Advertise on podcast: RaboTalk – Growing our future

In the first episode of RaboTalk Growing our Future’s new Succession 2050 series, host Blake Holgate speaks with Ray Smith, Director General of the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), to explore his contribution to Rabobank’s Succession 2050 Gearing up for New Zealand’s food and agri future white paper. Drawing on his extensive experience leading major public sector departments alongside a family background in agriculture, Ray provides a strategic perspective on how New Zealand’s primary sector is entering a new era of sustainable productivity. Ray discusses how New Zealand producers can leverage their natural advantages to capture growing global demand for high-value protein and nature-positive products. He outlines how unlocking productivity, investing in regional water storage, adopting emerging precision technologies, and maintaining rigorous biosecurity and farm assurance schemes will secure the sector’s long-term global competitiveness out to 2050. Like what you’ve heard? Follow our podcast for more great content.

In this fifth episode of RaboTalk’s Growing Our Future Catchment Catch-Up series, host Blake Holgate speaks with Mark Chrystall, a northern Rangitikei sheep and beef farmer and founding member and current Vice Chairman of the Rangitikei Rivers Catchment Collective (RRCC). Mark shares how the collective formed in 2017 to tackle localised riverbank feed-lotting issues and evolved into an expansive, data-driven entity. Today, the RRCC coordinates 125 monthly water testing sites and manages projects spanning sub-catchments across the Rangitīkei, Turakina, and Whangaehu rivers. The conversation explores how catchment collectives can build regional trust, transition from raw water testing to advanced ecological indices, and address emerging environmental challenges. Mark highlights how spatial mapping, collaborative university research, and unified pest control projects help hill-country farmers take ownership of their landscapes, protect local freshwater quality, and build resilient rural communities. Like what you’ve heard? Follow our podcast for more great content. Show Notes: Empowering Farmers Through Local Water Testing Rather than relying solely on regional council monitoring, the RRCC established 125 monthly water testing sites across its sub-catchments. Testing for nitrogen, phosphorus, E. coli, and turbidity provides producers with transparent, localised data. Placing these real-time results directly in front of landowners creates instant buy-in and inspires peer-driven environmental improvement. Uncovering Environmental Context via Science In the Waikākahi tributary, monthly testing revealed phosphate levels nearly 20 times higher than expected. Rather than assuming agricultural runoff was the cause, the collective partnered with Massey University and Horizons Regional Council on a three-year PhD project. Geologic analysis revealed the elevated phosphate stemmed from natural rock formations rather than farming practices, illustrating the power of raw data over assumptions. Moving Beyond Single-Metric Water Testing The collective has expanded its environmental monitoring to include Macro-invertebrate Community Index (MCI) testing and habitat assessments across 80 sites. By training local coordinators to evaluate stream life, silting, and aquatic plants alongside regional council teams, the RRCC creates a complete, long-term picture of freshwater health across hill-country catchments. Transitioning from Farm Plans to Integrated Catchment Plans Building on individual Sustainable Land Use Initiative (SLUI) maps, the collective is aggregating farm data into comprehensive digital catchment plans. Layering spatial data for winter grazing, biodiversity, slope, and critical source areas allows the group to move past a scattered approach and direct environmental funding straight to high-priority hotspots. Targeting Hotspots with Infrastructure and Pest Control The RRCC actively tackles non-traditional environmental risks across the region. Projects range from fencing and planting native vegetation below gully wool-sheds to capture nutrient runoff, to launching a multi-regional thermal drone survey to map wild deer populations. Quantifying pest damage on winter forage crops allows the collective to design coordinated, landscape-scale control strategies. Final Advice: Understand Your Footprint and Stay Connected Mark encourages farmers and community leaders to proactively understand their environmental footprint rather than waiting for regulatory mandates. Keeping local sub-catchment groups active, sharing spatial data, and gathering at the local hall for a cup of tea or a sausage sizzle creates the social cohesion needed to navigate future land management challenges together.

This RaboTalk Growing our Future’s episode explores one of the biggest questions facing New Zealand agriculture: how farmers and growers can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while protecting profitability and long-term business resilience. Blake Holgate is joined by Lee Matheson, Managing Director at Perrin Ag and co-author of The Path to 2050 white paper, for a practical discussion on why Lee believes the sector cannot rely on future technology alone, and why he considers emissions planning needs to sit at the heart of farm strategy. In the podcast Lee talks about the importance of improving efficiency, understanding each farm’s emissions profile, making land-use decisions based on sound economics, and working collectively through peer groups, processors, industry bodies and policy settings. The Path to 2050 white paper can be accessed here. Like what you’ve heard? Follow our podcast for more great content. Show Notes Planning Beyond Technological Silver Bullets The white paper poses a critical question: what if a methane vaccine or bolus is delayed, cost-prohibitive, or rejected by global markets? While technology remains an important focus, sector strategy must address how farm systems can lower emissions through practical land management, structured risk allocation, and commercially viable business models. Capturing Value Through Efficient Management Farming more efficiently and productively reduces both emissions intensity and gross footprint. While improved management practice cannot achieve deep national reduction targets on its own, optimising farm inputs and identifying underperforming land areas provides an immediate, practical starting point that strengthens overall business resilience. The Necessity of Clear Market and Policy Signals Producers are not inherently resistant to change, but they require unambiguous signals to justify shifting established farm systems. Meaningful behaviour change relies on clear economic incentives from processing companies, aligned messaging across industry bodies, and supportive government policy that de-risks innovative land-use transitions. Overcoming Constraints on Alternative Land Uses Replacing traditional ruminant systems with alternative land uses is not as simple as drawing up a blueprint. Expanding novel crops or horticulture requires substantial capital, specialised processing infrastructure, established supply chains, and proven export demand. Land-use change must remain driven by underlying economics rather than top-down directives. Systemic Co-Benefits and Peer Collaboration Emissions reduction cannot occur in isolation from wider environmental challenges like water quality and biodiversity. Addressing freshwater management often yields direct emissions co-benefits. Furthermore, navigating these complex choices in local peer groups allows farmers to share data, evaluate risk, and accelerate practical adoption. Final Advice: Measure Your Profile and Start the Conversation Lee encourages every producer to begin by accurately calculating their farm's emissions profile and discussing the results with local peers. Treating emissions as a key 10 to 15 year strategic business risk ensures that future land use and capital investment decisions keep the business resilient, competitive, and well-positioned for shifting market expectations.

In this fourth episode, of RaboTalk Growing our Future’s Catchment Catch-Ups series Blake Holgate speaks with Paul Turner from Taranaki Catchment Communities about how farmer-led catchment groups are helping rural communities take practical, locally driven action on water quality, biodiversity and environmental resilience. Paul shares how 18 independent sub-catchment groups across Taranaki are working together to balance on-farm priorities with wider environmental goals, using tools such as 3D Lidar mapping to better understand water flow, identify risk areas and plan effective mitigations like riparian planting, wetlands and detention bunds. Like what you’ve heard? Follow our podcast for more great content. Show Notes: The Farmer-Led Umbrella Structure Formed five years ago to get ahead of complex water quality legislation, TCC acts as the governance and funding vehicle for 18 independent catchment groups. Paul emphasises that the entity remains strictly farmer-led, operating as a politically neutral conduit that translates council compliance rules into practical, stress-free options for the rural sector. Managing the Mountain-to-Sea Landscape Taranaki features a highly unique geography, with water flowing rapidly from the central maunga across the ring plain and out to the coast. This steep terrain creates short, high-altitude catchments. Rather than attempting a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach, TCC accommodates the distinct environmental profiles of local dairy, sheep, and beef producers. Slowing the Movement of On-Farm Water With intense weather events driving large, unpredictable volumes of rain across the region, creating permanent environmental mitigations is challenging. TCC focuses on training farmers to naturally slow water paths by utilising extended grass filter strips, deep riparian plantings, constructed wetlands, and strategically placed detention bunds that filter sediment and lower nutrient loadings. Unlocking Spatial Precision with 3D Lidar Through a collaborative project with the regional council and MPI, TCC has made detailed 3D Lidar contour mapping freely available to every landowner in Taranaki. This advanced remote sensing data highlights exact farm topography, ephemeral streams, flood zones, and critical source areas, putting producers well ahead of the freshwater farm planning game. Connecting Native Eco-Corridors Biodiversity projects achieve far higher community buy-in when they are tied to a collective regional narrative. Paul highlights the Pātea River Catchment Group’s massive landscape trapping network, which aims to bring native kiwi back to the local bush. By establishing green pathways alongside active weed and predator control, farmers are actively creating sustainable breeding grounds for vulnerable species like the Australasian bittern. Silos Broken Down Through Regional Integration Taranaki’s environmental success relies heavily on breaking down institutional silos. An active monthly integration group brings together rural support networks, regional council officers, and major dairy cooperatives to synchronise resources. This collaborative framework ensures training programs are shared efficiently, preventing community fatigue and maximising the return on investment. Final Advice: Capitalise on the Power of the Group Paul challenges farmers and growers to step out from their individual properties and actively join their local sub-catchment collective. Collective action is inherently empowering, providing isolated producers with shared access to plant funding, spatial data, and regulatory support. By working together within a unified catchment framework, communities can move past isolation, support their peers, and deliver visible environmental improvements across the entire landscape.

In this RaboTalk, Growing Our Future episode, Blake Holgate sits down with experienced governance leader, current AgriZeroNZ Chair, former Silver Fern Farms Chair and sixth-generation South Otago farmer Rob Hewett to discuss what resilient, future-focused farming looks like inside the farm gate. Drawing on his farming background alongside his senior executive roles at Shell and directorships across major agribusinesses, Rob shares practical insights on applying boardroom discipline to farm decision-making, matching land classes to their highest-value use, managing market and climate risk, and positioning New Zealand’s premium protein for discerning global consumers. Like what you’ve heard? Follow our podcast for more great content. Show Notes Applying Governance Principles to the Farm Floor Rob outlines how farm-level governance centres on systematic risk management. Whether evaluating weather cycles, interest rate movements, or debt structures, farmers constantly implement risk mitigation strategies. Moving toward a formal governance structure helps producers evaluate their balance sheet capacity, make deliberate capital allocation choices, and run their properties with boardroom discipline. Aligning Land Class with Highest Value Use Successful long-term planning requires assessing each land class across a property to determine its highest and best use. Rob shares his simple farm philosophy: setting up efficient paddock and lane layouts while establishing trees on country that is too steep for tractors. Balancing hill-country forestry, carbon, wind generation, and intensive livestock systems diversifies income and optimises overall land utility. Serving the Discerning Protein Consumer Rob highlights the stark efficiency gap between poultry and sheep production. A single hen can yield 400 kilograms of meat per year, whereas a high-performing ewe produces roughly 25 kilograms. Because New Zealand red meat cannot compete as a low-cost, high-volume commodity, producers must treat it as a premium product. Farm practices around emissions, animal welfare, and water quality must align directly with the expectations of high-end international consumers. Mitigating Climate Risk Through Integrated Feed Systems To build drought resilience and protect soil structure during wet southern winters, Rob implemented a fodder beet and Raphno forage system paired with a techno-finishing design. By moving small cattle mobs across rotational grazing wedges, the farm achieves high feed utilisation and finishes all cattle by 18 months. This eliminates the expense and land impact of carrying stock through a second winter. Unlocking Precision Productivity with Smart Tech Agri-tech provides substantial bottom-line gains when paired with clear operational goals. Rob highlights how utilising smart shepherd collaring systems on 7,000 ewes tracks individual mother-to-lamb relationships as accurately as a DNA test. By measuring actual lambing performance through to weaning, the farm achieved a 15% compounding growth rate between its elite and commercial flocks. Final Advice: The Process Drives Execution Rob shares a central governance rule for every business owner: the process of reaching an end result is just as important as the result itself. High-value strategies fail without total buy-in. To execute plans effectively, particularly during intergenerational farm succession, business leaders must actively communicate, listen to new ideas, and build genuine engagement with everyone involved.

In this third episode, of RaboTalk Growing our Future’s Catchment Catch-Ups series Blake Holgate speaks with Craig Simpson, Regional Manager at the Otago Catchment Community (OCC). Craig shares insights from his extensive background in water quality research and collaborative governance, reflecting on how the regional catchment movement has grown over the last twelve years. The conversation highlights how OCC supports 28 independent, farmer-led groups across Otago to navigate evolving regional water plans and shifting environmental priorities. Craig discusses the practical realities of managing long-term landscape changes, explaining why structural governance, community independence, and targeted coordinator support are essential for sustaining momentum and preventing volunteer burnout. Like what you’ve heard? Follow our podcast for more great content. Show notes: Collaborative Governance in Action Craig's entry into the sector began with masters research focused on managing water quality through collaborative governance, which led to his work with the New Zealand Landcare Trust. This background shapes OCC's mandate to act as an enabler for collective action, helping local communities identify shared environmental problems and design their own solutions. The Evolution of the Otago Movement The OCC movement grew out of annual networking forums designed to bring catchment leaders together to share ideas. By 2021, as groups sought more structured resources and direction, OCC formalised into a support organisation. Today, the collective assists 28 independent groups, offering technical training, strategic planning, and administrative funding. Shifting Water Plan Drivers Many of Otago's oldest catchment groups, including the Pomahaka initiative, originally formed twelve years ago to address strict discharge thresholds in the regional water plan. While those regulatory drivers have changed, the cumulative learning has led to massive shifts in land use practices, establishing thriving wetlands and planting projects that will benefit the landscape for decades. Managing the Ebb and Flow of Engagement Sustaining high enthusiasm indefinitely is unrealistic and often leads to volunteer burnout. Craig notes that it is completely healthy for catchment groups to experience cycles of high activity followed by quiet consolidation. The critical factor is keeping the core group structure and work plan alive so they are raring to go when new environmental or community drivers emerge. Overcoming Succession and Fatigue Challenges Catchment committees are frequently run by the same individuals who volunteer for local school boards or sports clubs. To manage this fatigue and ensure long-term succession, OCC focuses on ensuring groups maintain clear visions and action plans. Introducing independent coordinators to absorb administrative burdens has proven to be a game changer for maintaining continuity. Valuing Catchment Individuality Craig firmly believes that catchment groups cannot be treated as carbon copies of one another. Each community has unique geographic challenges, economic drivers, and social dynamics. Long-term success relies entirely on external organisations respecting and protecting the independence of these local groups rather than forcing a standardised template upon them. Final Advice: Plant the First Plant Craig uses a planting project analogy to encourage communities facing long-term environmental goals. While the upfront work of putting a plant in the ground is simple, the unglamorous, slow-brew maintenance is what ensures survival. Producers should not let the scale of a challenge prevent them from starting. If you never plant that first plant, you will never be able to look back in five years and see a thriving landscape.

In this episode of RaboTalk, Growing Our Future, Blake Holgate talks with Matt Highway, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Association of Resource Management (NZARM) who shares practical advice on managing environmental challenges without getting caught up in changing regulations. He explains why focusing on outcomes, tackling your biggest on-farm risks, and connecting with local catchment groups can deliver better results for both the environment and your bottom line. Like what you’ve heard? Follow our podcast for more great content. Show notes: In this episode, Blake speaks with Matt Highway, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Association of Resource Management (NZARM), to explore sector capability and strategic land management. With over 25 years of experience across regional councils, the dairy sector, and industry consultancy, Matt highlights how the profession has evolved from its early roots in soil conservation to a modern focus on integrated catchment management and neutral, nature-based business solutions. The conversation focuses on how land managers can navigate regulatory uncertainty by concentrating entirely on environmental outcomes rather than changing compliance policies. By identifying on-farm risks and leveraging collective community frameworks, Matt explains how farmers can utilise emerging technologies and localised networks to make pragmatic decisions that protect both their landscapes and their business profitability. Discussion Topics Building Sector Capability Established in 1953, NZARM has shifted its modern strategy away from political advocacy to focus completely on capability building and professional connection. Matt highlights their collaborative capability project, which features an online skill mapping database that allows land professionals, catchment coordinators, and organisations to track environmental skill sets and connect expertise across regions. Accessing Cheap Data over Silver Bullets While technological advancements like AI and weekly satellite passes provide massive, low-cost datasets, the primary challenge remains applying these tools practically on the ground. Matt warns against chasing silver bullets, explaining that popular edge of field widgets like constructive wetlands and detention bunds must be deployed selectively within the right landscape context to avoid major financial inefficiencies. A Structured Approach to Farm Risk When farmers look to step up their environmental performance, Matt advises them to treat the process like managing financial risk. Landowners should systematically evaluate which areas of their property are most vulnerable to flooding, drought, or critical source area runoff. Prioritising action means choosing the single biggest risk that can be mitigated for the lowest relative investment cost. Context-Driven Measuring and Monitoring Water quality testing is a slow brew that can take five years to deliver meaningful trends. Rather than taking on heavy individual monitoring costs, producers should ensure their farm plans align with their wider catchment context. If a downstream lake is driven by phosphorus, targeted investments on the farm floor should address that specific asset rather than tracking irrelevant metrics. Outcomes Over Policy Announcements Although environmental regulations have experienced significant political shifts, the fundamental goals of land management have not changed. Healthy soils, clean drinking water, and profitable businesses remain the constant baseline. By scenario testing strategies against these permanent objectives, farmers can insulate their operations against future policy cycles. The Power of Catchment Collectives Reflecting on regional networks, Matt notes that effective land management relies far more on community cohesion than on pure science. Regionally focused catchment collectives have grown into powerful, supportive entities that build vast local databases. These groups provide a safe space for peer learning, channel funding, and serve as a collective voice for isolated producers. Final Advice: Connect for a Higher Return Matt encourages farmers to look past technological widgets over the next twelve months and focus entirely on connecting with their local catchment group. Joining a collective offers a high return on investment by providing direct access to shared expertise, plant funding, and regulatory updates. Aligning with a community framework allows producers to target exciting, tangible goals, like restoring local native species, while naturally fulfilling their wider environmental obligations.

In this second episode of RaboTalk Growing our Future’s new Catchment Catch-Ups series, host Blake Holgate speaks with Alexis Wadworth a central Southland farmer and director for both Thriving Southland and Catchment Communities Aotearoa. Their conversation focuses on how the Makarewa Headwaters Catchment Group shifted from a baseline study of water quality to tackling a massive wild pest problem. Alexis shares the economic and environmental realities of managing over 7,500 wild deer and pigs across their 42,000 hectare catchment, demonstrating how robust, farmer-led data can open doors to funding, attracting expert advice and engaging government agencies. Like what you’ve heard? Follow our podcast for more great content. Show notes: The Makarewa Headwaters Origin Formed in 2019 during a period of intense regulatory pressure around winter grazing and water quality, the group began as a way for local farmers to band together and clear the muddy waters of compliance. Supported by Thriving Southland, their core objective has always been to leave a swimmable, drinkable waterway that future generations can be proud of. Overcoming the Administrative Burden Alexis highlights that asking busy, volunteer farmers to run community organisations is a major hurdle. Accessing dedicated support, like a catchment coordinator from Thriving Southland, is fundamental. It removes the administrative weight, allowing farmers to focus on strategic direction rather than getting bogged down in the day-to-day paperwork. The Shift to Pest Management While the group started with water quality science through their LUCI-Ag project, testing quickly revealed a surprising risk: the degradation of the native bush at the headwaters. In 2023, they launched a revival project to understand, control, and monitor the severe pressure caused by wild deer and pigs. The 2 Million Dollar Annual Cost A comprehensive survey combining farmer feedback, ecological assessments, and aerial thermal imaging revealed over 7,500 wild animals living in the surveyed area. Alexis notes the economic impact was calculated at over 2 million dollars annually due to destroyed winter crops, pasture rooting, weed tracking, and the fact that the pest population consumed enough feed to carry an additional 5,000 ewes. Exclusion Plots and Regina Generation To combat the snowballing pest numbers, landowners are working with commercial venison harvesters and opening gates to recreational hunters. To measure the exact impact of these efforts, the group is establishing 10 exclusion plots across varying forest canopies to see how quickly the forest floor can regenerate when all browsing pests are removed. The Power of Ground-Up Data Alexis admits that taking time to study and package a formal report went against the farming instinct to just get out and do the doing. However, having a polished, fact-based document has been an absolute game changer for unlocking funding, attracting expert advice, and engaging government agencies. Final Advice: Voice Your Hesitations Alexis encourages anyone sitting on the fence to get involved. If you have reservations about time or direction, those exact hesitations are what the group needs to hear to shape its focus. Progress is rarely linear when driven from the ground up, but the shared knowledge gained along the way is just as valuable as the end goal.

In this episode of RaboTalk Growing our Future episode, host Blake Holgate speaks with Suzie Greenhalgh, Project Lead for the Moving the Middle programme, a research project aimed at giving farmers the confidence to voluntarily improve their environmental performance on farms. Suzie discusses the findings from this multi-partner research project, which launched in 2020, to understand how to support the large group of farmers in the middle, who sit between the early adopters and those resistant to change. By analysing the complex network of pressures surrounding farmers, Suzie explains how industry bodies and policy makers can adjust their approach to support farmers and growers who want to make positive change but often feel constrained by competing pressures. Suzie challenges farmers to identify one positive environmental action they would not regret doing even if compliance rules changed tomorrow. Like what you’ve heard? Follow our podcast for more great content. Show Notes The Moving the Middle Concept The program aims to give the majority of farmers the confidence to voluntarily improve their environmental performance. Suzie explains that many producers want to make positive changes but feel disempowered by competing industry pressures. The research focuses on how to intervene in the surrounding system to give farmers the headspace needed to move forward. A Systems Approach to Change Launched during high regulatory uncertainty in 2020, the program covers four deep pressure points identified by farmers: policy interventions, debt and investment practices, trusted agents of change, and community narratives. An overarching systems piece ensures researchers capture how these distinct areas intersect to impact daily decision making. Moving Beyond Cookie-Cutter Extension New Zealand has a habit of over-relying on single extension models, like flooding the sector with demonstration field days when they become popular. Suzie emphasises that a practice that is simple for one farm system can be incredibly difficult for another. Extension must be tailored to a farmer’s specific context rather than assuming non-adoption is simply a lack of willingness. Insights from Māori Agribusiness The research highlights that Māori agribusiness cannot be treated as a single block. By mapping the distinct stages of the journey from emerging to thriving, the program identifies the exact resources needed at different times. Collaborative work on 100-year farm plans demonstrated how long-term thinking completely shifts short-term operational decisions. Shallow vs. Deep System Levers The sector naturally defaults to shallow system interventions, like tweaking an advisory tool, because they offer quick wins. However, transformational change happens deeper in the system. The program works with schools, next-generation change makers, and banks to develop deep levers, such as cheap loans for on-farm environmental trials. Shifting from Policy to Farmer-Led Action Looking ahead, Suzie envisions a sector where environmental progress is driven entirely by farmers rather than policy. For this to happen, technology providers and researchers must ensure new innovations actually fit existing farm systems, rather than blaming producers when uptake is slow. Final Advice: Make No-Regrets Decisions Suzie challenges farmers to step back from the daily operational noise and give themselves the luxury of long-term planning. To regain agency in an uncertain regulatory environment, producers should identify one positive environmental action that they would not regret doing even if compliance rules changed tomorrow. Starting with a single, secure choice is the best way to build lasting confidence.

In the first episode of RaboTalk Growing our Future’s new Catchment Catch-Ups series, host Blake Holgate sits down with Thriving Southland Project Lead, Richard Kyte to explore how farmer-led catchment groups are creating practical, locally driven solutions for some of the biggest challenges facing New Zealand farming today. From improving water quality and managing sediment, to building climate resilience and strengthening farm profitability, Richard shares why localised science, peer-to-peer learning and voluntary community action are so powerful. Featuring insights from New Zealand’s largest catchment collective, this episode is a valuable listen for farmers and growers wanting real-world ideas, optimism and inspiration from people making a difference on the ground. Like what you’ve heard? Follow our podcast for more great content. Show Notes: From the Lake District to Southland Collective Richard shares his background moving from mixed farming in the UK to the New Zealand dairy sector and his extension work with DairyNZ. Now leading Thriving Southland, he helps provide 37 independent catchment groups with the information and funding resources they need to own and drive their own environmental projects. The Power of Localised Science Generic environmental rules often miss the mark, so Thriving Southland focuses on sub-catchments. Richard explains how using radiometric data to understand specific soil and water dynamics helped one community identify mobile soils as the root cause of an E. coli issue, allowing them to precisely target their sediment management and maximise their return on investment. Integrating Water Quality and Climate Resilience While greenhouse gas emissions can feel like a harder sell on a day-to-day basis, Richard emphasises that climate resilience, farm profitability, and water quality are completely interlinked. Projects like Carbon Neutral Dipton allow sheep, beef, and dairy farmers to collaborate on emissions mitigations and land use optimisation without separate legislative mandates. The Extension Model and Peer Learning The historic success of New Zealand agriculture relies on farmers talking to farmers. Catchment groups foster this extension model, allowing early adopters to pave the way while others observe and catch up. This peer-to-peer approach builds genuine confidence and drives world leading change at a manageable pace. The Value of a Cheese Roll Building wide community engagement is less about rigid dictation and more about social connection. Richard notes that the real wins often happen over a cup of tea and a cheese roll, providing a vital social wellness forum for isolated farmers to realise they are not facing seasonal or regulatory challenges alone. Final Advice: Look Back to Move Forward Richard encourages any farmer curious about their local catchment group to simply put their head in the door without fear of a heavy commitment. True progress is voluntary and takes time. By reflecting on how far practices like winter grazing have transformed the Southland landscape over the last decade, farmers can find the optimism needed to face today's challenges.

With power prices and weather disruptions putting new pressure on farm operations, this RaboTalk Growing our Future episode explores practical ways New Zealand farmers and growers can build energy resilience while improving the bottom line. Blake Holgate is joined by EECA’s Chris McArthur to discuss what the Solar on Farms programme is seeing across demonstration farms nationwide, including how today’s solar stacks up on cost and performance. Like what you’ve heard? Follow our podcast for more great content. Show Notes: EECA and the Energy Transition Chris explains the role of EECA in promoting energy efficiency and renewables. Growing up on a sheep and beef farm, he has seen solar technology become cheaper and more powerful, making it a practical choice for modern agriculture. The organisation focuses on providing impartial information to help farmers make strategic decisions. The Solar on Farms Programme To provide producers with up-to-date data, EECA has established 37 demonstration farms across various sectors and regions. These farms monitor performance and share the unvarnished truth about the installation process, helping other growers understand the benefits and barriers without the typical marketing noise. Building Resilience with Batteries While solar saves money from day one, batteries provide critical resilience. Chris notes that a battery can prevent the chaos of power cuts during milking and highlights a 2025 Southland case study where a farm continued operating through major storms. While the upfront cost is higher, the ability to milk through an outage is a major risk mitigant. Sizing and System Costs Investment levels vary significantly based on farm type. Systems range from small 10,000 dollar setups for sheep and beef units to large 500,000 dollar investments for high-use dairy and irrigation sheds. The goal is to right-size the system to match on-farm usage, as exporting excess power to the grid often yields lower financial returns. Avoiding Common Pitfalls Farmers must consider dust management on panels, especially near unsealed roads, as it can significantly affect output. Another key consideration is the complexity of multiple electricity connections (ICPs). Chris recommends ensuring solar is installed on the meter with the highest load to maximise the return on investment. The Future: Electrification by 2035 Looking ahead, Chris predicts a major shift toward the electrification of farm vehicles and heavy machinery. This transition will reduce reliance on long, volatile supply chains for liquid fuels, replacing them with locally produced on-farm energy that is visualised and managed through smart apps. Final Advice: Start Saving Today Chris encourages farmers not to wait for the next big technological leap. Solar technology is already at a compelling price point, and as soon as a system is switched on, it begins paying for itself. The best time to start locking in energy costs and building operational resilience is now.

In this RaboTalk Growing our Future episode, host Katie Rodwell speaks with Sam Bridgman, Head of Sustainability at Pāmu, about how New Zealand’s largest farming corporate is making sustainability practical and profitable across 112 farms. Sam outlines the five key drivers shaping Pāmu’s approach and shares how strategy is being turned into on-farm action through tailored farm environment plans and regional sustainability support. In this episode, you’ll hear real examples of building income resilience through diversification and how Pāmu is mapping climate risks for every property out to 2050 and sharing these learnings with the wider sector. Like what you’ve heard? Follow our podcast for more great content. Show Notes: The Pāmu Mandate and Purpose As a state owned enterprise, Pāmu must be a successful business that is profitable, efficient, and socially responsible. Sam explains their purpose: leading the delivery of sustainable agricultural solutions for future generations across a diverse portfolio including sheep, beef, dairy, deer, forestry, and horticulture. Five Drivers of Sustainability Sam identifies the key buckets driving their work: Market Requirements: Meeting low emission and nature-based standards for international customers.Compliance: Meeting domestic policy and local regulatory requirements.Risk and Opportunity: Accessing cheaper capital and managing long-term climate risks.Environmental Stewardship: Prioritising pest control and biodiversity protection.Brand and Reputation: Maintaining social license within rural communities. Turning Strategy into Operational Action Pāmu uses a regional model where sustainability advisors work alongside farm teams to implement national goals locally. Every farm operates under a tailored farm environment plan, providing a consistent baseline for regulatory and market assurance. Diversification and Income Resilience Strategic land use changes, such as transitioning a Northland property from dairy to avocados and berries, help stabilise income. These decisions are based on long-term climate scenarios and the opportunity to participate in high-value, diversified markets. Climate Adaptation and Future Mapping Pāmu has developed climate outlooks for every property through to 2050. These reports identify vulnerabilities like drought or extreme rainfall. This data is being shared with the wider sector via MPI to help all New Zealand farmers prepare for increasing volatility. Collaboration and Research Trials Through the St Kilda Feed Efficiency site and partnerships with AgriZero, Pāmu tests methane genetics and new emission-reduction tools. This acts as a bridge between lab research and commercial reality, getting practical solutions into farmers' hands sooner. Future Trends: Nature as the Value Add Climate resilience is becoming essential for accessing capital and insurance. Sam believes that while carbon is now the baseline, nature-positive credentials offer the next big opportunity for New Zealand to differentiate its products globally. Final Advice: The Nature Opportunity Sam’s message is one of practical optimism: sustainability and efficiency go hand in hand. By focusing on climate resilience and nature-based data, farmers can turn environmental challenges into a competitive advantage. Carbon is the minimum standard, but proving our nature-positive impact is where the future value lies.

In this RaboTalk Growing our Future episode, host Katie Rodwell chats with Matt Lythe, Managing Director of Prism Earth, to discuss how geospatial technology – a combination of satellite imagery, spectral data and AI – is rapidly becoming a practical tool for New Zealand farms. This technology is moving beyond simple mapping, to measure and manage a farm’s “natural capital” like carbon, biodiversity and soil health. Matt shares what the latest data can reveal about pasture and soil stress, how farmers can meet new EU deforestation-free requirements to protect market access, and what climate projections to 2060 mean for shifting pasture growth and rising extreme-weather risk. Like what you’ve heard? Follow our podcast for more great content. Show Notes From navigating strict new EU deforestation rules to predicting how climate change will shift pasture growth by 2060, the conversation highlights how data-driven insights can turn environmental compliance into a competitive advantage. Matt offers a vision of a ‘mosaic landscape’, where technology empowers farmers to diversify their income streams and build long-term resilience against an increasingly volatile climate. From Antarctica to Agriculture: Matt Lythe’s Background Matt shares his unique journey from a ‘townie’ remote sensing scientist to a polar researcher in Antarctica, eventually applying his expertise to New Zealand’s primary sector. Through a partnership with Silver Fern Farms, his company Prism Earth now uses AI and satellite data to help farmers measure and manage their land's natural assets. Geospatial Tech 101 Geospatial technology (or GIS) is all about location. While the tech has been around since the 70s, it’s now everywhere thanks to cloud computing and mobile devices. For a farmer, it’s about understanding the spatial relationship between soil, productive land, waterways, and animals to optimise every hectare. The Satellite Revolution The last five years have seen a ‘sensor explosion’, with a proliferation of commercial satellites, we can now monitor farms with finer detail than ever before. This isn't just about photos; satellites use spectral data to measure leaf health, soil moisture stress, and even the texture of the pasture canopy. Mapping Natural Capital Matt discusses the patterns emerging across the New Zealand landscape: Carbon Stocks: Steep gullies on sheep and beef farms often hold significant carbon and biodiversity value.Biodiversity Opportunities: Flat, lowland areas like Canterbury have high potential for new canopy and indigenous vegetation.The Mosaic Landscape: Moving toward a farm layout that integrates shelter, shade, and soil stability through a mix of native and exotic trees. Climate Risks: Looking Toward 2060 The data shows significant shifts in seasonality. While warmer winters may boost early spring growth, summers are becoming drier and more drought-prone, particularly in the North and East. Matt warns that extreme events like Cyclone Gabrielle may become more frequent, requiring farmers to use data to build more resilient land-use strategies. Meeting Global Standards: The EU Connection With the EU demanding deforestation-free supply chains, geospatial tech has become a vital proof point. Matt explains how they use satellite data to verify that New Zealand beef hasn't been raised on deforested land, ensuring our products remain competitive in premium overseas markets. The Future: Live Maps and AI Agents The next decade will move toward live farm maps. Matt envisions a world where wearable tech (like Halter) and AI work together to move herds automatically based on real-time weather forecasts and pasture growth. This shifts the farmer’s role toward more strategic thinking and animal welfare. Final Advice: Embrace the Data Matt’s message is one of optimism: New Zealand farms are inherently nature positive. By using the data available - often for free through co-ops or agencies like NIWA - farmers can turn environmental reporting into a tool for diversification and long-term profit. Don't be scared of the tech; use it to prove your greatness.

In this episode of RaboTalk Growing our Future episode, host Katie Rodwell talks with Dr Victoria Hatton, CEO of FoodHQ, about why New Zealand’s food and fibre sector is still running on a 100-year-old “commodity operating system” despite our premium reputation, driving export growth through volume rather than value and leaving farmers exposed to competitors who can simply produce it cheaper. Victoria argues the real opportunity is playing the long game in premium markets by building what customers really want not just shipping what we produce, with fast-growing potential in functional foods and targeted nutrition as consumer needs shift toward “food as medicine” and nutrient-dense products. Like what you’ve heard? Follow our podcast for more great content. Show Notes In this episode, Katie speaks with Dr. Victoria Hatton, CEO of FoodHQ, in a deep dive into the ‘commodity versus premium’ debate currently facing New Zealand’s food and fibre sector. Victoria shares insights from her extensive career to explain why New Zealand remains stuck in a volume-driven operating system despite our world-class reputation. The Commodity Operating System A key tension exists: New Zealand is a premium country operating on a 100-year-old commodity system. Victoria argues that our recent export growth has come from added volume, not added value. As long as farmers remain price-takers feeding a bulk ingredient engine (like milk powder), we remain vulnerable to competitors who can simply produce it cheaper. The Long Game in Premium Markets Shifting to premium isn’t a quick fix; it requires ‘dogged determination’. Victoria cites Quality New Zealand in India as an example of a 10-year journey to build a market. She highlights the need for empathy for the customer - understanding exactly what they want rather than just shipping what we produce. Functional Foods and the Future Consumer The consumer of 2030 isn't just looking for "milk" or "meat." There is a massive opportunity in: Functional Foods: High-protein whey, amino acids for skincare, and "food as medicine."Targeted Nutrition: Serving an aging population or consumers on GLP-1 (weight-loss) medications who want smaller, highly nutrient-dense portions. Traceability: Data as Your Best Marketing Tool While measuring on-farm metrics can feel like a political burden, Victoria views it as the proof of provenance. Consistent, scientifically robust data is what allows New Zealand to tell a unified story at the trade table. It’s the difference between a "clean green" claim and a proven, high-value brand. Capturing Your Fair Share The conversation addresses the frustration that value isn't always returned to the farm gate. Victoria points to direct-to-consumer success stories like Hamish Best (beef and lamb) and Honest Wolf (wool) as examples of how producers can bypass processors to capture premium margins. The Risk of Staying Volume-Focused Relying on volume carries significant risks: Economic Vulnerability: Dependence on volatile commodity prices.Market Access: Global regulations are hardwiring sustainability into import rules.Social License: The risk of asking too much of our land and water for a low-margin return. Final Advice: Don’t Fear the Measure Victoria’s parting message to farmers is one of optimism: "Don’t be afraid to measure and record what you’re doing." Measurement is a cheap way to market your product, benchmark your greatness, and ensure the New Zealand story remains credible on the world stage.

In this episode of RaboTalk’s Growing Our Future, Katie talks with North Canterbury farmer Ben Ensor, chair of the Hurunui District Landcare Group, about how farmer‑led catchment groups are helping rural communities make environmental change with confidence. Drawing on a decade of hands‑on experience, Ben explains the role of Catchment Communities Aotearoa in connecting more than 200 catchment groups nationwide, sharing knowledge, and giving farmers a stronger collective voice. Like what you’ve heard? Follow our podcast for more great content. Show Notes: In this episode, Katie speaks with North Canterbury farmer, and chair of the Hurunui District Landcare Group, Ben Ensor, about the role of catchment groups and the work of Catchment Communities Aotearoa (CCA). Ben shares insights from his experience farming in Cheviot and his involvement in catchment groups over the past decade. The conversation explores how farmer-led collaboration is helping rural communities respond to environmental expectations, build confidence, and create meaningful change on the ground. Farming in North Canterbury Ben farms 1,400 hectares of hill country in Cheviot with his wife and daughter. Their sheep and beef operation runs Quarter-bred ewes and Angus cattle, with additional irrigated finishing land for livestock. While the farm is busy producing quality meat and livestock, Ben has also spent the past ten years heavily involved in catchment group initiatives that support environmental improvements and farmer collaboration. How Catchment Groups Began Ben’s involvement began with the Hurunui District Landcare Group, which formed around a decade ago in response to major regulatory changes affecting local farmers. Those changes highlighted the need for farmers to have a stronger voice in environmental discussions and policy decisions. Catchment groups provided a platform for farmers to share their stories, communicate the good work already happening on farms, and better understand their environmental impacts. Over time, similar groups formed across New Zealand, leading to the creation of Catchment Communities Aotearoa to represent them nationally. What Catchment Communities Aotearoa Does CCA acts as a national body connecting catchment groups and giving them a stronger collective voice. Today the organisation represents around 220 catchment groups covering approximately 12 million hectares across New Zealand. Rather than directing how individual groups operate, CCA focuses on supporting them through coordination, sharing resources, and helping connect communities facing similar challenges. This national platform also allows catchment groups to engage more effectively with government, regional councils, and other stakeholders. Supporting Farmers and Building Confidence One of the biggest impacts of catchment groups has been improving farmer confidence. Over recent years, farmers have faced increasing environmental regulation, social pressure, and uncertainty about what changes were required on their farms. Catchment groups bring communities together to better understand environmental expectations, explore solutions, and support each other through change. This collaborative approach helps farmers take practical action such as improving riparian management, planting, fencing waterways, or establishing wetlands. While environmental improvements like water quality take time to measure, Ben says the visible progress in on-farm actions and community engagement has already been significant. Looking Ahead for Catchment Groups Catchment groups have grown rapidly, but they are entering a new phase. Some government funding that helped establish groups during the COVID recovery period is reducing, meaning groups must adapt to operate with more sustainable funding models. Despite these challenges, Ben believes catchment groups remain in a strong position because they are built on community leadership. Their grassroots approach ensures solutions are locally relevant and widely supported. Key Takeaway For Ben, success in the coming years will mean catchment groups being recognised as trusted partners in environmental improvement. By empowering farmers and communities to work together, catchment groups have the potential to deliver lasting environmental progress while maintaining strong, resilient farming businesses.