It's no surprise that Jon Pemberton chose a career in the agricultural sector — after all, his nickname at school was "Bloody Farmer".
The fourth-generation dairy farmer says he is "pretty proud" of the rural sector and he is all about celebrating the opportunities and positives that came out of farming.
"I just think it’s such a great industry. People who want to hook in and get on with it can start at zero."
Originally from Canterbury, Jon moved to Southland as a teenager and considers it home.
He and his wife, Birgit, who have three children, have two dairy farms, milking 1200 cows across two sheds, and they provide walking access through their property to the Mataura River for fishermen.
Jon was one of the driving forces behind Ag Proud NZ which was set up to promote positive farming practices and raise awareness of rural people’s mental health.
In 2019, the group hosted a winter barbecue in the centre of Invercargill to bring together both urban and rural people, and it was later rolled out to other centres.
It was about promoting the work the agricultural sector was doing and helping strengthen the bond between town and country.
He is part of the Three Rivers Catchment Group that was formed to help keep farmers informed about environmental issues and activities across the catchment area, and is also on the board of Thriving Southland.
Thriving Southland was set up to support farmers and catchment groups in the region, to link them together, lift engagement and encourage innovation among farmers and the wider rural community in relation to improving water quality and the environment in general, while maintaining resilient farming systems.
Last year, he successfully sought election to the board of Environment Southland, representing the Southern constituency, driven by a desire to ensure everyone recognised the value of improving the environment for future generations, and constructing Southland solutions for Southland problems.
He was impressed with how welcoming the regional council had been.
He was grateful there was a cohesive group on the board but which was diverse and created good discussion, which was "very healthy".
Council commitments meant he had stepped back from coaching junior rugby after five years, as he could not make every practice.
While it had been nice to still go to games to watch his children, it was bittersweet.
"I miss the halftime chat," he said.
Jon still had plenty of time in the dairy shed; lessons in resilience were gained during a $3.90 payout season which was his "learning curve" as they had just bought their first farm.
The farm had a reasonably loose structure without a tier system. Everyone on the farm was treated as an equal which led to a reasonably relaxed workforce.
— Sally Rae
