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Hi there,
Welcome to this edition of the Rural Leader.
One of the biggest events that Rural Leaders has delivered since the Nuffield Triennial in 2023, wrapped up last week.
The Nuffield 2025 Contemporary Scholars Conference (CSC) saw 140+ global scholars from 17 countries, delegates, sponsors and speakers, spend nine days in Auckland, prior to scholars heading off on their scholarship journeys.
You can read more about the Nuffield CSC in this Rural Leader.
The NZ Rural Leadership Trust is looking for an Associate Trustee. These are the last few days to apply to join a team of experienced governance leaders. If you want to learn and grow in governance and you are a programme graduate from the last five years, apply today.
Kellogg Programme Two 2025 applications are open until 13 April. If you’re considering professional and leadership development this year, register your interest for this highly regarded leadership development programme.
In this month’s Ideas that Grow podcast, Phil Weir, a 2020 Nuffield Scholar and farmer, spoke to Bryan Gibson about the positive value that industry good brings to farmers, the challenges and opportunities for sheep and beef farming and Nuffield’s global perspective.
The 2026 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarship applications open in six weeks. We’re seeking interest from farming, growing and agribusiness leaders with a strong connection to the land.
Still with Nuffield, its Scholarships have a long and proud history. Its origins date back to 1950, making 2025 its 75th year. To mark this occasion, we’re holding an alumni dinner in Parliament, Wellington, Thursday 31 July.
The Leadership Development Project in partnership with Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence continues. We have news coming on an innovative new tool to help facilitate leadership development across food and fibre. Watch this space.
This work links neatly into the project impact stories shared at the two-day 2025 Food and Fibre CoVE Research and Insights Forum, held this week in Wellington. We share more from the Forum in this edition.
In Alumni in the Spotlight, we share news from Penny Timmer-Arends 2022 Kellogg Scholar, Murray King 2003 Nuffield Scholar, Mihi Harris 2021 Kellogg Scholar, and Alison Bentley 2023 Kellogg Scholar.
We also share News from our Partners, Industry News, and Leadership Opportunities.
The Team at Rural Leaders.
IDEAS THAT GROW PODCAST
Phil Weir on industry good, sheep and beef farming, and Nuffield
In this Ideas that Grow podcast, Phil Weir, 2020 Nuffield Scholar, Farmer, Farmer Director B+LNZ and Associate Director AGMARDT, talks to Bryan Gibson, Farmers Weekly, about the value that industry good brings to farmers, the challenges and opportunities for sheep and beef farming and how his Nuffield Scholarship and research has given him a global perspective.
Listen on your favourite podcast player:
Read full transcript: https://ruralleaders.co.nz/phil-weir-on-nuffields-global-perspective-sheep-and-beef-farming-and-industry-good/.
Read Phil's Nuffield report: https://ruralleaders.co.nz/restructuring-industry-good-for-the-future/.
The 2025 Nuffield Contemporary Scholars Conference
The Nuffield 2025 Contemporary Scholars Conference is one of the biggest events on the Nuffield calendar.
Organised and run by Rural Leaders and hosted by Rural Leaders and Nuffield International, it brought together 100 newly selected Nuffield Scholars from around the globe. It was an immersive experience with carefully curated activities, workshops, and speakers.
NZRLT governance opportunity – last days to apply
The Board of Trustees for the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust, responsible for governing Rural Leaders’ leadership development programmes, wishes to appoint an Associate Trustee.
The Associate Trustee role is open to Rural Leaders Alumni who completed their programme from 2019–2024, inclusive.
Kellogg Programme Two – three weeks to apply
From farmer to floriculturist and from forester to fisher, interest in Kellogg Programme Two has been steady. We’re excited, once again, about seeing a broad range of industries represented on June’s intake of this highly regarded leadership development programme.
To find out more about Kellogg, listen to Lisa Lunn, 2024 Kellogg Scholar, talk about her Kellogg experience (if you’re short on time, start listening around the 9-minute mark):
https://ruralleaders.co.nz/lisa-lunn-on-genetic-technologies-in-agriculture/.
If you’re a leader looking to transition from an operational to a strategic mindset, get your application in by 13 April at https://ruralleaders.co.nz/application-kellogg/.
1950-2025 Nuffield 75 Years Dinner
Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarships have a long and proud history. Its origins date back to 1950, making 2025 its 75th year.
We’ll be celebrating this remarkable Nuffield milestone with a 75th year dinner at Parliament in Wellington on Thursday, July 31.
More details will follow along with an invite soon. Until then we’d ask all Nuffield Alumni interested in attending to please save the 31 July date.
For any queries please contact Annie at anniechant@ruralleaders.co.nz.
In the meantime, alumni might enjoy this historical video of Nuffield’s founder Lord Nuffield, ‘the world’s greatest Philanthropist’, visiting Australia in 1937:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk5vrFMGQoo.
The 2025 Food and Fibre CoVE Research and Insights Forum
This week saw The 2025 Food and Fibre CoVE Research and Insights Forum run at Wharewaka in Wellington.
The two-day Forum showcased crucial projects delivered during the last year, projects that have helped address the challenges the sector faces in workforce talent, the pace of change in technology, and regulatory uncertainty.
Alumni in the Spotlight
In Alumni in the Spotlight we feature Rural Leaders’ Programme Alum who have recently been in the news.
Penny Timmer-Arends, 2022 Kellogg Scholar contributed to an article ‘Decoding rumination data’, for DairyNZ ‘Inside Dairy’.
Murray King, 2003 Nuffield and 2001 Kellogg Scholar helped bring water security to a region with the opening of the Waimea Community Dam.
Alison Bentley, 2023 Kellogg Scholar spoke to Radio New Zealand about the pivotal role small farms can play in addressing domestic food security and the environment.
If you have news about a new business venture, trip, award, or appointment you’d like to share with our audience, please get in touch with Matt Hampton, Marketing and Communications Manager at matthampton@ruralleaders.co.nz.
News from our partners
Rabobank - Improved sentiment among sheep and beef farmers
Improved sentiment among sheep and beef farmers has helped drive a third consecutive lift in New Zealand farmer confidence, the first Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey of the year has found.
Horticulture New Zealand – Water storage for the Heretaunga Plains
Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) has welcomed the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council entering of a full feasibility phase for a medium-sized 27-million-cubic-metre water storage facility at Whanawhana, aimed at supporting the region’s people, businesses, and environment.
Industry news
E Tipu - A sustainable and resilient future for food and fibre in NZ
E Tipu The New Zealand Future Food and Fibre Summit 2025 will be an opportunity to join a vibrant, immersive experience to help answer some of the most critical, sometimes uncomfortable questions about how we can grow together as a sector for the future.
Register here today: https://eventdynamics.eventsair.com/e-tipu-conference-2025/delegate-registration/Site/Register.
Farmers Weekly - Maybe it’s time to unpack ‘thriving’
“Thriving rural communities, is a line that does a lot of heavy lifting in almost every food and fibre mission or strategy statement these days,” Says Dan Eb, 2021 Nuffield Scholar.
Take a read of this thoughtful article by Dan in the latest Farmers Weekly ‘Eating the Elephant’ column: https://www.farmersweekly.co.nz/opinion/what-does-thriving-actually-mean/.
Leadership opportunities
Rural Leaders - Associate Trustee
The Board of Trustees for the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust, responsible for governing Rural Leaders’ leadership development programmes, wish to appoint an Associate Trustee. The Associate Trustee role is open to Rural Leaders Alumni who completed their programme between 2019 – 2024, inclusive.
Read more: https://ruralleaders.co.nz/nzrlt-governance-opportunity/.
Palliser Ridge - Agri Business Manager (South Wairarapa)
Palliser Ridge has both Sheep & Beef and Dairy farms totalling some 1,500 hectares of effective grazing. The role will cover management of both farms and possibly be expanded to cover the Expansion business, replacing both our Farm and Expansion Managers.
Read more: https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/jobs/agriculture-fishing-forestry/farming/listing/5224724658?bof=Ovt7RRuP.
Strategic partners:
Dairy NZ | AGMARDT | FMG | Mackenzie Charitable Foundation
Programme partners:
Ministry for Primary Industries | Farmlands | FAR | Horticulture New Zealand | Zespri | LIC | Rabobank | Beef+Lamb New Zealand
Academic partners:
Lincoln University | Massey University
Media and service partners:
AgriHQ | CountryWide Media | PwC | Federated Farmers | Tavendale and Partners
Regional partners:
Whanganui & Partners | Whangarei A&P Society
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