RaboTalk – Growing our future

In this episode of RaboTalk, Growing Our Future , Blake Holgate talks with Matt Highway, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Association of Resource Management (NZARM) who shares practical advice on managing environmental challenges without getting caught up in changing regulations. He explains why focusing on outcomes, tackling your biggest on-farm risks, and connecting with local catchment groups...

In this second episode of RaboTalk Growing our Future’s new Catchment Catch-Ups series, host Blake Holgate speaks with Alexis Wadworth a central Southland farmer and director for both Thriving Southland and Catchment Communities Aotearoa. Their conversation focuses on how the Makarewa Headwaters Catchment Group shifted from a baseline study of water quality to tackling a massive wild pest problem....

In this episode of RaboTalk Growing our Future episode, host Blake Holgate speaks with Suzie Greenhalgh, Project Lead for the Moving the Middle programme, a research project aimed at giving farmers the confidence to voluntarily improve their environmental performance on farms. Suzie discusses the findings from this multi-partner research project, which launched in 2020, to understand how to suppor...

In the first episode of RaboTalk Growing our Future ’s new Catchment Catch-Ups series, host Blake Holgate sits down with Thriving Southland Project Lead, Richard Kyte to explore how farmer-led catchment groups are creating practical, locally driven solutions for some of the biggest challenges facing New Zealand farming today. From improving water quality and managing sediment, to building climate...

With power prices and weather disruptions putting new pressure on farm operations, this RaboTalk Growing our Future episode explores practical ways New Zealand farmers and growers can build energy resilience while improving the bottom line. Blake Holgate is joined by EECA’s Chris McArthur to discuss what the Solar on Farms programme is seeing across demonstration farms nationwide, including how to...

In this RaboTalk Growing our Future episode, host Katie Rodwell speaks with Sam Bridgman, Head of Sustainability at Pāmu, about how New Zealand’s largest farming corporate is making sustainability practical and profitable across 112 farms. Sam outlines the five key drivers shaping Pāmu’s approach and shares how strategy is being turned into on-farm action through tailored farm environment plans an...

In this RaboTalk Growing our Future episode, host Katie Rodwell chats with Matt Lythe, Managing Director of Prism Earth, to discuss how geospatial technology – a combination of satellite imagery, spectral data and AI – is rapidly becoming a practical tool for New Zealand farms. This technology is moving beyond simple mapping, to measure and manage a farm’s “natural capital” like carbon, biodiversi...

In this episode of RaboTalk Growing our Future episode, host Katie Rodwell talks with Dr Victoria Hatton, CEO of FoodHQ, about why New Zealand’s food and fibre sector is still running on a 100-year-old “commodity operating system” despite our premium reputation, driving export growth through volume rather than value and leaving farmers exposed to competitors who can simply produce it cheaper. Vict...

In this episode of RaboTalk’s Growing Our Future , Katie talks with North Canterbury farmer Ben Ensor, chair of the Hurunui District Landcare Group, about how farmer‑led catchment groups are helping rural communities make environmental change with confidence. Drawing on a decade of hands‑on experience, Ben explains the role of Catchment Communities Aotearoa in connecting more than 200 catchment gr...

In this episode, RaboTalk’s Growing Our Future , host Katie Rodwell talks with Conan Moynihan, an experienced farm consultant from Canterbury. Conan shares insights from his experience as a sheep and beef farmer, environmental engineer, and farm advisor, and has recently stepped into his new role as co-founder and CEO of GroundShift. Conan discusses balancing farm profitability with environmental...

In this episode of RaboTalk’s Growing Our Future, host Katie speaks with agri‑innovator Leon Spurrell about an implant technology that manages udder health and antibiotic use. Backed by Lincoln University trials and strong farmer feedback, the implant works by strengthening cows’ natural defences, helping prevent mastitis, maintaining milk quality and extending an animal’s productivity. Leon share...

Discover how virtual fencing is transforming livestock farming in New Zealand. In this episode of Growing Our Future , Katie Rodwell speaks with Hawkes Bay farmer Marcus Peacock who shares his hands-on experience with Halter’s technology for beef systems. From calmer, better-performing stock to smarter pasture management and real-time decision-making, Marcus explains how digital tools have freed h...

In this episode of Growing Our Future , Katie Rodwell speaks with Craig Piggott, founder and CEO of Halter. Craig’s story from a Waikato dairy farm to founder of Halter is one of curiosity and bold thinking. Growing up immersed in the practical challenges of farming gave Craig an intuitive sense of where technology could make a real difference, and when combined with his engineering experience at...

From satellite imagery and soil sensors to AI-driven insights and virtual fencing, agri-tech is reshaping how farmers manage productivity, sustainability and resilience. In this episode, host Katie Rodwell speaks with Brendan O’Connell, CEO of AgriTech New Zealand, about what agri-tech really means, how it is being adopted across farming systems, and the opportunities for New Zealand to become a g...

This end-of-year RaboTalk Growing our Future episode features Blake Holgate and Katie Rodwell reflecting on a year that has challenged our food and fibre sector to adapt. They share insights from conversations they’ve held with farmers and industry leaders and discuss key themes which have ranged from farmer resilience, the value of open dialogue, the power of working with family and how sustainab...

In this episode of Growing Our Future, Katie Rodwell catches up with Scott Champion CEO of the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) to chat about New Zealand’s arable sector. Scott explains that having a wide range of crops is what helps the sector stay strong and flexible, and that arable farmers play a crucial role in the bigger food and fibre picture. Their ability to adapt, try new things, and...

New Zealand’s horticulture sector continues to grow in value and ambition, contributing billions to the economy and employing tens of thousands nationwide. In this episode of Growing Our Future, Blake Holgate sits down with Kate Scott, Chief Executive of Horticulture New Zealand, to explore the sector’s progress, resilience after recent weather events, and the strategic challenges ahead. From the...

Clear and compelling communication has never been more important in agriculture. In this episode, host Katie Rodwell talks with Claire Taylor, agricultural communicator, journalist, and Nuffield farming scholar, to discuss how storytelling can help bridge the growing disconnect between farmers, consumers, and policymakers. They discuss ways farmers can share their stories with confidence, why unde...

Family businesses are at the heart of New Zealand farming, but combining blood ties with business decisions can create unique challenges. In this episode of Growing Our Future, host Blake Holgate speaks with Philip Pryor, a business advisor, author and former psychologist who specialises in family business dynamics. Philip shares how rural families can navigate succession, manage conflict, and str...

In this episode of Growing Our Future , host Katie Rodwell speaks with Maury Leyland Penno, co-founder of Leaft Foods. Maury explains how Leaft Foods extracts the enzyme rubisco from lucerne to produce a highly functional, nutritionally rich plant-based protein—one that also contributes to solving environmental challenges. She shares insights into the science, the market potential, and why diversi...

With 17,000 farm owners set to reach retirement age in the next decade, the future of New Zealand’s food and fibre sector depends on developing the next generation of farmers. In this episode of Growing Our Future, host Blake Holgate speaks with Wendy Paul, CEO of Growing Future Farmers to learn how the programme is equipping young people with practical skills, values, and confidence to succeed in...

In this episode of Growing Our Future, host Katie Rodwell speaks with Jodie Goudswaard, DairyNZ's DairyBase Manager and recent Kellogg Rural Leadership scholar. Jodie’s research explored the values, mindsets, and practices of top-performing dairy farmers who are proving that profitability and sustainability can go hand in hand. She shares what she learned from speaking directly with farmers, the r...

In this episode, host Katie Rodwell speaks with Laura Morrison, a sheep and beef farmer from Rangitikei and a passionate agri-sector leader. Earlier in the year Laura joined a cohort of food and fibre representatives on a leadership trip to Singapore, designed to challenge traditional thinking and foster new approaches to collaboration and innovation. She shares her reflections on the trip, what S...

With reports of some countries and companies stepping back from climate commitments, what’s really happening in global sustainability—and how does it affect New Zealand’s farmers and growers? In this episode of RaboTalk’s Growing Our Future, host Blake Holgate is joined by Marjan van Riel, Rabobank’s Global Lead of Climate and Sustainability, to unpack global sustainability trends, regulatory shif...

With major change and challenge on the horizon, how do we bring young people into the fold and ensure their voices are shaping the future of our food and fibre sector? In this episode, Katie Rodwell speaks with Aimee Blake, co-founder of Girls Who Grow and co-chair of Future Farmers NZ. Aimee shares how a growing network of over 150 young people from across the value chain are coming together to b...