Latest / Talking Dairy / What makes rural advisors great? | Ep. 124

Transcript

What makes rural advisors great? | Ep. 124 · Talking Dairy

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_02: Kiora and welcome to Talking Dairy.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_02: I'm your host Jack McGowan from DairyNZ.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_02: If you're a dairy farmer listening today, chances are you're working alongside accountants, consultants, advisors, or bankers to help make some pretty big decisions on your farm.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_02: And if you're one of those rural professionals, you know just how important it is to stay connected and in tune with what farmers need.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_02: So today's conversation sits right in the middle of that.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_02: We're talking about the Institute of Rural Professionals of New Zealand, what it does, why it exists, and how working alongside DairyNZ in partnership helps strengthen the support Dairy Farmers get.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_02: Joining me are Joe Finer, Chief Executive of the Institute of Rural Professionals of New Zealand, and Mark Williams, Senior Farm Systems Specialist here at DairyNZ.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_02: We unpack a bit more about the Institute and this partnership, what it means for farmers and why bringing rural professionals together helps lift the whole sector.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_02: So let's get into it.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_02: Tina Kurua, welcome.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_02: Let's start with quick intros and we'll start with you, Joe.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_02: Tell us about yourself.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_01: A bit of a dairy girl at heart, actually.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_01: Grew up fourth-generation dairy farming family in Manuatu.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: And after I graduated, joined Fonterra on their grad program and spent 25 years working in the dairy sector.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: We gap out to go share milking in Taranaki during that time, mostly otherwise based in the Wakato.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: And after 25 years, I moved into the role here as chief executive at the institute.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: Brilliant.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you very much, Joe.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_02: And Mark.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a farm system specialist at DairyNZ.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: In my past, I've been a rural banker, dairy farmer, private consultant, which is where I first came into contact with the institute, and been in this role currently for four years with DairyNZ.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_02: Joe, for some listeners, the Institute of Rural Professionals will be familiar, and for others not so much.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_02: Can you talk us through how the Institute of Rural Professionals came about and the why behind it?
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: The Institute's been around for a decent period of time now.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: 1969, the Institute was first formed.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: Farm Management Society, I believe it was called at the time.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: And it was a group of farm management consultants who realized that by creating kind of networking connection between themselves, they could create better outputs and delivery for the clients that they were serving by supporting each other.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_01: So that began in 69.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: Then through the years, it's expanded to include the likes of agribankers and farm accountants, lawyers, valuers, pushed across the Industry Good Associations, across agri processes and the processing companies, nutrient management, etc.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_01: So we've now got 1,400 members, and we represent, I guess, you know, the professional needs of rural professionals who are working out there supporting farmers and growers.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_02: So the membership has changed since it first formed.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_02: Has its kind of purpose or what it does changed?
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: Still at the heart is kind of building the capability, supporting the capacity growth of advisors and rural professionals in the sector.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_01: Increasingly, we're focused on professional excellence.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: So if you compare us to other professional membership bodies such as the Chartered Accountants Association or the Law Society or even engineers, they've got an occupational regulation, a piece of legislation that defines, you know, the standards that they need to work to.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_01: But there is no regulation that defines how advisors and professionals support farmers and growers.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_01: So we've increasingly kind of put those in in a voluntary capacity, develop those professional standards so that we can ensure that the advice that's being provided to the farming clients out there is of the right calibre and increasingly improving and picking up, I guess, new knowledge and advancements as that occurs coming out of both New Zealand and internationally.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, we've got our academic institutes here, you know, Lincoln, Massey, Waikato, Canterbury Universities, we've got Ag Research or the new Bioeconomy Science Institute.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_01: So can we make sure that that kind of flow of information is getting out to those who are driving up farmers' driveways kind of each week?
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_01: But also keep an eye on what's happening out of Europe, UK, the US, and broader field as well.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_02: Joe, you talked about how some professional bodies have kind of and occupational regulation.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_02: Occupational regulation, and that obviously doesn't exist with the Institute of Rural Professionals.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_02: So what else sets the Institute of Rural Professionals apart from other bodies?
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_02: And what do members get out of being a part of it that they might not get elsewhere?
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: We have a kind of a really unique geographical footprint in terms of where our members are.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_01: So with the likes of Law Society or Chartered Accountants Association, chances are you're going to have big sets of membership: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_01: Whereas our members are, you know, really widely spread around the country.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_01: One of the, I guess, the unique things is our branch setup.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_01: We've got 11 branches around the country and the opportunity for people to connect and network together in those regions and support each other.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: Increasingly, you know, we're seeing that a farmer doesn't just go to one kind of generalist consultant to have everything, all of the questions answered or a bit of guidance provided.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_01: There's a much bigger team of advisors, whether that's kind of the vets or the bankers or the industry goods, you know, advisors, etc.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: So being able to bring that team of advisors together in our own environment as an institute of royal professionals does really kind of, I think, help.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_01: And that's one of the unique things about our institute as compared to other professional membership bodies that tend to be more kind of urban-based.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_01: Mart's possibly got some comments on that.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_01: You know, he's been actively um involved in our Bay of Pliny branch and shared that.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm sure when uh when you get to him, he's gonna add some points of interest around how that works in a particular region.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_02: We will get to him.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_02: I've got some more questions for you though, Jo.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_02: You've obviously made a good case for rural professionals.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_02: For dairy farmers listening, how does having well-supported and connected rural professionals help out on farm?
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_01: What's in it for them?
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_01: As a dairy farmer, you want to know that the consultant, the advisor, the professional that is supporting you is completely up to speed.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_01: Up to speed, whether that's on changing New Zealand kind of regulations or what maybe the trade issues are occurring, where that might impact on kind of global commodity price, where's the latest agri tech developments, and what should you as a farmer be considering implementing on your farm?
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: So you want to know that the advice you're receiving is really kind of current and leading edge.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_01: So keeping rural professionals kind of really on their game is, I guess, our key purpose.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_01: And I would like to think that, you know, you as the dairy farmer sees the benefit in making sure that you've got the best advisors and consultants supporting you.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_01: We also cover things like, you know, leadership development, change management skills, soft skills, understanding freshwater farm plans, etc.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: So a whole range of different kinds of capability build to make sure that the professionals are, as I said, you know, on their game.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_02: Well, let's bring Mark in at last.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: Tell us a bit about your connection with Institute of Royal Professionals, maybe from both a personal perspective and also now that you're at DairyNZ as a farm system specialist.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: From a personal point of view, got in contact with the institute while I was a private consultant.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: I was new out of dairy farming into private consultancy, and we were encouraged to start networking, Perinag at the time in Rotorua, and found that the local committee hadn't been doing much lately, and shortly after that moved into a leadership role at Dairy and Z.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: And Joe got in contact with me, twisted my arm to become the new branch chair, took on that role, reinvigorated the local committee.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: There was some local people that had been on it, got back in contact with them, added a few fresh new faces, stood up our first events that had been run in the Bay of Pliny for a while.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: Very diverse region, spread across Telpo, Rotarua, Fokatani, and Toronga.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: So quite disjointed, but started creating some events that focused on the wide range of activities in the bay, forestry, horticulture, dairy, dry stock.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: And our first one we invited John Roche along to talk about the food journey that New Zealand was on and the future of food.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: We also have gone out into the horticultural sector a few times, just so that we're getting broader view, especially for us dairy centric people.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, broaden your horizons and broaden our horizons.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: And also just that whole networking piece, seeing what each part of different industries and just having those chats makes a big difference, just understanding where different levers are being pulled.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: We did that.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: I'm no longer branch chair, I'm still on the committee.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: It's up and running and flourishing with a new board chair who's young and hungry.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: Personally, I also attended some Agma-funded leadership training courses through the Institute, one in Christchurch, one in Hamilton.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: Massive amount of information I got out of those awesome networking opportunities with a wide range of rural professionals.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I also ended up presenting back to my own farm systems team about what I'd learnt at the course, especially around developing our own development plans and turning our goods into greats was the main thing I took out of that.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_02: It's clear that there's personal benefit to being involved in the Institute of Rural Professionals.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_02: From a DairyNZ and dairy farmers' point of view, what does this partnership make sense?
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: We're a diverse bunch of rural professionals ourselves.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: So making the connections with all the other local rural professionals in your area helps us in our role just as much as helps us contribute to other people's roles.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: So we're always asking for people to become involved in events at Dairy and Z to come along as guest speakers.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: So it's very easy to do that if you've already met them, talk to them, know what they're about, know if they have got a big group of dairy farming clients or they've got a diverse portfolio which could add to a discussion.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: So if you want to do events on conversions or diversifying your dairy farm into part kiwi fruit as well as having a dairy farm, awesome if you've already made those connections.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: And that's the opportunity we have, especially in a really diverse place like the Bay of Pliny.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_02: And Joe, from your perspective, what does DairyNZ offer to members of the institute that strengthens the profession as a whole?
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_01: I think it helps bring us closer to farmers.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, really important to have that kind of farmer client insight to really inform kind of what's on our work program, what kind of training and insights we're providing, etc.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that DairyNZ provides that.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: So, for example, last year at the Dairy and Z Farmers Forum, we were able to have uh an exhibit space in each of the three locations where those forums were held.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: We could be there to be able to kind of chat directly to farmers and say, hey, you know, what do you see as kind of the biggest challenges?
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: Where do you think rural professionals can best help you?
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_01: And so we could get those insights directly from farmers, which then help us tune our strategic objectives and our work program accordingly.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_02: Mark, can you give me an example of something that's worked really well through this partnership so far?
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: One of the cool things that as we've kept this partnership going is us being invited to refresh the training and the accreditation program that the institute provides.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: So it hasn't been a quick process, has it, Joe?
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: I'm connected with a private consultant.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: I've taken a new look at how we could provide modular training for rural professionals who are wanting to expand their knowledge across multiple areas in dairy farming.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: So we've got a lot of rural professionals who specialize in one area.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: How can we give them more knowledge?
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_00: So when they're having their conversations with their client, they know enough about different areas where they can start pulling in.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: You need to talk to this professional who's associated with you, this professional, and give us a way of setting ourselves apart from the pack of general consultants or rural professionals.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: So have I shown uh self-motivation of self-improvement in this area?
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: Can I get an accredited training through the institute to show that I've gone and I've done this extra work and I understand farm systems?
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_00: I can complete work reports, whole farm assessments at a higher level than people who haven't gone through that training.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: So that training was there.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: It had fallen a little bit out of date.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: So we're refreshing it, updating it, and then setting a process there where it continually is updated so it doesn't become, I don't want to say obsolete, but with a rapidly changing industry with different regulations, different focuses.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_00: Like if you look 15 years ago, we didn't really talk about environmental footprints, emissions, and nitrogen losses out of the system.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_00: It was just sort of creeping in there.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: Whereas now that's a big part of what we do.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: So how do we incorporate that knowledge into your understanding of feed, soils, animals, all those parts?
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_00: So that's what I'm working on with the institute at the moment.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: And we've got some good resources in behind me now.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_00: We should see something in the near future.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_01: We call it the Dairy Farm System Certification, and it really is that kind of whole of dairy farm system all kind of fitting together.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, fantastic to have Mark and the Dairy and Z team be able to provide some key input and leadership on that.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_02: It sounds like this partnership between Dairy and Z and the Institute of Rural Professionals really helps to sort of provide credibility and consistency among these rural professionals or an opportunity for that.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_02: Joe, I see there are different types of membership available.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_02: And also you talked about the regional branches.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_02: How does this all fit together?
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so we do have different membership, full membership.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_01: Somebody's got an appropriate kind of academic qualification, had three years or more working as a professional.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_01: The pathway into that is an associate.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_01: We then have kind of a top tier of a registered member where somebody has to go through more rigorous assessments, put forward reports, go through interviews with senior members, etc.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: But the one that is really interesting to call out, particularly to farmers, if you have got family members who are studying, is we have a free student membership.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_01: There are farmers out there who may have extended family members or friends who've got students who are studying towards some kind of relevant qualification, whether that's, you know, a commerce degree or an AXI degree or environmental, they can join as a free student member.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_01: Even their first year working as a professional, they get complementary.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: And it's a great way to be able to bring a pipeline of the next generation of rural professionals in.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_01: And also it's great for them to be able to network and see what kind of career opportunities are out there.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_01: We provide a mentor scheme so we can link students in with maybe a graduate who's, you know, three to five years in, or we can link them a 30-year-old rural professional who's considering, you know, going out on their own and starting their own business with somebody who's experienced in that.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_01: So having that full range of memberships is really good.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_01: It's all about helping people um develop their own careers and their businesses as a rural professional.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_02: And looking forward, what are you excited about?
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_02: What's next for the institute and coming up for rural professionals?
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_01: Interesting activity around data insights, data integrity, quality, and AI.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_01: They're again kind of working with Derien Zed around this because Darian said have been leading on a survey.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: We're leading on putting a workshop in place, which run for the first time in July.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_01: We've got those running in three different locations around the country.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_01: So that's pretty exciting of kind of pushing into that technology space.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_01: We've also got some more financial advisor kind of training coming online.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_01: So that'll be happening in the kind of second half of this year.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_01: So pretty excited about that.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_01: And our partnership that we have with Countrywide Media is great, particularly from a farmer's perspective, because increasingly our members are writing articles that's going out through Countrywide, whether that's in their quarterly magazine or as they come more online in digital platforms, there's going to be content that's coming out from rural professionals and advisors that farmers are going to be able to get access to.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_01: So I guess it's increasing the profile and some of that kind of thought leadership that our members provide and getting that out into the wider farming base rather than limiting that within our own membership.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_02: Finally, for both of you, do you have any parting words for rural professionals out there looking for a professional organization to join?
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_02: Like, why might the Institute of Rural Professionals be a good fit for them?
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_02: And how do they take that first step?
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: From personal experience, when you are new to being a rural professional or new to a new role or new area, awesome way to make connections quickly and to understand the width and breadth of what other rural professionals are doing.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: So sometimes you don't realize what other rural professionals work with their clients on or specialise in.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_00: And so that was just something you couldn't pay enough to get the experience of.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: And then becoming involved more with the institute, a being able to go to the conferences, which I was lucky enough to go to the conference in Hamilton, as also we had a little stand there to promote ourselves and what we're doing.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_00: We had international speakers joining that conference from Switzerland and I think the United States at that one.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_00: So just being able to hear a worldwide view in one small event was great.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_00: Can't go past that they'd allow a lot of time for networking at those events too.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_00: So you get to meet a wide range of people.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_02: Networking doesn't, you know, for some people doesn't sound that exciting.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_02: How does the institute facilitate networking?
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's done in quite a casual way.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: I remember when we were waiting around for the dinner at conference, we just sat around, and the real true networkers make their way around the room.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_00: So you can't help but meet new people.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're somebody like me who naturally sort of sits back, it just happens by osmosis.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_00: Whereas being part of the committee and having to A try and pull together the committee in my region, but also we get together as the 11 branches once a year and share ideas about what we're doing in each area, was invaluable, not just in professional how we were working as a committee in our area, but also your own personal development.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: So I can't rave enough about what I've got out of being a member and would encourage any rural professional, wherever you move to, to reach out, make contact.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: We have some great events and always looking for new people's opinions and their ideas of what the institute could do locally.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_02: Joe, you get the last word.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, we're here to work for the rural professionals of New Zealand.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_01: We're not for profit.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_01: And so for a small membership fee, you get the benefit of an organization who is here to make your world as a rural professional better through capability build, through building your professional excellence, through keeping kind of a constant flow of insights, knowledge sharing through creating platforms for you to connect with others and network.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_01: So definitely worth consideration.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_01: And if all else fails, just think about the celebration we're going to be having in 2030 when we get to host the International Farm Management Congress.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_01: That's going to be a big year.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_01: So looking forward, things are really just kind of going up and up and up.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_01: And we will be bringing the whole international rural professional community to New Zealand in 2030.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_01: So that's something to definitely get involved with.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_02: So if they join now, they could be part of organising that as well.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_02: They could be.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_02: All right.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_02: How do they join?
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_02: What's the first step, Joe?
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_01: Just jump on our website.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_01: There's a membership tab.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_01: The team are ready to help.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_01: There's some online forms, or just give us a call or an email and just help make that happen.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_02: Well, we've talked a lot today about the value of strong.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: Rural professionals, shared learning, and why partnerships like this matter, not just for organizations, but also for dairy farmers and the wider rural sector.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_02: A huge thank you to Joe and Mark for joining us and sharing your time and your insights.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_02: That wraps up this episode of Talking Dairy.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_02: If you're a rural professional and you want to be part of a connected and future-focused professional community, you can find out more about the Institute of Rural Professionals at IRPNZ.co.nz.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_02: And if you're a dairy farmer, it's worth knowing that a portion of your dairy and z levy does go into partnerships across the dairy sector like this, helping strengthen the advice, capability, and support that's available to you on farm.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for listening and we'll catch you next time.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_02: Matewa.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_02: If you'd like to get connected with DairyNZ's latest advice, research, tools, and resources, whether it's reading, scrolling, listening, or in person, you can visit dairynz.co.nz forward slash get dash connected, and don't forget to hit follow to keep up to date with our latest episodes.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_02: As always, if you have any feedback on this podcast or have some ideas for future topics or guests, please email us at talkingdairy at dairynz.co.nz.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for listening and we'll catch you next time on Talking Dairy.