Greenpeace a charity?
OPINION: Should Greenpeace be stripped of their charitable status? Farmers say yes.
Wairarapa sheep and beef farmer Karen Williams is the new chief executive of Irrigation New Zealand.
Williams, the national client propositions manager at FMG, starts in her new role on February 24.
She's a former Federated Farmers leader, having served as chair of its arable section, national vice president and board member.
Williams farms an irrigated 560ha mixed cropping, beef, and lamb finishing property in the Wairarapa with her husband Mick. They are past Supreme winners for the Wellington region in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
She’s a graduate of the Agri-Women’s Development Trust’s Escalator Programme and also received the Biosecurity Farmer of the Year Award in 2019 for her work on the pea weevil biosecurity incursion, and the couple won the Environmental and Sustainability Award at the 2022 NZ Arable Awards.
Williams says she’s excited to take on a new challenge and sees the chief executive officer role at Irrigation New Zealand as a natural progression to her career.
“Having held other executive and Board roles, this is an opportunity for me to combine my skills and experience, while also allowing me to help advocate for a sector I’m passionate about. There are synergies with the work I’ve been doing at FMG too – we’re both about getting better outcomes for farmers, growers and rural communities and that includes wider water users too.”
Chair of Irrigation New Zealand, Keri Johnston says Williams’ appointment to CEO comes at an interesting time.
“It’s a critical time for New Zealand in terms of how we safeguard our water for different uses, so getting Karen at the helm now is timely for advocating the best direction for irrigation in New Zealand.”
New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.
For Wonky Box co-founder Angus Simms, the decision to open the service to those in rural areas is a personal one.
The golden age of orcharding in West Auckland was recently celebrated at the launch of a book which tells the story of its rise, then retreat in the face of industry change and urban expansion.
Everyone from experienced veterinarians and young professionals to the Wormwise programme and outstanding clinics have been recognised in this year’s New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) awards. As part of a series looking at this year’s rural winners, Leo Argent talked with Ginny Dodunski, winner of the Veterinary Impact Award for raising the profile of the Wormwise programme.
OPINION: Should Greenpeace be stripped of their charitable status? Farmers say yes.
OPINION: After years of financial turmoil, Canterbury milk processor Synlait is now back in business.