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Hi there,
Welcome to this edition of the Rural Leader.
In Ideas that Grow, Thomas Holmes, 2024 Kellogg Scholar and Mackenzie Charitable Foundation Scholarship winner discusses the future of arable in Canterbury with Bryan Gibson, Farmers Weekly Managing Editor.
If you are about to engage with your own or your team’s professional development planning, MyLead is the place to start. With over 20 programme partners, MyLead helps turn big-picture goals into actionable steps towards stronger leadership.
Recent addition to MyLead, The Tautoko Toolkit, consists of six modules that are people-centred and offer an ethical model that addresses the gap between Western leadership and Māori ways of leading.
Our ‘Speaker Directory’ on the Rural Leader's site, needs you. If you’re programme alumni and want to speak more on your specialist topic or areas of interest, we’d like to get you signed up.
The Kellogg Programme One 2026 (K55) application period is now just over half way through. Lock in your application and make 2026 a year of personal and professional growth. K55 starts 27 January and applications will close on 19 October.
Our current Kellogg cohort (K54) have just completed Phase Two in Wellington. Running five days, Phase Two offers an extraordinary level of access and insight into our political, environmental and regulatory context. K54 graduate in late November.
Two places are available on our next Engage Programme (24-26 September, 2025) at Lincoln. If you’d like to gain food and fibre knowledge fast, especially if you’re new to the sector, this programme is for you. Get in touch.
This issue of Alumni in the Spotlight features: Steve Sterne, Tracy Brown, Simon Cook, Phil Weir, and Shannon Harnett shares an article on her recent experience on completing a Mini-MBA in AI.
You can catch up on News from our Partners, Industry, and Leadership Opportunuties as well.
We hope you enjoy this issue of The Rural Leader.
The Team at Rural Leaders
Apply for Kellogg Programme One 2026.
If you aspire to understand your leadership style and how to better lead teams, to influence decision making, build your networks, and to take on more senior leadership roles in your community or industry – then consider Kellogg essential to your leadership development in 2026.
Take it from those who have graduated from this highly regarded programme by viewing some of the many testimonials on the Rural Leaders’ site, including three of this year’s graduates.
Here’s recent graduate, Jen Corkran.
“…I learned what it can look like to have positive influence in the primary sector, both as an individual and also as a leader.
I gained an understanding of what good leadership can look like. I also learned so much about effective communication, how to listen well, ask great questions, and how to get a point across.
You will be pushed outside of your comfort zone to a place where real growth happens… most importantly, you’ll make real connections for life… I really can’t recommend Kellogg enough.”
Kellogg Programme Two 2025: Phase two complete.
From Māori governance and land management to NGO’s and Advocacy, and from Question Time in Parliament to making a submission, Kellogg Phase Two is a five-day Wellington based deep-dive into the political, economic and environmental context.
One key component of Phase Two is the networking event. Held at PwC, these networking events are attended by food and fibre leaders, political figures and business owners from diverse parts of our Primary Industries. It’s a great space for scholars to explore their ideas and opinions on sector challenges and opportunities.
K54 will now complete Phase Three (and their research reports) in November to graduate.
To graduate with your Kellogg (and a Post Graduate Certificate in Commerce from Lincoln University) in 2026, apply for Kellogg Programme One 2026.
IDEAS THAT GROW PODCAST
Thomas Holmes - A Kellogg Scholar's insight into arable's future in Canterbury.
Thomas Holmes is an arable farmer, 2024 Kellogg Scholar and Mackenzie Charitable Foundation winner. He talks to Bryan Gibson, Farmers Weekly Managing Editor about his family’s farming operation, overseas experience, his Kellogg research report and experience.
Thomas discusses arable’s profitability challenges, diversification, and integration with other industries. His reports advocates collaboration, mindset change, and leadership from younger farmers to adapt to change.
Listen on your favourite podcast player:
Thank you to all of the 2026 Nuffield applicants.
Thank you to all of those who took the time to apply for the 2026 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarships. The Scholarship applications are now being reviewed.
For those applicants who move on to the interview stage, these will be held on the 8th and 9th of October. The Awards are held in Wellington for the successful 2026 Scholar cohort on 4th November.
Invites to the Awards are reserved for Rural Leaders investing partners, Nuffield Alumni and are held onsite in the Parliament Buildings.
Nuffield Ireland is pleased to invite you to an all-Ireland Triennial tour, spanning North to South and offering a rich blend of agricultural and cultural experiences.
The triennial runs 18 – 26 May, 2026. Over nine days, participants embark on a journey across the Ireland, with visits to more than 50 farms, industry organisations, and cultural venues.
There are three registration options to choose from, all include the agri-business summit:
- Full Triennial (Monday 18th May – Tuesday 26th May 2026)
- Stage 1 Triennial (Monday 18th May – Friday 22nd May 2026)
- Stage 2 Triennial (Friday 22nd May – Tuesday 26th May 2026)
This Triennial provides a unique opportunity for Nuffield alumni to connect, reconnect, explore, and be inspired alongside fellow Scholars.
MyLead: Your leadership development catalyst.
MyLead is a tool designed to allow you to plan your next leadership development steps. It does this by helping you understand what leadership programmes are available across Food and Fibre and which of these might be right for you.
The Tautoko Toolkit is one of 24 programmes on the MyLead site and the most recently added. This comprehensive programme explores Te Ao Māori perspectives for the food and fibre sector and helps leaders step into their mana.
The programme covers foundational leadership principles, practical application of values in the workplace, resilience-building, goal-setting and sustainable leadership practices that create pathways for current and future generations.
Take a closer look at MyLead.
You can also download our Press Release here. If your organisation would like to help us spread the word about MyLead, you’ll find some sharable assets at the end of the Press Release.
Rural Leaders' Speaker Directory
Our Speaker Directory is growing steadily, giving broad industry and speaking topic coverage across the regions.
If you're a graduate of any of our programmes and you haven't signed up yet, don't miss the chance to get in on the ground floor as we build this valuable resource for the whole sector to draw on. Simply fill out this form.
Two places available on Engage (Lincoln, 24-26 September).
The Engage Programme equips participants with the skills and understanding to succeed and the confidence to engage with food and fibre stakeholders.
This 3-day immersive introduction helps participants develop a deeper understanding of the NZ Food and Fibre Sector and how it is connected to the global economy.
Engage is particularly suited to people entering, or connecting with, the Food and Fibre Sector in advisory, regulatory, or farmer-focused policy roles.
You’ll gain a deeper understanding of NZ food and fibre and the global context it operates within. You’ll attend two half-day field trips to working farm operations and you’ll build a valuable network of food and fibre professionals.
Click here to learn more or book your place on the 24-26 September programme.
Value Chain Innovation Programme applications are open.
In this recent CountryWide Podcast, Sarah Perriam-Lampp talked with Lincoln University’s Professor Hamish Gow about the Value Chain Innovation Programme, delivered by Rural Leaders.
In the podcast Hamish explains how the programme takes participants inside New Zealand’s dairy, kiwifruit, apple and red meat sectors to understand how value is created, captured and shared, and why the real learning happens on the bus as farmers, entrepreneurs and industry leaders connect and challenge their thinking.
Head here to listen to the podcast.
The podcast is a perfect launch for the 2026 Value Chain Programme applications.
The 2026 Programme runs 8-14 February and applications close 23 November.
Alumni in the Spotlight
In Alumni in the Spotlight we feature Rural Leaders’ Programme Alum who have recently been in the news - or have news to share.
Shannon Harnett, 2020 Nuffield Scholar, shares her recent AI learning experience exclusively with Rural Leaders.
Phillip Weir, 2020 Nuffield + 2016 Kellogg Scholar, has an opinion piece on Farmers Weekly about whether it’s time to consider feedlots as ‘batteries’ for the meat supply chain.
Tracy Brown, 2020 Nuffield + 1997 Kellogg Scholar, has been re-appointed unopposed as a director to the DairyNZ Board.
Steven Sterne, 2007 Nuffield Scholar, has been honoured with NZPork’s Outstanding Contribution Award.
Simon Cook, 2018 Nuffield Scholar, has been elected to the Horticulture New Zealand board.
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
B+LNZ – Bella Rings in New Era for Smart Farming.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched Bella, an AI-powered digital assistant that provides farmers with tailored answers from B+LNZ's Knowledge Hub.
AGMARDT - Funding Figures for 2024-25
Agmardt's 2024–25 funding rounds supported 35 projects across New Zealand's food and fibre sector with a total investment of $2.8 million. From 171 applications requesting over $10.5 million, successful projects ranged from plant-derived dairy proteins and pest detection biosensors to agritourism development.
HortNZ - Roadmap to Double Revenue by 2035.
Government and horticulture sector launch implementation roadmap targeting $12 billion farmgate returns by 2035, focusing on sustainable growth, workforce development, and collaboration between industry, government, Māori, and research providers.
Industry news
Fonterra's Historic $4.2 Billion Sale to Lactalis
In August 2025, Fonterra agreed to divest its consumer business operations, that include brands such as Anchor, Mainland, and Anlene, to Lactalis for NZ$3.85 billion. This divestment is being described as one of the most significant decisions in Fonterra's history, with shareholder voting expected in late October/early November 2025.
Record High Meat Prices Boost Farm Returns
New Zealand sheep and beef farmers are riding the crest of a wave as world meat prices hit their highest point ever, with beef export values reaching a record $11.20/kg in July 2025. The gain was mostly driven by higher export values into the US, from $10.08/kg last July to $11.73/kg this July, despite new 15% US tariffs introduced in August 2025.
Leadership opportunities
FAR Board Nominations Open for Grower Directors.
The FAR Nominations and Remunerations Committee is seeking nominations for four grower director positions on the FAR Board, effective January 1, 2026. Nominations must be endorsed by at least two current levy-paying members and submitted to Hew Dalrymple by 12:00 PM on Friday, October 10, 2025.
Read the full details here: FAR Board Vacancies
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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