Inside the Southland Dairy Farm Where Robots and Pasture Work Together
In Dacre, near Invercargill in New Zealand’s South Island, Bruce Dinnington is running a dairy operation unlike any other.
First run in 2016, the programme was developed by Rabobank's Lower South Island Client Council with the aim of developing young farmers' skills and contacts to advancee their careers in the agricultural sector.
The programme has taken place annually in locations across Otago and Southland in the years since, and close to 200 up-and-coming farmers have now taken part.
Gore Hosts Landmark Tenth Anniversary Programme
The tenth anniversary edition was held on 13 and 14 May in Gore and featured a celebratory dinner attended by several former Rabobank Client Council members who were influential in establishing the programme a decade earlier.
The ongoing success of AgPathways in the Lower South Island has prompted Rabobank's Client Councils in the Upper South Island and North Island to replicate the programme in their areas and, across recent years, events have taken place in several other regions around New Zealand.
Programme Focuses on Practical Business and Leadership Skills
Craig Whiteside, Rabobank Lower South Island Client Council chair, launched the latest programme, saying it equips participants with a valuable set of tools to support their progress in agricultural careers.
“Across a day and a half, the 24 attendees heard from a variety of speakers covering a wide range of topics, including personality profiling, communication, farm succession planning and business strategy,” he says.
“The programme also featured a ‘war stories’ session, where two local farmers – who had attended previous AgPathways programmes – shared their personal experiences and explained how they’ve grown and adapted their farming businesses over time."
Whiteside says this section has proved a highlight at previous Lower South Island AgPathways events.
“These stories really resonated with the programme attendees as they provided valuable insights on the steps attendees need to take to advance their own careers.”
Follow-Up Session to Focus on Business Planning Goals
Whiteside says that as a follow-up to the programme, attendees will meet again in July.
“As part of this get together, participants will present back to the group a business plan on what they want to achieve in the future,” he says.
“This follow-up event is an important part of the course as it forces participants to think about and write down their goals, as well as the actions they need to take to reach them.”
Strong Reputation Built Over 10 Years
With the programme celebrating its tenth anniversary, Whiteside says it's appropriate to recognise the contribution of the past Client Council members who were responsible for the programme's development.
“A number of these Client Council members attended the programme dinner, and it was clear from my discussions with them they are very proud of the impact the programme has had over the last decade,” he says.
“The vast majority of AgPathways attendees have forged successful careers in the sector, and it’s very satisfying for the ex-councillors to see something they created still going strong a decade later.
“The programme has a really strong reputation across the Otago and Southland regions, and it’s well positioned to keep supporting and developing farmers for years to come.”
