Jersey 'right balance' field day
The future of sustainable, profitable and environmentally friendly dairying will be on full display at the upcoming 'The Right Balance' field day at NZ Young Farmers' Donald Farm in South Auckland.
Agribusiness leader Lynda Coppersmith has been appointed the first woman chief executive of NZ Young Farmers, from October 1.
Coppersmith (48) is currently a senior account manager with the accounting software company MYOB in Christchurch.
“The more woman chief executives we have the better; diversity is important,” she says.
“If the primary industries are to meet growth targets, they must connect with young women.”
“I’m hoping my appointment and having Ash-Leigh chairing our board will send a positive signal to women about our sector,” she says.
She has spent the past six years in management positions at MYOB. Prior to that she worked for DairyNZ, was a business development manager for LIC and an area manager for Fonterra in Timaru.
“Lynda has great relationship building skills, excellent business acumen and experience dealing with grassroots farmer issues,” said NZ Young Farmers board chair Ash-Leigh Campbell.
“That will stand her in good stead working with our membership and the organisation’s other key stakeholders.”
Coppersmith is married with two teenage children. Her daughter Sophie attends Christchurch Girls’ High School and has friends in the school’s TeenAg club which is run by NZ Young Farmers.
Outside of work, Coppersmith likes to travel and study.
“We’ve spent a bit of time travelling through Southeast Asia and we’ve lived in Australia,” she says.
Coppersmith is completing an MBA through the University of Canterbury.
On the eve of his departure from Federated Farmers board, Richard McIntyre is thanking farmers for their support and words of encouragement during his stint as a farmer advocate.
A project reducing strains and sprains on farm has won the Innovation category in the New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards 2025.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ), in partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and other sector organisations, has launched a national survey to understand better the impact of facial eczema (FE) on farmers.
One of New Zealand's latest and largest agrivoltaics farm Te Herenga o Te Rā is delivering clean renewable energy while preserving the land's agricultural value for sheep grazing under the modules.
Global food company Nestle’s chair Paul Bulcke will step down at its next annual meeting in April 2026.
Brendan Attrill of Caiseal Trust in Taranaki has been announced as the 2025 National Ambassador for Sustainable Farming and Growing and recipient of the Gordon Stephenson Trophy at the National Sustainability Showcase at in Wellington this evening.
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