I farm with my family on a 150 Ha finishing cropping farm in the Manawatu along with managing other family investments including commercial property.
My current community roles
- Chairman of the Horizons Lower Manawatu Drainage Scheme Liaison Committees. $412 million in assets providing flood protection to Palmerston North City and outlying regions from the Manawatu and Oroua Rivers.
- Member of the Manawatu Drainage Board Liaison Committee. $31 million in assets protecting 16,400 Ha of land area.
- Leader of the Food and Fibre Advocacy Group attempting to mitigate the effects on the rural community of Manawatu as PN City proposes to put their wastewater on 760 Ha of farmland.
- I lead the Arapuke Trails committee which have raised $1.5 million to build and maintain the Arapuke Mountain Bike Park.
- I am an associate member of Te Apiti Gorge Governance Group advocating for recreational opportunities in the Te Apiti Manawatu Gorge.
Past Business and Community Experience
- I grew up on a Whanganui hill country farm, with a four Ha kiwifruit orchard.
- I gained a Diploma in Agriculture and Farm Management at Lincoln University.
- Farming progression from causal mustering, farm management to farm ownership.
- Horticulture
- Managing partner for Fordell Freezers which was growing 30 Ha of kiwifruit, 10 Ha pears, packing and coolstoring of 350,000 trays of kiwifruit for 20 growers.
- Director of Whanganui Pears which packed and coolstoring 500 tons of pears.
- Marketing
- Managing director of WestFresh, marketing Whanganui pip fruit crop following the Apple and Pear Board local market deregulation in 1993.
- Managing director of 40 South Pears, marketing 300 tons of pears to the NZ market.
- Community
- Director of WEDCO, Whanganui District Council economic development arm. (Like CEDA.)
- Manawatu Mountain Club in the roles of treasurer, membership and trails.
- Whanganui Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Chairman.
- Beef & Lamb monitor farm from 2006 to 2009.
- IT
- Consultant CSI Consultants supplying IT solutions to small businesses during the 1990’s.
- Contract work for the Kiwifruit Marketing Board and the Dairy Board in the 1990’s specialising in coolstore and logistics.