More than 70 farmers from across the North and South Islands have recently spent a day-and-a-half learning new business management and planning skills at Rabobank Ag Pathways Programmes held in Invercargill, Ashburton and Hawera.
First run in 2015, the Ag Pathways Programme was developed by Rabobank’s Lower South Island Client Council with the aim of developing young farmers skills and contacts to advance their careers in the agricultural sector. The programme has taken place annually in Otago/Southland across the last decade with the ninth Lower South Island edition taking place in Invercargill earlier this month (May 7 & 8).
The ongoing success of Ag Pathways in the Lower South Island has prompted Rabobank’s Client Councils in the Upper South Island and Lower North Island to replicate the programme in their areas, and the recent events in Ashburton (April 8 & 9) and Hawera (May 15 & 16) were the first of their kind in the Canterbury and Taranaki regions respectively. This follows inaugural Ag Pathways events in the Manawatu region in 2023, and on the East Coast (Gisborne) last year.
Rabobank Upper South Island Client Councillor Amanda Bowie sat in on the Ashburton event and said the programme provides participants with a range of tools to help them move forward with their agricultural careers.
Ag Pathways Hawera
“Over the course of a day and a half, the 24 attendees heard from a range of speakers who covered diverse topics such as personality profiling, financial management, succession planning and business strategy,” she said.
“In addition, the agenda included a ‘war stories’ segment, where four local farmers shared their personal farming journeys and how they’ve developed their businesses over time.
“I know the ‘war stories’ component of the programme has proven really popular at the annual Lower South Island Ag Pathways events, and this was certainly the case here too.
“You could almost see some of the attendees’ brains ticking over as they listened in to the more experienced farmers and considered what they needed to do to progress their own agri careers.”
Ms Bowie, who runs a 6000 stock unit sheep and beef business in North Canterbury, said another major benefit of the programme was the opportunity it provided young farmers to network with others at a similar stage in their farming careers.
“We had farmers from several different sectors on the programme, and I think the participants really benefited from spending time with other farmers and sharing their farming journeys with them,” she said.
“This can be incredibly powerful as it provides attendees with a chance to bounce ideas off each other and to hear what has and hasn’t worked for those in a similar boat to them.”
As a follow-up to the programme, Ms Bowie said, attendees would get together again in June.
“As part of this get together, they’ll present back to the group a business plan on what they want to achieve in the future,” she said.
“This follow-up meeting is hugely important as it helps ensure participants are immediately acting on the lessons from the programme and incorporating them into their roles on-farm.”
One of the attendees at the Hawera Ag Pathways, Eli Vollebregt, said the programme had far exceeded his expectations.
“My wife Susannah and I are contract milking in Opunake and we both decided to attend the programme because we are always keen to learn and to push ourselves out of our comfort zones as this helps us grow as individuals and as a team,” he said.
“The agenda was well rounded with sessions that targeted the very things I was keen to learn more about. Things like communication, financial management, business planning, farmer journeys to farm ownership, leadership, governance and succession.”
Mr Vollebregt said he felt there were two sessions that really stood out.
“The first was the communication session which started with a personality test. I learned which personality type I am and therefore learned what makes me tick and why it makes me tick, and how each personality type is so important and how to navigate and understand different personality types,” he said.
“The second was the business planning session which gave me a better understanding of how business plans, goals and visions, good habits, consistency, revised budgets and determination can propel you forward in achieving your aspirations.
“Following this amazing programme, we are now more driven, motivated and inspired to dream, plan and strive towards our goals with a clearer understanding of who we are and why we are doing what we do.”