Selwyn_Times: May 17, 2023

SELWYN RURAL LIFE
Wednesday May 17 2023 Selwyn Times 25
Advertising Feature
Sold-out event a success
• By Isabelle Teresa
Recently, a crowd of nearly 70 people
enjoyed the inspirational Growing Your
Farming Destiny event at Lakeside
Soldiers Memorial Hall.
The night began with Ellesmere
Sustainable Agriculture Inc’s Jo Fearn
and David Birkett reflecting on successes
and revealing the good news that further
government funding may be afoot.
It was then over to the evening’s host,
Sarah Perriam-Lampp, from the popular
Sarah’s Country podcast. As storytelling
was a focus of the evening, Sarah kicked
off with a moving story of her own –
it was 12 months ago that she had a
stress-related physical breakdown. She
described how she recovered and reenergised
before tonight’s return.
She shared her story to illustrate that
people are genuinely interested in people’s
real stories and therefore, by extension,
businesses’ real stories too.
The panellists picked up on the theme.
Lincoln University lecturer Hamish Gow
posed that farmers need to progress from
knowing their customers to knowing and
communicating with their consumers.
Consultant Tim Jones said many
international consumers willingly
pay a premium for products they feel
connected with, and suppliers such as
Waitrose enable product-search by
B Corp certification.
Central Otago deer farmer Mandy
Bell saw the change from supply chain
to value chain operations as an exciting
generational shift for all New Zealand
businesses.
Align Farms Rhys Roberts discussed
how crises are an opportunity to re-look
at the fundamentals and the necessity of
involving the upcoming generation.
Gabi and Doug Michael of Gladfield
Malt also emphasised bringing the
whole team into all discussions and the
inspirations that Brazilian Gabi brings
from her diverse perspective.
Encouraged by Sarah’s call for “chunky
hairy questions”, the floor’s heartfelt
responses included that farming is an
honourable profession and doesn’t
need to rebrand as “food producers”,
international potential is so different from
domestic market realities, and familyscale
farms can’t staff all these digital and
communications needs.
Sarah kept the mood positive with
the final message that New Zealand is
both small and innovative enough for
communities to keep sharing experiences
and cheering each other on as we all
succeed in our own styles.
The enjoyable evening included local
country and blues musician Henry
McIlraith and a delicious dinner and
dessert by The Social Platter.
Growing Your Farming
Destiny co-organisers:
Sarah Perriam-Lampp &
ESAI’s Jo Fearn.
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RESTAURANT & CAFÉ
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RESTAURANT & CAFÉ
The
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118 Racecourse Rd, Sockburn,
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www.racecoursehotel.co.nz