Seminar speaker Bios | Wednesday
Kristin Kirkpatrick
Beef + Lamb senior advisor
Kristin brings a strong blend of practical agricultural experience, adult learning expertise, and farmer-centred design to her role in farmer engagement.
She began her career as a primary teacher, developing foundations in communication, pedagogy and behaviour change before moving into the food and fibre sector, where she discovered a passion for supporting meaningful on-farm change.
Her work has spanned agricultural training, stakeholder engagement, drought recovery coordination and leadership roles within rural community organisations.
Through these Ms Kirkpatrick has built a reputation as a connector – someone who listens, translates research into accessible learning and collaborates with farmers and experts to co-develop practical solutions.
She has designed and facilitated extension activities across the northern South Island, applying human-centred design and evidence-based approaches.
Ms Kirkpatrick is committed to supporting resilient rural communities and ensuring farmers remain at the heart of every project.
Sarah Powell
Beef + Lamb Genetics extension and operations manager
Sarah hails from a sheep and beef farm near Wairoa in Northern Hawke’s Bay.
As a Massey University graduate with a BSc in Agricultural Science, she has worked with sheep and beef breeders throughout New Zealand on numerous breeding programmes, predominantly involving composite sheep breeds.
She has spent time offshore, working for Innovis-Breeding Sheep, the leading supplier of performance recorded forage-reared rams to the UK livestock industry, and more recently in Australia working with composites and Merino.
Ms Powell’s role is based in the field, managing sheep progeny tests, research programmes and working with the breeder community.
Dr Ashton Eaves, Senior Land Scientist,
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.
Georgina Flowers, Marine Scientist,
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.
Ariana Mackay, Water Quality & Ecology Scientist,,
Hawke's Bay Regional Council.
Bryan McCavana, Catchment Management Lead
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.
Dr John Roche
Prime Minister’s chief science advisor
Dr John Roche is a globally recognised expert in agricultural science and was appointed chief science advisor to New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in May 2025.
He also serves as deputy chair of the Prime Minister’s Science and Technology Advisory Council, which was established to guide the government on key scientific priorities and challenges. Dr Roche grew up on a dairy farm in Castleisland, Ireland, where his early experiences shaped his passion for agricultural innovation and sustainability.
He holds an Honours degree in Animal Science, a Master’s in Farm Systems and Pasture Management and a PhD in Animal Nutrition. His academic and professional career spans Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, with a focus on advancing sustainable farming practices and improving agricultural productivity.
He has also served as chief science adviser at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) since 2018, a role he continues on a part time basis. His expertise in animal nutrition, farm systems, and pasture management has made him a trusted advisor in both scientific and policy circles.
Pita Alexander
Agri-business accounting specialist
Pita Alexander has specialised in agri-business accounting for more than 50 years, experiencing the famous “boom and bust” cycles of farming. He's always keen to share his knowledge on all matters from taxation to succession planning through to acquisitions, mergers and economic growth.
Mr Alexander wants agribusinesses to succeed and is dedicated to the financial success of his clients. Many young farm accountants have benefitted under Mr Alexander’s tutelage. His contribution to farming has been recognised with several awards, including an ONZM honour in 2010.
He is fond of travelling and loves his farm study tours to Australia and the United States.
Ray Leach
Whāngārā Farms business manager
Ray Leach was the project leader and principal author for He Rau Ake Ake, Whāngārā Farms 100-Year Land Optimisation Plan in 2025.
Mr Leach is an environmental planner by profession, with a master’s degree in environmental management.
He was the first environmental manager at Birmingham International Airport in the 1990s, at a time when the environmental movement was in its infancy. During this time, he quickly learned that not much could be achieved without the support and inclusion of the people. Learning this skill base quickly evolved into organisational change management by empowering people, and from there into the business world, establishing and growing his own start-up businesses and running and growing businesses for others.
Mr Leach sees his role as business manager as helping to create a legacy for the shareholders, whānau and hapū who make up Whāngārā Farms.
Kane Brisco
Farm Fit NZ
Kane Brisco is a Taranaki father of three, husband, dairy farmer, rural advocate, public speaker, personal trainer and more. In 2019, alongside a successful farming career, he established Farm Fit NZ as a fitness class for his local rural community.
It has since expanded into an online community of over 25,000 who subscribe to Kane’s tips and advice on mental and physical wellbeing.
Kane has also created fundraising initiatives and challenges for charities raising a total of $28,000 for I Am Hope and Will To Live as well as writing his own book, Tools for The Top Paddock – Lessons from Life on the Land.
Seminar speaker Bios | Thursday
Trevor Rudman
Parascope independent parasitologist
Trevor Rudman has 30-plus years of experience in the animal health industry – the last 20 covering anthelmintics. His company Parascope is an independent farm parasitology advisory service that has helped farmers throughout New Zealand to analyse and improve processes on their farms, reducing the risk of, and overcoming, drench resistance.
Using his depth of knowledge and experience, Mr Rudman offers specific, practical advice that he says will improve production and increase profitability. Being industry trained has given him a comprehensive knowledge of drench actives and product formulations, and a deep understanding of their importance in how actives perform.
This expertise, along with a practical, tailored approach to each farm, are key to Parascope’s success. Parascope recognises the critical importance of current knowledge and information, after graduating from Massey University, Mr Rudman has successfully completed numerous courses including several NZVA Vet Scholar courses; he also has a Para Boss Certificate in Sheep Parasite Management awarded by the University of New England. He is a member of the New Zealand Society for Parasitology.
Professor Jacqueline Rowarth CNZM, FNZIAHS
Jacqueline Rowarth has a Bachelors degree in Agricultural Science with honours in Environmental Agriculture, and a PhD in Soil Science from Massey University. She has worked in research, education and management with Agresearch, Lincoln University, Unitec in Auckland, The University of Melbourne, Massey University, University of Waikato, and the Environmental Protection Authority. In addition, she has held Government-appointed governance roles on the boards of Crop and Food Research, AGMARDT and New Zealand Fast Forward. She is currently a farmer-elected member of the Board of Directors for DairyNZ and Ravensdown Co-operative Ltd. She chairs the NZ Grassland Trust, is a member of the Scientific Council of the World Farmers’ Organisation and holds the role of Adjunct Professor at Lincoln University.
Jacqueline is a Past President of the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science, and of the New Zealand Grassland Association. In 2008 she was awarded Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Agricultural Science, in 2009 she was given the inaugural award of Agricultural Personality of the Year by Federated Farmers and in 2010 she was selected as the Agricultural Communicator of the Year by the Guild of Agricultural Communicators and Journalists. In 2024 she received the Waikato Federated Farmers’ Outstanding Communicator of the Year Award and the NZ Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science Jubilee Medal for ‘an outstanding contribution to primary industry science’.
Jacqueline is a frequent contributor to public debate in the media and remains committed to dispelling the myths that surround food production.
Chloe Butcher-Herries
Ahuwhenua Young Farmer of the Year
Chloe Butcher Herries (Ngāti Mahanga, Waikato-Tainui) is an experienced farm manager and in 2022 won the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer Sheep and Beef Farmer of the Year. Chloe manages Mathews Station, a 530-hectare finishing block, alongside Otoro Station, a 2000-hectare breeding property, where Halter virtual fencing is part of the system.
She’s proud to call Hawke’s Bay home and deeply passionate about land, water, animal welfare, and people. Chloe believes good farming is about working with the land, adapting systems to suit the country, while embracing modern technology and still respecting traditional practices. Her leadership style is practical, forward-thinking, and firmly rooted in real on-farm experience.
More recently, became a Beef + Lamb NZ Eastern North Island farmer councillor. The Farmer Council plays a key role in setting regional priorities, identifying the issues that matter on the ground, and supporting events and initiatives that deliver real value for farmers.
In 2025, Chloe and her wife Makita welcomed their beautiful daughter, Āhua Harete, who’s now very much the centre of their world. Chloe is a powerful role model for young Wahine toa, and proof that hard work, heart, and resilience really do pay off.
Marie Burke
Farmer Time for Schools NZ national coordinator
Farmer Time for Schools NZ is a programme connecting students with rural life through innovative virtual fieldtrips beyond the school gate.
As a sheep, beef and cropping farmer from Ormond, near Gisborne, she understands the pulse of the primary industries first-hand. A powerful advocate for the future of farming, Mrs Burke utilises her teaching background to connect students with farmers for regular online video calls, fostering a crucial understanding of food and fibre production, while showcasing career opportunities in the primary sector.
She envisions a future where urban and rural students alike have a personal connection to the land through programmes like Farmer Time for Schools, and a future where every child in Aotearoa has a clear understanding of where their food comes from.
Rex Newman
Napier Boys’ High School head of agriculture
Rex Newman worked in for Ravensdown, PGG Wrightson and a stint Diary Farming before moving to teaching. He is a huge advocate of encouraging youngsters into farm cadet courses and farming.
Mr Newman has been teaching at Napier Boys’ High School for 16 years and sees it as a real privilege to teach agriculture as a subject.
Sally Newall, BVSc
Kiwi Country Kids, Beef + Lamb New Zealand Farmer Councillor, Vet, Farmer and Author.
Sally Newall is a British trained Veterinarian, who worked in mixed practice in Hawke’s Bay for nine years. Along with her husband and three boys she now farms 500 hectares of rolling hill country in Patoka, Hawkes Bay, where they intensively finish Fresian bulls.
In recent years Ms Newall has joined the Farmer Council for Beef + Lamb New Zealand, as well as being a member of the B+LNZ Farmer Research Advisory Group. She is passionate about connecting the general public with farming.
Ms Newall is actively involved with the Farmer Time for Schools programme and hosted an Open Farms NZ day in 2024. She runs an educational social media page Kiwi Country Kids, where she shares daily life on the farm, with a particular focus on animal welfare and husbandry.
In 2026 Ms Newall is opening a purpose-built facility for on-farm learning where visitors can learn all about farming.
Taryn Helm
Growing Future Farmers programme operations lead
Taryn Helm is responsible for the national delivery and ongoing development of the GFF programme. GFF supports young people into the agriculture sector through structured, practical, on-farm training and clear pathways into employment. Based in Gisborne, Ms Helm’s role focuses on programme systems, delivery frameworks and continuous improvement, working with on-the-ground teams who support students and farm trainers across New Zealand.
Her work is centred on ensuring the programme is consistent, relevant and aligned with the realities of farming businesses and rural communities. She lives in Rere with her husband, who farms sheep and beef, and their two children. Through both her professional role and personal connection to farming life, she brings a practical and informed perspective to agricultural training and workforce development.
Brent Paterson
Rural Directions managing director and MyEnviro Catchment Communities Aotearoa board member
Brent Paterson and his wife Jackie own a property in Patoka, Hawke’s Bay. In 2005 he founded Rural Directions, a professional recruitment and HR service leading the way for New Zealand’s primary sector supply chain businesses. Shortly after, he began an environmental advisory services business that evolved into MyEnviro offering a range of technical advisory services – enabling practical, on-farm action driven by environmental and financial goals.
Brent founded the Mangaone Catchment Group in 2019 and in 2024/25 he led the transition of it into a larger collective called the Kaweka Community Catchment Collective. The KCCC is 65,000Ha with 4 hubs which were enabled in the cyclone in 2023.
Mr Paterson recognises the challenges ahead in the sector, but believes that by working together we can turn them into opportunities.
