Adam Jory, the operations general manager of Horowhenua-based commercial grower Woodhaven Gardens, has taken out the 2025 Rabobank Management Project Award, a business management prize for up-and-coming primary producers across New Zealand and Australia.
Selected from a group of New Zealand’s and Australia’s most progressive farmers – graduates of the 2024 Rabobank Farm Managers Programme (FMP) – Mr Jory was recognised for his business management project, which highlighted how he had utilised the lessons from the programme to measure and improve performance at Woodhaven Gardens.
Designed for emerging farmers, the FMP focusses on the development of business management skills, with an emphasis on business planning, leadership, people management and self-awareness.
Woodhaven Gardens is located south-east of Levin and grows a wide range of vegetables throughout the year. Across two stints, Mr Jory has been employed by the business for a total of 25 years having started out cleaning windows at Woodhaven as a school boy.
Adam Jory, General Manager, Woodhaven GardensGardens, has taken out the 2025 Rabobank Management Project Award
Mr Jory has moved up the ranks at Woodhaven and is now employed as the operations general manager. In this role he oversees around 180 staff and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the business including harvesting, packing, packhouse, cool stores and distribution.
Mr Jory said his management project took a deep dive into the resources available and required for him in his role, as well as the structure and capability of his team.
“The project looked at the metrics in the business that are the key to success and made use of several of the tools and frameworks introduced in the programme,” he said.
“When we started measuring and analysing these metrics we found that the business ‘wasn’t far off’ on a lot of key measures.
“But doing the project has been a great way to hold myself accountable and to work through how we can be that little bit better.”
Mr Jory said one of the areas where the project had functioned as the impetus for significant improvement was staff reviews.
“The staff review templates provided as part of the programme were great, so I spent a bit of time tweaking these to work for the Woodhaven business,” he said.
“Utilising this template has allowed me to get a better feel for what staff enjoy in their role, where blind spots are, what more I can do to support them, and to identify any reasons where I might be hindering their development.”
“Following the template has enabled me to create a safe space where I can provide feedback and then progress this on to the development of individual communication plans.”
Mr Jory said the change in approach had led to a fair bit of self-reflection on how he had previously been providing feedback.
“I’m now less likely to immediately react when something goes wrong and will now take a breath, let the emotion pass, and then come in after assessing how my message will be received and provide feedback,” he said.
“And I think this change has really paid off and has allowed me to empower the team which has resulted in them making better decisions.”
Head of Sales Enablement for Rabobank Australia, Peter D'Esposito acted as one of the judges for the Management Project Award and said Mr Jory’s project illustrated his understanding of the task at hand, beginning with a candid assessment of his operation’s readiness for growth.
“From there, Adam implemented a rigorous analysis of performance metrics and cost of production, establishing a data-driven foundation for decision-making. He introduced a culture of accountability across all levels of his team, including himself, his supervisors, and staff, ensuring that performance was consistently measured and improved,” he said.
“Adam’s use of Rabobank’s tools and frameworks was exemplary and he also showed strong self-awareness by identifying personal blind spots and actively seeking feedback.”
Another of the judges, Horticulture New Zealand CEO Kate Scott said, Mr Jory’s project reflected on his personal shortcomings as a deep driver to becoming a better leader.
“Adam demonstrated that by being able to use the tools from the ‘FMP toolbox’, you can show that you can achieve your goals and get a better outcome, personally and in business.”
Accepting the award and the accompanying $2000 cash prize from Rabobank at a function in Victoria’s Yarra Valley in late June, Mr Jory said the FMP was a great course with a top line-up of speakers.
“It’s fantastic that the programme is pan-sector and I really enjoyed getting to know farmers and growers from right across New Zealand and Australia’s agricultural sectors,” he said.
“The way the programme is set up to expand your mind and develop your critical thinking is amazing, and I can’t speak highly enough of it.”
“I’m really grateful to Woodhaven for funding my participation on the programme as I found it hugely beneficial.”
The Awards function was attended by several members of the 2024 FMP cohort as well as the full cohort of participants from the recently completed 2025 FMP programme.
The annual Rabobank Farm Managers Programme has been run since 2006 and offers farmers from across New Zealand and Australia an opportunity to develop and enhance their business management skills.
Participants leave the course with new skills, techniques and a commercially-driven perspective on farm management. They also gain the ability to put systems and structures in place to manage growth.