.

Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins (2023 Kellogg).
Richard (Federated Farmers meat and wool chair) spoke to Farmers Weekly about something we’re all noticing – the rising number of feral deer across the motu. The Department of Conservation (DOC) estimates the feral deer population is growing at about 30% a year, far outstripping current control efforts.

You can read more here.

2026 HortNZ Leadership Programme.

Our horticulture sector is experiencing rapid growth. The 2026 Horticulture New Zealand Leadership Programme helps prepare you, or your employee, to capture the opportunities and to address the challenges this growth creates.

The programme is delivered by Rural Leaders in two phases over nine weeks:

Phase One 10 – 14 August (Auckland)
Phase Two 21 – 23 October (Wellington)

The programme is designed for potential and current leaders in the fruit and vegetable industry. They will primarily be growers, their team members, or from organisations aligned with growing.

It is open to those who have demonstrated leadership or leadership potential and a willingness to take on responsibility.

The Horticulture New Zealand Leadership Programme gives you:

increased confidence to take the lead and influence into the future
a greater understanding of leadership
‘ready to use’ leadership skills, such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking and problem solving
a wider perspective and understanding of how to address industry issues – now and in the future
an awareness of strategy, and how to use it
self-knowledge and your own personal plan
the opportunity to network and develop relationships with other emerging and current influential leaders

Horticulture New Zealand is offering 12 scholarships. These scholarships cover all programme fees and accommodation costs.

There are also up to four positions available for a programme fee of $5,000 +GST plus accommodation.

Applications for the 2026 programme will close midnight, 28 June.

18 Ag-Hort teachers complete leadership programme.

Over two inspiring days, the Agri Educators Leadership Programme brought together 18 passionate teachers from across Aotearoa.

New Zealand’s agricultural and horticultural industries have long depended on a strong pipeline of young people entering the workforce. Increasingly, that pipeline begins not on farm, but in the classroom. And right now, the teachers responsible for sparking that interest are being asked to do far more than teach.

Across the country, Agricultural Science and Horticulture teachers are navigating curriculum uncertainty, rising student demand, and a shortage of specialist colleagues. At the same time, they are working to shift outdated perceptions of the sector and keep pace with rapid change in sustainability, environmental management, climate change, and agri-technology. It is a complex brief, one that now requires leadership as much as teaching skill.

From a curriculum perspective, uncertainty continues to shape delivery. Ongoing debate about whether agricultural and horticultural science sits best as an academic discipline, vocational pathway, or hybrid model has created instability in programme design and long-term planning.

Despite strong industry demand for skilled graduates, only a small proportion of secondary students nationally currently take agricultural subjects, with access particularly limited in urban schools.

Workforce constraints add further pressure. A shortage of qualified specialist teachers means programmes often rely on a small group of experienced educators, while non-specialists are increasingly asked to step into unfamiliar content areas. This creates uneven delivery and places additional strain on those leading programmes.

In response, the Horticulture and Agriculture Teachers Association (HATA) has launched the Agriculture Educators Leadership Programme, designed and facilitated by Lynsey Stratford (Primary People and 2021 Nuffield Scholar) and delivered by the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust (Rural Leaders).

The programme brought together 18 teachers from across New Zealand, each identified as having the potential to strengthen not only their own programmes, but the wider direction of agri-education.

For rural producers and agribusiness leaders, this matters. These educators strongly influence how the next generation perceives the primary sector, its relevance, its science base, and its career opportunities.

The programme focused on building practical leadership capability. Participants developed a personal leadership plan, explored behavioural preferences, and learned how to improve communication, influence, and decision-making. A strong emphasis was placed on self-awareness and how leadership style impacts others in real-world settings.

Kate Redpath, Agriculture Science Teacher at Stratford High School in Taranaki, highlighted the practical value of tools for both workload and communication:

“The Eisenhower Matrix around time management and identifying which task needs to be completed in the moment and which can be done later in order to reduce pressure. DISC profiles and understanding the ways that different communication styles can have an impact on the way that you like or dislike different communication styles, being open to these and considering how you can adjust yours to meet the needs of other people.”

In school environments, where teachers move constantly between curriculum leadership, student engagement, and external partnerships, this adaptability is critical.

Redpath also pointed to a broader leadership insight:

“I really enjoyed the talk from Hamish Marr, the previous Special Agricultural Trade Envoy, around how a lot of things around the world are done in similar ways, it is the scale and location that differs. I think this can be applied to education and agriculture in the sense that we all have different resources, challenges and environments, but we can achieve the same outcomes, we just need to do it in slightly different ways.”

For many participants, the most powerful outcome has been connection. Isaac Lovatt, Biology, Science and AgHort Teacher at Bay of Islands College, described the impact of working alongside peers nationwide:

“The value of collective engagement and connections with other passionate Ag Educators … sharing and getting inspiration and ideas from different regions from right across the country. This gives energy and motivation to keep doing what we are doing.”

He was equally clear on the value of the programme itself, and would encourage others in the profession:

“Definitely go for it! The value of learning more about yourself and your own leadership tendencies is super valuable for growth and team development. But more importantly, doing it with like-minded Ag teachers from different locationsand contexts is inspiring.”

That sense of professional connection is echoed by Kirsten McIntyre, Agriculture Science and Agribusiness Teacher at Blue Mountain College in Otago:

“The Disc Personality test showed my strengths and weakness as a person and how best to use the knowledge of personality to get the best out of your team.”

For McIntyre, the biggest takeaway was the strength of the national network:

“There are some amazing agriculture teachers around New Zealand and it was cool to connect with them and learn from what they are doing.”

For HATA, the intent is clear. Building leadership capability among educators is essential if teachers are to lead curriculum development, support non-specialist colleagues, form strong industry partnerships, and advocate effectively within schools.

In turn, this helps lift programme quality, reduce isolation, and strengthen student pathways into the primary sector.

At a time when agriculture is facing workforce shortages, increasing complexity, and rapid change, the Agriculture Educators Leadership Programme represents a targeted investment in one of the sector’s most influential leverage points, the educators shaping perception long before students ever reach the farm gate.

Because ultimately, the future of New Zealand agriculture is not only grown in paddocks and orchards, but in the classroom, where it begins.

Dani Darke, Jon Pemberton, Lisa Portas and Alan McDermott – 2025 Nuffield reports.

(Image. Left to right: Dani Darke, Jon Pemberton, Lisa Portas, Alan McDermott).

Rural Leaders is pleased to share the 2025 Nuffield Scholars’ Individual Research Reports.

The 2025 Scholars: Dani Darke, Lisa Portas, Jon Pemberton and Alan McDermott* have undertaken research on a diverse range of topics, each addressing significant challenges and opportunities in Food and Fibre.

Take a read of the reports and their summaries here.

Individual topics covered are as follows:

Dani Darke: Dani’s report ‘Rethinking Beef: Evolving to a Market-Led, Sustainable and Scalable Beef Industry in New Zealand’, makes the case that NZ’s beef profitability depends on strategic segmentation, not chasing premium chilled markets.

Go to Dani’s Nuffield report.

Jon Pemberton: Jon’s report ‘Reputation versus Reality in NZ: Searching for our North Star’, argues that New Zealand’s freshwater crisis is not a science or technology problem but an institutional one.

Go to Jon’s Nuffield report.

Lisa Portas: Lisa’s report ‘Strong Wool, Stronger Returns’, examines why New Zealand’s strong-wool sector struggles to capture value despite producing a sustainable fibre.

Go to Lisa’s Nuffield report.

Alan McDermott* Alan’s report, ‘Melting the Poles: Health and Wealth Through Food’, will be available later this year. His report will look at how we can act to transform our food system to address environmental, health and inequity outcomes, while ensuring thriving farmer livelihoods.

*Alan’s report will be available after his Nuffield travel is complete later this year.

We’d like to acknowledge those who have contributed their time and experience to the Scholars, especially our investing, programme, professional, media, and academic partners.

Strategic Partners

DairyNZ, AGMARDT (The Agricultural and Marketing Research and Development Trust), FMG (Farmers Mutual Group), Mackenzie Charitable Foundation

Programme Partners

Rabobank New Zealand, Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Foundation for Arable Research (FAR), Horticulture New Zealand, Zespri International, Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC)

Professional and Media Partners

PwC New Zealand, Federated Farmers, Tavendale + Partners

Primary Purpose, CountryWide Media, Agri HQ Farmers Weekly

Academic and Regional Partners

Lincoln University (NZ), Massey University – Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, Whangarei Agricultural and Pastoral, Whanganui & Partners

—

The 2027 Nuffield Scholarships
Applications for the 2027 Nuffield Scholarships open soon. If you know talented individuals you think could make an impact in our primary industries, let us know on our short form (it can be anonymous if you wish).

Head here https://ruralleaders.co.nz/nuffield-scholarship-referrals/

We’ll reach out to them and let them know there are people in their network who think they have what it takes to be a Nuffield Scholar.

Innovating for our fast-changing value chains.

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

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Develop horticulture-specific leadership knowledge and skills.

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2027 Applications

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

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James Allen

Corrigan Sowman

Kate Scott

Charles Yule

Luke Doyle

Parmindar Singh

Clare Bradley

Sonja Vreugdenhil

So, what is a value chain, really?

Three ways value is created

Seeing the whole chain, not just our own parts

Leadership is alignment

A challenge for every producer and leader

Do you know how your value chain creates value, captures value, and returns it to you?

Episode Transcript

Clare Bradley

Simon Cook

Matt Iremonger

Lisa Portas

Tracy Brown

Julia Hardwick-Smith

Jen Corkran

Richard Dawkins

James Parsons

Di Roadley

Luke Doyle

Mat & Jana Hocken

Jenna Smith

Sophie Henderson

2026 Kellogg Graduates

Episode Transcript

“The timing for me was perfect, in that I’d done a lot of industry stuff by that point. I had a few connections and a reasonable understanding of the bigger picture. But look, to go into Kellogg, it just really supercharged that foundation I had.”

“Something that really stood out for me is the amount of confidence that I got out of the programme. It just equips you with so many tools…You get that confidence when you are surrounded by such amazing people…”

“I can absolutely say without any word of a lie or doubt that it was the best leadership programme that I’ve ever done. The most complete and thorough. The quality of the information from the presenters that you’re exposed to is really world-class.”

“You walk in that room the first day and you get bad imposter syndrome. Being a scientist, I’m like, wow, there’s all these leaders…what am I doing here? But I think the beauty of Kellogg is not just the content and the speakers you get, but it is the cohort.”

“It was a fantastic programme. It’s well structured, it’s well organised…great speakers, great content, a peer group that you go through with. So, for me, it was a life-changing experience…”

“I think the big part of it is actually just the networking, the talking to industry leaders in the Chatham House rules sense, where you can get some real open discussions, where you don’t get that in the real world.”

“This is a structured programme that has given me access to things and people that I would never ever have had access to.”

Partners in Leadership.

Episode Transcript

Jon Pemberton

James Allen

Sandra Faulkner

Harriet Bremner and Ed Pinckney

Nick Pridgeon

Kate Tomlinson

Jim van der Poel

Tracy Brown

Roger Barton

Kylie Leonard

Rebecca Hyde

Phil Weir

Natasha Cave

Episode Transcript

Episode Transcript

Tracy Brown

Geoff Crawford

Hinehou Timutimu

Amber Carpenter

Andrew Watters

Natasha Cave