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Hi there,
Welcome to this edition of The Rural Leader.
First, congratulations to Hinehou Timutimu (pictured above), named the 2026 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year in Christchurch last Tuesday night. A current Kellogg Scholar, Hinehou stood out in a strong field alongside fellow finalists LeAnne Blakelock and Rachel Short.
Our 2025 Nuffield Scholar Reports are now available. Scholars Dani Darke, Lisa Portas, and Jon Pemberton have explored a range of topics tackling key challenges and opportunities across the food and fibre sector.
Looking ahead, applications for the 2027 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarships will open soon, with early applications encouraged.
In this month’s Ideas That Grow podcast, current Kellogg Scholar Kate Tomlinson speaks with Farmers Weekly Managing Editor Bryan Gibson. Kate, the 2026 Mackenzie Charitable Foundation Scholarship recipient, shares her journey from a UK farm to New Zealand and discusses her research into cultural diversity within Canterbury’s dairy workforce.
Applications for the HortNZ Leadership Programme are now open. Horticulture New Zealand is offering 12 scholarships covering programme fees and accommodation, along with up to four additional places available at a cost of $5,000 + GST.
The programme is designed for emerging and established leaders in the fruit and vegetable sector, particularly growers, their teams, and those working in aligned organisations.
The Agri Educator Leadership Programme was recently held at Lincoln University. Delivered in collaboration with Sow the Seed, the Horticulture and Agriculture Teachers Association (HATA), Primary People (Lynsey Stratford), and Rural Leaders, the programme focused on strengthening leadership capability in agricultural education.
In April’s Alumni in the Spotlight, we feature updates from Kellogg alumni including Amber Carpenter, Natasha Cave, Richard Dawkins and more, alongside news from Nuffield alumni Andrew Watters and Tracy Brown.
You can also catch up on the latest from our partners, industry developments, and upcoming leadership opportunities.
We hope you enjoy this edition of The Rural Leader.
The Team at Rural Leaders.
PODCAST
Kate Tomlinson: Data, Diversity and Dairy.
Kate Tomlinson, 2026 (current) Kellogg Scholar, Mackenzie Charitable Foundation Scholarship winner.
Kate blends practical farming with sustainability and data insights in her role with Map of Ag, and as a current Kellogg Programme participant, she is set to research cultural diversity in Canterbury’s dairy workforce.
In this podcast, Kate and Bryan Gibson, Managing Editor of Farmers Weekly, cover the importance of curiosity, a global perspective, and structured leadership development in shaping future rural leaders.
Listen on your favourite podcast player:
2025 Nuffield NZ Farming Scholarship reports.
Rural Leaders is pleased to share the 2025 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholars’ individual research reports.
Our four Scholars* have undertaken research on a diverse range of topics, each addressing a significant challenge or opportunity in our sector. The reports below and the insights they contain are their contribution to the sector.
You will find reports from Lisa Portas, Dani Darke, and Jon Pemberton, our 2025 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholars, by visiting their landing page.
*Alan McDermott’s report will be available later this year.
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 by reply.
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.
HortNZ Leadership Programme applications open soon.
Applications for the strongly contested HortNZ Leadership Programme Scholarships (and paid places) open soon.
Horticulture New Zealand is offering 12 scholarships covering programme fees and accommodation costs. There are also four positions available for a programme fee of $5,000 + GST plus accommodation.
The programme starts on 10 August 2026 in Auckland and is designed for current and emerging leaders in the fruit and vegetable industry and provides ‘ready-to-use’ leadership skills, such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and problem solving.
Take a read of our short introductory article or apply now.
Pilot delivers leadership development to 18 teachers.
The pilot ‘Agri Teachers Leadership Programme’ recently brought together 18 teachers from across New Zealand. Each participant was identified as having the potential to strengthen not only their own programmes, but also the wider direction of agri-education.
These educators strongly influence how the next generation perceives the primary sector, its relevance, its science base, and its career opportunities.
Alumni in the Spotlight
In this Alumni in the Spotlight, we hear news about Hinehou Timutimu who has just won the 2026 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
Andrew Watters, Tracy Brown, Amber Carpenter, Richard Dawkins, Natasha Cave and more alumni are also covered.
You can read this edition of Alumni in the Spotlight here.
Tracy Brown
(Nuffield 2020)
Tracy wrote an article for DairyNews recently. It discussed the rising costs of feed, fuel and fertiliser faced by dairy farmers. More...
Andrew Watters
(Nuffield 2004)
MyFarm founder Andrew Watters recently featured in an article on forestry planting and shifting land use. More...
Hinehou Timutimu
(Kellogg 2026)
Hinehou has been named the 2026 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year, recognised for her leadership and sector impact. More...
Natasha Cave
(Kellogg 2025)
Natasha’s Kellogg research report on wearables for hill country farming was featured in a recent article. More...
Geoff Crawford
(Kellogg 2025)
Geoff's Kellogg report on carcass "fifth quarter" value featured in Farmers Weekly, following Beef Country coverage. More...
Richard Dawkins
(Kellogg 2023)
Richard (Federated Farmers meat and wool chair) spoke to Farmers Weekly about the rising number of feral deer across the motu. More...
Amber Carpenter
(Kellogg 2019)
Amber is the owner of digital marketing company Grass Roots Media and recently featured in a Farmers Weekly article. More...
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
Adam Williamson appointed associate director
North Canterbury dairy farmer and 2025 Kellogg Scholar Adam Williamson has been appointed DairyNZ's associate director for 2026/27, joining the board in a non-voting governance development role beginning 1 June. More...
B+LNZ & MIA - 2026 election manifesto released
Beef + Lamb New Zealand and the Meat Industry Association released a joint nine-priority election manifesto covering market access, RMA reform, fuel security and protection from wholesale conversion to carbon farms. More...
Rabobank - April 2026 outlook flags fuel, fertiliser, and freight
Rabobank's April monthly report notes urea prices have risen around 50% in four weeks, diesel has jumped above $3/litre, and beef and sheepmeat farmgate prices remain resilient despite global uncertainty. More...
Horticulture New Zealand - Nominations open for 2026 Industry Awards
HortNZ has opened nominations across six award categories including the Bledisloe Cup, President's Trophy and Sustainable Innovation Award. Nominations close 15 June, with winners announced at the July conference. More...
MPI - December SOPI forecasts $62b food and fibre exports
The latest Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries report forecasts food and fibre export revenue rising 3% to a record $62 billion in the year to 30 June 2026. More...
Zespri - RubyRed Kiwifruit rolls out across US and Canada
Zespri has launched RubyRed Kiwifruit nationwide across the United States and Canada following a successful 2025 West Coast trial that doubled household penetration for red kiwifruit and added one million new households. More...
LIC - Indonesia distribution agreement signed
LIC has confirmed a distributor in Indonesia, establishing market entry and securing its first genetics sales into the country, expanding the co-operative's international footprint beyond existing offices. More...
Farmlands acquires Donaghys Agriculture
Farmlands has acquired Christchurch-headquartered Donaghys Agriculture, bringing the specialist's animal health and farm systems capability into its rural supply network while retaining local product development. More...
Lincoln + Massey Universities - WellMates wellbeing research published
A Lincoln–Massey research collaboration has published two peer-reviewed papers showing the WellMates programme effectively builds mental health skills among agricultural sector tertiary students through both face-to-face and online delivery. More...
Industry news
India–New Zealand FTA signed
India and New Zealand signed a Free Trade Agreement on 27 April in New Delhi. The deal targets US$5 billion bilateral trade within five years and includes a US$20 billion New Zealand investment commitment over 15 years, with dairy excluded from tariff concessions. More...
Rural school conveyance allowance lifted 30%
The Government has increased the rural school conveyance allowance by 30%, the first rise since 1985, in response to fuel price volatility caused by the Strait of Hormuz blockade. More...
Halter unveils virtual fencing satellite expansion
New Zealand agritech firm Halter announced a large-scale expansion of its virtual fencing system following major fundraising, plus a new direct-to-satellite technology solution for beef cattle smart collars. More...
Leadership Opportunities
Shape LIC from the farm gate
Nominations are open for LIC's Shareholder Reference Group - six farmer shareholders bringing on-farm insight to company decisions. Well-connected dairy farmers from all four regions are encouraged to apply by 4pm, Friday 19 June. More...
Strategic partners:
Dairy NZ | AGMARDT | FMG | Mackenzie Charitable Foundation
Programme partners:
Ministry for Primary Industries | Farmlands | Horticulture New Zealand | Zespri | LIC | Rabobank | Beef+Lamb New Zealand
Academic partners:
Lincoln University | Massey University
Media and professional partners:
Farmers Weekly | CountryWide Media | PwC | Federated Farmers | Tavendale and Partners
Regional partners:
Whanganui & Partners | Whangarei A&P Society
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